Rockin’ Libsyn Podcasts: Under The Crossbones

A pirate podcast

This series is all about Libsyn’s podcasters. It’s sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!


Q & A with Phil from Under The Crossbones


When did you start podcasting?

August 2015

Why did you start podcasting?

As a professional comedian and musician, starting a podcast seems to be a requirement these days. But instead of doing just another show where 3 guys sit around and try to be funny for an hour, I decided instead to indulge my lifelong interest in pirates and talk to a community that wasn’t getting any airtime.

It’s been that perfect storm of a niche that didn’t have a show and was excited to get one.

What’s your show about?

Under the Crossbones is about pirates in history in pop culture. Interviews with historians, authors, actors, musicians, painters, treasure hunters, shipwreck divers, and more. Plus some standup comedy and music from my most talented friends in the entertainment industry to smooth the transition from ship to shore.

What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.

  • Acer Aspire laptop with Windows 7
  • Reaper recording software
  • iZotope’s Nectar Elements plugin and a stock Reaper EQ for sound processing
  • Audio-Technica ATR2100 USB mic and sometimes a Blue Baby Bottle mic
  • Skype, Google Voice, and VB Audio’s Voicemeeter for recording interviews
  • WordPress website

How have you promoted your podcast?

My guests have been great about sending the show out to their social networks. I’m also building an email list with an ebook giveaway.

Besides my personal networks I’ve created both a Facebook page for show news and a Facebook group for non-show pirate stuff. I’m active in the few other Facebook pirate groups there are. And I send specific episodes to other Facebook groups and pages that may be interested in that particular guest.

Gaming pages if I have a game designer on. Diving pages if I have a wreck diver on. Movie and TV fan pages if I have someone from Black Sails or Pirates of the Caribbean on.

I also create an episode image to use as a video version of the show to post on YouTube to catch search traffic there. And that image also goes to Twitter and Pinterest.

Beyond that, the pirate community has taken to the show nicely and they’re helping me build it by word of mouth.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

How many hours it actually takes to put together each episode. Being able to set aside that time each week is really important.


Now you know where to go if you are a pirate fan! OR ever wondered about pirates (you might just become one!) How about subscribing to Under The Crossbones.

OMG and if you’re interested Under The Crossbones has an ebook – Alexandre Exquemelin’s “Pirates of Panama” – a seminal piece of pirate research originally published during the Golden Age of Piracy in 1678! Go here to get the scoop!


If you have a love for a specific “thing” that you feel is under-represented or there is no podcast for it, why not start a podcast? We would love to host your media!.

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Use code “creator” for up to 2 months free when you start podcasting or move to Libsyn.

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