Podcasting has changed a lot over the years, but the core reasons we do it remain the same. I join the episode specifically to discuss my book, Altered Audio: Podcasting Demystified, and why making art beats chasing metrics every single day of the week.
When you have been behind a microphone for as long as some of us have, you see trends come and go. You watch the gold rush mentality sweep in, bring a bunch of noise, and then fade away when people realize nobody is getting rich quick just by talking into a USB microphone.
I sat down to talk about my book in 2025, Altered Audio: Podcasting Demystified, and the conversation hit pretty close to home for anyone who remembers when this medium was built by passionate outsiders rather than corporate boardrooms.
The publishing side of things alone tells a story about how things work now. Instead of dealing with traditional gatekeepers and terrible royalty splits, I went the direct route using KDP and Barnes and Noble Press. That means print on demand without massive shipping markups eating up the reader or starving the creator. It is a practical approach for a practical guide.
The real meat of the book, though, is the attitude toward the craft itself. Too many guides out there try to sell you a dream. They promise you top charts, sponsor dollars, and overnight fame if you just follow their magic ten-step formula.
Decidedly, I took a different path with this project.
Clear advice, real tools, and zero gatekeeping. The point was never to lie to people and pretend a book is going to turn you into a media mogul. The core philosophy is much simpler than that.
We did not get back into this for the metrics. We did it for the connection. We did it for the conversation.
That is the part the algorithm-chasers always miss. Long-form audio and independent creation survive because people genuinely want to connect with other human beings over shared obsessions. If you are sitting around waiting for the numbers to validate your existence, you are in the wrong hobby.
Altered Audio: Podcasting Demystified cuts through the nonsense and treats the reader like an adult. If you are looking to build something real in this space without selling your soul to the corporate metrics machine, it is worth a look.
Based on the episode: 350 – Interviews – Author Steven C. Phillips Presents – Altered Audio!
Purchase your copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
