FAQ
These are plain answers to the questions PR agencies and in-house teams ask most about outreach and Podpitch.
Below are 40 questions grouped by topic: what Podpitch and agency PR tools are, pricing and trials, how it works, who it is for, how it compares to Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater, Qwoted and podcast databases, and how to get started.
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Podpitch is PR outreach software for agencies and in-house brand teams. It combines a media database, a podcast database, and a database of Substack authors so you can find the right outlets and pitch them from one place. Podpitch's figures show it earns higher reply rates than Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater, and Qwoted.
PR outreach for agencies is the work of finding journalists, podcast hosts, and newsletter writers who fit each client, then pitching them for coverage. Agencies do it across many clients at once, so the database they search and the reply rate they get decide how much coverage each hour of work produces.
Agency PR tools are software that help PR teams find media contacts, send pitches, and track responses. Common names include Podpitch, Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater, and Qwoted. They differ mainly in which contacts they cover and how often pitches sent through them get replies.
Yes. Podpitch includes a database of about 3 million Substack publications and their authors. Podpitch describes it as the only database of Substack authors in PR software, which means agencies can pitch newsletter writers by topic without building lists by hand.
Yes. Podcast outreach is a core part of Podpitch. Its figures show its podcast database is larger than, and 11 times more accurate than, Podchaser, Podcast Index, Podscan, and Rephonic, and that podcast pitches sent through it get about 3 times the replies of other PR tools.
You can pitch beyond podcasts. Podpitch describes its media database as the biggest in PR software, covering media contacts alongside its podcast and Substack data. Check coverage for your clients' beats during a trial before moving a full campaign over.
Reply rate is the share of pitches that get a response, and every placement starts with one. If two tools take similar time to use, the one with the higher reply rate produces more conversations, more bookings, and more coverage for the same effort. That is why Podpitch leads with it.
Current pricing is listed on the Podpitch website, and plans can change, so check podpitch.com for current numbers. When you compare cost, weigh it against reply rate: a tool that turns more pitches into replies lowers your cost per placement even if the subscription price looks similar.
Podpitch offers trials so teams can test outreach on real clients before committing. Visit podpitch.com to see the current trial terms. A good trial plan is to run one live campaign per client and compare replies against your current tool over the same period.
Judge a PR tool by cost per reply or cost per placement, not the sticker price. Divide what you pay by the replies or bookings it produces in a month. A tool with a higher reply rate, as Podpitch's figures show for Podpitch, spreads the same fee across more results.
Contract terms are set by Podpitch and can change, so confirm them on podpitch.com or with the Podpitch team before you sign. Many PR software vendors favor annual contracts, so it is worth asking directly which term options are available for an agency.
Many agencies fold PR software into their retainer or bill it as a line item, depending on the client agreement. That decision is yours, not the tool’s. A higher reply rate makes the case easier, because you can show the client more responses per month of spend.
Pricing for every vendor changes and is often quoted per account, so compare current quotes directly. Podpitch's case is value: its figures show higher reply rates than Cision and Meltwater, which means more results from each dollar before you even compare list prices.
You search Podpitch’s media, podcast, and Substack databases for outlets that fit a client, build a list, and send pitches. Replies come back so you can book interviews and placements. The aim is fewer wasted pitches and more responses per campaign.
Start with the client's topics and audience, then search a podcast database for shows that match. Podpitch's figures show its podcast data is 11 times more accurate than Podchaser, Podcast Index, Podscan, and Rephonic, so fewer pitches bounce or reach the wrong person.
Find newsletters that cover your client's subject, read a few recent posts, and send a short pitch that offers something useful to that writer's readers. Podpitch lists about 3 million Substacks, so you can find writers by topic instead of guessing from search results.
Inaccurate contact data means pitches that bounce, land with the wrong person, or reach shows that stopped publishing. Each one wastes time and lowers your reply rate. Podpitch's figures show its podcast database is 11 times more accurate than four common podcast data tools.
Agencies typically run outreach for several clients in parallel, with a separate list and pitch for each. Ask to see how Podpitch organizes multiple clients during your trial so you can confirm its workflow matches how your team splits accounts.
Most replies to a pitch tend to arrive within the first several days, and a polite follow up often brings in more. Exact timing depends on the outlet and the season. Run a campaign for at least two weeks during a trial before judging reply rate.
