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In this episode, Callum breaks down his 21-step playbook for growing a podcast in 2026, based on years of working behind the scenes with some of the biggest shows in the world generating millions of views and listens every month.
Most podcasts fail not because the host is bad, but because the show was never engineered for growth. He unpacks what actually moves the needle, from format and retention to the distribution stack that compounds attention across YouTube, Spotify, and social.
Plus the volume, tracking, and double-down principles that separate podcasts that scale from podcasts that stall.
If you're starting a show or trying to break through a growth ceiling, this is the episode to save and come back to.
Connect with Callum:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecallummc/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heycallumX: https://x.com/mcdonnellcallum
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callummcdonnell
Produced by 7xContent - make and grow a podcast with us: https://www.7xcontent.com/
Timestamps
0:00 Why 99% of podcasts fail in 2026
1:00 Know the goal of your show
1:30 The problem your show solves & your ICP
2:30 Format, signature segments & unfair advantage
6:00 Episode planning with proven topics & guests
7:30 Signature feeling & brand
8:00 Briefing & packaging every episode
9:30 Engineering a 5-star guest experience
10:30 Meta testing titles & thumbnails
12:30 Trailer structure & open loops
15:30 Distribution: YouTube first
16:00 Distribution: Spotify video
17:30 Native social content per platform
20:00 TikTok as a clip testing platform
21:30 YouTube mid-length clips channel
22:30 The guest launch plan
23:30 Fan accounts, theme pages & press
25:30 Calls to action that actually convert
27:30 The newsletter flywheel
30:30 Volume & posting frequency
32:00 Reactive & emergency episodes
33:30 Track your numbers every week
34:30 Double down on what works
