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How to Start Your Own Podcast

It is reported that there are over 4 million podcasts that have been created around the world. While that may be a lot of competition, it can still be a lot of fun to start your own podcast. But where do you start? Here are some tips to help get you started:

What is your podcast concept?

  • Think about why you want to start a podcast. Do you want to inform, entertain, teach, or do something else?

  • Next, think of what your theme or topic will be. It should be something you’re very passionate about. The more you like to talk about it, the less you’ll experience “podfade,” or when a podcaster runs out of ideas or becomes bored, and the podcast eventually fades away.

  • How will your podcast be more specific than others? If you want to talk about cooking, are you going to talk mostly about baking? Or if you are into movies, will you make it mainly about romcoms? Most people are more likely to recommend a niche podcast rather than a generic one.

  • What will you name your podcast? Keep it short, clear, and specific. Look at other podcasts and see how their names reflect their topics. Make your title memorable. You can also run your podcast title through a podcast name checker to make sure nobody else has anything similar.

What will your podcast format look like?

  • If you decide you want to have cohosts, keep the number small, so it doesn’t confuse your audience. 

  • Some common podcast formats may include:

    • interview podcasts
    • cohosted podcasts
    • scripted non-fiction
    • news recap
    • educational podcasts
    • scripted fiction

  • Decide on the length of each episode. The most common durations run at about:

    • less than 10 minutes (14%)
    • 10—20 minutes (15%)
    • 20—40 minutes (31%)
    • 40—60 minutes (22%)
    • Over 60 minutes (7%)

  • How often do you plan to post your podcast? Most people post weekly. Here are some of the most common frequencies for posting:

    • 0—2 days (7%)
    • 3—7 days (36%)
    • 8—14 days (39%)
    • 15—29 days (17%)
    • Over 30 days (1%)

Do you have the right equipment?

  • You will need a decent microphone. It needs to boost your audio quality and make editing much simpler without the pops, hisses, and background noises that can become annoying to listeners.

    • Most podcasters use dynamic microphones, which pick up lower frequencies and are less sensitive to background noise
    • Condenser mics tend to pick up a wider range of frequencies and background noise. They are good for recording music but not necessarily spoken word.
    • XLR connections are the most flexible for microphones. You will need an interface or mixer to hook them up, which can be costly if you are just starting out.
    • USB connections are cheaper and plug right into your computer, but sometimes you can also run it through an interface, especially if you are recording with several people. Many podcasters start with this option.

What software will you use for podcasting?

  • Once you finish your recording, you will need to edit it before posting. This is where you can take out what you don’t want, and also add in your intro music, etc. 

    • Remote Software is good for interviews that are not entirely in the studio, such as when your guest may live in another city. 
      • Riverside.fm, Squadcast, and Zoom are some options of remote software.
    • Editing software 
      • GarageBand, Audacity, and Adobe Audition are some editing software options.

How will you post your podcast to the world?

  • In order for your podcast to be heard, you will need to publish it through a hosting service.

    • Some podcasters use services like Buzzsprout, which is free for the first 90 days. This service will store your audio files and also distribute them to podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

These are just some of the basic tips to get you started. There is so much more to know and do if you would like to start your own podcast, such as show notes, transcripts, artwork, and more. 

A very special thank you to Buzzsprout for the research into this blog post.

If you would like to learn more about starting a podcast, here are some books available through the library:

NPR's Podcast Start Up Guide: Create, Launch, And Grow a Podcast on Any Budget by Glen Weldon

NPR’s Podcast Start Up Guide: Create, Launch, And Grow a Podcast on Any Budget by Glen Weldon

From NPR comes the definitive guide to podcasting, featuring step-by-step advice on how to find a unique topic, tell the best stories, and engage the most listeners, as well as the secrets that will take a podcast to the next level.

Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You): A How-To Guide From the First Family of Podcasting by Justin Mcelroy, Travis Mcelroy, and Griffin Mcelroy

Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You): A How-To Guide From the First Family of Podcasting by Justin Mcelroy, Travis Mcelroy, and Griffin Mcelroy

The McElroy brothers introduced their first podcast ten years ago; today they run eleven shows. In doing so they have become experts in creating content listeners love. Here they provide a helpful (and sometimes hilarious) how-to-podcast guide. You’ll find everything you need to know to make, produce, edit, and promote a podcast. Hey, who’s ready to start podcasting?

Make Noise: A Creator's Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling by Eric Nuzum

Make Noise: A Creator’s Guide to Podcasting and Great Audio Storytelling by Eric Nuzum

Veteran podcast creator and strategist Eric Nuzum distills a career’s worth of wisdom, advice, practical information, and big-picture thinking to help podcasters “make noise”–to stand out in this fastest of fastest-growing media universes. Nuzum identifies core principles, including what he considers the key to successful audio storytelling: learning to think the way your audience listens. He delivers essential how-tos, from conducting an effective interview to marketing your podcast, developing your audience, and managing a creative team. He also taps into his deep network to offer advice from audio stars like Ira Glass, Terry Gross, and Anna Sale. This book’s insights and guidance will help readers successfully express themselves as effective audio storytellers, whether for business or pleasure, or a mixture of both.”

Podcasting For Dummies by Tee Morris and Chuck Tomasi

Podcasting For Dummies by Tee Morris and Chuck Tomasi

More people than ever are turning to podcasts for on-demand, mobile entertainment and information. Podcasting For Dummies offers a fast and easy way to get the know-how you need to produce and distribute one of your very own. Written by a pair of podcasting pioneers, this book shares insight into the technology behind recording, editing, and sharing podcasts, along with tips and tricks on how to produce a pro-level podcast.