Why You Should Start a Podcast Even When It Feels Like Everyone Already Has One

Takeaways

• Only 15% of podcasts on Apple Podcasts have released an episode in the last 90 days, which means consistency alone puts you ahead of the competition.
• Your lived experience is completely unique, and no one else has had your exact journey, your perspective, or your voice, which makes your podcast irreplaceable even in a crowded niche.
• Your podcast is your owned marketing platform. Guest appearances are great, but they can't replace the audience you build when you show up consistently on your own show.

In this episode, Abbey Graves breaks down the three most common arguments she hears from aspiring podcasters who are talking themselves out of getting started, and she dismantles every single one.

It starts with a number that should stop you in your tracks: of the roughly 4.5 million podcasts indexed worldwide, only about 440,000 are considered active, and just 15% of Apple Podcast listings have published within the last 90 days. The competition isn't as crowded as it feels. Most people started a show, recorded a handful of episodes, and quit. That means showing up consistently is the single biggest competitive advantage available to any new podcaster.

Abbey also makes the case that your perspective can never be replicated. Even in a niche with dozens of existing shows, no other host has lived your life, built your experience, or processed the world the way you have. Listeners come back to podcasts because of the person behind the mic, not just the topic, and that's something no amount of competition can take away from you.

Finally, Abbey reframes the podcast itself as a marketing asset, not just a content channel. If you want your podcast to serve your brand, build your audience, and grow your business, you have to own the platform. Guesting on other shows is a great strategy, but it supplements your show, it doesn't replace it. In 2026, owning your media is more important than ever.

Key Topics Covered

• The real podcasting statistics that reframe the "saturated market" argument
• Why consistency is the most underrated strategy in podcasting
• How your lived experience makes your podcast unique regardless of niche
• Why your podcast needs to be your owned marketing platform
• What happens when podcasters quit after a handful of episodes (and what you can learn from it)
• Why guesting on other shows is valuable but not a substitute for building your own