How to Start a Podcast
First, why should you listen to me? I’ve been podcasting since 2013, before Serial swept the media world, and before many people knew what podcasting was. You can find my two podcasts, Across the Pond and USA Today’s The Sneak, wherever you get your podcasts.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me specific things about podcasting over the years. Where do I start? How do I get my podcast on Spotify? What microphone should I buy? These are great questions I learned the answers to over years of wasted money and thousands of hours of editing. Why not share this info with you, you innocent, energized human?
Below are anchor links to common questions to get you started, or answers that’ll scare you so much that you’ll give up and save days of your life, spending that time on another hobby that actually gives you joy. The choice is yours.
General
Recording and Production
Promotion
Monetization
What is a podcast?
Wikipedia tells us that a podcast is an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening. I’d add that podcasting has evolved into dynamic audio where most podcasts use sound design and music to accompany most voice audio, especially the best podcasts out there.
Podcasts are fascinating vehicles to information, storytelling and entertainment through audio. How many songs do you listen to that bring you back to a moment of time or completely change your mood? Great podcasts can do similar things. But many won’t. If you’re going to start one, there are a lot of things you’ll need to know and do.
How do podcasts work?
Podcasts can be found and consumed through podcasts providers and/or apps, such as Spotify or the Podcasts app on an iPhone. These apps are essentially libraries that pull in podcast episode files and metadata from RSS feeds. With a simple search and the click of a play button, you can listen to hundreds of audio files like any steaming app.
What’s an RSS feed? It’s basically a list of metadata that contains elements you’ll find in blogs and podcasts. It looks like this hot mess of code I pulled from NASA:
<item> <title>NASA Invites Media to Update on Rocket Test for Artemis I Moon Mission</title> <link>http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-update-on-rocket-test-for-artemis-i-moon-mission</link> <description>NASA will host a media teleconference at 5:30 p.m. EST today, Tuesday, Jan.19, to discuss the engine test conducted Saturday, Jan. 16, for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will launch the agency’s Artemis I mission.</description> <enclosure url="http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/1x1_cardfeed/public/thumbnails/image/screenshot_2021-01-19_142517.jpg?itok=em49do7a" length="223716" type="image/jpeg" />
Any time someone releases a podcast, they’re technically appending their RSS feed with a new item or entry. In the example above you can see references to multiple elements within an item: a title, URL, description, imagery, etc. It’s a lot of text and it’s hard to read.
Podcast apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts scan RSS feeds in their database every X hour, depending on a user’s settings, importing in any new RSS updates into their podcast database. If a podcast is released at 7:00am, it won’t show up in your podcast library until your podcast app recognizes an update in a podcast’s RSS feed. This could take minutes, hours or days later depending on the app you’re using and how often it scans for updates.
Most podcast apps have the ability for users to subscribe to podcasts. A subscription to a podcast is essentially a subscription to an RSS feed allowing a user to be notified when a podcast is added to the database.
Does the world need another podcast?
There are podcasts on almost every subject out there but many of them are not very good, have few episodes and/or have few listeners. For perspective, an episode that gets 3,400 downloads puts it in the top 10%.
Over the years I’ve noticed that there are common formulas to podcast concepts. How many podcasts are just people interviewing others on a particular subject? Or how many podcasts combine a subject and activity like talking about books while drinking wine? Only you know if your podcast idea is going to work and interesting enough to you that you’ll enjoy doing it. All I can advise is that you should research what’s already out there on the subject you’re considering and carve out a unique approach that excites you. Iterating and improving is way different from copying.
What equipment do I need to record my podcast?
You can record a really good podcast with two things: a microphone and computer. There are now podcast creation apps that can do it with just your phone but I wouldn’t recommend it. Assuming you already have a computer, here’s what I recommend and why:
Microphone(s). Really bad podcasts come down to terrible content and terrible sound. Getting control of your sound is really easy to do and I’ve got some recommendations depending on your budget:
Blue Snowball ICE ($49) - If you’re experiencing sticker shock or not sure if you’re committed to spending much money on equipment, here’s the low-entry microphone for you. With a USB connection it’s really easy to hook up directly to your computer without the need to purchase a mixer. Quality isn’t the greatest but if used correctly, you’ll get more than the voice memo app on your phone.
