Do I need an audience before I start a podcast?
// The short answer
No. The show is how you build the audience. Most shows start with a handful of people, and a small audience that gets to know you is worth far more than a big one that doesn’t.
Everyone starts small
This question usually comes from someone who’s been “about to start a podcast” for ages and is waiting until they feel ready. I’d love to save you the wait.
When I launched my first community back in 2020, I promoted it for three days with a few posts on social media. No ads. A few people turned up. That was the whole launch.
Your first live might get three people. Maybe one. Maybe nobody at all. It really doesn’t matter, because you’re doing it for the replay crew, and for everyone who hasn’t found you yet.
A small audience can still pay
My YouTube channel stayed under 1,000 subscribers from January to the end of May 2026, and I banked £11,479 off the back of it in those five months. Not a fortune. For a room that size, really good.
One year, Spotify told me I was in the top five shows for eleven people. Eleven! I’d still make it for them.
Waiting is the real risk
If you wait until you’ve got an audience before you start, you’ll be waiting a very long time, because the show is what builds one. It’s like refusing to go to the gym until you’re fit.
Start with the people who already know you. Old clients, people on your list, the ones who always reply. They’re the warmest people you’ve got, and they’ll happily be your first ten.
Thinking about a show of your own?
Book a Live Show Chat. Tell me what you’re thinking and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth building.
Build your LivePod