Most podcasters trust Spotify to host and distribute their content — but what if that trust blinds you to major pitfalls? This episode exposes two crucial risks that could threaten your podcast’s reach and your data clarity.

Discover why relying solely on Spotify for hosting can leave your show vulnerable during outages—and how switching to independent hosts like Simplecast or Libsyn keeps your content safe across multiple platforms.

We dive into the hidden complications of Spotify's video analytics, revealing how fragmented data can make tracking your performance feel like chasing shadows.

If you depend on KPIs for sponsorships or growth, these insights could be game-changers.You’ll learn specific tactics, including alternative hosting strategies, the impact of Spotify’s current video tech limitations, and how upcoming Apple Podcast features may soon transform your video metrics.

You'll also see why understanding these pitfalls is essential for creators who want control, transparency, and scalability in their podcasting journey.Neglecting these issues might mean missing out on accurate data, underestimating growth, or risking platform dependencies—risks that could limit your success in a competitive landscape. But by the end, you'll have the knowledge to make smarter hosting decisions, safeguard your content, and leverage new opportunities before your competitors do.

This episode is perfect for podcast creators serious about growth, transparency, and owning their data. Whether you're starting out or scaling up, understanding these tech insights ensures you're building on a solid foundation—so you can focus on what truly matters: creating content that connects and grows your audience.

Jon Gay is a podcasting expert and founder of Jag Podcast Productions, known for helping creators turn their passion into scalable, successful shows.

Find jag on social media @JAGPodcastProductions or online at JAGPodcastProductions.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So just a short abbreviated version of the Jag Show today for a couple of different reasons.

Okay, first off, I'm doing a little bit of testing. My partners over at Simplecast, they are the podcast hosting platform that I've used, are rolling out a feature for some plans where you can upload your video into Simplecast and automatically connect to your YouTube. So you don't have to upload your audio and your video in separate places. If you're doing a video podcast, you put the video in one place, it populates to your YouTube, done and done. And there's also going to be the availability to check analytics from your YouTube through Simplecast all in one place. I love the idea. I've been working on them, getting some kinks worked out of it. And of course, I'm going to test it for myself before I roll it out to my clients. Okay, the other thing that I want to talk about today is podcast studios. Now, I know some folks prefer to record in a studio. They really like that feel of having a face-to-face conversation with somebody. They feel something gets lost when you're on Zoom or on a screen like we all felt during COVID.

But please, if you're going to go to your... But please, if you're going to go to a studio, please vet the studio before you go. Anybody can buy a thousand dollars worth of equipment, set it up and say, hey, we've got a podcast studio. I know of a client of mine that went to a podcast studio, did not know any better, not on them, but they recorded in the podcast studio on Riverside and sent me the files. But when I got the files, the video dimensions were off. It wasn't 1920 by 1080 or even 1280 by 720 or even 4K. It just wasn't the right dimensions. So what I then had to do, and there were only two cameras, there was a camera on each participant, but no wide shot of everybody. So that took a little bit of creative video editing on my side to get everything to look right, to look like a normal conversation.

Now, I'm not going to fault the studio. There are very fine folks that run the studio. But if you are going to start a podcast studio, consult with somebody that knows how to set up a studio first. And then if you're going to use a podcast studio, take a look at some content that's been produced there or ask them some questions. Make sure it's the right place like everything you want to do your due diligence. Now all that said, I am still a huge fan of the Riverside platform. It's what I'm recording the Jag Show on right now. I'm recording in 4K thanks to my Sony... What is it again? I'm recording in 4K with my Sony camera and my, as you can see on the video, my Shure SM7B microphone plugged into my Rodecaster Duo.

And I posted about this on LinkedIn. Shout out to my friend, Kristin Donnelly, who asked, can you record two people in person on Riverside? Yes, you can. If you have an interface or mixer that two mics can plug into, you can separate out the audio feeds. The only catch is you're going to have one camera feed for everybody, so make sure it's a wide shot. Or if you're on Apple, you can use your iPhone or iPad as a continuity camera with your Mac. If you're not on Apple, you can use the Riverside app on an iPhone or an iPad or an Android device to be a second camera in the session. You can go between the different views. So there's that too. If you have any questions about Riverside recording remotely or recording in person, please feel free to reach out to me, jag@jagpodcastproductions.com.

Find jag on social media @JAGPodcastProductions or online at JAGPodcastProductions.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.