Podcast Networks for Small Podcasts: 4 That Accept New Shows

1. What a Podcast Network Is (and What It Isn't)

A podcast network is a curated group of shows that share support. The support might be cross-promotion, a community, ad sales, production help, or all four. What makes it a network is the curation: someone decides who joins, and members gain something from being listed together.

Networks come in very different sizes. Some are collectives of a few dozen shows run by one founder. Others are companies that own hundreds of titles and sell their ad inventory as a bundle. The four networks in this guide sit at the small end, which is exactly why they can say yes to you.

Two other services get called networks, and the confusion costs podcasters money. Here is how they differ.

2. How Many Downloads Do You Need to Join a Network?

Fewer than you think. Buzzsprout publishes the download distribution for every episode on its platform each month, and the numbers reframe what small means.

A show pulling 1,000 downloads per episode is in roughly the top 5% of that platform. If a network asks for that, it is asking for a show that is already winning. None of the four networks below publishes a download minimum at all. That is not a marketing line; it is the basis on which they accept applications.

So what do they look at instead? Five things, in roughly this order.

• Publishing consistency. A fixed schedule kept for months beats a burst of episodes followed by silence.
• Audio and editing quality. Clean sound and intentional edits matter; an expensive studio does not.
• Listener engagement. Reviews, replies, an email list, or a Discord prove people care, whatever the download count.
• Fit with the roster. Your topic and tone should sit comfortably next to shows already on the network.
• Trajectory. A small number that rises month over month tells a better story than a large flat one.

3. Is Joining a Podcast Network Worth It for a Small Show?

It depends on what you would do with the time and money you save. Networks remove work you may not enjoy. In return they take some independence, and sometimes a share of revenue you may never have earned alone.

What you gain

• Cross-promotion. Trailer swaps and shout-outs from shows with a similar audience are the cheapest growth most small podcasts ever get.
• Sponsorship access. A network can sell ads across pooled audiences that no single small show could sell alone.
• Production help. Editing, guest coordination, or a studio, depending on the network.
• Community. People who will listen to your rough cut and tell you the truth.
• Less admin. Someone else chases the invoice and handles the ad tags.

What you give up

• A revenue share. Networks that sell your ads keep part of what they sell.
• Some control. Content guidelines, required cross-promo slots, or a move to the network's hosting.
• Flexibility. Notice periods and contract terms decide how fast you can leave.
• Certainty. A network can be acquired or change strategy after you join.
• Reach, sometimes. A small network cannot promise the sponsors a large one can.

There are also moments when the answer is not yet. If you have missed more than two scheduled episodes in the last quarter, fix that first. If you are unsure who would own your show after joining, do not sign until you know. If your only goal is one specific sponsor, pitch that brand directly with a rate card. A network is a slow route to a single deal.

4. Which Podcast Networks Accept Small Podcasts?

Four independent podcast networks for small podcasts currently accept shows without a download threshold. They look similar on a list and behave very differently in a contract. The table below puts the terms that matter side by side, taken from each network's own pages in September 2026. Where a network does not publish a term, the cell says not published. That is the question to ask before you sign.

The next four sections explain what each row means in practice. Each one ends with how to apply and the one thing to check first. If you already know what you need, jump to how to choose.

5. That's Not Canon: best for community with zero revenue share

That's Not Canon Productions (TNC) is an independent podcast network and co-operative founded in 2017 by Zane C. Weber in Brisbane. It started as a group of friends recording Dungeons and Dragons sessions and grew into a collective of creators across Australia. TNC states in writing that it will never claim a member show's intellectual property or revenue. The trade-off is reach: a volunteer-run collective cannot sell your ads or put you in front of a large network audience.

Best for: New and early-stage shows that want experienced people to workshop ideas with. Also creators who want to keep every dollar they earn.

Standout: TNC takes pitches for podcasts that do not exist yet. If you have an idea and no episodes, this is the one network in this guide that will talk to you.

Pricing: Free. No membership fee and no revenue share. The network funds itself through its own Patreon, with listener supporter tiers from $1 a month.

Watch out for: No published exit terms or exclusivity policy, and no ad sales. The roster leans toward comedy, improv, true crime, and shows about podcasting itself. A business or education show should ask how it would fit.

