5 strategies to take a break from podcasting without losing listeners

When you enjoy sharing content and connecting with your audience through your podcast, stepping away for a few weeks can feel hard. Will my listeners stick around for my return?

But there may come a month or season when you wanna take a break from producing new episodes – no matter how much you enjoy it. Maybe you want to recharge, focus on other projects, go on vacation, or simply take a break so that you can come back with fresh ideas?

While nothing can guarantee that you won’t lose listeners during your break, there are things that you can do to help minimize the exodus of listeners.

Below I’ll explore five strategies that can allow you to take a break from podcasting while still maintaining a connection with your listeners.

I’ve categorized the following ideas according to how much preparation they require upfront, with 10 = as much preparation as producing your regular podcast, 0 = no added effort on top of what you’re already doing.

1. Prepare for shorter episodes

(Preparation level: 5 out of 10)

One effective strategy during your break is to prepare shorter episodes that require less time and effort to plan, script, record, and produce.

This approach lets you continue releasing content regularly while reducing the workload before your break.

Short episodes could consist of

a quick tip
one idea (your social media posts or email newsletters may be a goldmine for these!)
a highlight from a previous episode

This way you’re ensuring your listeners receive cool, valuable content even while you’re off on your break.

2. Publish episodes less frequently during your break

(Preparation level: 5 out of 10)

Another way to cut your usual podcast workload in half is to reduce the frequency of episode releases during your break.

For example, if you usually share a weekly episode, you could schedule one every two weeks.

Consider informing your listeners about this change in the first episode (maybe also on your social media and emails) to manage their expectations and maintain their interest in your show.

3. Repurpose past podcast episodes

(Preparation level: 2 out of 10)

Resharing past episodes is another way to engage your audience during your podcast break.

Repurposing past content not only provides value to new listeners but also reminds loyal fans of the valuable insights you've shared in the past.

What kinds of episodes make sense to reshare

Ideas for episodes you could share during your podcast break:

your most popular episodes
some of your favorite interviews (gives the guest a reason to share about your podcast again!)
episodes that align with your core framework or industry opinions
episodes that convey the fundamental principles of your work
episodes that include important reminders about key concepts you wish they knew
pick episodes that all fall under the same theme

For example, I took a summer break from Building Balance in 2022, and decided to pick episodes related to work schedules:

Keep your audience in the loop

To clarify to your listeners why you’re republishing past episodes, consider implementing one (or some) of these strategies:

record a 30-60 second clip that you drop in at the start of each episode to let people know this is a rerun of a past episode
indicate in the episode description or title that it is a republished episode
record a 1-3 minute clip for each episode to explain why you think it’s relevant (at add it to the beginning of the episode)
record a 1-3 minute clip to add to the end of each episode explaining any updated stance on the topic you covered

4. Repurpose other forms of content into podcast episodes

(Preparation level: 2.5 out of 10)

During your break, consider repurposing existing content from other platforms, such as blog posts, videos, pieces of training, or live presentations, into podcast episodes.

The main benefit is that you don’t have to spend time developing new thoughts or writing new scripts.

If the content is already in video (or audio) format, it requires very little work on your part to repurpose them on your podcast 👍 You may want to record a short clip to explain the original context to set the scene, unless that piece of content already fits well within your usual podcasting style.

Repurposing content in podcast form allows you to leverage your existing thought leadership in a new way, and provides your audience with fresh perspectives they may have missed or overlooked.

5. Put your podcast on pause

(Preparation level: 1 out of 10)

Sometimes, a complete pause is necessary. If you decide to pause your podcast completely, here are some ideas you can consider to keep your listeners in the loop:

Mention the break in the last episode you’re recording (how long will the podcast be on pause aka when can people expect new episodes)
Create a short episode (1-5 mins) where you announce your break. (Potentially add your break dates into the title so that new people who find your podcast don’t mistake your podcast break for having retired your podcast)
Tell people how they can keep enjoying your content while the podcast is on pause (encourage them to listen to past episodes, sign up for your freebies, follow you on social media etc)
Remind your listeners to subscribe to the podcast if they haven’t already, so that they’ll be notified when new episodes are published

As you decide on a return date for your podcast, you may want to create a bit of a buffer so that you have the time and space to create some new episodes before they need to be published.

Bonus idea for a complete podcast break:

If you’re already scheduling social media posts or emails while on break, why not share some past episodes to keep people engaged with the podcast?

While taking a break from podcasting may raise concerns about losing listeners, implementing one of these strategies can help maintain engagement and connection with your audience throughout your break. This shows that you care for them – which in turn helps them feel excited about your return.

Take a break from podcasting without losing listeners (5 strategies)