How to Start A Podcast Free: Step-by-Step starter Guide
Making a podcast has so many benefits! Growing your business, meeting other people in your niche, building a relationship with your audience, and finding personal fulfillment are just a few of the many reasons to start a podcast.
More than a million podcasts will be available in January 2020, with over 30 million audio episodes to choose from. If you’ve got the necessary tools and information, it won’t be hard for you to carve out a distinct niche in podcasting.
If you’ve ever dreamed of podcast development, now is the moment. Since its inception, the media has grown at an exponential rate. Then there is the fact that many individuals prefer listening to audio rather than reading.
How do you get started with a podcast? In this article, we’ve prepared a step-by-step guide to start a podcast.
Do Podcasts Make Money?
How much money do podcasts make? Yes, they do! Listeners flock to the big names, and the big names earn a lot of money in exchange. AdvertiseCast estimates that the average 30-second CPM (cost per 1,000 listeners) is $18 and the average 60-second CPM is $25, both according to the company.
To start earning, have a look at our podcast starter guide. First, you need to pick a niche and your name.
- Pick a Niche
To start and answer your question “how to build a podcast?”, Your podcast should focus on a topic that is in great demand with listeners, just like blogging. In order to get the most out of your podcast, you need to know what your audience is looking for, and you need to be an expert in your field. Your passions should be taken into account when brainstorming a unique theme, as well as who your audience is and what kind of performance they appreciate. You’ll have an advantage over other podcasters if you think about these questions and come up with a podcast strategy.
The first step to creating a successful podcast is to figure out the precise area you want to speak about.
- Choose a Podcast Name
The title of your podcast might give listeners a sense of what they can expect from the show’s content and focus. We recommend that you give your podcast a title some thought.
You are allowed to select a title that best reflects your intended audience’s interests. The following factors should be taken into account while coming up with a great title. It’s imperative that you keep the title in mind when brainstorming key phrases. This will improve the visibility of your podcast in search engine results. In order for your listeners to readily locate your podcast on the most popular podcast platforms, the title must also be appropriate for social network handles and the domain name of your podcast.
- Describe your Topic
To entice listeners, you should give a brief description of your show’s content. This will let them determine if they want to stay and listen to the show or not.
You can include any keywords and phrases you like in the description, as long as they’re relevant to your niche or topic.
When writing a podcast description, it’s important to keep the listener in mind. You need to give your audience something they care about in order to get them to listen to the entire podcast by giving them a little tidbit of information in the description. You can also talk about yourself and make it clear to them that you are a person they should pay attention to.
- Pre-plan your episodes
Because podcasting may be an extremely stressful endeavor, pre-planning is crucial. In order to maintain a consistent level of quality, each podcast must be meticulously planned in advance.
What Equipment Do you Need to Start a Podcast?
There are a lot of options when it comes to podcast recording equipment if you’re just getting started. Despite the fact that there is a plethora of podcasting equipment available, it doesn’t mean you have to buy it all.
In this section, we’ll go over the audio recording equipment that you’ll need, as well as what you may want to buy in the future if you want to establish a comprehensive podcast studio. If you’d like to learn more about any of these items, you can check out the individual posts (there will be a link in the respective sections).
In 2021, you’ll need a computer and a microphone to launch a podcast. Also, you need to decide on your podcast hosting site for a seamless experience.
Decide on a Podcast Host
You’ll need a hosting firm to get your podcast out there. These are the places where your podcast files are stored and made available to your listeners for downloading and subscribing.
All podcast hosting services save audio files in similar ways, but they differ in the capabilities and possibilities they offer.
Create your Promotional Design
You’ll need a square image or piece of artwork to symbolize your podcast and the market to which it caters. The visual medium is just as significant as the auditory medium in podcasts.
This is the first thing a potential listener will see when searching for podcasts, so make a good first impression. Your podcast’s identity is reflected in the artwork or logo you use. In order to stand out from your competitors, you’ll need to attract your listeners’ attention and make them want to hear more. In order to get your podcast noticed on iTunes, you should include an image of your program in the “What’s Hot” section, which is where the most popular podcasts are listed on iTunes.
