Arielle Nissenblatt is reshaping how listeners find podcasts and how creators connect with their audiences. As the founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective, a weekly newsletter that curates high-quality podcast recommendations, and the Director of Community and Content at “Pinwheel by Audily,” Arielle helps creators develop strategies that make their podcasts meaningful extensions of their brands. 

EarBuds was founded in 2017 to address a clear problem: with thousands of podcasts available, listeners struggle to find content worth their time, and independent creators often fail to reach audiences that would value their work.

“Across everything I do, from podcasting, newsletters, teaching, or tours, my focus is creating content that sparks conversations and builds community,” Arielle explains.

The idea for EarBuds came during Arielle’s long hours in Los Angeles traffic. “I would spend hours in the car listening to podcasts and eventually found myself rotating through the same few shows. I wanted to find new podcasts that were worthwhile and vetted by other people,” she recalls. 

At the time, she was engaged in both long-form investigative podcasts and political programming, experiences that not only shaped her interests but also revealed a gap in curated discovery.

To test her idea, she launched a survey asking friends about their podcast habits and whether they would like to help curate content. The feedback confirmed that listeners were eager for guidance, leading to the first EarBuds newsletter in February 2017. Each weekly issue features five episodes under a theme, curated by a different person, with one episode from the curator’s own show and the rest highlighting other creators’ content.

From Newsletter to Industry Presence

EarBuds started modestly, with Arielle manually sending emails through Gmail and formatting each newsletter herself. She later moved to Mailchimp after learning from podcasts she admired and heard ads from, noting, “The beginnings of building out EarBuds were very much influenced by the podcasts that I listened to.” Over time, the newsletter expanded into a multi-channel platform with its own podcast, website, and active social media presence.

Beyond creating EarBuds, Arielle leveraged the newsletter to open opportunities within the podcast field. She attended the Podcast Movement conference through newsletter collaborations, launched a podcast studio at a Los Angeles co-working space, and organized the Outlier Podcast Festival at that studio in 2018. 

These experiences allowed her to build community, gain hands-on production knowledge, and connect with creators and industry professionals. “So many opportunities have come to me as a direct result of this newsletter,” she says, reflecting on the opportunities it created.

Arielle attributes her growth to consistent engagement with creators and listeners, combined with a willingness to show genuine enthusiasm. “A lot of people try to obscure their excitement because they want to seem cool. I just don’t care about that. I am extremely eager. It has worked for me,” she says, highlighting the value of openness in building professional relationships.

Observing the Podcast Field

Since 2017, Arielle has seen significant changes in podcasting. She points to the addition of video alongside traditional audio as a key shift. “When I started, it was audio only. Now there is definitely video to consider, either experiments with clips or full-scale production, but audio still has immense value,” she explains. 

She also notes the effect of large investments by companies like Spotify, stating that while celebrity podcasts drew attention, the listener experience was often secondary. “They spent a lot of money nurturing the creators themselves and deciding for the listeners what they wanted, rather than asking them what they wanted,” she says.

Discovery remains a persistent challenge. Arielle emphasizes that the issue is not only about platform visibility but also about how creators engage their audiences. 

She notes, “There is a discovery problem in that there are a lot of shows out there that should be found and are not currently being found. But there are also a lot of shows that are not taking into account or building for their audience and then complaining that their downloads are not doing well.” 

EarBuds addresses this by connecting listeners to shows they might otherwise miss, while also giving creators a framework to present their content effectively.

Adapting for Specific Audiences

To better serve listeners, Arielle is expanding EarBuds into topic-specific newsletters. While the original newsletter explores a different theme each week, she observed that consistent focus can better engage audiences with specific interests. 

Arielle explains, “If their way in was a true crime list, they might be expecting more true crime podcasts. I have finally made the decision to create topic-specific newsletters that are an offshoot of EarBuds.” She believes this approach allows listeners to deepen their engagement with subjects they care about while maintaining the general newsletter for those seeking broader discovery.

At Pinwheel, Arielle applies similar principles, helping brands and creators develop podcasts that complement broader business strategies.

Opportunities and Concerns

Arielle remains positive about current trends in the podcast space. She highlights celebrity-led shows with genuine engagement, such as Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang,” as ones that attract new listeners. 

“People love Amy Poehler so much. People love the podcasters they discover on video, and eventually, there’s going to come a point where they can’t use their eyes (while driving or being otherwise occupied), and they’re just going to turn the audio only on. I really believe that,” Arielle says. She also sees potential in niche podcasts to cultivate dedicated, engaged audiences and enrich the field with focused content.

Still, Arielle notes concerns about future challenges. The contraction of audio-only opportunities and the rise of AI-generated podcasts pose risks. “I’m worried that people with amazing skills in podcasting are not getting jobs and may leave the field. We need those people to create high-quality audio content,” she explains, stressing the continued importance of human storytelling and empathy, noting that technology should support, not replace, creators’ voices.

Defining Success and Guidance for Creators

For Arielle, success is measured less by short-term metrics and more by long-term engagement. “I want to reach people who love listening and want to listen to more. If they discover their favorite show through my newsletter and it stays their favorite for five years, that’s success,” she says. 

Her emphasis on long-term relationships aligns with her broader goal of fostering community around shared experiences in podcasting.

Arielle’s advice to aspiring creators is straightforward: engage actively with the podcasts and creators that inspire them. “Interacting with the creators of the podcasts you love is a way to deepen your relationship with the messages and lessons you’re gaining. It also makes creators feel good, and that’s huge,” she notes. For her, initiative, openness, and participation are central to succeeding in the creator economy.

After nearly a decade in podcast curation and community-building, Arielle remains committed to thoughtful curation, experimentation, and audience engagement. Looking ahead, she is focused on expanding EarBuds while maintaining its core principles of quality, accessibility, and community. 

“I am constantly looking to grow the newsletter and help people discover podcasts that resonate with them. That’s how I define success – through sustained engagement and impact,” she concludes.

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