Podcasts! Everyone’s doing it, and they’re all doing it for a reason. It is the ultimate passive entertainment slash education platform, an audio-first experience that you can listen to while at work, on the commute, or running around your neighborhood. There is also a lot of money in podcasts, meaning that it could be a great option for you to invest in. If you are interested in starting a podcast but you don’t know what you should do, read this step-by-step guide which will have you making money in no time.
Buy a Great Mic
The most important part of starting a podcast, the likes of which are always being touted as the next big development in content, is making sure that you have a great mic in order to interview people with. You will be able to find a high-quality mic that you will be able to plug into your laptop and work for you for around $30. Additionally, if you plan to have guests on your show, you should also be making sure that they have good microphones as well, no matter whether they are calling in or appearing in-person.
Use Good Editing Software
Podcasts appear easy to create on the surface and are increasing in popularity, but you still need to actually edit yours. Make sure that you have good editing software that can help you to remove unnecessary conversations, whack a noise gate on so you can get rid of background noise and to change the equalizer levels for a more professional tone. If you have a Mac, you can use GarageBand, or you can download Audacity.
Find a Host
When it comes to getting your podcast out there, people make the mistake of thinking they can directly upload their podcast to Spotify or Apple Music. You can’t do this. You need an RSS feed first. To get an RSS feed, you need to find a website that will host your podcasts for you. Once you have hosted your podcast on this platform, then you will have this RSS feed you can upload to Spotify or Apple. Libsyn offers podcast hosting support for all podcasters, from beginners to the most downloaded shows in history.
Get a Good Picture
People are visual animals, meaning that they need to see what a podcast looks like before they decide to actually listen to it. This is especially true if you want to get good numbers. For this reason, it’s worth creating a good logo for your podcast. You will actually need two: one as the picture that appears above the podcast proper and the one that appears as the banner. You can either use Photoshop or Canva to create a simple logo, or you can hire a professional to help you. The very important part to remember is that you need to make sure that your images are correctly sized. This is because if you don’t fit within the specific specifications, existing podcast websites such as Apple Music will not actually allow you to upload your podcast.
