How to Transition a Podcast From One Host to Another
Once you have decided to sell your show, now it’s time to transfer ownership. In this post, we’ll share how to transition a podcast from one host to another.
1. Introduce the New Host to the Audience
When you are ready to let go of your podcast, it will be a shock to your audience that you’re leaving. This is especially true if you have been hosting your show for a long time and have built a loyal following.
The good news is, you can soften the blow by first introducing the new host to your audience. We’d recommend not telling your audience immediately of your plans for the new person to take over the show, however.
Instead, produce a handful of episodes together. This will allow your audience a chance to warm up to the new host and get used to their mannerisms, way of conveying information, sense of humor, etc.
In fact, it may be a good idea to start introducing the new potential host long before you sign the sales paperwork. This way, if it’s not a good fit for your audience, you can still make another choice such as:
Finding another buyer
Retaining the role of host and changing the terms of the sale
Coming up with another plan entirely
The audience is the lifeblood of any podcast, so if they don’t like the new host, it could kill the show. That’s why a transition period is better than a random announcement.
2. Announce the New Host
After a handful of joint episodes (i.e. the agreed number with the purchasing host), it’s time to announce your plans to have the new host take over.
Even after the joint episodes, understand that your audience may feel hurt by the decision to hand over the reigns. There are ebbs and flows with any transition of course.
Just consider the outrage that occurred with the Live with Regis and Kathie Lee show when it was announced back in the year 2000 would be the Live! with Regis and Kelly show. It took some time, but ultimately Kelly as the new host brought new life to the show. Fast forward to today and it’s now the Live with Kelly and Ryan show with bumps and dips to the ratings numbers along the way.
The important thing is to not make too many changes at once if you want to keep your audience on board. In other words, don’t change the format and the host at the same time. It could be too much for your audience to handle and they could abandon ship!
3. Transition Completely to the New Host
This is where things get tricky. The transition will depend a lot on the type of podcast that is sold.
For example, if the host is the key ingredient of the show, you may need a longer transition period. This is especially true for what’s known as “talking head” podcasts where the host has a significant dialogue speaking directly to the audience.
If on the other hand the host is often interviewing other people, the audience may already be used to a revolving door of people to listen to. In these types of podcasts, a quicker transition may be possible.
Other examples where a quick transition may be easier include elements such as segmented podcasts that include multiple hosts, educational content, news, investigative content, etc. Usually, when a podcast has a format that is not centered on the person speaking, but rather the content they are delivering, the host isn’t as important to an audience.
Again however, this is why it’s critical to not change too many elements when selling a podcast at the same time.
When Does The Old Host Walk Away?
This is up to the people involved in the sale. Ultimately, the person purchasing the podcast can negotiate what the buy-out period consists of and how they would like the transition to take place.
The entire transition period as well as all elements related to it should be noted in your purchase contract. In fact, you don’t have to take the “old host” out of the show at all if you don’t want to.
Perhaps in purchasing a podcast you feel it would be best to keep the original host on indefinitely. At this point, you can negotiate partnership terms for how to move forward.
The most important thing is to have everything in writing to protect all parties involved, and to keep everyone aware of the expectations of the transaction.
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