Branding Independent Podcasts For 2026: What's The Plan?

Last week, Ear Worthy published an article -- Why Doesn't AI Recommend Indie Podcasts When Asked By Users? Essentially, the article uncovered a flaw in AI searches for the Best Podcasts: the results do not include independent podcasts. 

When we revised our AI query and asked it to name the BEST INDEPENDENT PODCASTS OF 2025, the search results included independent podcasts such as The Life Shift, Multispective, and many others. 

Here's the thing. Podcast listeners — whether superfans or, more likely, people just getting started with podcasts — need a reference point to find new podcasts for their listening pleasure. 

Listeners generally don't know the difference between network-supported podcasts and independent podcasts. They just want a good listen!

But if listeners are constantly told via AI searches, social media, or traditional media that the most popular, network-supported podcasts are the best, then they will gravitate toward those popular shows. Remember that independent podcasts make up over 90% of all podcast listens/downloads in the industry. 

These listeners don't know that they are missing thousands of amazing independent podcasts that, in most cases, are far superior in content, treatment, creativity, and talent to their network-supported, celebrity-based cousins. 

In 2026, Ear Worthy will launch a marketing campaign called "Independent Podcasts: Where The Magic Happens!" The campaign will have three objectives:

1. Make listeners aware of Independent Podcasts as a separate entity.

2. Educate listeners on the many ways that Independent Podcasts are worthy of their ear time. 

3. Spotlight independent podcasters as savvy entrepreneurs and small-business people who are trying, like so many of us, to make the American Dream come true. 

To begin the campaign, Ear Worthy has developed and published (and will update monthly) an article that contains its choices for the BEST INDEPENDENT PODCASTS 2026 by genre. There will be a monthly update entry for new indie podcasts that deserve a listen, and for any indie podcasts on the list that have milestones in content, structural changes, and achievements. 

More To Come. 

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Check out the Best Independent Podcasts of 2026 

For more podcast reporting, check out Ear Worthy on Forbes magazine.

Frank Racioppi’s Books (fiction & nonfiction) can be found here.