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Podfest 2027 Volunteer Applications Are Officially Open!
Want to experience Podfest from a whole new perspective? Applications are now open to join the team of volunteers who help bring the Podfest experience to life.
Every January, more than 2,000 creators come together at Podfest to learn, connect, share ideas, and experience everything the Podfam has to offer. But behind the sessions, conversations, and connections is another pretty incredible community: Our volunteers.
Podfest 2027 takes place January 14–17, 2027, in Orlando, and we're officially looking for members of the Podfam who want to roll up their sleeves and help us make the magic happen. Volunteer support begins as early as Wednesday, January 13.
What Do Podfest Volunteers Do?
Our volunteers are often some of the first friendly faces attendees meet and they're an important part of keeping the entire experience moving. Depending on your assignment, you might help with:
Registration — welcoming attendees, distributing badges and answering questions
Directional & Information Support — helping the Podfam find their way around the conference
Room Assistance — supporting speakers, sessions, AV needs and attendee flow
Track Emceeing — introducing sessions and helping keep programming on schedule
VIP Support — assisting guests and helping manage the VIP Lounge
Sponsor & Exhibitor Support — lending a hand to the partners who help make Podfest possible
Conference Setup & Support — helping the Podfest team get everything ready before the doors officially open
Volunteer Lead — Additional leadership and volunteer opportunities for those who have volunteered at Podfest previously
And more! Live events always come with surprises, so flexibility and a willingness to jump in are part of the experience.
Important Dates to Know
August 24: Volunteer applications open
September 9: Volunteer Interest Call
September 14: Acceptance notifications begin on a rolling basis
Week of November 2: Volunteer assignments and schedules emailed
Mid-November: Volunteer Townhall
Beginning of January: Volunteer Townhall
January 13: Volunteer support begins
January 14–17: Podfest 2027!
Before You Apply...
Volunteering at Podfest is a lot of fun—but it's also a commitment.
We're looking for people who are excited to be part of the team, ready to serve the Podfest community, and committed to showing up for their assigned responsibilities.
Not quite sure if volunteering is right for you? Join us Wednesday, September 9th at 12 PM ET for our Volunteer Interest Call. We'll talk about what to expect, answer questions, and help you decide whether joining the team is the right fit.
Ready to Be Part of the Magic?
Podfest simply wouldn't be Podfest without the incredible people who give their time, energy, enthusiasm, and heart behind the scenes. If you love this community, enjoy helping people, and want to experience Podfest from a completely different perspective, we'd love to have you apply.
Boots on the Ground
Boots on the Ground is a nonfiction book that provides firsthand insight into the Israel–Hamas war through the experiences of Israeli journalist Yair Pinto, exploring combat, journalism, faith, and the human cost of conflict.
Yair Pinto is an Israeli journalist, war correspondent, author, and commentator who reports from Israel's front lines, providing firsthand coverage of conflict and current events in the Middle East.
Podtour Stop: Portland, Oregon
Date: September 2, 2026 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm PT
Connect with other local podcasters and creators to help grow and monetize your podcast. Presented by Morgan James Publishing and Podmatch, and brought to you in partnership with Podfest and TABI WELLNESS! Join us for a fun time of networking, learning, and sharing podcasting tips. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, this event is for you! Light Refreshments will be served.
September Podlab: Legal Q&A with Gordon Firemark
Date: September 8, 2026 from 2:00pm-3:00pm EST
Join us for an interactive Q&A session with Gordon Firemark. Get more insights on your legal questions and more.
Podfest 2027 Volunteer Interest Meeting
Date: September 8, 2026 from 12:00pm-1:00pm EST
Join us to learn more about volunteering, ask questions, hear what to expect, and decide whether joining the team is right for you.
Would You Rather Have 1,000 Right Listeners or 100,000 Random Ones?
Podcasting loves big numbers. But for indie creators, the size of your audience may tell you far less than who is actually listening and why they keep coming back.
100,000 downloads, 10,000 subscribers, A million views.
Big numbers get attention in podcasting. They look impressive in media kits, make great social posts, and can certainly create opportunities.
Growing an audience remains one of the biggest goals and biggest challenges for independent podcasters. In a 2026 survey of 195 podcasters from RSS.com, 46% said audience growth was their main goal, while 70% identified growing an audience as one of their biggest challenges.
But what if we're asking the wrong question?
Instead of: "How many people listen to my podcast?" What if we asked: "Are the right people listening to my podcast?"
Because 1,000 people who genuinely care about your topic, recommend your show, respond when you ask a question, attend your events, join your community and look forward to your next episode could potentially be more meaningful than 100,000 people who barely remember your show's name.
