In this article, we walk you through every stage in creating your podcast, from planning and recording to publishing and promotion. By the end, youâll know exactly how to make a podcast, and hopefully, execute it in the quickest, most pain-free way possible.
Give Them a Reason to Listen
Create content that will give listeners something out of when they hit play.
- Provide value to your listeners by providing information that will help someone lose weight, or do an entertaining interview with one of your favorite authors. This will give them a reason to listen and stay tuned for more.
Podcast Websites
If you already have a website for your business or your brand, you can just set up your podcast on it.
- But if you want more control, more tools, your own branding and to own the space where your podcast lives, then youâll want to create your own website for it.
How to Talk Into a Mic
Focus on talking to a single person
- An avatar is basically your ideal customer/listener
- Creating a persona is up to you how much detail you put in
- Hold a conversation with someone, rather than with yourself or the microphone, so everyone feels like you are talking to them
Script your podcast
The intimate nature of podcasting makes it more suited to being a conversation, as opposed to a sermon.
- Try to wean yourself off a fully scripted show with bullet points of everything you want to cover. This will become easier over time.
Podcasting in Seasons
A âseasonâ represents a block of episodes.
- This means that you can really throw yourself into creating some great content, and then, take a well-deserved rest before going on to tackle the next season.
- Seasons can be themed too, which can make your show accessible and appealing to new listeners.
Conclusion
Launching and growing your own show takes a bit of work, but itâs a fun and rewarding type of work.
- The fact that youâve looked for a guide like this one shows how seriously you take your creative projects. Now, thereâs nothing else to do other than getting started.
How to Record Remote Guests or Co-Hosts
Zoom is a popular option
- A much better option is to opt for a dedicated âdouble-enderâ call recorder
- This means each participant is recorded on their own computer
- Two of the best tools for this are Squadcast and Riverside.fm
- Alitu is another option if you want to keep it simple
Earn Your First Shilling
If you put the work in, stick at it, and consistently deliver great content for your audience, then youâll eventually be in a position to think about monetizing your podcast.
Recording & Editing Software
There are a few options for this: Audacity, Alitu, and Adobe Audition
- Audacity and Audition have steep learning curves if youâve never worked with audio before.
- Alitu is the easiest and most user-friendly of the three.
The Solo Show
Also known as the monologue
The Interview Show
âBorrowingâ the expertise or entertainment value of others
- Benefits
- Talking to your heroes
- Having a chat with someone youâve always looked up to
- Challenges
- Interviewing is a skill that youâll need to hone through practice
Alitu
The Simplest, Quickest Option
- Record your episodes right into it and it will take care of the processing, editing, and publishing of your podcast without the need for any editing software
- Itâs also got a library of music and jingles now that bypass any need to find your own audio branding
How Long Should a Podcast Episode Be?
Anything from 20 up to 45 minutes seems to be within the âsweet spotâ for an episode length.
- Ultimately, episode lengths should be decided by two things: content and audience
- Over time, your listeners will tell you if they think your episodes are too short or too long. Try to survey your audience once a year to gather data like this, and adjust accordingly. Finally, length can actually be a âuniqueâ factor.
Whatâs the Best Laptop for Podcasting?
The humble laptop fits nicely between the bulky desktop and mobile phone, making it the âbest of both worldsâ
- Best laptop for podcasting: 8GB of RAM quad processor with a base speed of 2.6GHz
Recording Equipment
All you need to record a podcast is a computer with a USB microphone and access to the internet.
- The more limited and lower cost your setup and equipment, the more limited the sound quality of your show will be.
- Use a combination of inexpensive USB microphones and premium quality audio equipment.
How Often Should I Release New Episodes?
The best schedule is normally the most frequent one that you can stick to
- If you can only manage once a month, thatâs fine â if you can manage every 2 weeks, even better
- Youâll have a bigger impact if you put out one excellent episode a month instead of a very average episode every week
Do I Need an Audience to Start a Podcast?
If you already have an audience built around something other than your podcast, this could be a good opportunity for laying the foundations of the showâs fanbase.
- During the planning stages, you may opt to survey your audience to find out more about them.
