You uploaded an episode with a mistake!
CRAP!
What do you do?
In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you step by step through the process of how to deal with an uploaded podcast episode that has little booboo in it.
I know the feeling. I make mistakes. And sometimes, I upload them. FART!
There’s an Easter Egg mistake in one of my 206 episodes (there is NOT). I dare you to go find it.
But, seriously, accidents happen. Mistakes happen. The good news is that this is not live radio where those mistakes could cost you your job… This is podcasting and you get a mulligan if you want it.
So, how would you know if there is a mistake in your podcast? There are two ways you might find out.
- You notice it because you listen to your show religiously the day it drops — if you aren’t doing this, check out episode 003 for tips on how and why to listen to your own podcast. Or,
- Someone informs you. If you’re lucky, it happens via a nice email that points out the issue and is followed by gushing gratitude for all that you do for the podcast world. Or, someone could point it out on social media.
Now that you know this, should you fix it?
Before I share, step-by-step, how to replace an episode with a mistake, I want to first determine if it is truly a mistake.
There are a lot of things that you ‘could’ do better pretty much on every show. No performance is perfect. But, is it a mistake? Or, is it just your ego telling you that you could do better?
It’s important to know the difference between a mistake and perfectionism. If you get caught in the trap of constantly uploading a ‘better’ version of your episode you will struggle to get an ROI on your podcast because you will be spending way too much time creating and re-creating your show.
You are human. It’s okay to stumble on the odd word. It’s okay for there to be a few ums or ahs in there. You are a human podcaster and these little imperfections will remind your audience of that.
So, what constitutes an actual mistake?
Here’s one that I made lately… I failed to edit out a retake. When I record, I might say the same thing two or three times until I get it just right. I might try emphasizing a different word or changing the tone. I like to play with delivery and I do it as the proverbial tape rolls. Then, I go back and edit out the ones that I don’t like. Or, at least that’s the plan. Sometimes, I miss one.
That’s what happened in a recent episode. That’s an example of a mistake because I know it would have impacted the listener experience. It would have been jarring to you if I left it in.
What else would I consider a mistake? Here are a few things that I would fix:
- Mispronouncing a guest’s name, company, website, etc.
- Factually incorrect information
And, that’s it. Everything else is performance. You can work on improving that in the next episode and the one after that… move on!
Okay – so you have a legit reason to re-edit your episode and now you have a new and improved version. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Save your new file with a different file name. This could be the same name with ‘2’ or ‘updated’ at the end. Just make sure it’s not the exact same file name that you have already uploaded.
Step 2: Go to your podcast host or distributor (the place where your RSS feed is generated) and REPLACE the file. Do not upload it as a new episode and delete the old episode. By replacing the file you will maintain your download count and your show numbering. Plus, once your new file has replaced the old one, the system will do the job of updating the episode on all of the player platforms.
Step 3: If there was a GRAVE error (such as misleading or factually incorrect information) in the original file (which may have been downloaded) you might consider noting this in the show notes with “UPDATED: [describe what was updated]” at the top or bottom of your show notes.
Step 4: If you have a video version of your episode on YouTube , you will need to delete the old version (and lose all of your views) and upload a new version. Your subscribers will be re-notified. (This is when you really want to be sure it’s an actual mistake and not just perfectionism). If your video is embedded anywhere (like your website) be sure to update the embed code.
Step 5: If you post your audio episodes on your website with a local player (not the player provided by your podcast host/distribution platform, you will need to adjust that too.
Step 6: Check your feed the next day. Give it a listen on all of the platforms to make sure that the new, error-free version is now live.
Pretty simple. But, like I said before, just because it’s easy to do doesn’t mean you should get in the habit of doing this all the time. Your podcast is a part of your marketing strategy. Be intentional with each episode. Do your best to hit your deadlines (without thinking that you can just fix it later). And, remember that this podcast is for your listeners — not your ego. It’s okay to be a little less than perfect as a real live human podcaster.
Click here to book your free podcast coaching session.
