Guide
How to get booked on podcasts as a guest
To get booked on podcasts, pitch shows whose listeners care about your topic with a short, personal email to each host.
Getting booked on podcasts comes down to three jobs: finding shows that fit you, writing each host a pitch that shows you understand their show, and sending it from a real inbox. PodPitch, the automated podcast pitching software, does all three, and you can approve each pitch or let it run on autopilot.
Quick answers
Getting booked on podcasts: short answers
Do I need a PR team to get on podcasts?
No. Many guests pitch hosts directly by email. What matters is pitching shows that fit and writing to each host personally.
Which podcasts should I pitch?
Shows whose listeners care about your topic. A smaller show with the right audience is a better fit than a big show about something else.
Should I use one pitch template for every show?
It is faster, but hosts can usually tell. A pitch written for the specific show gives the host a reason to say yes.
Where should my pitch come from?
Your own email address. Hosts want to talk to a person, and replies should reach you without a middleman.
Step by step
Six steps to get booked on podcasts
This is the process whether you pitch by hand or use software. Steps two, four and five are the ones PodPitch automates.
Pin down your topic
Decide what you can talk about with authority and what listeners will take away. A clear topic makes every later step easier, and it is what PodPitch matches on.
Build a list of shows that fit
Look for podcasts whose listeners care about your topic. Doing this by hand takes time; PodPitch searches a database of podcasts and picks matching shows for you.
How PodPitch matches showsGet to know each show
Listen to a recent episode or two on a directory such as Apple Podcasts (opens in a new tab) so you understand the format and what the host likes to cover.
Write a personal pitch per host
Say why your topic suits their listeners and what you would talk about. Keep it short. PodPitch writes a personal pitch for each host so you do not start from a blank page.
About personalized pitchesSend from your own email
Pitch from a real address you check. Following basic email sender guidelines (opens in a new tab) helps your messages reach the inbox. PodPitch sends from your own email.
About sending from your emailReply quickly and show up prepared
When a host says yes, answer promptly, agree on a date and prepare a few stories that fit their show. This part is all you.
What does a podcast host look for in a guest pitch?
Hosts need guests who will make a good episode for their listeners. A pitch that answers that question quickly, with a clear topic and a reason it suits this particular show, is easier to say yes to than a long biography.
That is why PodPitch matches before it writes: the strongest argument in any pitch is that the show and the guest belong together. Personal details in the pitch then show the host you are not sending the same email to everyone.
Where PodPitch fits in the process
PodPitch automates the repetitive middle of getting booked on podcasts: finding matching shows, writing a pitch for each host and sending it from your inbox. You approve each pitch or let autopilot send for you.
It does not replace the parts only you can do: knowing your topic, replying to hosts and giving a great interview. If you want to discover more shows on your own, open directories like Podcast Index (opens in a new tab) are a useful place to browse.
Three ways to get booked on podcasts
| Pitching by hand | Guest directory | PodPitch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How shows are found | You research them yourself. | Hosts find your profile. | Picks shows from a podcast database that match your topic. |
| Who starts the conversation | You. | The host. | You, with a pitch PodPitch writes. |
| Pitch writing | You write every one. | Usually none. | A personal pitch for each host. |
| Sending | From your inbox, one by one. | Through the directory. | From your own email. |
| Time you spend | The most. | Little, but you wait. | Approving pitches, or none with autopilot. |
No listing on this page is sponsored. Directories are described as a general category. See our methodology for how this guide was put together.
Let PodPitch handle the pitching
Matching, writing and sending, from your own email. Approve every pitch or let it run on autopilot.