In a world supposedly teetering on the edge of AI apocalypse, we seem to have missed the actual invasion.
It’s not coming.
It’s here.
And it isn’t led by ChatGPT or Boston Dynamics robots with questionable dance skills.
No, dear friends, the real tyrant is already seated on the throne, wearing a crown of thumbnails and a cape made of auto-generated captions.
All hail the mighty algorithm.
We fear AI might take our jobs.
Too late.
The algorithm has already taken our attention, our culture, and (most importantly for us podcasters) our discoverability.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on here.
The 2025 Sweet Fish Media report tells you everything you need to know without even reading past the headline: YouTube is now the #1 discovery platform for podcasts.
Not Spotify.
Not Apple Podcasts.
YouTube.
The place that gave us mukbangs, slime tutorials, and conspiracy theory spirals at 2am is now the high temple of spoken-word content.
And before you rush in to “claim your slice of the pie,” here’s the twist: you don’t get a slice unless you also bring a camera, a studio setup, a second mortgage, and a smile that can survive six hours of editing your own face.
In case it wasn’t clear – YouTube isn’t adapting to podcasts.
Podcasts are being re-engineered to serve the algorithm.
That’s not evolution.
That’s colonisation.
The algorithm has a type.
It likes visuals.
It likes talking heads.
It likes clips with “shocking takes” and “moments you won’t believe.”
Enter: the interview podcast.
YouTube is currently hoovering up video interviews like it’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Podcasters, desperate for reach, are repackaging every conversation with a ring light and three camera angles.
But let’s be honest: the interview format wasn’t built for this.
Not all guests are charismatic on camera.
Not all topics are visually stimulating.
Not everyone wants to watch two people nod at each other for 45 minutes.
But the algorithm doesn’t care.
It’s not about what’s good.
It’s about what’s good for the feed.
Here’s the real kicker: we’ve officially entered the age where quality and popularity are no longer friends.
They’ve broken up.
It’s not you, it’s the algorithm.
The most brilliant audio storytelling?
If it doesn’t have a flashy thumbnail and an out-of-context clip for Shorts or Reels, it’s DOA.
Take Stripped, our award-winning audio drama.
Layered, lush, provocative, and… ignored.
Why?
Because it’s not a video.
Because turning it into a video would cost the GDP of a small island nation.
Because the algorithm can’t see sound design.
It only rewards what moves in a rectangle.
So we do what artists have always done in the face of cultural gatekeepers: we whisper our stories to those who’ll actually listen.
Slowly.
Over time.
One real audience member at a time.
Not viral.
Not trending.
But meaningful.
This isn’t just a tech story – it’s a cultural one.
We’re being told, subtly but relentlessly, that video is the only format that matters.
That to be relevant, you must be seen.
That to be seen, you must perform.
And so we contort ourselves.
We ditch scripted content for face-to-cam rants.
We abandon sonic craft for clip-ability.
We trade intimacy for applause.
Here’s a question nobody’s asking: What are we sacrificing on the altar of the algorithm?
Let’s play along.
Maybe we do need a sacrifice.
Interview podcasts, come on down.
You’ve had a good run.
You’ve launched careers, built empires, and taught us all the art of the long-winded answer.
But now?
You’re the chosen offering.
The golden calf.
The fuel to keep the YouTube algorithm happy while the rest of us sneak past with something more interesting.
Let them have the interviews.
Let them chew on the content-candy that’s easily digestible, easily clipped, easily monetised.
We’ll be over here, experimenting with audio drama, experimental nonfiction, storytelling that doesn’t fit neatly into a three-minute vertical box.
We’ll be where listeners still go to listen.
To everyone out there crafting podcasts that don’t bend the knee to the algorithm—keep going.
You might not get 100,000 views in a day, but you’ll get something better: an audience that doesn’t just scroll, but stays.
Listens.
Thinks.
Comes back.
And that’s the long game.
That’s the quiet revolution.
Let the algorithm chew through the flavour-of-the-week clips and rage-bait interviews.
Let’s build something that lasts longer than a recommendation cycle.
Because in the end, the mighty algorithm doesn’t care what we make – only what it can monetise.
But we’re not creating for it.
We’re creating for people.
And people – real people – still want to hear something real.
Even if they have to dig a little to find it.
All hail the mighty algorithm… but don’t let it choose your voice.
Your voice is your brand. Your podcast should sound like it.
We help creators, coaches, and businesses make shows that stand out – for the right reasons.
Book a free consultation and let’s build something powerful.
In this brutally honest (and slightly sarcastic) breakdown, I unpack why most interview podcasts fail and exactly how to fix yours. From lazy questions to rambling intros, weak editing to forgettable guests, this is your no-fluff guide to making interviews worth listening to.
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