Blue Yeti ($129) - This is a mic intended for podcasting that’s reasonably priced and will get you great audio quality. With a USB connection it’s really easy to hook up directly to your computer without the need to purchase a mixer. They have a few additional tiers and accessories if you want to make minor upgrades.
Audio-Technica BPHS1 Headset ($199) - This is what I use on one of my podcasts. It requires a mixer but the mic sits right in front of your mouth. I love the ability to turn my head and look at others in the room without the fear of speaking directly into the mic and the combined headphones give you a high-quality, seamless experience.
Mixer. If you want to control your audio before it goes into your audio editor, I recommend a mixer to help manipulate and alter sound prior to recording it and during podcast recordings. I recommend you get a mixer if you have plans to record multiple people in one room together. I’ve had guests start their interviews talking very quietly then later in an episode their volume increased as they became animated and much louder. Having a mixer allows real-time adjustments to audio input tracks.
Not all audio you’ve recorded can be saved through software editing. A mixer will give you the ability to control your gain levels, the amount of bass in your voice and can help balance the volume of the others in comparison to each other.
Do you need a mixer to have great sound quality? No. But it can definitely help consistently capture it and it will give you more tools to refine it. Here are a couple models to consider if you go this route:
Behringer Xenyx 1202 8-channel Analog Mixer ($129) - I personally use this and recommend it but it isn’t that cheap. It gives you the ability to record up to four tracks/people at once and gives you the flexibility of microphone inputs with a decent array of frequency controls to add bass or shape sound.
I often run my Zoom call-in guests through this mixer too. If the person I’m speaking to is much louder, I can easily balance their audio.
I connect my Audio-Technica BPHS1 Headset headphones to this mixer, then use the built-in USB connection to connect this mixer to my computer.
It also comes in a 4-channel model at $59 that gives you two XLR inputs at half the price.
You can spend less than $50 and have enough equipment to produce a good sounding podcast.
What software should I use to edit my podcast?
I think this answer is primarily dependent on your computer and experience editing audio.
If the thought of editing audio feels daunting, there are great, free tools that make podcasting much easier. Try Anchor for an all-in one podcast platform that allows you to create, distribute and monetize your podcast within their platform.
However, if you’re looking for a bit more control and advanced editing, there are other options. For Mac users, I would use Garageband or Adobe Audition. I think Garageband is probably the easiest to learn. Honorable mention: Audacity.
For PC users, I would use Adobe Audition, with Audacity as my honorable mention.
If you’re struggling to get started, I recommend watching YouTube video tutorials. If you’re looking for some more nuanced intel, review these tips on audio editing.
How come my podcast audio sounds terrible?
It can’t be that bad. There are a bunch of reasons for below average audio quality but from experience it’s most likely one of these common issues:
Your room acoustics. The environment you’re recording from is probably 50% of the journey towards optimal audio quality. There’s a reason bands record in soundproof studios and radio shows record in rooms with little air circulation. Eliminate ambient sound like your A/C buzzing or your dog’s collar shaking in the background. Voice mics can pick up the faintest of sounds. If you’re in a space where sound bounces a lot off flat, hard surfaces, consider some easy hacks like surrounding your surface and microphone with bath towels or pillows to soak up the sound from bouncing off the wall and echoing into your microphone. It sounds crazy but often works.
Your Ps are popping. Words that start with a P or a B tend to pop in audio recordings depending on your microphone set-up. A pop-filter is an affordable solution to preventing extreme pops in your recording.
Your microphone inputs. You can confirm your microphone input source in whichever program you’re using by going to your audio editing program settings or preferences. You want your input to be assigned to the name of your microphone device, not “System Default,” etc. I’ve embarrassingly recorded an entire hour episode from my computer microphone while uselessly speaking into my fancy microphone.
Microphone and/or mixer settings. There is no one size fits all solution here. Check out YouTube to find your specific model and ideal set up for the voices you’re recording and the space you’re in.
These are the most common issues that contribute to poor audio quality. Don’t get too hung up on sounding perfect. Although it’s great to strive for that, you’ll pick up your own tricks on the way. Don’t let it stop you from recording and releasing your podcasts.
What are some good audio editing tips?
Here are some easy ways to improve your audio editing and listener experience:
Cut out the dead space and umms. It’s really up to you on how much time you want to dedicate to editing your podcasts. Block out some time and commit to it. For interviews I will often cut out as much dead space as possible without making conversations sound unnatural and if someone is tripping up on an answer, there’s little harm in cutting out umms and ahhs.