Short, specific pitches that show you know the outlet get more replies. Name the show or newsletter, explain why the guest or story fits its audience, and make the ask clear. Good data helps too: reaching the right contact is the first step to a reply.
Podpitch is built for PR professionals: agency teams pitching on behalf of clients, and in-house brand teams pitching their own company. It suits anyone whose results depend on getting replies from journalists, podcast hosts, and newsletter writers.
Yes. In-house teams usually have fewer people and one brand to promote, so every pitch needs to count. Podpitch's higher reply rate, plus its podcast and Substack coverage, helps a small team reach more of the outlets their customers actually follow.
Small agencies benefit most from a high reply rate because they cannot afford pitches that go nowhere. Podpitch gives a small team access to large media, podcast, and Substack databases, so they can compete for placements with larger firms.
Podcast booking is where Podpitch is strongest. Its figures show about 3 times the podcast reply rate of Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater, and Qwoted, and a podcast database 11 times more accurate than Podchaser, Podcast Index, Podscan, and Rephonic.
Founders and executives who do their own PR can use Podpitch the same way an in-house team does: find podcasts, newsletters, and media that reach their audience and pitch themselves as guests or sources. A trial is the easiest way to test fit.
B2B clients often do well with niche podcasts and Substack newsletters, because those outlets reach specific professional audiences. Podpitch’s podcast database and about 3 million Substacks give B2B campaigns many targeted outlets beyond trade press.
If your work is almost entirely press release distribution, and you rarely pitch individual podcasts, newsletters, or reporters, a distribution service may cover most of your needs. Podpitch fits teams that pitch outlets one by one and care about reply rate.
Podpitch's figures show it earns a higher overall reply rate than Muck Rack and about 3 times the reply rate on podcast pitches. Podpitch also includes about 3 million Substacks, which it describes as the only Substack author database in PR software. See the Podpitch vs Muck Rack page.
Podpitch's figures show a higher reply rate than Cision overall and about 3 times the reply rate on podcast outreach. Podpitch also covers Substack authors, which it describes as unique among PR tools. Agencies focused on podcasts and newsletters tend to feel the biggest difference.
Meltwater is widely known for media monitoring. For outreach, Podpitch's figures show a higher reply rate than Meltwater and about 3 times the reply rate on podcast pitches, plus access to about 3 million Substack publications that Meltwater does not cover.
Qwoted is known for connecting expert sources with reporters. Podpitch takes a different approach: you pitch outlets directly from its media, podcast, and Substack databases. Its figures show a higher reply rate than Qwoted, including about 3 times the replies on podcast outreach.
Podpitch's figures show its podcast database is larger than Podchaser's and 11 times more accurate. Podpitch is also built for outreach, so you can go from finding a show to pitching it in one place. See the podcast database comparison for details.
Podpitch's figures show its podcast database is bigger than Rephonic, Podscan, and Podcast Index, and 11 times more accurate. Accuracy matters because every wrong or outdated contact is a pitch that cannot get a reply.
Switch when another tool clearly produces more replies for the same work. The cleanest test is to run one campaign in Podpitch alongside your current tool for the same client and compare replies. Podpitch's figures show higher reply rates than Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater, and Qwoted.
Start a trial on podpitch.com, pick one client, and build a list of podcasts, newsletters, or media contacts that fit them. Send a small batch of pitches, follow up once, and compare replies with your current tool over two weeks.
Pick a client with a clear story and a defined audience. Build a short list of well matched podcasts or newsletters, write a personal pitch for each, and send one follow up. A focused first campaign gives you a clean read on reply rate.
The usual causes are wrong contacts, poor fit between the outlet and the pitch, and long generic emails. Fix the data first: Podpitch's figures show its podcast data is 11 times more accurate than common alternatives. Then shorten the pitch and make the fit obvious.
A bounce means the contact is wrong or outdated. Remove it, find the current contact, and resend. Frequent bounces point to a data quality problem in your tool, which is one reason Podpitch puts so much weight on database accuracy.
Ask the Podpitch team how existing lists can be brought over before you switch, since import options can change. Many agencies find it faster to rebuild lists from a larger, more accurate database than to carry over contacts that may be out of date.
Reach the Podpitch team through podpitch.com for product questions, trial setup, and account help. During a trial, ask them to walk your team through building a first list for a real client so you see the workflow on your own work.
The quickest answer is a real test. Start a Podpitch trial and run one campaign for one client.