Overthinking Your Podcast Posting Schedule

I'm back from Podfest, and today, I want to talk about a strategy that gets way more attention than it needs: When to publish your podcast episodes. Recently, while browsing Reddit, I spotted a question about the best time to post — specifically, whether 5:00 pm is a good time. The person wanted to launch a podcast focused on creepy stories and thought evening uploads would create the right mood. However, most advice online suggested otherwise, which led them to ask if evening uploads are uncommon, and whether others have succeeded with that schedule. The Magic of time Shifting Here’s what I’ve learned over the years: I personally follow at least 30 podcasts, but only two of them matter to me in terms of their schedule, and that’s because they’re news shows. For those, I want the latest information right away. For everything else, it doesn’t matter when the episode drops. Thanks to apps like Pocket Casts , new episodes go to the top of my list, and I listen whenever I want. That’s one of the biggest perks of podcasting—it’s all about convenience for the listener. Most people aren’t refreshing their phone, waiting for your episode to appear. So you don’t need to obsess over the perfect release time, unless you have a news show or something that’s truly time-sensitive. Going the Extra Mile If you want to do a little extra homework, you could check out podcasts similar to yours. See when they publish, create a spreadsheet to spot days with less competition, and pick a time that works for you. But ultimately, the most important factor is finding a schedule that fits your life and allows you to be consistent. For example, I have one show I catch on Fridays just because that aligns with my grocery shopping routine—but that’s rare for most podcasts I listen to. Unless it’s a news-based format, when you publish has far less impact than you might think. So my advice: Don’t get hung up on the specifics. Pick a time that works for you, stick to it, and focus on delivering great content. Consistency in both schedule and quality matters far more than the exact day or hour you hit publish. Get Your Podcast Questions Answered If you have more questions about podcasting, come join me at schoolofpodcasting.com . We’ve got step-by-step tutorials, an amazing community, and hours of consulting to help you succeed. I’m Dave Jackson, and I’m here to help you on your podcasting journey! Mentioned in this episode: Start Podcasting in Six Week - Starts June 3rd Have you been struggling trying to start a podcast? Did you drown in all the jargon? Did you feel overwhelmed? The School of Podcasting is offering a course, Podcasting in Six Weeks, that will walk you through the entire process. Learn from 20-year Hall of Fame veteran Dave Jackson as he walks you through the process of planning, launching, and growing your show. The best part is the class is only $1. For more information, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/sixweeks. Podcasting in Six Weeks Podcasting in Six Weeks This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 -

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Overthinking Your Podcast Posting Schedule is an episode from Your Podcast Consultant by Dave Jackson.

This episode is 06:47 long.

This episode was published on Jan 23, 2026.

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