As a podcast producer and host I’m always thinking about how to get more podcast reviews for myself and other shows. But let’s be honest, getting reviews on Apple Podcasts (especially) can be a total drag and I get it! Who wants to take 10 minutes out of their day to write you a thoughtful review on Apple Podcasts?! They’d probably have to download the app, think about what they’re going to say, try to think of some fancy title after thinking of what to say and by that time they’ve already completely forgot why they’re doing it and you still have 3 lonely reviews on Apple Podcasts. 😩

As the majority of podcasters can attest, getting reviews on Apple Podcasts is a pain in the neck.

For some background on me as a podcast producer I run multiple shows with weekly guests so I’m always look for new people to host on my podcasts. Through this search I discovered PodMatch. If you haven’t heard of it – it’s a program that matches podcast hosts and guests. Pretty cool. Normally I do my own research independently, but for the days I’m feeling lazy it’s a good crutch.

As an occasional user of PodMatch I stumbled upon one of their sister programs: PodLottery.

I’m chronically online and thus, chronically wary of all programs, apps and online operations I can’t find an existing reddit thread to creep on. This review is for everyone that’s tried to Googled “PodLottery Review Reddit” and nothing came up.

That being said, this is not a paid or sponsored review. I’ve briefly met the Founder of the PodMatch empire Alex Sanfillipo at PodFest in 2022, but besides a short conversation about their promotional swag I’d consider myself a totally unbiased opinion on all matters of the “PodPro” universe.

What is PodLottery?

In my simplest summation PodLottery is a lottery system where podcasters listen and write reviews for other podcasters. You must have an Apple iPhone as this lottery is for Apple Podcast reviews only.

How Does PodLottery Work?

Much like the actually lottery, PodLottery is designed to take small increments of your payments (in this instence the payment is a podcast listen) to give you a chance to win a larger payout of that same payment (podcast listens).

To be honest, I think this is a great idea. No one understands how much reviews can impact the reach and potential listenship of an audience more than podcasters – so I think the concept is a really impactful way to bring podcasters together to review each others shows and give it a fun twist.

What is the PodLottery User Experience Like?

1. Like I said, you’ll need an iPhone with Apple Podcasts installed. This app is only for iPhone users with Apple Podcasts to review other Apple Podcast podcasts. I’m sorry for the Android discrimination.
   
   
2. Starting out, when you sign up for an account you’ll have to read and sign one of the longest terms of service I’ve ever seen for an app like this. I’m not sure if it’s because they’ll have access to your listening record on Apple Podcasts or what, but get ready for an incredibly lengthy terms of service. I did read the entire document and to my knowledge (and not legal opinion) everything seemed above board.
   
   
3. Next, you will need to confirm your Apple Podcasts username, this is that wacky little name that comes up when you review someone else’s podcast. I have no idea how to change this and I’ve tried many times to figure it out.
   
   
4. Next, you’ll be directed to the home page that will look like this.
   

Going from top to bottom this will show you the previous drawing numbers, how many “picks” will be selected for the next drawing, when that drawing will take place and just below that you can make your “picks”.

So how do you get “picks”? I’m glad you asked. As I explained earlier, this is a lottery where the payment and reward are reviews. Thus, when you listen to a podcast (selected by the app), then complete an episode and leave a review, you will automatically get the payment of one “pick”.

Like I said, I think this is a fun and easy way for podcasters to help other podcasters out, listen to new podcasts and of course get more reviews on their own podcast. Everyone wins (eventually).

My Experience with PodLottery

Alright, so is it legit? Does it work? Do I love it or hate or don’t care?

I started the app 14 days ago, and so far I’ve truly enjoyed it. I have a minor bone to pick, but I’ll save that for the end.

Over the past 14 days I’ve been “assigned” 10 different podcasts to review. I’ve listened, reviewed and earned my “pick” for 10 different assignments. Like a real lottery there are no promises whether or not you’ll get reviews, but so far of the 10 “picks” I’ve earned and 2 promotional “picks” I’ve gotten as freebies for participating, I’ve played the lottery and received 6 reviews.

All the reviews I’ve received have been thoughtful, considerate and made me thankful to be a podcaster. That’s the best part of this whole thing – getting a podcast review from another podcasters who know what you’re going through.

So would I recommend PodLottery? Yes. Absolutely.

It’s free. The PodMatch brand won’t harass you to buy their other paid subscriptions and overall I’ve loved finding new podcasts and getting reviewed by my peers.

Sign up with my referral code and get a free “pick”: https://www.podlottery.com/join/morganfranklin

My small bone to pick: There was a 4 day streak where I had no “assignments” or possible podcasts to review. When you don’t have podcasts to review you can’t get picks and thus it feels like the whole app is in gridlock for your own user experience. I’m sure this is because there are only so many podcast “winners” to assign, but it’s annoying from the user perspective.

Reminder: After poking around on the app and reading some reviews to and from other podcasters to each other I was reminded that it’s not a guarantee you will get 5/5 stars for your podcast. It’s not uncommon I’ll see a 4/5 or 3/5 with a genuine review about what to improve. The person reviewing your podcast is also a podcaster and they might not think your podcast is a 5 star podcast.

In conclusion: This is one of the easiest ways to get Apple Podcast reviews and it’s fun to find other podcasts. I’ve found several podcasts from this experience that I’m going to become a regular listener of! You’ll get out of it what you put into it, but if you’re looking for a way to get more Apple Podcast reviews, this is it! If you have any questions or want me to review another app or software send me a message here!

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