First, you need to decide what type of podcast you’re going to create. There are some platforms that allow more people to listen and connect with you more easily.
For instance, SoundCloud is a free platform that you can use for your podcast. You can also register your own domain name and have “landing pages” which allow people to find out more about the podcast from the website.
If there’s any specific information you want listeners of your podcasts to know about or any links they should go to, it’s best if you create a paragraph on your website with this sort of information. This will also further promote your podcast.
You’ll need a way to record your voice and the audio of what you’re talking about. You can use a microphone or even better, if there’s one available in your computer, you should use it to save money.
There are some great resources available online for this purpose such as Audacity which is free software that you can download. If your microphone doesn’t come with the computer, it’s possible to buy one for very little money through Amazon or eBay.
You can also use Skype to record calls if there’s more than one person in the podcast.
For editing purposes, there are some basic effects available in Audacity which you can use to enhance the sound of your voice and the background noise. You can also save the file as MP3 which is a free form that can be played on almost any device.
It’s important to choose great title for your podcast, because this will determine if people are going to click play or not.
It’s also best to put some thought into the description because this will also be played in the small preview window when people are deciding whether to play your podcast or not.
If you have a website, it’s best if you put some keywords here which are related to the title so that more people can find out about your show.
You need to promote your podcast besides sending links to your friends and family. If you want to be successful, it’s best if people can find ways to subscribe to your podcast on their own so that they receive regular episodes of the show at whatever time they choose. This is probably going to involve registering with some directories such as the iTunes Store and Stitcher Radio.
You need a good microphone if you’re going to be conducting interviews for your podcasts. This means that the person you’re interviewing can hear you clearly and vice versa. However, most laptops come with microphones that are good enough for podcasting purposes.
It’s best to try to keep each episode under an hour or two otherwise people will not want to listen to it. This length is particularly important for conversations which can get boring and long-winded if they go on too long.
Take a look at some of the other podcasts in your field and see what makes them great.
If you can mimic their success, it’s more likely that you’ll find people who will appreciate your work as well. For example, if you’re creating a weekly show about music, find out what makes your favorite podcast stand out.
Is it the guests that are interviewed on the show? Perhaps it’s the way they have great conversations or maybe there’s some information that is provided which isn’t easily found elsewhere. You can also adopt some of their style or behavior when talking on the show.
If you want people to listen to your podcast, it’s best if there are good reasons for them to do so like providing useful information or giving an enjoyable listening experience.
People won’t continue to listen if you don’t provide anything worthwhile so think of ways that you can do this and make listeners happy.
When recording audio for your podcast, it’s best if the sound is crisp and clear with no unnecessary noise. People won’t want to listen to noise such as the sound of children playing in the background or traffic passing by when you’re talking about something interesting.
It’s best if you have a way for people to contact you so that they can provide feedback on your show. This means having an email address and a contact form on your website. This will also help you to get in touch with the people who like your show and want to find out more about what you do.
Even though it’s important to keep each episode of your podcast between 30 minutes and an hour, it’s good to have a backlog of content that you can release on a weekly basis. People are more likely to subscribe if they know that there’s always something new for them to listen to which means you should try to keep plenty of content in reserve.
It’s best if you can provide useful information or teach people about something that will be useful or interesting for them to know. You don’t want your podcast to be boring so try to have great conversations with your guests which will be interesting for the listeners.
If you want people to listen to your show, it’s a good idea if they can enjoy listening to it. You need a good microphone and software so that each episode sounds crisp and clear along with no background noise. The length is also important and if you keep each episode of the show below an hour, your listeners will be more likely to listen.
Regularly remind people about your podcast so that they won’t forget about it. Give them some incentive to subscribe by telling them what they’ll get by signing up such as access to bonus episodes or sneak previews into upcoming content.
It’s important to try and make each episode of the show between 30-45 minutes otherwise people will lose interest. However, there also needs to be a backlog so that if someone subscribes, they know that there’ll always be something new for them.
If people can enjoy listening to your show, they’ll want to subscribe and listen regularly. You need a good microphone and software so that each episode is clear and crisp with no background noise, and if you keep each one below an hour, people will be more likely to pay attention.
It’s best if you can offer useful information or teach about something interesting for your listeners. They won’t keep listening if there isn’t anything useful so try to have interesting conversations with your guests which will keep them entertained.
So this is how to start a podcast.