What's Behind It?
There's growing conversation in independent podcasting about the difference between reach and relevance.
The long-standing "1,000 True Fans" concept has resurfaced repeatedly in creator conversations for exactly this reason: a creator doesn't necessarily need a massive audience if they can develop a meaningful relationship with a smaller group of people who deeply value their work. And podcasting may be particularly well suited for that.
Unlike content people scroll past in seconds, podcasts can put a creator in someone's ears for 20, 30, 60 minutes (or longer) week after week.
A niche podcast can also reach people who share a remarkably specific interest. Research published this year on the independent linguistics podcast Lingthusiasm, for example, describes podcasting as a medium capable of finding niche global audiences outside traditional broadcast media.
So maybe "niche" isn't something indie podcasters need to overcome. Maybe it's one of their greatest advantages.
Underlying Questions
Here's where things get interesting, because scale still matters.
A larger audience can mean more opportunities, greater reach, more potential customers, increased influence and a bigger pool of people who could eventually become deeply engaged listeners. You can't build 1,000 true fans without first giving people an opportunity to discover you. But chasing scale can also tempt creators to broaden their content in an attempt to appeal to everyone. And when you start making something for everyone, you risk making it feel like it was created specifically for no one,
For an indie podcaster with limited time, money and resources, maybe the better growth question isn't: "How do I reach as many people as possible?" Maybe it's: "How do I become unmissable to the people this show was made for?"
What Are Your Thoughts?
If you truly had to choose, which would you rather have?
1,000 listeners who rarely miss an episode, tell their friends about your show, respond to your calls to action and genuinely feel part of your community?
OR
100,000 listeners who know your show, occasionally tune in, but have a much weaker connection to you and your content?
And perhaps the harder question:
Are you currently building the biggest audience you can or the right audience for the podcast you actually want to create?
Final Thoughts
Numbers matter. Growth matters. Reaching new people matters. But numbers can tell you how many people showed up. They can't always tell you how much your podcast mattered once they got there. For indie podcasters especially, success may not always require being the loudest show in the room. There can be tremendous value in becoming the show that a particular group of people wouldn't want to be without.
So yes, keep growing. Just make sure you know who you're hoping to find.
We would love to hear your thoughts. Reply to this email and let us know. We would love to feature your responses in our weekly Messenger!
Autoimmune Adventures is a warm, conversational podcast hosted by Stacy and her sisters, Becky and Alysia. Together, we create thoughtful, engaging conversations for people navigating autoimmune disease and chronic illness.
The goal is to make complex and often deeply personal topics feel approachable without diminishing their importance. We believe education can be clear, serious conversations can still include laughter, and the most meaningful interviews happen when expertise and lived experience Our Style: Warm, Honest, and Relatable
Are your family finances not where you want them to be? That's because you don't have a CFO at home! Certified Personal Financial Wellness Consultant Vince Carter and his amazing guests discuss Personal Finance fundamentals and ways to better navigate the relational aspects of money to help listeners become the CFO at THEIR home!
Gratitude Geek is the podcast for Gen X women solopreneurs who've faced major life challenges like cancer, divorce, or loss—and are rebuilding their businesses and lives with strategy, systems, and gratitude as a powerful business tool.
Host Kandas Rodarte—a Gen X metastatic breast cancer thriver, master connector, and digital marketing pioneer with 30+ years of expertise—interviews inspirational Gen X women entrepreneurs who've transformed adversity into wisdom and business growth.
Each week, you'll discover practical strategies for marketing, productivity, building genuine client connections, and creating a business that fits your life. Whether you're starting over after a difficult season or simply ready to grow your business with more authenticity and less hustle, this podcast will help you learn, grow, and foster the connections that matter most.
News, information and interviews about the photo/imaging business. This is a weekly audio podcast hosted by Gary Pageau, editor of the Dead Pixels Society news site and community. This podcast is for a business-to-business audience of entrepreneurs and companies in the photo/imaging retail, online, wholesale, mobile, and camera hardware/accessory industries.
Podmatch: Automatically Matching Ideal Podcast Hosts & Guests For Interviews While Streamlining the Process
PodMatch believes that podcasting is the most powerful content medium for informing, inspiring, and motivating people to take action toward a more positive future. PodMatch’s purpose is to elevate independent voices on both sides of the microphone, empowering them to impact listeners in their own positive way, ultimately, making the world a better place.
Most podcast hosts and guests spend hours researching connections, coordinating interviews, and working on administrative tasks while only spending 10% of their time on what matters, recording impactful podcast episodes! PodMatch enables podcast guests and hosts to reclaim their time through automations and streamlined processes, so they can focus on creating content that serves listeners!