Creators from TrueFans: Showcasing Independent Podcasting

Sam Sethi & Claire Waite Brown

Championing independent podcasters and their supporters, each episode features an interview with an indie podcaster to talk about their show and how they make it, and which Podcasting 2.0 features could be of use to them to improve discoverability, interactivity and monetisation for their podcast. Co-hosts Claire Waite Brown and Sam Sethi also discuss what's happening in the podcast world that might be of interest and use to independent podcast creators.

  1. Aug 10

    Sustaining Creative Communities: With Andreea Coscai and Jullian Androkae

    Can you reclaim your podcasting joy and build a sustainable community around your show? Andreea Coscai and Jullian Androkae, founders of PodVision, join Claire to explain how they handle the heavy lifting of production, video assets and marketing that can suck the joy out of creating an independent podcast. We discuss: Partnership over Outsourcing: Andreea and Jullian offer a bespoke approach to helping creators launch and rebrand shows.Navigating Platform Dependency: The frustration of depending on third-party algorithms for discovery and the potential for Podcasting 2.0 features to change the relationship between creators and fans.Global Perspectives: Andreea introduces EuroWaves, a newsletter focused on the European podcasting market and international collaboration.Podcasting 2.0: The importance of interactivity, from direct listener comments to Podrolls and premium content. Educating Creators Sam and Claire discuss the importance of 'training' creators to use interactive app features to build deeper community connections, and how TrueFans incentivizes independent creators by offering hosting credits when fans listen directly through the app. Find PodVision here Submit this form to be featured on the TrueFans home page Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Sustaining Creative Communities: With Andreea Coscai and Jullian Androkae

  2. Jul 27

    Discovery, Feedback and Funding: With Indie Business Club

    Can your creative passion truly ‘earn its keep’? In this episode, Claire chats with Mel Barfield, host of the indie business club podcast, to explore the ‘near infinite possibilities’ and practical hurdles of independent podcasting.  From her 90s-radio-inspired format to her unique ‘indie anthem’ episode titles, Mel shares how she navigates the transition to solo hosting while craving the feedback that turns ‘silent listeners’ into a community. We also break down new TrueFans features designed to help indie shows thrive, including: • Buy Me a Subscription: A revolutionary way for fans to directly gift hosting packages (from 1 to 12 months) to cover a creator's overhead costs. • The End of ‘Featured and Forgotten’: Learn how our homepage discovery tool ensures your show pops back to the front every time you release a new episode. • Private Feed Imports: Now you can bring your premium content from Patreon or Substack directly into the TrueFans app for a seamless listener experience. • Request a Podroll: A new collaborative tool for cross-promoting with creators worldwide to find ‘fan synergy’. Plus, find out a little more about the International Women’s Podcast Awards and learn how you can support independent voices through super comments and streaming micro-payments. Listen to indie business club here Submit this form to be featured on the TrueFans home page Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Discovery, Feedback and Funding: With Indie Business Club

  3. Jul 13

    Turn Your Podcast Into a Book: With PodCraft Books

    Are you pouring ‘work, time, and love’ into your podcast, only to feel frustrated that it lacks the same reverence and cachet as a published book? While podcasters often struggle with limited economic models like sponsorships, they are sitting on a ‘tremendous body of work’ that is often difficult to access and organize. Claire chats with Tina Dietz, the founder of Twin Flame Studios, about their revolutionary service, PodCraft, a specialized transformation process designed to take your podcast archives and develop them into world-class quality books. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Power of a Book: Why a book provides heightened authority and a new, accessible income stream that podcasts alone often don't reach.The ‘Gems of Gold’: How to move beyond messy transcripts to find the repeated themes and unique ‘voice print’ hidden in your content.The Tech-Human Hybrid: How PodCraft uses a comprehensive relational database to query your work without ‘hallucinating’ or risking your privacy, combining data architecture with expert developmental editing.Real-World Impact: The story of the Responder Resilience podcast, which used 200 episodes to create the first-ever mental health guide for first responders – a book now ordered in bulk by the New York Fire Department.Is Your Show Ready? Why you typically need a minimum of 50 episodes (with 100–150 being the ‘sweet spot’) to begin this journey. The PodCraft Process Tina explains that this is not a ‘quick fix’ involving AI-cleaned transcripts. It is a deliberate, six-month strategic process that includes: Book Visioning: A no-cost initial consultation to see if your goals align with a book project,.Data Structuring: Pulling your entire RSS feed into a private database to identify your authentic voice and core topics.The Book Brief: Creating a 20-page strategic document outlining the purpose and structure of your book.Ghostwriting and Editing: Working with a developmental editor to craft chapters based on your existing recordings. Your podcast is more than just audio; it's a durable body of work that can continue to serve your audience and your brand for years to come. Find out more about PodCraft here (please note this is an affiliate link) Submit this form to be featured on the TrueFans home page Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Turn Your Podcast Into a Book: With PodCraft Books