How to apply

Use the pitch form linked from the Join button on the TNC site, or email hello@thatsnotcanon.com. Existing shows and ideas are both welcome. Expect a conversation rather than a contract; TNC describes what it offers as equipment, expertise, advice, and promotion.

6. Independent Podcast Network: best for free training and hosting

Independent Podcast Network (IPN) was founded in 2019 by broadcast journalist Sunny Gault, who also built the New Mommy Media parenting shows. In August 2024, Evergreen Podcasts acquired IPN. It now sits inside Evergreen's Kids and Family channel alongside a lineup of partner shows. IPN gives away launch and growth resources for free and provides free hosting. It earns money by selling ads on member shows and keeping a share. IPN's own summary: we make money when you make money.

Best for: Podcasters who want structured training first and a monetization path second, especially in parenting, family, and small business topics.

Standout: Backing from a commercial network with an established sales team, without an upfront cost to the creator.

Pricing: Free to join, no upfront fees, free hosting. IPN keeps a share of the ad revenue it sells on your behalf. The exact split is agreed with you rather than published.

Watch out for: IPN's public pages do not state ownership terms, exclusivity, or notice periods. Since the 2024 acquisition, ask whether the terms you are offered come from IPN or from Evergreen, and get them in writing.

How to apply

Start with the Make Money section on the IPN site, which describes the ad program, and use the contact page to enquire. Have your genre, publishing schedule, and current downloads ready, because the ad program matches shows to advertisers by category.

7. BLACKCAT: best for earning from day one

BLACKCAT describes itself as a small, friendly network for independent shows. It sets every member up on Audioboom hosting with analytics, dynamic ad insertion, and a personal login. Then it turns on programmatic ads so you earn while you grow. Direct host-read campaigns follow once the team has pitched advertisers, which usually takes a few weeks. Members get cross-promotion inside the network, help with migration and ad setup, and a private community space. The limitation is focus: the current roster is almost entirely true crime, paranormal, and horror.

Best for: Small shows in true crime, paranormal, or adjacent genres that want money from the first month. You must be willing to move hosting.

Standout: The clearest exit terms of any network in this guide. Sixty days notice to wrap active campaigns, then you and your feed are free to go.

Pricing: Free to join, with hosting, analytics, and ad tools included at no extra platform fee. BLACKCAT keeps a share of ad revenue and calls it a better split than the usual big network cut. It does not publish the percentage. Payouts arrive by direct deposit on a monthly schedule.

Watch out for: You must move your RSS feed to Audioboom. This is not a network you can add on top of another monetizing one. Ask for the exact split before you migrate, and ask how a show outside true crime would be promoted.

How to apply

Send a short intro through the contact form on blackcat.fm covering your show, your audience, and your goals. The team replies with next steps and maps your onboarding timeline, including when programmatic and host-read revenue can start.

8. Bespoke Productions Hub: best for keeping your current setup

Bespoke Productions Hub is a Canadian independent podcast network built around community. Membership is open to anyone regardless of experience or audience size, with no minimum downloads and no hosting or production commitment. Members appear on the Bespoke roster and its Apple Podcasts channel. They can buy editing, marketing, or strategy packages if they want them. The honest limitation is that membership alone is exposure and community; the heavier lifting is a paid service.

Best for: Creators who are happy with their hosting and workflow and want a second discovery channel plus peers. The roster leans toward health, leadership, food, and personal growth.

Standout: Nothing changes on your side. Your feed, host, and editor stay exactly where they are.

Pricing: Free membership. Production, marketing, uploading, directory management, and strategy sessions are sold as separate packages with their own quotes.

Watch out for: No ad sales program, so revenue comes only from what you arrange yourself. Exit terms and any promotional rights over your content are not published; ask.

How to apply

Use the Join Us page on the Bespoke site. There are no eligibility criteria. The useful part of your application is a clear description of your show and what you want from the community. That lets the team introduce you to the right members.

9. How to Choose the Right Network for Your Show

Start from your need, not from the network. Each of the four solves one problem better than the others. Picking by the wrong problem is how podcasters end up leaving after six months.

