Hosting, RSS and analytics subscription renewals
Podcast hosting, feed delivery and download analytics run on monthly or annual plans, and a lapse breaks the feed subscribers already follow.
For podcast producers
Publishing dates, sponsor deliverables and feed checks kept together
A podcast producer runs on a publish date that never moves, with licences, sponsor deliverables and feed checks behind every episode.
No account needed to see the proposed desk.
The recurring work
What podcast producers have to keep on top of
Every one of these has a date attached, a document behind it, and somebody who notices when it slips. This is what goes on the desk.
Publishing schedule across listening platforms
Each episode needs its audio, artwork, title, description and chapters delivered before the slot, and directories pick up changes on their own timetable.
Music, clip and archive licensing clearances
Intro music, beds and archive clips used in an episode need a licence covering use in a podcast, and terms are usually set per territory and period.
Guest release and consent forms
Guests should sign a release covering the recording, the edit and any promotional clips, and the form needs to be on file before the episode goes out.
Sponsorship contract dates and deliverables
Sponsor agreements set the campaign period, the number of reads or slots and the mid-roll placements owed, with dates that must be met to keep the fee.
Sponsor reporting deadlines
Most sponsorship deals require download and engagement figures at set points during the campaign, reported in the format the agreement sets out.
Transcript and accessibility releases
Transcripts, show notes and captions need preparing per episode, and publicly funded or public sector clients often make an accessible transcript a condition of the commission.
Domain and feed redirect checks
The feed domain, redirect rules and hosting credentials need a periodic check, because a lapsed domain silently breaks every subscription to the show.
Self-assessment and payments on account
Sponsorship, production and advertising income all feed the tax return, with payments on account due in January and July and a filing deadline on 31 January.
Episode archive, backup and retention
Raw recordings and session files need backing up and checking against the retention period agreed with guests and clients before anything can be deleted.
What it costs to carry it
An episode has one date and it does not negotiate. Behind that date sit a guest who has not signed, a music licence that was cleared for a different kind of use, a sponsor wanting figures in a format nobody set up, and a hosting plan quietly approaching its renewal. Miss the slot and the audience notices within a day, while the sponsor figures are late and the licence gap is still open.
What the desk takes over
The desk works this list to its own schedule and reports what it did.
Guest release chasing
The desk keeps the release status of every booked guest, chases the form ahead of the record date, and files the signed copy against the episode.
Sponsor deliverables and reporting
Slots owed, campaign dates and reporting points are tracked per sponsor, and the figures are pulled and prepared in the agreed format before the deadline.
Publishing checklist per episode
Audio, artwork, title, description, chapters and transcript are checked off against the slot, with a reminder raised if any element is still missing.
Licence and clearance records
Music beds, archive clips and theme audio are logged with their licence terms, so a rights query on an old episode can be answered from the file.
Feed, domain and hosting checks
The desk keeps the domain renewal date, hosting plan and redirect settings on a dated list and raises a prompt before anything lapses.
What stays with the podcast producer
The person still books the guests, shapes the edit and holds the conversation, because the show is made in the room and not in a checklist. The desk carries the releases, the feed dates and the sponsor reporting, and stops wherever an editorial or contractual decision belongs to the producer.
Questions
What happens if a guest release is missing when an episode is due?
The desk flags the episode as blocked on paperwork and chases the guest directly. Publishing without a release is a decision the producer makes, not one the desk takes.
Can the desk pull download figures for a sponsor report?
It gathers the figures available from the connected hosting and analytics accounts and prepares them in the format the agreement sets. Sponsors are sent the report on approval.
Why does the feed domain need checking at all?
A lapsed domain or a changed redirect can break subscriptions without any warning to the show. A dated check catches the renewal before it happens.
Put the podcast producer's recurring work on the desk
Start with a name, a website and one sentence about what the business does. The desk proposes the list; the podcast producer corrects it.