  4. Jun 29

    Collective Action and Financial Rewards: With Messy Liberation

    Ready to ditch the ‘perfect’ strategy? Dive into the messy world of indie podcasting where nuance, equity, and authenticity lead the way to building a powerful community and monetizing your fandom on your own terms Becky Mollenkamp is an independent podcaster and founder of the Feminist Podcasters Collective. In this episode she shares her journey of co-hosting Messy Liberation, a show that prioritizes nuance and equity over perfection, proving that you don't need a ‘strategic game plan’ to build a powerful community. We work out why Becky’s transcripts aren’t showing in the apps, and consider the expanding revenue opportunities on offer with TrueFans. We discuss: Embracing the Mess: Becky explains the philosophy behind Messy Liberation and how to strive for a better world while acknowledging the flawed systems we live in.The Power of the Collective: Discover how the Feminist Podcasters Collective grew to 50 independent shows by rejecting traditional network metrics in favour of equitable, sliding-scale support.Monetization for Indie Creators: Sam introduces eight ways podcasters can earn on TrueFans, including selling event tickets and merch and offering premium encrypted episodes as well as inviting their fans to stream micropayments, leave super comments, and pay for monthly subscriptions.Seamless Cross-Promotion: Sam explains the TrueFans ‘Promo’ feature, where creators can request to be featured in the high-visibility ‘second slot’ of another show's episode list by sending a custom offer – allowing for easy community discovery without needing to modify your audio files.AI Labelling: A look at YouTube’s new auto-labelling for AI content and what it means for the future of podcast tagging and transparency. Listen to Messy Liberation here Find out about the Feminist Podcasters Collective here Submit this form to be featured on the TrueFans home page Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Collective Action and Financial Rewards: With Messy Liberation

  5. Jun 15

    Collective Clout for Creators: With Mercury Podcasts

    Celebrating the bedrock of podcasting. Claire chats with Liam Heffernan, the founder of the Mercury Network and the creator of Independent Podcasters Day. They discuss the challenges faced by independent creators who must juggle roles as marketers, accountants, and publicists, and how publisher networks can help level the playing field by providing enterprise-level tools and sales representation. Liam also introduces Independent Podcasters day, a new initiative to celebrate the hard-working 'grafters' of the podcasting world. Sam and Claire explore the Podcasting 2.0 Publisher Tag and how this feature allows creators to aggregate their shows into a single discoverable feed on TrueFans, fostering collective discoverability. We also discuss the future of hyperlocal advertising and how a shift from 'downloads' to 'verified plays' could unlock new revenue streams for indie shows with smaller, highly engaged audiences. Independent Podcasters Day Pledge your allegiance to Independent Podcasters Day Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Collective Clout for Creators: With Mercury Podcasts

  6. Jun 1

    Narratives Beyond Borders: With Aesthetica Festival

    Celebrating the intersection of independent filmmaking and podcasting. Claire chats with Phoebe Cawley from the Aesthetica Short Film Festival, which for the second year includes The Podcasting Lounge, a showcase for independent audio productions. The Festival Phoebe explains how a 20-year-old arts magazine evolved into a world-class film festival in York that now celebrates all forms of independent media. Submit your podcast if it displays originality and strong perspectives across fiction, documentary, investigative, or experimental genres. Selected podcasters get access to the festival, networking opportunities, and masterclasses from industry giants. Deadline: Submissions close on June 30th The festival runs from November 4th–8th TrueFans Platform: Awards and Playlists Award-winning and shortlisted podcasts (including those from Aesthetica 2025) have a dedicated space to be discovered on TrueFans. Winners are also highlighted with a trophy icon on their cover art, and users can listen to a curated playlist of all winning podcasts. Securing the Future: Premium RSS Sam introduces Premium RSS (formerly Secure RSS), a solution to the security flaws found in traditional private feeds like those on Patreon or Substack, which are easily shared, allowing non-paying listeners to access premium content. TrueFans is beta testing a standard that verifies user credentials upon login, ensuring only paying fans can access the feed. Independent Podcasters Day We touch on Liam Heffernan’s campaign to establish July 4th as Independent Podcasters Day (or 'Independents Day') to celebrate the unique voices in the industry. Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Listen to From My Yard to Your Yard Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Narratives Beyond Borders: With Aesthetica Festival

  7. May 14

    Authors, Art and Analytics: Featuring The Failing Writers Podcast

    Originally conceived as an accountability tool to force them to write, The Failing Writers Podcast has evolved into a unique creative outlet where hosts Tom and Jon 'scratch a creative itch' through sketches, songs, and 'weird stuff', alongside interviews with successful authors. In this episode the duo discuss the independent creator's journey, from the difficulty of marketing a multi-genre show to the paradox of a podcast that both inspires their writing while simultaneously eating up the very time they meant to spend writing. The episode also delves into the technical evolution of video podcasting, the impact of Apple's proprietary APIs, and how TrueFans helps creators manage hosting costs and filter bot data for accurate human analytics. Plus, we ask you: Should the home screen feature show art, episode art, or allow the listener to choose their preference? Leave a comment to have your say. Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. Listen to The Failing Writers Podcast Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Authors, Art and Analytics: Featuring The Failing Writers Podcast

  8. May 11

    Breaking the Silo: With PodGround

    Community, feedback, grants and support for indie podcasters. Remi Roy, creator of The Driven Introvert Podcast and founder of PodGround, shares her journey from a self-taught podcaster recording in a library to building a supportive community for independent creators. The discussion explores the common 'shouting into the void' feeling and how PodGround’s micro-grants and structured resources aim to lower the dropout rate for new shows. Plus, Sam explains how the new TrueFans co-listen and chat feature helps break the isolation of the 'independent silo'. Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads. You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen. Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app. Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone. More about PodGround More about the PodGround Creators Micro-Grant Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music Feedback: TrueFans Support Read: Creators Blog Recommendations: Creators Podroll

    Breaking the Silo: With PodGround
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Championing independent podcasters and their supporters, each episode features an interview with an indie podcaster to talk about their show and how they make it, and which Podcasting 2.0 features could be of use to them to improve discoverability, interactivity and monetisation for their podcast. Co-hosts Claire Waite Brown and Sam Sethi also discuss what's happening in the podcast world that might be of interest and use to independent podcast creators.

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