In a podcasting world filled with 4.5+ million shows and counting, standing out isn’t about being louder; it’s about being smarter.
And a powerful tool in your growth kit for brands, creators, and agencies?
Competitive analysis.
If you think competitive analysis is just for product marketers and content strategists, think again. In podcasting, it's a strategic tool that helps you understand the landscape, define your positioning, and make informed decisions about your show’s content, distribution, and promotion.
In this guide, we’ll break down what a competitive analysis for podcast audience growth is, why it matters, how to do it, and what to watch out for along the way.
Whether you’re launching your first branded show or scaling an existing series, this is your go-to roadmap for staying one step ahead of the competition.
TL;DR
- A competitive analysis helps brands, creators, and agencies better understand their landscape, audience, and podcast growth opportunities.
- It’s more than spying; it’s strategic research into audience overlap, positioning, and content gaps.
- A good analysis uncovers what’s working, what’s missing, and how your podcast can stand out.
- Key steps include identifying competitors, analyzing their show structure and content, evaluating performance signals, and applying insights to your podcast strategy.
- Limitations exist—you won’t get access to actual performance data, and brand strength can skew perception.
- A competitive analysis should complement (not replace) your podcast analytics like B2B insights, demographics, and consumption data.
What is a podcast competitive analysis?
Let’s start by breaking it down. What is a competitive analysis in podcasting?
A competitive analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating other podcasts that are:
- Targeting a similar audience
- Covering overlapping topics
- Competing for the same brand or ad dollars
- Showing up in the same search results or rankings
It’s about more than just tuning in to see what others are doing. It’s about uncovering insights that help you:
- Differentiate your positioning
- Spot content gaps and opportunities
- Refine your audience strategy
- Benchmark performance
- Guide partnerships and collaborations
Think of it as your backstage pass to what’s working, what’s not, and what could be.
Why it matters: Competitive analysis as a growth lever
Most podcast creators are flying blind.
They launch a show, promote it on social, check downloads, and hope something sticks. But doing a competitive analysis brings intentionality to the process, especially in the beginning stages.
It’s not meant to be the be-all end-all of your podcast strategy, but it definitely helps to guide some critical decisions within your content.
Here’s what a competitive analysis helps you do:
- Position with purpose: What makes your podcast different? What unique value do you bring? If your show sounds like everyone else’s, you’re not giving audiences a reason to choose yours.
- Create content that wins: By identifying themes, formats, and angles your competitors are missing, you can deliver more value to listeners.
- Understand listener behavior: If competitors are seeing traction with certain episode lengths, guest types, or publishing cadences, you can adapt.
- Justify decisions internally: For brand teams and agencies, a clear view of the competitive landscape makes it easier to get stakeholder buy-in.
As we always say, you have to be the first, the best, or different. And a competitive analysis is a great way to decide which direction you’re going to take.
“A competitive analysis isn’t about copying what others are doing; it’s about identifying where your show can offer something different and more valuable. At CoHost, we’ve seen time and time again that the podcasts that grow aren’t always the loudest; they’re the ones that carve out a clear, unique space for the listener.”
Tianna Marinucci, Marketing Manager at CoHost & Quill
How to complete a competitive analysis for podcasts
This doesn’t have to be a 40-slide PowerPoint deck, actually, we’re begging you not to do this.
A strong competitive analysis can start with a simple spreadsheet and a few hours of research. No need to dedicate days to completing this.
1. Identify your direct and indirect competitors
Start by looking at podcasts that:
- Speak to your ideal audience
- Rank for similar keywords in Apple/Spotify search
- Appear in related podcast recommendations
- Compete in the same industry or niche
Use tools like:
- Spotify or Apple Podcasts search and charts
- Rephonic (for mapping podcast audiences)
- Podchaser or ListenNotes
Aim for 5–7 shows to start, enough to get a strong sense of the landscape without getting overwhelmed.
2. Analyze content and positioning
For each podcast you’ve identified, look at:
- Show description: How do they describe the value prop?
- Episode topics: What themes do they cover most?
- Format: Interviews? Solo? Roundtables? Narrative?
- Guests: What type of guests (if any) are they bringing onto the show?
- Publishing cadence: Weekly? Seasonal? Irregular?
