So you want to be a podcaster. This is not surprising given how more people are eager to find ways to express themselves. You’ve got an idea of something you can chat about. Maybe you have a business or a course to promote. Maybe you have meditations or yoga classes you want to record and send out to the airwaves. If you’ve thought about becoming a podcaster, this is an excellent time to start.
In 2021, there were over 2 million podcasts and over 48 million episodes produced.* That’s a lot of talking! Over 50% of all US homes are podcast fans. And that number is growing. Starting your own podcast doesn’t take a lot of fancy equipment or investment.
Decide what you’ll talk about.
Keep a log of your topics. This will help you stay ahead and consistent. Consistency is key to keeping your listeners engaged. So, plan out what you’ll discuss and then refine. Stick with one topic per episode and you’ll be surprised at how quickly the podcast topics stack up.
Intro/Outro/Music
Once you know what you’ll talk about, it’s time to write your introduction, your outro and decide if you want music. Your introduction should mention the name of your podcast, your name, and what your generalized podcast topics will be. This will be used in all your episodes.
Your outro will thank your listeners for listening and suggest that they subscribe and leave a review. You’ll want to invite them to come back ‘next week’. This will be the same for all your episodes as well.
Lastly, your music. Don’t overthink it. Choose something that conveys the feelings you want people to feel during your podcast. Whether this is upbeat, spiritual, happy, fun. There are lots of music choices to choose from and if you aren’t careful, you could spend a ton of time deciding what to choose. If you are having trouble, schedule some time for us to help you with that.
Record your Podcast.
The first thing you need to get started is the right software. Depending on your type of podcast, you may need to set up Zoom to record online for an interview or Q&A session. Or if you are on a shoestring budget, record your podcast on your iPhone in your closet or car. Cars have excellent soundproofing. If you have a little bit of cash to put into your podcast, record with a microphone. Hanging your microphone is a great way to avoid bumping into it and you will be more likely to maintain a natural posture while talking. Solo episodes can be recorded directly into Audacity or Descript. These are popular programs that you can use to edit your podcasts as well. Record your intro and outro into this software as well.
Editing your podcast
Once a file has been recorded, the next step is in its editing. You may notice during your editing some tweaks to your recording. You may notice you say ‘um’ quite a bit. Or maybe your go-to word is, ‘like’. Whatever it is, you’ll need to decide if you want it to stay in or be edited out. Edits are a great way to erase any coughs or mistakes you made during recording.
Your intro, outro, and music will be added to your main episode during editing. You may also want to make sure the music is softer in the background or that your voice needs to be amplified. There are several different features to your editing software that you can play around with to make it sound just right.
Publishing your podcast
You’ll want to check out some hosting for your podcast. Audio takes up space. Our suggestion is Libsyn or Buzzsprout. We love both of these. There are tons of others and lots of price points for them as well. All of these will help you get your podcast out there to the many different platforms. Although Apple will require you to submit it manually.
As you are uploading your podcast, you’ll want to upload a graphic of your podcast. Make this something memorable for people. And you’ll want to write up some basic show notes. This will tell people what you are talking about in this episode.
While these aren’t all the details you may find you need, these are a few of the basics. All in all, podcasting is easy as long as you get the hang of it. Podcasting is a lot of fun. It’s easy if you’re interested and willing to put the effort in.
* Stats pulled from Podcasthosting.org