MatchMaker.fm

I upgraded to the paid annual plan expecting a platform that connected serious guests with legitimate podcasts. What I found instead is a site dominated by low-engagement shows and pay-to-play solicitations.

Even the top three highest-rated podcasts on MatchMaker.fm have weak engagement. One has roughly 50 YouTube subscribers with recent episodes drawing single-digit or low double-digit views. Another has just 32 subscribers. The third has 39,000 subscribers but averages only a few hundred views per video across more than 2,600 uploads, with many recent full-length episodes still under 100 views.

Every outreach I received followed the same pattern: inflated claims of reach followed by a request for money to appear. I did not receive a single legitimate interview invitation.

Reputable podcasts sell advertising. Charging guests to appear is not the service I signed up for.

I operate a successful consulting and expert witness practice and have significant experience as a podcast guest and mainstream media commentator. I know the difference between a real booking and a sales pitch.

Signing up for the annual membership was a mistake. I have requested a full refund.

For consumers trying to develop a sense of the company's ethics, note that the only two positive reviews of MatchMaker.fm displayed on Trustpilot were written by people affiliated with the company. One was written by James Mulvany, MatchMaker.fm’s founder and CEO. The other was written by Jamie Ashbrook, head of marketing for Broadcast.co, the corporate group associated with MatchMaker.fm and Podcast.co. These reviews violate Trustpilot’s rule prohibiting business owners, employees, and others with conflicts of interest from reviewing their own businesses.