Talks.co, the platform that connects podcasters and guests, has introduced a new Advanced Search feature designed to help hosts find better-fit guests more quickly.
The idea is to reduce the volume of cold, generic outreach across the podcasting sector.
As podcast guesting has grown, discovery has struggled to keep pace, with many hosts receiving large numbers of untargeted pitches and guests often unsure whether a show is active, open to interviews, or aligned with their objectives.
The new Advanced Search moves beyond keyword-only discovery by introducing intent-based filters. These highlight podcasts and guests who are ready to connect, using real-world signals that would usually require several emails or messages to establish.
One of the core filters focuses on show activity, allowing users to see when a podcast last published an episode. Options include the last seven, 30, 60 or 90 days, as well as six or 12 months, helping avoid outreach to inactive or abandoned shows.
Experience level can also be filtered by the number of episodes recorded, ranging from five to more than 100, making it easier for newer podcasts to connect with peers while enabling more established shows to identify experienced guests.
Audience reach is another key element, with filters based on mailing list size, from one thousand to more than 100 thousand subscribers, giving hosts and guests clearer expectations around potential exposure rather than relying on assumptions.
The platform also introduces upfront payment transparency, with users able to filter opportunities as free, pay-to-play or flexible, addressing an area that is often left unclear until late in the booking process.
For hosts interested in reciprocal appearances, a dedicated guest swap filter highlights opportunities where podcast hosts are also looking to appear as guests on other shows, streamlining mutual interview arrangements.
A Quick Connect option allows users to surface shows that have enabled instant responses and already match their profile, creating faster, warmer connections without the need for traditional cold pitching.
“The Talks AI is designed to surface relevant matches automatically, but people still want control,” said Liam Austin, co-founder of Talks.co. “Advanced Search lets hosts and guests filter intentionally using real signals like activity, reach, and responsiveness, without replacing the recommendations they already rely on.”
The launch forms part of Talks.co’s wider strategy to replace cold outreach with opt-in, signal-driven matching, to make podcast guesting more efficient and better aligned for creators on both sides of the microphone.