It should be at least 1400 by 1400 pixels in JPEG or PNG format, and no larger than 3000 x 3000 pixels in JPEG or PNG. By compressing the image files, you can optimize your images for use on mobile devices.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Podcast?
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to start a podcast (as long as you have some basic recording equipment), but you should budget at least $100 to get started. Depending on whether or not you want to make money from your podcast, the cost can vary greatly.
A podcast hosting account and software subscription, as well as extras like theme music or cover art creation, are all things you’ll need to pay for. It will cost you $50 for a microphone and $15/month for podcast hosting if you go with the bare minimum.
To get started with a high-quality podcast, you’ll need equipment costing $500-$1000 and a monthly hosting and software subscription fee of $30-$50.
Start Creating a Recording
When it comes to producing outstanding podcasts, there is a lot of work that goes into each episode’s content as well as each episode’s audio/video setup.
The first step is to devise a strategy for your content. In order to keep your listeners interested, you should approach your podcast with the goal of providing them with a wealth of useful information.
Regardless of the format of your show, you need to know what your audience is looking for. What questions are your listeners asking, what problems need to be addressed, and what knowledge can only be found on your podcast? You need to do this for each episode. To complete the episode, you’ll need to write a script that answers these questions.
It’s common for podcasters to disagree on the best way to write a podcast’s script. When it comes to your podcast’s content, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to go into great depth or simply provide an overview. It’s far easier to produce an episode that’s jam-packed with information if you have a well-thought-out screenplay to guide you through the process. However, this might lead to a loss of spontaneity and a shift in the structure of your podcast.
For a shorter script, a list of bullet points is all that is needed to make a compelling podcast. It’s possible to forget the most important aspects and start repeating yourself with a shorter script.
To our mind, the simplest method is to begin with a lengthy script and gradually pare it down to something more concise and relevant. Your recording style and the type of screenplay you write will become more harmonious with practice.
The greatest podcast recording equipment is needed to produce a high-quality podcast. In order to start a podcast, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg.
You can differentiate your podcast’s content and inject some personality into it by including music at the beginning of each episode. You can use music and voiceover to introduce your podcast, the host, or even your program’s tagline in these short clips. You have the option of recording your own music or using any publicly available, non-commercial music on the internet.
To publish an episode, you must modify the audio files and then upload them to a website, along with all the relevant information. However, there are a few steps you must complete first before submitting them to your preferred podcast host:
Make your First Episode
Depending on the length of your recording and the number of guests you had on the show, the amount of editing required will vary. In order to properly edit and publish your podcast, the longer your recording is, the more time it will take to do it. The opening and the outro of your program need to be polished once you’ve made the appropriate modifications to guarantee that the episode is consistent. To get the finest sound for a podcast, you’ll need to learn and practice audio editing.
Especially on systems with bandwidth limits, your podcasts must be published in MP3 format on a hosting provider. If you upload larger files, your podcast host may charge you more. As a result, while exporting your MP3s, you should aim for the smallest possible file size without sacrificing sound quality. After exporting the mp3 file, you need to add metadata to it, such as your podcast name, logo, description, and your podcast’s website address. A podcast’s audience will benefit from this because it ensures that all of their questions and concerns have been answered.
Uploading your podcast to a podcast hosting service is necessary after converting your file to MP3 and selecting the correct platform for your podcast. Podcast directories like iTunes and Google Podcasts rely on a host to connect you with your audience. It’s up to you whether you want to post the podcast right away or schedule it for later.
Get the Audio Right
Even if the topic is intriguing, poor audio quality may likely deter your listeners from finishing the program. In order to get off to a good start with your podcast, it’s important to spend some time editing these things.
Things to get rid of or fix include the following:
- Mistakes in wording and substance
- Noises and pops in the background
- Long pauses or hesitations (“hmm…”, “ahh…”)
- If a recording is lengthier than planned, you may want to consider slicing some of it off.