- Tone and branding: Casual, authoritative, journalistic?
- Keywords: What keywords are they using in titles, descriptions, show notes, etc.?
Highlight what makes each one stand out… or blend in. We want to explore what these shows are doing really well, but also what their weaknesses are. This is how we’ll find gaps in the podcast market.
3. Evaluate performance signals
While you won’t have access to internal podcast analytics of other shows, there are still some performance signals to look at.
You can still assess things like:
- Chart positions
- Podcast reviews
- Number of ratings (and how many stars)
- Social media engagement
- Guest quality and name recognition
- Visibility across channels (e.g., YouTube presence, newsletter callouts, etc.)
This gives you a proxy for how well a show is performing and what traction it’s gaining. You can also identify what themes resonated with audiences by analyzing which episodes were shared and talked about the most.
4. Map content gaps and opportunities
Once you have the podcast data above collected. Now it’s time to analyze (my favorite part).
Because it’s easy to collect information, but now you have to ask yourself, so what? So what does all this mean, and how can you benefit from it?
Here are a few questions to get started with:
- What topics are underrepresented?
- Which audiences are underserved?
- Are there emerging formats or trends competitors haven’t adopted?
- Where can you go deeper or more niche?
- What are other podcasts in my niche doing really well?
- What are other podcasts in my niche not doing well?
For example, if your competitors focus heavily on interviews with executives, maybe there’s an opportunity to spotlight customer stories, behind-the-scenes operations, or shorter solo episodes with tactical tips.
5. Apply insights to your strategy
Now, let’s action it.
After you’ve answered the questions above, you’ve laid the groundwork for your competitive analysis (congrats!).
Here’s how to actually use it so it doesn’t become a stale doc in your Google Drive:
- Reposition your podcast for stronger differentiation
- Develop an editorial calendar that hits underserved themes
- Refine your guest wishlist
- Build a distribution plan that outperforms what others are doing
If you're a brand, this also helps you align the podcast more closely with business goals (e.g., demand gen, thought leadership, partnerships).
CoHost tip: If you want some assistance, check out our podcast competitor research template.
Competitive analysis vs. comparison trap
A quick PSA (because someone has to say it):
A competitive analysis is not about obsessing over what others are doing or mimicking the biggest players in your space.
It’s about clarity, not copying. Inspiration, not imitation.
Use this process to surface strategic insights, but don’t get into analysis paralysis where you begin to doubt yourself and your content. Your show doesn’t need to be the biggest; it needs to be the most valuable to your target audience.
Competitive analysis limitations to keep in mind
Like any good strategy tool, a competitive analysis has its limits.
It’s incredibly useful for identifying opportunities, spotting trends, and finding your edge, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all roadmap. It can guide your decisions, but shouldn’t be the final decision maker.
Before you dive in, here are a few limitations to keep in mind:
- No full access to analytics: You won’t know actual downloads or listener engagement without first-party data.
- Brand strength skews everything: Some competitors might outperform simply because of strong brand equity, not necessarily podcast quality.
- Podcasts evolve fast: A show that looks dormant might be prepping a new season, or pivoting formats entirely.
- Podcasting length: Growing a podcast takes time and consistency. Some shows have been podcasting for years, and that’s a big reason for their success.
Always pair your competitive insights with your own analytics to get the full picture, like:
- Audience demographics
- B2B Analytics or firmographics
- Engagement metrics like consumption data
- Tracking links for marketing channel performance
CoHost tip: Check out our full list of the best podcast analytics tools.
Embed strategy into your podcast growth
A competitive analysis can be a pivotal growth tool when used well.
By regularly analyzing the podcasting landscape around you, you’ll stay ahead of trends, identify new opportunities, and make more confident content and marketing decisions. You’ll spot whitespace to take advantage of, understand where you fit in the broader conversation, and most importantly, identify where you can lead your show.
But remember: the best podcast strategies blend external insight with internal data. Your own audience behavior, brand goals, and analytics should be the final filter for any decisions you make.
So do the research, gather the data, and carve out your space. Your competitors can be your best teachers.
And if you found this guide helpful, subscribe to Tuned In, our bi-weekly newsletter filled with podcast growth strategies, industry insights, and tactical tips for brands and creators.
