Originally conceived as an accountability tool to force them to write, The Failing Writers Podcast has evolved into a unique creative outlet where hosts Tom and Jon 'scratch a creative itch' through sketches, songs, and 'weird stuff', alongside interviews with successful authors. In this episode the duo discuss the independent creator's journey, from the difficulty of marketing a multi-genre show to the paradox of a podcast that both inspires their writing while simultaneously eating up the very time they meant to spend writing.

The episode also delves into the technical evolution of video podcasting, the impact of Apple's proprietary APIs, and how TrueFans helps creators manage hosting costs and filter bot data for accurate human analytics.

Plus, we ask you:

Should the home screen feature show art, episode art, or allow the listener to choose their preference? Leave a comment to have your say.

Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads.

You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.

Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.

Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone.

Listen to The Failing Writers Podcast

Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Community, feedback, grants and support for indie podcasters.

Remi Roy, creator of The Driven Introvert Podcast and founder of PodGround, shares her journey from a self-taught podcaster recording in a library to building a supportive community for independent creators. The discussion explores the common 'shouting into the void' feeling and how PodGround’s micro-grants and structured resources aim to lower the dropout rate for new shows.

Plus, Sam explains how the new TrueFans co-listen and chat feature helps break the isolation of the 'independent silo'.

Follow @TrueFans.fm on Instagram and/or Threads.

You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.

Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.

Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone.

More about PodGround

More about the PodGround Creators Micro-Grant

Find TrueFans in the App Store or Play Store, or here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Claire chats with Shá Sparks, host of The Shá Sparks Show, to discuss building a community, exploring trauma and resilience, and navigating the podcasting landscape.

Shá discusses her transition from hairstylist to podcaster and 'connector' for military and business leaders, exploring how their past struggles – the 'muck and yuck' – become their greatest strengths. The conversation highlights the concept of a 'respect economy' versus traditional entertainment models, and how indie creators build deeper connections with their listeners.

Sam explores how TrueFans provides superior metrics like listen time and consumption data, moving beyond the "auto-download" era to show real listener engagement, and we look at how creators will soon be able to use TrueFans to offer exclusive bonus content without forcing fans to use external platforms like Patreon.

Claire is officially announced as the Head of Community at TrueFans and entries are open for the Independent Podcast Awards 2026.

You can support the show by streaming payments from your TrueFans wallet while you listen.

Leave a super comment via the speech bubble icon in the TrueFans app.

Learn more about TrueFans features by listening to our sister show, Fanzone.

Listen to The Shá Sparks Show here

Enter the Independent Podcast Awards here

Find TrueFans here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Ever felt deeply connected to a story, even if it's vastly different from your own?

Jennica Sadhwani shares the compelling origins of her show, Multispective, which aims to amplify diverse voices sharing stories of overcoming adversity, fostering connection through shared human experience. She details how her personal journey of being a good listener evolved into a podcast idea after a stranger's suggestion, highlighting the universal desire for people to be heard.

Jennica delves into the practicalities of indie podcasting, from finding unique guests through her network and directories like Podmatch, to efficiently managing her workload as a full-time teacher by outsourcing tasks, leveraging AI, and maintaining a structured schedule. The conversation also explores the challenges of standing out in a saturated social media landscape and the inspiring, supportive community within podcasting.

Sam and Claire expand on the future of podcasting, discussing the transformative potential of Podcasting 2.0 features like automated transcripts, chapters, and innovative monetization methods such as value-for-value payments and micropayments, emphasizing TrueFans' commitment to supporting independent creators in their discovery and financial sustainability.

Listen to Multispective here

Ear Worthy's top 10 new indie podcasts for 2025

Find TrueFans here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Friendship files and the future of podcasting.

In this week's episode of Creators from TrueFans, Claire chats with Jayne Morgan, the creative mind behind The Friendship File podcast. Jayne shares the unique premise of her show, where two friends independently answer 17 questions about their relationship and then react to each other’s responses. She explains how the podcast delves into the unsung yet incredibly vital role of friendship in our lives, from the heartwarming to the hilariously surprising.

Jayne opens up about the personal journey of bringing The Friendship File to life, starting it during lockdown as a true ‘labour of love’. She discusses the self-selecting nature of guests who are eager to explore their friendships in this intimate format, emphasizing how recording alone fosters candid and often transformative conversations.