Choose the directories
Your podcast has to be listed in a podcast directory so that your listeners can find and subscribe to it after you publish it. Your podcast host should provide you with an RSS feed link that can be added to the directory of your choosing. It’s up to you how many podcast directories you use, but you must do your research before making a decision. Here are a few of the best choices you have:.
It’s time to publish your podcast now that you’ve done editing it! Those who are new to podcasting may find this method difficult to understand, but if done correctly, it’s a straightforward approach. To reach your intended audience with your podcast, follow these steps:
For starters, you’ll need to decide where you want to host your podcast. Any website that allows you to keep your podcasts in MP3 format is referred to as a “hosting site.” For each episode, you will need to upload the files you recorded and the episode-specific data (title, description, and artwork).
Podbean, Sounder.fm, and Buzzsprout are some of the most popular podcast hosts, but there are many others to select from.
You’ll get an RSS feed after uploading your files to a hosting provider. To distribute your podcast on other platforms and directories, you’ll need an RSS (Really Simple Syndication), which is effectively a URL (Uniform Resource Locator, or what we often refer to as a “link” or web address).
In order to get the word out about your RSS feed, you’ll need a few big directories. Listening and discovering podcasts can be done using podcast directories. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Pocketcasts are among the most popular.
You can’t directly upload episodes to podcast directories because they don’t have access to your MP3 files. Instead, they get your podcast information via the RSS feed that your podcast host has set up for your show. As a result, directories serve as a middleman between you and your target audience.
In order to connect the podcast host and the directory, you must enter your RSS feed link. The only thing you’ll have to do from now on posts your content to the podcast host, rather than to each of your directories of choice, is upload it once through RSS feed.
While only requiring one upload, your podcast will be available on a variety of directories for your audience’s convenience.
Promote Your Podcast
Do your homework “Great content must be created from the beginning. As a starting point, follow your own preferences in podcasts and then explore how such podcasts are made.
Send a personal message to the person. Send a message to the hosts and the producers using the provided email addresses. Inquire about the specifics of gear, interviews, and more.
Assume that your resources are limited, and work out a way to produce a quality show that is as close as possible to that of the competition.
Become immersed in the subject matter.
In the world of podcasting, there are a million of them (and more each day). There are only two ways to truly stand out in your field: you either have a vastly more extensive knowledge base than your competitors or you must have a true interest in the subject matter.
Create constant high-quality material instead of focusing on the growth of your audience first.”
To get better at sound engineering, you’ll need to practice and make a lot of mistakes without the assistance of a professional.
Auphonic is a great tool for improving the sound quality of your podcasts. You may learn how to use Auphonic by following this step-by-step guide.
In order to be on time, you must be punctual. More people will listen to and spread an episode or guest that they find timely and relevant.
Make sure you book the greatest possible “guests” for your event. Prioritize having the greatest possible guests for your podcast based on the topic at hand. As a result, I’ve gone to great lengths to get some of the most prominent figures in human longevity research.
This has made it easier to secure interviews with other prominent figures in the industry. As a result of this, the audience has reacted enthusiastically and is continuously increasing.
Be yourself, but don’t stifle valuable content in the process. Only withholding valuable information do you keep people away from your endeavors. Even if you don’t divulge your secret sauce, your competition will replicate you.
As a thought leader in your field, it’s important to explain exactly how your product works. You will be credited by those who learn from you.
Those who are unable to repeat what you’ve taught will pay you to do it for them instead.”
In each episode, there will be a distinct theme. Listeners will be more likely to spread the word about an episode’s topic if they know what to expect.
Listeners should be enticed from the start. Hang each episode on a hook or peg, preferably in advance, but it’s fine to find one at the last minute.
What’s the point of listening to this episode right now? For the most part, it doesn’t have to be for every episode.
Check out our numerous online courses to learn more about digital marketing. It will be essential to market your podcast.
Assuming you’re looking for a high-quality podcast, you’ll need to take into account a number of criteria. It may take a while, but the ultimate product is well worth the wait. We hope this extensive step-by-step guide will assist you in putting out your first episodes. We wish you a fun journey!