Submitting to Directories
Create your show inside your media host of choice, then submit it to various directories
The Co-Hosted Show
Presenting alongside a friend or colleague
- Benefits: A great way around theâmic frightâ of recording alone
- Challenges: Not only do you need to set aside time to record, but that time must also be suitable for your co-host
- Ownership: Thereâs also the question of ownership
Podcast Hosting Platforms
Media or Podcast hosts are services that store your audio and allow your listeners to listen, download, and subscribe to your podcast.
- Do not upload your podcast to places like iTunes, as that is not how it is done with a media host.
Finding Music for Your Podcast
Many podcasters stick some music at the beginning and end of the show to add an extra layer of professionalism
- However, donât leave music on for longer than 10 seconds.
- This can start to grate and train the audience to hit the skip button
Other Formats
Roundtable
- One regular host and a number of guests, talking through one topic
Get Your First 100 Listeners (and Beyond)
Free Personalised Podcast Planner
Choose good episode titles
Searchable, descriptive titles that give listeners a reason to click on the episode
- The added benefit of descriptive episode titles is that theyâll show up in search in most listening apps
- If someone types in a âhow toâ question on your topic and you have an episode on it, then thereâs a much better chance of them finding your show
Did You Know?
Your podcastâs description (also known as a show summary) is THE most important thing potential new listeners will judge your show on.
Editing & Production
There are a few processes to learn which can enhance the sound of your audio: Noise Reduction, EQ, Compression, etc.
Podcast Cover Art
Have attractive cover art that stands out
- Ideally, the artwork should be 1400 x 1400 pixels, in JPG form, and under 500kb in size
- The benefit of working with a designer is that they can help you to encapsulate your branding
How to Be a Good Podcast Host
A good host needs to be curious, genuine, relatable, and a cohesive storyteller.
How to Start a Podcast on Your Phone
Your smartphone can handle every part of the podcasting process.
- This comes in especially handy if youâre at an event or conference, or if you just so happen to bump into your dream interviewee whilst down the off-license buying 8 cans of Kestrel Super.
Outsourcing: The Hands-Free Option
It can take a bit of time to become comfortable using Audacity, and time is something a lot of folks lack. If youâre prepared to spend some money to save time, you can always outsource your editing and hire someone else to do it.
What If I Have No Audience?
Potential new listeners donât care if theyâve never heard of you.
- In fact, itâs the least important factor they will consider when weighing up whether or not to hit play.
Who is Your Podcast For?
Know exactly who you are making your show for, and why you are doing it.
- A lot of smart people talk about creating listener personas or avatars. Itâs a good idea to sketch out exactly who it is that you would like to listen to your content.
Using Your Own Name
Unless you have an audience, this is a no-no unless youâve already got an audience
Why Are You Making a Podcast?
Unless you answer the question of âwhy?â then you wonât be best positioned to design content thatâll match your ambitions and objectives
- This is you building the foundations of your metaphorical house, so itâs definitely worth a little extra thought (and work) to get it right!
Want this Guide to Take Away?
There are a couple of ways to get this guide offline
The Clever Name
People need to be able to find it when theyâre searching for information about your topic.
- If you have a clever/catchy name, also include a description into the title (e.g. âThe Uncommon Leaderâs Guideâ).
Join The Podcast Host Academy for Live Coaching, In-Depth Courses & Resources
The core of the Academy is our weekly live Q&A support sessions, where you can get all your questions answered by one of our team, and talk to others in the community.
- Start with our Podcast Launch video course, which takes you through every single step of making your show live.
Audacity
The free option
How to Make a Daily Podcast
You canât do a one-hour daily show, but who has the time to listen to that, let alone make it?
- With Pocket-Sized Podcasting, we batch all of the work. Scripting, recording, editing, production, and publishing an entire week takes about 3 hours.
Edit Your Podcast
Typically, itâll be the same place where you recorded your podcast.
The Descriptive Name
Simply call your podcast what your target audience is searching for.
What Music Can I Use Safely?
Many websites have music you can legally use on your podcast.
- This type of music will usually be referred to as royalty-free, stock, or library music.
- Check the source site and make sure you have permission to use a particular piece of music.
