iTunes Congratulations

One of my very favorite clients (ok, they're all my co-equal favorite) has broken through on the iTunes directory... Hip Tranquil Chick is currently featured in the iTunes Self Help section, and is also rated #4 at the time of this post. To see Hip Tranquil Chick make its way into the top ten is a real thrill, and a great accomplishment for Kimberly and her show. Congratulations!

Many people ask me what it takes to make the top ten on iTunes. The honest answer is consistent, good programming... barring a contact with the good people in Cupertino, I suppose. My first podcast, Supreme Court Watch, was featured and ranked in the top ten political podcasts for most of its run, but that was a different time (all the way back to 2005!) with far less big media competition.

The great advantage to a podcast that is featured on iTunes is exposure. Massive exposure. Once a podcast achieves top ten in any given category, it seems to stay there so long as new shows keep coming. The top ten list apparently (although not officially) measures new iTunes subscriptions... so, people browsing the iTunes directory tend to see those shows first. This leads to more new subscribers for the featured shows, which can cement the show as a fixture in the top ten. Getting featured on iTunes is huge.

So, bottom line... focus on quality and regularity. The ratings and accolades will follow!