Is your podcast agency delivering? How to judge it, and how to switch safely
Switching podcast agency feels risky because your feed, your subscribers and your back catalogue are tied up with them. Done properly it takes about a month, with no missed episodes and nothing lost.
Updated 29 September 2026 · Written by the Fame strategy team
The short answer
Judge your agency on outcomes, not output: are guests from your ICP, is the show growing, and can they show what it's done for pipeline? If not, you can switch without losing anything - as long as you control your RSS feed. Secure your hosting login, raw files and artwork, give your new agency access, and move hosting with a feed redirect so every subscriber follows you automatically.
Sound familiar?
- Guests are whoever's available, not people you'd want as customers
- Reporting is downloads only, if you get reporting at all
- Deadlines slip and episodes go out late
- You're doing more of the work than you expected
- Nobody can say what the podcast has done for the business
Why it happens
The real causes
- 01
Production agencies selling growth
Many podcast agencies are really editing shops. They make episodes well but don't source strategic guests, run distribution or measure business outcomes.
- 02
Guests without a strategy
When the agency books 'whoever's available', the show can't generate relationships with the right people.
- 03
No accountability
Without growth targets or pipeline reporting, there's nothing to hold an agency to - and nothing to show your leadership.
- 04
Too many shows per account manager
When one person juggles 20 shows, strategy disappears and your podcast gets the minimum.
Free tool
Is your podcast agency delivering? The 10-point scorecard
Score your current agency. Anything below 7 is worth a serious conversation - or a switch.
- 1. Are most guests people you'd want as customers or partners?
- 2. Is the show growing month on month?
- 3. Do you get reporting beyond downloads?
- 4. Can you show which target accounts the podcast is reaching?
- 5. Do episodes go out on time, every time?
- 6. Do guests get clips and a post to share?
- 7. Is the show on YouTube with video?
- 8. Is your host's time limited to prep and recording?
- 9. Do you have a named strategist who knows your business?
- 10. Do you own your RSS feed and hosting login?
Your result
Answer all 10 to see your score and what to fix first. (0/10)
The 30-day switching timeline
How a clean handover runs, with no missed episodes.
| When | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Before you give notice | Confirm you have admin access to your hosting account, and check your contract's notice period and asset ownership | You |
| Week 1 | Collect raw recordings, project files, artwork, music licences and the guest pipeline; give the new agency access | You + old agency |
| Week 1 | New agency audits the show: publishing history, performance, what to keep and change | New agency |
| Weeks 1-2 | Episodes already recorded are finished and scheduled, so release dates don't slip | New agency |
| Weeks 2-3 | Hosting migrated with a permanent feed redirect - subscribers follow automatically | New agency |
| Weeks 3-4 | Relaunch plan: guest strategy, titles, artwork, distribution | New agency + you |
The feed redirect is the step that protects your audience. Apple, Spotify and other apps follow it, so nobody has to resubscribe.
The playbook
Switching podcast agency, step by step
Do the first two steps before you tell your current agency.
- 1
Secure your hosting access
Make sure you have an admin login for your podcast host (Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Transistor, Captivate and so on). The RSS feed is your audience - never let it be held only by an agency.
- 2
Read your contract
Check the notice period, who owns the raw files and artwork, and whether music is licensed to you or to them.
- 3
Collect your assets
Raw audio and video, project files, artwork source files, intro and outro music, show notes, and the guest pipeline including anyone already booked.
- 4
Line up the handover before you give notice
Your new agency should be ready to finish in-progress episodes so there's no gap in releases.
- 5
Migrate hosting with a redirect
Moving hosts with a permanent 301 feed redirect keeps every subscriber, rating and review. Never delete the old feed before the redirect is live.
- 6
Relaunch deliberately
Use the switch to fix what wasn't working: guest strategy, titles and artwork, cadence and distribution.
10 questions to ask your next podcast agency
| Question | A good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| Who will own our RSS feed and hosting account? | You do, with admin access from day one |
| Who exactly works on our show, and how often do we meet them? | A named strategist and project manager, weekly |
| How do you choose guests? | From your ICP and target accounts, with your approval |
| What do you report beyond downloads? | Guest relationships, target accounts listening, pipeline |
| Do you commit to a growth target? | A specific number, with a consequence if missed |
| Can we hear three shows you launched or took over recently? | Yes - here are the links and the results |
| How do you handle episodes already in progress? | We finish and schedule them so nothing slips |
| How far ahead are episodes planned? | Months, not weeks |
| What are the exit terms? | Short notice, and every asset stays yours |
| Who owns the raw files, artwork and music if we leave? | You do |
Copy these
The asset request to send your current agency
Send it once your new agency is lined up. Polite, specific and hard to misread.
Email to your current agency
Hi [Name], As discussed, we're moving production of [Show] in-house / to a new partner from [date]. To make the handover smooth, could you share by [date]: - Admin access to our hosting account ([host]) - Raw audio and video for all episodes, and project files for any in progress - Artwork source files, intro/outro music and licences - Our guest pipeline, including anyone booked or recorded Thank you for everything on the show so far. [Your name]
The feed redirect, in plain English
In your current host's settings, find the option to redirect or move your feed (Libsyn, Buzzsprout, Captivate and Transistor all have one). Enter the new feed URL your new host gives you and save. Your new feed should also carry an <itunes:new-feed-url> tag pointing to itself, which tells Apple Podcasts to update. Keep the old account open for at least 30 days while apps catch up.
Check yourself today
Before you tell your agency
- You have an admin login to your podcast hosting account
- You know your notice period
- You know who owns the raw files, artwork and music
- You have a list of guests already booked or recorded
- Your new agency can pick up in-progress episodes
Or have it done for you
How a handover to Fame works
Audit before the first call
Pick your show when you request a proposal and we review your publishing history before we speak - so the first call is about what to change.
Zero downtime
We finish what's in progress and migrate hosting with a feed redirect, so no episode is missed and no subscriber is lost.
A strategist, not an editor
Guests sourced from your ICP, a dedicated strategist every week, and reporting on pipeline, not just downloads.
Growth we guarantee
An average of 10% monthly download growth over your first six months, or month seven is free.
Proof
What this looks like for real clients
- 16,787downloads in the first full month after a handover from another agencyGauvreau · Read the case study →
- 2xmonthly downloads after relaunching an inconsistent showColliers Canada · Read the case study →
- 1M+lifetime downloads for an eight-year-old show we took overFirst National Financial · Read the case study →
- 4.1M+lifetime downloads, up from 2.19M in January 2026Inhabit · Read the case study →
Frequently Asked Questions
No - if hosting is moved with a permanent feed redirect. Podcast apps follow the redirect, so subscribers, ratings and reviews stay with the show.