Can I use services that increase my downloads and promise to grow my show?

You might be contacted by, or come across, services that promise to grow your podcast quickly or guarantee an increase in downloads.

Podcast organic growth takes time, consistency, and real effort. Be alert on what services you use for paid growth.

Why these services are a problem

Some growth services claim to increase your downloads, and in some cases, they technically do. But they may achieve this through illegitimate means.

A common technique is to run automated downloads across networks of computers or servers, often using VPNs to make the traffic appear to come from real listeners in different locations. These are not human listeners. The result is fake downloads and the illusion of growth, without any real audience engagement or long-term value for your show.

In short: your podcast is not actually growing, even if the numbers appear to be going up.

Advertising and fraud risks

If your podcast has PAID enabled and is running programmatic ads, the situation becomes much more serious.

When fake downloads are generated while ads are being served, this is considered advertising fraud. It harms everyone involved: advertisers, the hosting platform, and the podcast ecosystem as a whole. This behavior is explicitly prohibited by our General Terms of Service and PAID-related Terms.

We also have several systems in place to detect this type of behavior, and we typically detect it very quickly. When we detect this kind of activity, we have no alternative but to terminate the affected shows.

It does not matter whether the activity was carried out by a third party you hired or whether you were aware of the techniques being used. As the podcast owner, you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that only legitimate growth methods are used.

If you are considering working with a promotion provider, you should always ask them, in writing, exactly how they plan to grow your show. You should also explicitly state that you do not want fake listeners, VPN traffic, bots, or any form of automation involved.

Paid podcast growth channels

Not all paid promotion services are fraudulent. However, it’s critical to understand how a service works, where your podcast is being promoted, and what kind of results you should realistically expect.

There are several known, legitimate paid growth channels, which generally fall into a few categories:

Native promotion within podcast platforms
Some services offer paid placement or promotion directly inside podcast listening apps. Because these promotions appear in environments where people are already listening to podcasts, they can introduce your show to real listeners in a transparent, platform-native way.

Podcast-to-podcast promotions (feed drops or cross-promotion)
These involve promoting your podcast within another show’s feed, usually because the audiences are aligned. When done ethically, this exposes your show to real listeners who already consume similar content.

Paid marketing and advertising channels
Some providers use standard advertising methods—such as display ads, sponsored articles, newsletters, or other digital marketing tactics—to introduce your podcast to potential listeners. 

Before working with any provider, always ask clear questions about how traffic is generated, what success metrics are used, whether real listeners are involved, and how campaign performance can be measured afterward. Quality varies widely across paid promotion services.

In some cases, a campaign may generate downloads without providing insight into listener behavior—such as whether people listened for more than a few seconds, returned for future episodes, or engaged with your content long-term. Downloads alone do not always reflect meaningful growth. If PAID is enabled, this type of activity can also create a mismatch between downloads and actual listener engagement, leading to advertisers being charged for impressions that do not reflect genuine listens. The goal of podcast growth should always be engaged, returning listeners—not inflated traffic.

If something promises guaranteed results, instant growth, or unusually high download numbers, treat it with caution. Sustainable podcast growth is never instant, and transparency should always come first.

How to grow your show the right way

The most effective and sustainable way to grow a podcast is organically.

This includes:

    •    Publishing consistently

    •    Improving content quality and format

    •    Engaging with your audience

    •    Collaborating with other podcasters

    •    Cross-pollinating audiences through guest appearances and partnerships

Our blog is a great place to start if you are looking for practical, proven strategies for podcast growth.

If you are a paying RSS.com customer, you also have access to our Slack Community, where thousands of podcasters connect, exchange tips, share strategies, and collaborate with each other.

Real growth takes time, but it is the only kind of growth that actually lasts.