If you have an attractive voice, a talent for speaking and a message to spread, then this article is for you!
Podcasts are a big boom now and an amazing pool to voice out yourself to the whole world. All that you need is some simple tools to kick off your journey.
How to Start a Podcast, you ask?
In this article we are going to walk you through all necessary steps to launch a successful podcast channel.
Step 1: Podcast Concept
Selecting the right concept for the podcast is a super important part of the game. It will decide who your listeners are and will make sure they stay attracted to your content. So, you should find a niche and a clear message to convey.
You have to ask yourself the question “Why do you want to start a Podcast?” It’s very important to answer this question, even if the answer is “I just wanna have fun.”
Some good reasons for starting a podcast:
– Generating business
– Spreading knowledge or sharing science
– Story telling
– Spreading awareness about certain societal issues
You need to be realistic about your goals though. You should know that podcasts may not have a wide audience at first but that builds over time.
Choosing a theme or a topic for your podcast
When you are picking your theme or topic, make sure you are really excited about what you choose. You should remain excited while regularly researching and discussing these topics or themes. The more you are interested and comfortable with your topic, the less likely you are to experience “podfade”.
A podfade is losing interest in the podcast and having an overwhelming feeling that makes the whole idea fade away.
Tip: try writing down ten episodes about the theme you picked. If they don’t come out smoothly, then you may need to change your topic.
Once you decide on some ideas, do some market research to check out the competition in your genre.
Of course, Apple Podcast is the most famous and most listened to out there. Go through and listen to random episodes and see what you can do differently.
Make it clear
The more you narrow your niche, the more you attract audience and engage them. Podcasts that address broad audience end up with less people.
Be specific so you can appeal to the right audience who will stick to your podcast.
Examples:
– Mental health for new moms.
– Nutrition for athletes.
– Business tips for entrepreneurs.
Choose an attractive name
The name of the podcast has a great impact on listeners and it’s a core part of the brand, as it affects the first impression of the users and defines the tone of the podcast.
Podcast’s name should have the following features:
Specificity
Availability
Memorability
And relatability to your topic or brand
Once you have a title in mind, check it on name checker to make sure it’s available and not used by someone else.
Step 2: Podcast Format
The format should complement your podcast and make it shine.
Ask yourself, is it more comfortable for you to talk with guests or do you prefer flying solo?
Or you can mix it up even!
Having co-hosts can be more entertaining and engaging for the audience but you better limit the number of hosts to 1 or 2 max so it can be controllable and easy to handle.
Best length for a Podcast episodeÂ
Make it as long as it needs to be, not longer. Some podcast episodes can be less than 5 mins and some other could extend to hours long.
Here is a simple guide for common episodes durations:
– Less than 10 mins (14%)
– 10-20 mins (15%)
– 20-40 mins (31%)
– 40-60 mins (22%)
– Over 60 mins (7%)
Source: Buzzsprout Platform statistics
Podcast Publishing schedule
You can decide the schedule for publishing your episodes to your liking. Either weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or even annually. However, we recommend you publish weekly to not lose the connection with your listeners.
Step 3: Podcast Recording Equipment Setup
As a start, you don’t need to have fancy and professional sound equipment to launch your podcast.
There are many ways you can have a decent audio with a basic setup.
Dynamic vs. Condenser
Dynamic microphones work best for podcasting. They pick up lower frequencies and have less sensitivity. This means you’ll have less background noise to edit out later.
Condenser mics, on the other hand, have more sensitivity and pick up a wider range of frequencies. Sensitivity is good for recording music but isn’t ideal for spoken word.
XLR or USB
Podcast mics have two types of connections: XLR or USB.
XLR mics give you maximum flexibility. There are a lot of XLR mics to choose from, and they usually have a long life. But keep in mind, XLR mics require an interface or mixer to hook up. This can be expensive for beginners.
Whereas USB microphones are less expensive and plug directly into your computer. You can also run them through an interface if you record with multiple people.
USB mics are affordable, practical, and sound great. This mic is the best option for the majority of podcasters.
Step 4: Podcast Software
You already set up the equipment and recorded your episodes? Then it’s time for edits!
If you are going to do remote interviews or have a co-host who lives in another place, then you will need long distance recording.
