Podcasting has become a big draw over the last few years. These days it seems like every celebrity, influencer, or reality show has their own podcast. Podcasts provide an opportunity for people to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings at varying levels of production. It’s a fun and creative outlet if you put the time into it. While starting your own podcast may seem intimidating, the process is quite simple.
First, purchase a microphone.
Having a quality microphone helps you record clear, crisp audio and makes your podcast sound more professional. Some of the most popular podcast mics include the Blue Yeti Nano (my personal favorite), the JLab Talk, the Movo UM700, and the Rode PodMic. While having a quality mic is important, you can use your phone or laptop built-in mics as long as you can still produce high quality audio.
Next, select an audio editing platform.
It’s essential to edit your audio to remove any unwanted background noise, cut out any mistakes, and export your podcast as the right codec. There are many free services out there such as Audacity, Ocenaudio, and Audiotool. If you’re willing to invest money in a comprehensive toolkit for audio, your best option is Adobe Audition. Audition is one of the best audio platforms in the business; so, if you want to increase the production on your podcast, Audition is the way to go. No matter what software you choose, select one that you are the most comfortable with.
After you’ve recorded your podcast, choose a host platform.
A host platform is where your podcast will live and be sent out to distributors such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts through an RSS Feed. Most platforms are free for a limited number of “podcast hours” each month. The longer and more frequent your podcasts are each month, the more money you will have to pay. Buzzsprout is an easy and simple platform that also creates opportunities to find sponsors and participate in affiliate marketing. Other hosting platforms include Podbean, Simplecast, and Wix Podcast Player. Just like deciding on an editing platform, choose a host platform that is convenient and that you’re comfortable with.
Finally, publish your podcast!
You’ve finished the hard part of setting everything up. Now, export your audio file to an .mp3 format and upload it to your host platform. Make sure to come up with a creative title and description of each episode. It’s also important to have cover art for your podcast so it becomes more recognizable on different streaming platforms. After you hit upload, your host platform will take care of the rest by sending it out to different distributors.
Have fun with it and make sure the process is enjoyable for you throughout. Happy podcasting!
Pic creds: "My Podcast Set I" by brainblogger is marked with CC BY 2.0.