Do not edit audio using headphones. Am I guilty of it? Absolutely. But I don’t recommend it. Headphones don’t usually paint the whole picture. If you want top quality output, I recommend purchasing a good set of speakers to edit audio on. Editing with good speakers will help you ensure your sound plays well in every stereo format, from headphones to car speakers to someone’s laptop speaker.
Export podcasts at highest sampling rates, if possible. If you don’t have storage issues, export your podcast episodes as .WAVs and at high sampling rates (preferably 44.1 kHz and 24-bit or better). The higher sample rate you have, the better your podcast will sound. But don’t lose sleep over this. High sampling rates will really show benefits for podcasts that feature a lot of music and dynamic ranges of audio.
Save your work all the time. During recording sessions, I have 4-5 times throughout the session. During editing sessions, I save closer to 30 times a session. I’ve lost hours of recordings and edits from computers crashing, programs crashing and even the power going out. You will lose work. It’s inevitable. Save as much as you can.
Find a reliable program/app to use for co-hosts or guests. There are a ton of calling programs and apps out there. Find one that’s reliable and that captures enough high-quality sound for remote guests. I’ve used Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts and more over the years. Choose what works best for you.
Record back-up tracks for remote callers. Ask everyone calling in to your podcast to record themselves on their side with a computer or a voice memo app. Trust me on this. You may lose the perfect moment in your recording because someone knocked on your door. You’ll want a second source.
Do I need to license the music in my podcast?
Did you make the music yourself? If not, then the answer is probably yes.
But there are some different types of music licensing and usage at your disposal. Here are some options based on your budget.
Creative Commons. Creative Commons music licenses let you use a section of music without getting permission, as long as you give credit to the artist. Jamendo’s entire library is Creative Commons last time I checked.
Royalty-Free. These songs require a one-time purchase and can be found on many sites across the web. As you might’ve guessed from the name, royalty-free music does not require you to pay royalties on a song once you purchase the rights.
Top-Tier Licensing. If you want to use a popular song, you’ll need to contact the artist/agent/record label and/or their specific licensing contact. Be prepared to spend money on an initial license and maybe even royalties. You’ll need to understand music licensing terminology.
What are the most popular podcast apps?
Here are the most used podcast apps (via Statista):
You’ll want to make sure that your podcast is on all of these platforms to maximize your footprint and reach. Learn how to start your own RSS feed using a podcast host and then submit your podcast to top podcast apps to get your podcast on every platform out there.
How do I get my podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more?
The easiest way to get your podcast on a top podcast app, follow these steps:
Sign up with a podcast host
Podcast hosts are platforms that streamline the back-end of podcasting for you. They will help you create an RSS feed and make things easy and measurable for you. Here are the podcast hosts I recommend or have comparable offerings:
Libsyn. I personally use them and recommend them to most podcasters (intermediate to expert). They make uploading episodes easy to do and have better analytics depth than most hosts with their top plans. Their Advanced 400 plan at $20/month gives you their top services and advanced stats. If you’re wondering what’s not great about them, I’d point to their native player. It’s not great or optimized for mobile. The pros heavily outweigh the cons for me.
Anchor. They’re probably the best choice if you have fears about this whole process. They’re an all-in-one podcast platform that allows you to create, host, distribute and monetize your podcasts. I’ve never used them but the prospect of everything in one place seems great. It’s also FREE.
Bluburry. I’ve never used them but they get a lot of praise in the podcasting world and offer a lot of features including hosting. It looks like their statistics need to be added on as an additional service.
PodBean. They have great tiers of pricing and offerings and if you’re trying to limit your expenses, they have some great, affordable plans. I’ve never used them but at a glance, great features.
Soundcloud. Yep, they are a podcast host and I’ve used them in the past. They have the best audio player in the market but lacked the analytics in comparison to other hosts I used. I wanted my listeners to listen on podcast apps, not Soundcloud.
Once you sign up for one of these hosts, start uploading episodes and looking through all the features. Many platforms have a lot of cool resources like free websites, tips, etc.
Find your RSS feed URL
Whichever podcast host platform you sign up for should have an option to find your generated RSS feed and/or RSS feed URL. Find it and save/bookmark your RSS feed URL. If you can’t find it, email your podcast host support team and they should be able to send it to you.
