How to Start Your Own Podcast: with Fly ty and Jacinda
How to Start Your Own Podcast: with Fly ty and Jacinda
Podcasting 101
From the proper equipment to how to get your podcast on iTunes, this is everything you need to know about getting a podcast off the ground.
Why Should I Create a Podcast?
Staying Power: Podcasts, or “audioblogging” is growing faster than people listening to radio and majority of other media platforms. Over 42 million Americans over the age of 12 listen to podcasts on a weekly basis.
Monetize with Advertisement: More people are making money off of podcasting as well. Ad revenue from podcasting has more than tripled in the last 5 years, rising to an estimated $220 million in 2017.
Access: With almost everyone having mobile devices and the rise of smart home technology means that people can listen to podcasts anytime, anywhere.
Keep it personal: Podcasting is a great way to create personal content that will elevate your brand, build trust, add value, and create deeper, more meaningful connections with both new and familiar audiences.
Connections: There’s something intimate about listening to a podcast that really resonates. In response, research shows that podcast listeners are incredibly loyal. In fact, 85% of them listen to the entire show.
The best part? You can direct your audience/listeners back to your website, portfolio, social channels, and more at the end of each episode so the engagement continues. Where they can donate or buy product.
Here is how podcasting works, and what you will need:
*Buy a podcasting microphone
*Research podcast equipment, or “audio interface”
*Plug the microphone into your computer
*Install audio recording and editing software
*Make a podcast recording and save the audio file
*Upload the file to a podcast hosting site
*Submit it to a podcast directory like iTunes
Here’s how it will work for your listeners:
Listeners can stream or download the podcast directly from the website where the podcast is hosted (SoundCloud, Simpelcast, and Buzzsprout are a few popular options).
iTunes Apple Podcasts and other players
A completely mobile-friendly option, listeners load the RSS feed into a podcast player (such as Apple Podcasts) to play the feed on their smartphones and tablets.
Meet the requirements. There are artwork, feed, and content specifications when uploading your podcast to iTunes, but it’s worth the additional effort. 85% of mobile podcast listening happens on an iPhone through the Podcasts app.
What’s even better is that it is now possible to measure how well your podcast is performing. Apple has finally activated its podcast analytics feature, giving podcast creators access to information on how people are engaging with their content.
2: Visualization
Before o creating your own podcast you need a blueprint. Coming up with a solid concept includes the following elements:
Podcast Topic: What do you wanna talk about? “What am I passionate about?” Passion is an essential ingredient for any podcast. You can get people excited about literally anything if you’re passionate enough about the topic. You’re also likely to have more fun, be more consistent, and engage with your audience
“What’s my niche?” People love to learn new things, especially if you’re both an expert on and passionate about the subject matter at hand.
“Can my topic have a wider appeal?”
Make sure the podcast topic is not so narrow that it’s only accessible to a very limited audience.
“Is my podcast topic meaty enough?” Try to map out what you will cover in the first 10 episodes.
Podcast Name: Give it a reoccurring title Ex: Date Night With Fly Ty and Jacinda When choosing a name you also want to make sure a podcast doesn’t already exist with a title similar to or—worse—exactly like yours.
Podcast Format
Interview-style
An interview-style podcast is a format that most people are familiar with. Interviews typically feature the same host (or hosts) each episode and introduce listeners to a range of interesting people relating to the podcast topic.
Multi-host & Panel
A podcast with more than one host or a panel of guests can be extremely lively and entertaining. This format allows the audience to feel as if they’re eavesdropping on an amazing conversation
Solo
Monologue or solo-casts are creator-focused. The host usually delivers a different monologue or tells a story each episode. Solo podcasts come in a variety of tones and styles from humorous to educational.
(Current topics, comedy, relationship, spiritual)
Podcast Length: Keep it consistant, you can always make another episode
It’s important to be realistic and to remain consistent when it comes to podcast length. You don’t want one episode to last 15 minutes and the next one to last 45 minutes.
Respect your audience’s time and take into consideration that they might be listening on their daily commute or between activities. Generally, 20 minutes is the sweet spot for podcast length.
Microphone(s)
A decent external microphone is essential to any podcast. USB microphones are the most cost effective options as you do not have to buy an audio interface to power your microphone. By simply plugging in your microphone into the USB port of your computer, you will be ready to go
Audio Recording & Editing Software
Professional-level audio recording and editing software can be a major investment. Programs like Reason, Adobe Audition or Protools can be overwhelming and easily cost you hundreds of dollars. It’s also complete overkill if you’re a podcast beginner. Try these instead.
Audacity (Free) GarageBand (free)
Bonus Equipment
Call recording software
If you’re planning on interviewing out-of-town guests or your podcast setup space can’t accommodate several people, you might look into software to record your Skype or Google Hangout calls.
Quality Headphones
Comfortable headphones with minimal sound leakage can be a podcasting game changer. It’s especially important to wear headphones if you’re interviewing a guest so that their voice doesn’t come through the speakers.
Boom Arm
Buying a boom arm will help keep your hands free and allow you to position the microphone at a level that lets you speak and record your podcast comfortably. It will also help reduce any sort of shake in the microphone, making sure you get the highest audio quality possible.
Portable Digital Recorder
Plan for the unexpected and record your audio to a portable digital recorder like the Zoom H1 Handy Recorder. If your computer crashes, gets damaged, or you suffer a power outage mid-session, you will always have a backup if you use an external recording device. It’s also handy for traveling! Also don’t forget to buy some SD cards to save the audio on your recorder as they often do not have built in memory!
How to Record a Podcast: The Basics
*Organize your podcast setup in a quiet area free from interruptions
*Plug in your USB podcast microphone
*Launch your audio recording software and make sure your mic is the default input device
*Click ‘record’ and being your podcast episode
*Keep going even if you make mistakes; that’s what the editing software is for
*Save your podcast once you’re finished [MP3s are the most widely supported and highly recommended)
Tips for Creating Your First Podcast Episode
*Introduce yourself to your audience; provide some context for the journey ahead
*Listen to the first episode of podcasts you enjoy or are similar to yours
*Have some water nearby to stay hydrated
*Be yourself, let your personality shine, and do not read from a script
*Embrace your mistakes as learning experiences
*Don’t rush; take a second to regroup or compose yourself since any silence can be edited later
How to Edit Podcasts
A podcast is more than just someone talking. Even seemingly subtle things like clear audio, consistent volume levels, no long gaps or pauses, and minimal background noises can elevate your podcast.
Editing Extras: Adding Theme Music to Podcasts
Want to create a next-level podcast? It’s all in the details. Adding music to each episode of your podcast is good branding. Not only does it make your podcast memorable and easily identifiable, it sets the tone for what’s to come.
Now Grow your Podcast, Generate Buzz
Growing and Promoting your Podcast
Congratulations! You now know how to start a podcast! Now it’s time to launch
Use your social channels and professional networks to start building momentum before you launch your podcast. Create a landing page on your website, compile a mailing list, change the description in your social media bios, start posting teaser content and cover art, and use hashtags to get the conversation going.
Reward Engagement
You want your audience to be listening to, commenting on, and sharing your podcast widely. Encourage engagement and show your appreciation by creating rewards for listeners who participate. The reward can be a social media shout out, a small giveaway, or something related to the topic you’re podcasting about.
Now that you know what you need to do to start a podcast, it’s time to get out there and record!