A professional podcast producer herself, Jayne also shares her industry insights, including her passion for audio-first storytelling amidst the growing push for video content and the challenges of sustaining a passion project.

Sam and Claire then delve into exciting developments at TrueFans, including a sneak peek at the new Listen Time dashboard, offering unparalleled analytics for creators.

They also cover major upcoming events in the podcasting world, such as PodFest, The Podcast Show London, and The Rest is Fest, and celebrate TrueFans’ recent recognition by the Podcast Tech Stack blog for its innovative monetization approach. Claire also takes a moment to champion a crowdfunding campaign for On Spec podcast, an independent show doing crucial investigative work.

Listen to The Friendship File here

Read the Podcast Tech Stack article here

Financially support On Spec here

Creators from TrueFans on Substack

Find TrueFans here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Books that change lives and tech that changes podcasting.

This time Claire welcomes Rebecca Thandi Norman, the creative force behind the Book Imprint podcast. Rebecca shares the evolution of her show, from the Agatha Christie-focused Tea & Murder to Book Imprint, which explores the profound impact of books on individuals before the age of 25. She delves into her unique approach to guest selection, ensuring a diverse range of voices, and opens up about the dedicated team behind Audi Productions that makes her podcast a reality, highlighting the importance of collaboration in independent podcasting.

Claire and Sam provide expert insights, detailing TrueFans' innovative approach to hosting, including transparent cost analytics, listener micropayments, and advanced features designed to empower independent creators.

Plus, find out which books have left an imprint on Sam.

The Creator

• While Rebecca is a writer she considers herself "first and foremost a reader," and the podcast provides an outlet for constant reading and writing.
• The motto of Book Imprint is "everyone is interesting," and Rebecca intentionally seeks diverse guests from different industries to show that books can change the lives of people outside of the publishing or intellectual world.
• The show's production team, Audi Productions, opts to take healthy breaks in between seasons to recalibrate, research guests, and avoid burnout.

Beyond the MP3

• Sam and Claire discuss the alternate enclosure feature, a Podcasting 2.0 extension to the RSS feed that can point to supplementary content, such as video, a soundbite, or a translated file.
• Sam gives an update on TrueFans hosting, including highlighting that the analytics dashboard will show the total listen time and the number of apps that consumed the episode.
• Sam and Claire discuss the possibility for creators to set a suggested value for episodes, designed to cover a podcaster's hosting costs. Listeners have the final decision on how much they choose to contribute (including giving less, zero, or more than the suggested value).

Don't forget: You can support this show by streaming SATs from your TrueFans wallet or leaving a super comment!

Listen to Book Imprint here

Books Sam and Claire talked about

Creators from TrueFans on Substack

Find TrueFans here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll

Powerful storytelling, innovative documentary production and vital discussions on the future of podcasting metrics.

This time, Claire interviews Anna Stoecklein, creator of The Story of Woman, to find out more about her critically acclaimed new documentary series:

The Story of Woman: Finding Strength in Kenya

• A Harrowing Topic, a Powerful Message: Hear how Anna travelled to Kenya to create a three-part series on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), telling the human stories behind the statistics and research.
• Rewriting Tradition: In this series Anna speaks with survivors, activists, and community leaders in a Somali community in Nairobi and a Maasai community in rural Kenya, showcasing the strength and untapped potential of those working to rewrite tradition from the inside out.
• Splitting the Sats: Learn how TrueFans enables creators like Anna to use the splits feature in their digital wallet to distribute listener-streamed payments (SATs) between herself and partnering organisations, such as the Orchid Project.

Creator Strategy: Funding and Features

• New Metrics for Success: Sam explains how hosting on TrueFans provides creators with valuable metrics, including actual listen time and percent completion, that are far more useful to sponsors than traditional download numbers.
• Apple Joins the Chapter Party: Sam and Claire discuss the major industry news that Apple Podcasts will soon support chapters, whether their own or ones provided by the podcaster, including those that carry the Podcasting 2.0 format. Apple will automatically generate chapters using AI/transcripts, but creators are advised to make their own chapters for full control, dynamic updates (even weeks later), and the ability to include images and links that appear in all supporting apps.

Don't forget: You can support this show by streaming SATs from your TrueFans wallet or leaving a super comment!

Listen to The Story of Woman here

Creators from TrueFans on Substack

Find TrueFans here

Music: How It Is from Ketsa Music

Feedback: TrueFans Support

Read: Creators Blog

Recommendations: Creators Podroll