Submit your RSS feed to podcast apps
To get your podcasts on the top podcasts apps, you may need to submit your RSS feed to them directly. Some podcast hosts will automatically add or distribute your RSS feed to platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, some don’t.
Below are links to where you can manually submit your podcast to ensure you’re showing up wherever people get their podcasts:
I didn’t share every platform because many podcast apps directly pull from the Apple Podcasts library. If your podcast is on Apple Podcasts, it will start appearing in other less well-known podcast apps.
Make sure your podcasts, and the accompanying artwork and descriptions, meet the technical requirements of your platform and the apps you’re submitting to.
How do I grow my podcast audience?
There are a lot of different ways to grow your podcast audience from targeted spending to more organic forms. I’ve provided some ideas for you below depending on your show’s content and ideal listener profile, from easiest to most-difficult:
Targeted marketing. Depending on your intended target audience, you may be able to directly promote your podcast to your ideal listener. If you have a budget to work with, I would find out which platform(s) your audience engages on online and would cultivate content for them.
For example, your food recipe podcast might be perfect for those consistently looking to create complex recipes. Food blogs and video channels are usually focused on imagery and footage so I would consider creating a promoted Instagram campaign that targets those who follow top food Instagram accounts or YouTube pre-roll videos that play before recipe videos. I would drive them directly to a podcast app (e.g. Spotify or Apple Podcasts) in hopes they subscribe.
Feature guests. Having guests or subject matter experts on your podcast for interviews is an easy way to expand your audience reach. People love to talk about things they’re experts in and people love free ways to promote their work. I think you’ll be surprised at who’s willing to join your show and they likely post, repost or retweet your episode to their audience.
Build a community. Getting people to consistently listen to your podcast is not easy. One way to get people to listen consistently is to foster conversations or chats on social media apps (e.g. Twitter or Clubhouse) or subject specific forums (e.g. Reddit or Facebook).
Encourage subscriptions and reviews. Clicking that subscribe button and leaving reviews are two things podcast listeners can do to support podcasts they enjoy. Subscribing will ensure that the podcast stays in their podcast app and will pull in the latest episodes after releases. And leaving reviews/ratings can help build up reputation and credibility while leading to better search results within podcast apps and Google.
Get people who don’t listen to podcasts to start listening to your podcast. Good luck. It’s really hard to change listening habits. Not everyone listens to podcasts and some people don’t even know how to. That’s ok. I would first focus your energy on growing an audience from people that already listen to podcasts and find out about their listening habits and trends.
How do I monetize my podcast?
So you want to make money off your podcast? First you’ll need to grow your audience.
Once your audience is developed and you’re publishing consistently, there are multiple ways to monetize your podcast. Here are a few common ways:
Affiliate advertising. There are many companies out there that spend heavily on podcast advertising and pay podcasters based on promo code usage tracking. Podcasters will usually read a 15-30 second ad on-air and will usually earn a negotiated percentage of all sales from purchases that use that unique code. This model is hard to earn dollars for many podcasts as you’ll need a high volume of listeners and a good percentage of those listeners purchasing the advertised product.
Patreon. This platform allows podcasters to create a subscription model for your listeners and build a community that buys-in to supporting your podcast. In return for a subscription, your podcast would typically offer a paid subscriber a perceived benefit such as exclusive podcasts, merchandise, prizes, etc. It’s a great way to help build community which I discussed earlier but requires a lot of time and effort.
Programmatic Advertising. Similar to TV shows, programmatic advertising in podcasting will interrupt your show with an ad for those consuming it. Depending on your advertising partner, these ads could interrupt at specific timestamps in your show, or randomly. Acast is a platform that has a large advertiser pool and multiple avenues for partnership.
Product Reviews. Depending on your podcast content, there may be ways to create dedicate segments or episodes that review a particular product in exchange for payment or free products.
Join a Podcast Network. There are many networks of shows out there that leverage a large number of podcasts and combined audience to attract advertisers. I mention Acast above but BlueWire is another promising network that has some creative ideas for partnerships and monetization.
Don’t view these as the only ways to monetize. Podcasting is still an infant medium that’s changing every year. As more and more people learn about them and consume them, new advertising interest and partnerships will emerge. If you really want to make money podcasting, you can definitely do it. Get creative and get out there.