So you want to start a podcast internally… now what?
Launching an internal podcast sounds exciting until you realize just how much time, energy, and planning it takes. Many teams start strong only to experience podfading.
Beware of Podfading
Podfading is the silent killer of company podcasts. One moment, you’re excited, publishing weekly, sharing episodes with your team. The next? The show stops dead after 8–12 episodes. In fact, 75% of podcasts fizzle out of production after less than 10 episodes (Source: AmplifiMedia, 2018).
For your audience, it’s confusing. For your company, it’s embarrassing. And for you, it’s wasted time, money, and credibility. You might as well have lit your cash on fire.
Why does podfading happen? Usually, because teams underestimate what it takes. Other priorities take over, workloads pile up, and the podcast quietly slips to the bottom of the list. Before you know it, your “thought leadership engine” has become a dusty feed with no new content in months.
The result:
- Your brand looks unreliable (if you can’t stick to your own podcast, why should prospects trust you?)
- You lose momentum (audiences who once tuned in move on)
- You waste resources (time and money sunk into episodes that no one remembers)
Podfading is a credibility hit. Once your show disappears, it’s ten times harder to relaunch without looking like an afterthought.
The bottom line: podfading is failure, plain and simple. And it’s far more common than you think. According to Apple, the number of active podcasts is not growing as quickly as the number of new podcasts created (Apple iTunes Podcast Statistics, 2023).
The good news? Podfading is avoidable. But only if you understand what you’re really getting into.
The Realities of Running an Internal Podcast
1. It’s Hard Work
Podcasting takes time. A lot is going on behind the scenes, from securing and scheduling guests to editing to promo clips and social copy creation. This, on top of other internal duties, can lead to burnout. Other things become a priority, and the podcast ends up taking a back seat. Next thing you know, your podcast has faded.
2. You’ll Be Learning as You Go
Odds are, you don’t know what you’re doing. This may be your first company podcast, and that means somebody has to learn the ropes. It’s a learn as you go experience. You risk looking like an amateur, and small mistakes can unfold (such as having your mic backward). Making it a learn as you go experience means slim results.
3. Results Can be Slim
Sometimes, companies start a podcast without even being clear on what their goal is. Is it to showcase your company as a thought leader? Is it for demand generation? When goals are unclear, results are slim. Or maybe you know your goals, but a competitor is doing it better than you, meaning you’re being stampeded over with no results. When you’re doing the podcast internally, you’re building a steady discipline. It can feel more like a long gym routine rather than a quick 5K: progress is slow and inconsistent.
The Cost of Redoing
Here’s the harsh truth: if you launch without a strategy and see no results, you’ll eventually need to scrap your early work and start fresh with a professional. You’ve lost time and money on several episodes that created no thought leadership, no demand gen, and no core audience. Starting over means your resources were for nothing. As the saying goes, measure twice and cut once. Don’t make the mistake of needing to redo a podcast because you weren’t prepared.
So, what exactly does it take to run a podcast?
Here’s how to get started
- Complete the Podcast Readiness Framework
- Check out Creating the Greatest Show
- Buy this equipment
- Listen to competitors’ podcasts
On average, here’s the weekly commitment most internal teams face:
- 1 hour for the recording
- 1.5-3 hours for editing
- 1-2 hours for guest inviting and scheduling
- 1 hour for social asset creation
Sounds like a lot? It is!
Or, you can choose to work with a professional (like Ringmaster!).
Ringmaster launches your podcastRingmaster produces your podcast- Join 1 prep call and 1 recording a week
Ready to start your podcast without the risk of podfading? Let’s make your show a growth engine, not a side project.