What the Heck Is Podcasting?

In an effort to promote my new book, my publisher is paying $32 per month for me to be a member of PodMatch.com. He explained that it works like a dating site, but pairs podcast hosts with podcast guests instead of romantic partners. Every so many hours, he said, the site would send me a new group of six potential podcasters. After reading their profiles – packed with information – I would have three options. I could “Message” them if I was interested, or “Pass” if I was not. And it was ok to be uncertain. Those I could mark, “Maybe Later.”

Some of my friends are baffled by such an online business, and by podcasts in and of themselves. What the heck are they? As for me, I’ve been on PodMatch for a couple of weeks now, and I see it as a very time-consuming enterprise, which I hope is not an exercise in futility. When a previous book of mine was published, I paid a publicist to line up ten radio interviews. He also included six hours of coaching and the creation of a press kit, all for the not-so-low price of $1700. Exactly one book sold as a result of that endeavor.

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So let me define podcasting and explain how I got interested in this form of media, and let me see if this appears worthy of further exploration for me, the wanna-be best-selling author.

I am using Riverside as my expert on this topic. They are an online platform where people create podcasts, webinars, and livestreams. They explain podcasts easily when they compare podcasts to radio shows with which we all have experience.

A podcast is usually pre-recorded audio content. But sometimes there is video too. Meanwhile, a radio show is broadcast live and does not have the video option. Podcasts give the listener the ability to tune in on-demand while one needs to tune in at the exact time of broadcast to hear a radio show. This tends to give podcasts a larger, global reach. At the same time, it disenfranchises the local guy who might want to call into a live radio show.

There is a lot of overlap in terms of format and audience between the two. And as these broadcasting options change over time, there is other overlap too. For example, some radio shows are online now, and thus available on demand after the initial recording.

What occasioned my fondness for listening to podcasts was getting a new car in 2023. It has CarPlay, which brings all my phone’s apps into the car, including the one for podcasts. I had listened to podcasts from time to time while at home, but really didn’t have much time for them except maybe when cooking. But now, driving places – and even being stuck in traffic – became a pleasure because an interesting podcast was a click away on my dashboard.

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As it turns out, the easy accessibility of podcasts I just described is one of the three reasons podcasts are so popular. People can listen anywhere – on a train, on a bike, on a plane, while playing sports, while waiting to see a doctor, etc.. All you need is a pair of earbuds and a smart phone.

Another reason is the relatively low production costs for podcasting. One only needs a microphone, audio recording and editing software, and a silent recording space to create an episode. Easy distribution – thanks to companies like Riverside – is the third component for the large success of podcasts. How huge is it?

• There were 184 million users in 2025
• Having 3.5 million podcasts
• And 175 million episodes from which to choose

Of course, there are podcasts on every conceivable topic – just Google your topic of choice followed by the word “podcast” to see what I mean.

And while I am giving out crazy numbers, here is what Podmatch.com has contributed to the above statistics.

• They have 17,197 active members
• Who have generated 162,043 interviews
• Which have received over 74 million “listens” and over 1.6 billion “social media impressions”

Another exciting thing about podcasts is that they have risen to be a respected form of entertainment as proven by the 83^rd Annual Golden Globe Awards in January, where a Best Podcast was awarded for the first time. The winner of the inaugural award was Good Hang with Amy Poehler, a weekly show with 50 episodes under its belt.

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While I don’t ever expect to have the opportunity to hang with Amy, I have recorded ten podcasts with PodMatch so far, and have another dozen booked for the weeks ahead. While I won’t say which I have only applied for and which I have actually been booked for, here are some podcasts with fun names that are available to folks looking to be interviewed via PodMatch. Since you can’t judge a podcast by its title, I will share one metric – how many episodes they have recorded thus far.

• No Shrinking Violets (106)
• The Boomer Woman’s Podcast (150)
• The Inspiration Place (409)
• Living Ageless and Bold (100)
• That’s What She Read (42)
• EPIC Begins with 1 Step Forward (115)
• Were You Still Talking? (100)
• Yeah-Uh-Huh (243)

As I like to say, I have had 30 years in the motivation field, and hope I will soon be an overnight success. I realize that using PodMatch.com – and all the time and effort spent, plus all the talk, talk talking – may lead to no book sales. But it’s a new avenue to try. And I am trying it.

Fingers crossed.

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I had an interview on Positive Talk Radio and they created this film clip as a result. It’s my standard recipe for personal reinvention, which is a story in Chai on Life.

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I would love your help too in making Chai on Life a success. Certainly you know someone who would enjoy this as a gift?

Thank you for reading my blog and for considering such a purchase.

Lorie

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Fellow creatives: If you would like to look into PodMatch,

please use my affiliate marketing link to do so. Click HERE.