Then verify the roster rather than the About page. A network is only as useful as the shows already on it. Listen to a full episode of three member shows and ask whether your listeners would enjoy them. If you want the numbers behind that gut check, use a podcast database like MillionPodcasts. Filter 3M+ podcasts by podcast network, then read each member show's estimated monthly listeners and whether it carries sponsors. Export the list and keep it beside your notes. Its records also include 6K podcast networks and producers with contact details. That means you can reach a network's team directly when its site has no form.

Finally, read the terms with these five questions in front of you.

• Who owns the show? The answer must be you, in writing, including title, artwork, and back catalogue.
• What is the exact revenue split, and on which revenue? Programmatic, host-read, and listener support can be treated differently.
• How do I leave? Notice period, what happens to active campaigns, and who controls the RSS redirect.
• Is membership exclusive? Some networks allow a second community network but not a second monetizing one.
• What rights does the network get to use your clips, your name, or your listener data in its own promotion?

10. How to Join a Podcast Network: Pitch and Apply

Every network in this guide uses a form or an email address rather than a formal submission portal. That makes the pitch matter more, not less, because a person reads it. Follow these six steps in order.

1. Fix your publishing gaps first. Publish on a fixed schedule for at least eight weeks before you apply. Consistency is the first thing every network checks, and a gap in the last two months is the most common reason a small show is turned down.
2. Listen to three member shows. Pick three shows on the roster and hear a full episode of each. You will name at least one in your pitch, and you will find out quickly if the network is not for you.
3. Read the terms before the form. Find the revenue share, hosting requirement, exit notice, and ownership language. Write down every question the site leaves open; they go into your email.
4. Prepare your materials. A two sentence description in the words a listener would use, links to your three best recent episodes, your publishing day and frequency, your current downloads with a dashboard screenshot, and your social links.
5. Send the pitch. Use the network's form or contact address. Name the member shows you fit beside, state your numbers plainly, and ask your open questions. A pitch that asks good questions reads as a creator worth having.
6. Follow up once, then keep moving. Wait for the stated response window, or two weeks if there is none, then send one short follow up. Apply to a second network in the meantime; none of the four penalises you for that.

A rejection from one network says nothing about the next. Their rosters and needs differ. A show that is wrong for a true crime network is often right for a community collective. Keep the email, change the member shows and the questions, and send it again.

Of the podcast networks for small podcasts covered here, pick by your need. If you want community and will not give up a cent of revenue, start with That's Not Canon or Bespoke Productions Hub. If money in the first month matters most and you make true crime or paranormal content, BLACKCAT is the direct route. If you want to learn to grow first and monetize later, apply to Independent Podcast Network. Whichever you choose, the first step takes under 30 minutes. Listen to three member shows, read the terms page, and write down the notice period before you open the form.

11. FAQs

Do I need download numbers to join a podcast network?

Not for the four podcast networks for small podcasts in this guide. None of them publishes a download minimum. They judge consistency, audio quality, listener engagement, and fit with their roster. A show with 50 steady weekly downloads and a real community can be accepted where a show with 500 irregular downloads is not.

Do podcast networks own your show?

A legitimate network does not take your intellectual property. That's Not Canon and BLACKCAT state this in writing on their sites. Some networks ask for the right to use clips in promotion or to keep listener data, which is different from ownership. Read the terms and ask before you sign.

Can you be in two podcast networks at once?

Sometimes. Community networks like Bespoke Productions Hub place no hosting or production commitment on members, so a second membership is practical. Networks that host your feed and sell your ads, like BLACKCAT, need your RSS feed on their platform, so a second monetizing network is not possible. Ask each network directly.

How do podcast networks make money from small shows?

Three ways. Revenue share networks keep a portion of the ad revenue they sell on your show, which is how BLACKCAT and Independent Podcast Network work. Service networks like Bespoke Productions Hub sell optional production and marketing packages. Collectives like That's Not Canon are funded by their own listener supporters and take nothing from members.

How long does it take to hear back from a podcast network?

Small networks are run by small teams, so expect anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. BLACKCAT invites a short intro email and replies with next steps. That's Not Canon uses a pitch form and an email address. If you hear nothing after two weeks, send one polite follow up and keep applying elsewhere.

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