Podcasting is gaining in popularity among people around the world. So, if you are thinking of starting your own podcast, you are in the right place. Whether you are creating the podcast for your business or for other purposes, the process to start a podcast is not difficult. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of starting your own podcast.
Planning Phase
The first thing you need to do before starting a podcast is choose a name and topic. When picking a topic for your podcast, try to narrow it down to something you can talk about for many episodes (usually over a hundred). However, ensure that the topic is not too broad. You can expand on the topic as your podcast grows more popular.
You can also consider choosing a co-host – this can be your friend or co-worker. This makes it easier to start your podcast. Having someone to share your point of view makes the conversation more engaging. You can also share tasks like promotion, editing, etc. If you don’t know how to compress your audio in Audacity, you might want to learn.
Preparation Phase
Now that you’ve chosen a name, you need to put some things in place to prepare for the launch. First, you need to create your podcast cover art. This is the first thing people will see when they search through podcast apps or on social media, which will help form their first impression. If you are in need of inspiration, you can browse online for some cover art designs.
You should choose the intro music you think your audience will like. Audio quality is essential for a podcast, so ensure that you get a quality microphone – this shouldn’t cost a fortune. We recommend you get one with both XLR and a USB connection. Also, you need to consider your podcast guests – compile a list of who you want on your podcast.
Recording and Editing
For your podcast to be successful, you need to be a master in recording and editing. If you haven’t used any editing software before, you can consider learning how to use Audacity. This is a free tool you can use to record and edit your podcast. You can access the software directly from your browser, so you don’t need to download any software.
What you will need to do is to record and upload your podcast recordings, and then use Audacity to fine-tune it. To make it easy for you, we recommend that you have a laid down template that you can use again each time you record another podcast episode. This will save you a lot of time and energy.
Launch
Once you have done the necessary preparation, you can get ready to launch your podcast. There are several companies that you can use to host your podcast. Some of the top podcast host companies include Buzzsprout, Captivate, Transistor, Castos, Podbean, and many more. These platforms are easy to use. After you have chosen your desired podcast hosting, you can upload your first episode.