External Podcast Discovery Loop
Borrow relevant audiences and use discovery platforms to bring listeners in.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
The loop begins by accepting that recording a good podcast does not itself supply distribution. Map the places where prospective listeners already encounter recommendations, then create episode entry points there. Bartlett uses two principal levers: guests who bring relevant audiences and YouTube, where recommendations can expose a viewer to an unfamiliar show. Social posts, group chats, and word of mouth can provide additional routes. A person discovers an episode outside a listening app, samples it, and may then become a recurring listener on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. The loop repeats with every release. Bartlett estimates that most podcast discovery happens outside the major listening apps; the precise percentage is his judgment, but the reusable method does not depend on that number. It requires a deliberate, frequent acquisition path beyond simply uploading audio.
Origin
Bartlett says solo episodes aimed at his existing audience were unlikely to grow the show significantly. He added guests and a YouTube channel to reach audiences beyond podcast-listening apps.
Core principles
- 01A new show needs a repeatable source of new listeners.
- 02Guests can introduce a show to relevant existing audiences.
- 03Discovery often happens outside listening apps.
- 04Recommendation-driven platforms can create additional entry points.
- 05Distribution should happen often, not only at launch.
How to run it
- 1
Map discovery surfaces
List where the intended audience finds new people and ideas, including video recommendations, social feeds, group chats, and personal recommendations.
Pro tip Separate places people consume full episodes from places they discover them.
Watch out Do not assume uploading to a listening app automatically supplies viral distribution.
- 2
Select audience-relevant guests
Invite people whose experience fits the show's promise and whose audience may value the conversation.
Pro tip Choose for relevance and conversational value before audience size.
Watch out A large guest who produces a weak episode can damage audience trust.
- 3
Create portable formats
Capture the conversation in formats that can be surfaced beyond audio-only apps, such as full video and useful clips.
Pro tip Design each asset as a genuine entry point rather than a contextless teaser.
Watch out Distribution assets cannot compensate for a conversation with little value.
- 4
Publish beyond the player
Place the episode and its strongest entry points on channels with sharing or recommendation behavior.
Pro tip YouTube worked for Bartlett because one viewed video can lead to another recommendation.
Watch out Do not treat Bartlett's platform mix as universal; follow the audience you actually serve.
- 5
Measure returning discovery
Track which guests and external channels bring people who continue listening after the first episode. Repeat the paths that produce durable audience growth.
Pro tip Distinguish a one-episode spike from listeners who return.
Watch out Guest reach without retention is exposure, not a completed growth loop.
In the wild
Bartlett opened the podcast to entrepreneurs and other guests, who could introduce their audiences to the show. He also launched a YouTube channel, where viewers could encounter an episode through the platform's recommendation system and later continue on video or an audio app.
→ The podcast gained recurring discovery routes beyond Bartlett speaking only to his existing audience.
Common mistakes
Waiting for in-app virality
Bartlett argues that podcast apps lack the same sharing and recommendation mechanics as social and video platforms.
Booking for reach alone
The transcript also shows Bartlett deleting a mega-star's episode when the conversation failed his value standard.
Measuring the first click only
A useful discovery system should produce people who return, not merely a temporary impression spike.
Is it for you?
Best for
New or growing interview podcasts that cannot rely on in-app discovery or an established host following.
Not ideal for
Private, confidential, or deliberately closed podcasts that do not want broad external discovery.
From the transcript
“to grow your podcast you need to figure out how your podcast is going to reach a new audience and do it often”
“for me this is achieved in two ways as i said by bringing guests in but also by having the youtube channel”
From the episode
How I Make $1.2 Million A Year From This Podcast