Do you love podcasts? Want to start one yourself? We present to you a guide on Podcasting and how to get started.
Mic & Headphones 
On Air
There was once a time when if you wanted to be heard by the mass, or wanted to be a radio jockey, you had to go through different lengths to have a shot at it. However, that’s not the case today. In today’s world, you can be heard by millions while you stay at home, comfy in your pj’s.
Yes, podcasting is a huge trend now. Through podcasting, you can reach a million listeners throughout the world; it’s not that hard either. Most importantly, through a podcast, you can talk about whatever you want, and you will easily find an audience for your podcast if it’s good.
However, for many of us, starting a podcast isn’t that easy. We have fears; some of us think we lack the gears and come with another million excuses. But, now is the best time to start podcasting. There are two reasons:
1) it’s still relatively less competitive,
2) it is a great option for content marketing.
Planning Your Podcast
After you’re done overcoming your fears and shyness, the first step to start a podcast is to plan it out. Within planning, the first thing you need to consider is a topic.
Topic
Choosing a topic is essential, as you will want to connect to many listeners, and talk about it for more than just a couple of episodes. After you’ve come up with a general idea, narrow it down to a subject.
Co-Host
Having a co-host is optional, as you can run the podcast by yourself too. But having a co-host will make the conversation more engaging, and less awkward when you’re just starting. However, you should ensure that your partner is just as committed as you are.
Name
Another critical part of your podcast is the name; it has to be catchy or memorable. Also, while picking up a name for your podcast, make sure it’s broader than the topic you chose. This will help you when you want to expand the topics you talk about. Besides, you should buy a domain under that name too.
Show Format
Length
Note that there is no perfect length for a podcast. It doesn’t have to fall between the average length or go beyond the necessary period. The essential length is the length at which you can talk about something without getting too side-tracked. If needed, your podcast can be of 10 minutes or even 1 hour!
Style
Your podcast style depends on you. You make the format all about yourself, or you can have a friend as your co-host. And you can even have guests whom you interview. The interview format is becoming popular as of late, but this doesn’t mean you must do this. Follow the style you’re most comfortable in.
Episode Format
Episode format refers to the way you want to style each of your episodes. Will it start with the music, or will it begin by greeting your listeners? The possibilities are endless, and you should get creative with this part.
Visuals
Cover Art
The only visible part about your podcast will be its cover art. That’s why you will want to make the cover art eye-catching but nothing too crazy. Remember, just like your clothes, and your cover art will make the first impression of your podcast.
Gears
Mic
Since a podcast is an audio entertainment, you should grab a right mic before you start your show. Yes, you can begin with your mobile, but will it sound good? The answer is no, at least not when it’s compared to a mic.
That’s why getting a good mic is crucial. Just because the mic has to be great doesn’t mean the price tag has to be hefty too. You can grab great mics at lower price points.
Headphones
Whether you’re doing this solo or with one or multiple co-hosts, you will need headphones. You will need them to hear yourself and the other person. Also, by using a headphone, you can understand whose sound needs to be tweaked.
Hub
A hub is essential if you’re podcasting with more than one person. With a hub, you can plug all your headphones and mics in one place and connect the hub to your computer. This way, you can control the volume/gain from the hub. Hubs aren’t that expensive too; a budget hub will do fine.
Computer
Of course, you will need a computer for your podcast. Any good computer that you can use to record and edit the audio files later will do. As for editing software, you can use Audacity on Windows and Garageband on Mac.
Release
Podcast Host
After you’re done editing, you should find a website to host your podcast. There are many websites out there, like Buzzsprout, SoundCloud, and many more. You will want to sign up for one of these sites.
Uploading
On your hosting website, you will find the option to upload your work. When uploading your work, you will need to fill up necessary information like the title of the episode, the number, description, and other information.
Apple Podcast
After uploading the episode to your hosting site, you can submit your podcast to iTunes. You’re hosting websites will have tutorials on how you can do it. Follow that, and from then every time you upload a new episode, it will automatically go to Apple Podcasts as well.
Further Steps
Website
After you’ve started your podcast, you can open a website for your podcasts. This way, you will have your website to host your show from. There are many website builders out there that you can use to create a website for your podcast.
Embed Episodes
By embedding your episodes, you will grant the listeners the chance to listen to the podcast from your website. Just get the embed code for the episode and paste it out on your website.
Conclusion
As you may notice, getting started with podcasts is quite complex and it may seem overwhelming at the beginning, but as you start taking the first steps, everything will come to you naturally, and you will become great at podcasting in no time. We hope our guide helps you in your podcasting endeavors. Happy podcasting!
Have you ventured yet with podcasts? Let us know your experience in a comment below.
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Hi Bruce, thank you for writing. The more you learn the better, and then you can implement what is more appropriate to your business.
Podcasting has become a very big gem in he world of online business and I think that it is very good that you can come up to your website to give us tips on how to be able to start it off. For a person like me who already has some background knowledge, I think your post has helped me to heighten my knowledge on the topic.
Hi, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you so much for writing giving your insights about Podcast.
Wow! Thank you so much for all you have shared here and I would say that this has really been helpful a lot considering that you have really given the detailed information required to get started with podcasting. I actually like it on a general view since it has already started gaining the ground. It could be worthy to plunge into. This is really nice to see here
Hey, thanks for writing and I’m happy you agree Podcast is gaining more popularity with listeners. It is a great way to connect with your audience.