Riverside.fm
– Cost: $9+ per month
– Studio-quality recordings
Riverside allows you to record local audio and video, even if you don’t have a great internet connection.
Users can take listener call-ins, livestream to social media and edit videos within a browser.
Plus, files continuously upload to the cloud during recording, so you never lose your work.
SquadCast
– Cost: $10+ per month
– Studio-quality recordings
SquadCast makes it easy to set up a remote podcast interview and capture high-quality, lossless audio.
SquadCast’s sound quality is much better because it records local WAV files from each person’s computer. The initial setup is more complicated than Zoom.
Editing software: GarageBand
– Free
– Difficulty: Beginner
– Compatibility: Mac and iOS
GarageBand comes pre-installed on most Apple computers. If you don’t have it, you can easily download it for free. We think GarageBand is a more intuitive interface than Audacity.
GarageBand is not available on Windows computers or Android phones.
Editing Software: Audacity
– Free
– Difficulty: Moderate.
– Compatibility: Mac, Windows, and Linux
Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor with pro-level features. This DAW is more than enough for most podcasters to produce great episodes.
Step 5: Recording your 1st Episode
We are back again to setting up the content. In order not to make many stops or lose your point while speaking, you better write down a script or an outline for the episode or even jot a list of points to help improve the flow of talking.
Choose a good recording place
It is very important to choose a quiet place to do your recordings. It is better to record in a quiet room with lots of furniture like carpets, curtains and rugs so you avoid the noise bounce, echo and distortion.
Microphone technique
– Position your mic 2-4 inches from your mouth
– Speak off-axis if you want to increase lower frequencies
– Stay away from the mic while speaking
– Test multiple angels to see which sounds best
Step 6: Editing your Audio
Do not try to make the audio too fancy while doing the editing so not to overwhelm yourself.
1. Create an engaging intro and outro:
Your podcast intro and outro let you tell your listeners what you’re all about, the value you bring and convince them to stick around.
You can get royalty-free music for zero cost or purchase your show’s intro music through one of these resources:
– Soundstripe
– Audio Jungle
– Storyblocks
2. Edit content and then distractions:
It’s important that you edit your content and finalize the sections you need before you start the noise and distraction editing. This is to avoid polishing sections that you might cut in the end.
3. Avoid noise and click sounds at the end of cut audio sections:
You can use the fade tool at the beginning and end of audios to edit those sounds out.
4. Export audio file:
Finished? Its time to export your audio file as a .WAV file.
Step 7: Creating Artwork for your Podcast
Good artwork on your podcast cover is very important.
60% of new listeners are more likely to listen to a podcast if they like its cover art.
Technical qualifications for podcast cover art:
– Square image (3000×3000 pixels)
– Resolution of 72 dpi
– PNG or JPEG file types
– Colorspace RGB
General TipsÂ
As we said before, the visual aspect is important. So make your cover art attractive yet simple and relevant to the content you are presenting. Too much symbolism and ambiguity can turn audience away.
Don’t use too many words or fonts.
You don’t need to remind people that they are listening to a Podcast. So images of mics or headphones are not necessary!
Stay consistent with your cover art as it represents your identity and brand.
Step 8: Uploading your First Episode
It’s time to publish your work! There are many platforms you can publish your work on and then send it to global famous platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts, for approval. Then, finally, you are listed among global podcasters!
Apps for uploading podcasts:
– Anchor
– Buzzsprout
Step 9: Launching Your Show!
It’s important to market your podcast and make a big hype about it, even before you launch.
Pick a launch date, announce on your social media accounts, reach out to people who might be interested in your topic, including family and friends.
You can also pay for Ads to enhance your reach.
Post episodes on social media.
Engage more with groups and forums, share links of your work and cross-promote with other creators. It’s a very successful marketing method where you can share the audience and benefit each other.
Finally, celebrate your launch and enjoy your work as much as you can!
Authored by Yasmine Deraz
Edited by Yara Fakhoury
“Fujn fuses learning with earning in a fun way. Fujn is made by women for women. Ladies, dare to reimagine your possibilities! Check us out at www.Fujn.us, Fusion spelled F. U. J. N”
