Cheapest & Easiest Way To Start a Podcast w/ Links

How to start a podcast: 

First you have to ask yourself the question, is a podcast right for me? Here are the things I wish someone would have told me about podcasting before I started:

• You have to be clear on your mission and message. Know your why! This is a lot of inner work that needs to be done before you hit record. Then you can start planning out topic ideas and put things down on a calendar. The more you plan, the more successful you'll be! 

• You have to be COMMITTED! To show up every single week is a lot of work, and a lot of people start podcasts and then quit in a few months. You don't want to spend all the time and energy to start something that you're going to quit. 

• Remember that growth takes time! Again for the people in the back, growth takes time! 

• You will likely not make money from your podcast at first, especially not directly. You really need to love serving your audience. The money can come and the podcast can build an audience for you to serve and sell to, but it will not happen over night. Shows that have paid sponsors and affiliates are meeting a certain download threshold each week. You can get there, but it takes time! 

• You need to have your podcast ready to go a few weeks before your 'launch date,' because the RSS feed does not link to Spotify and iTunes automatically. That may sound like Greek right now, but essentially it will take a few weeks for your podcast to get approved so that people can listen to it. 

Here are some questions to help you dive deep into figuring out your mission, message & audience: 

• What is the purpose of your podcast? What outcome do you want people to have? What are you an expert in?  What is something you are passionate about? 

• Do you have a target audience? Who are you speaking to? It can help to think of one specific person instead of a broad group. It also makes your message more relatable once you hit record! 

• What is the goal of your podcast? To make an impact? To make money? To grow an audience? Set goals around finances, but also impact! 

Let's talk about tech! This is the most confusing part of podcasting to me! If you are already pretty tech savvy, then this list is probably going to be elementary to you. If you are starting from square one, however, then this is the list for you!

• Basic things you need: 

  • Recording Device 

  • Microphone

  • Internet Access

  • Editing Software

  • Hosting Site

  • Blog (optional, but highly recommended) 

• Recording Device & Microphone: I'm going to group recording device and microphone together, because you need them both! Many people record their podcast on their computers! I actually started recording on my phone with a mic that hooks straight in and comes with an app!! You can go back and listen to my first episodes and tell that the sound quality is great! Once I started to do interview or conversation episodes with people via zoom call, then I invested in a mic that plugged straight into my Macbook. 

  • Phone Microphone: Shure MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone. It cost about $150. It is perfect if you are not going to have a set 'recording studio' or are going to do interviews on the go. The set up was super simple, and then I’m able to just airdrop the files to my Macbook to get the edited.  

  • External USB Mic: I went with the Blue Yeti USB Mic because it is what literally everyone recommended. It cost about $150 also and is built like a tank. The sound quality is great, and it was also easy to set up. 

• Hosting Site: What is a podcast hosting site? It is a place to store and distribute your podcast's audio files. They provide a podcast RSS feed (basically a listing of all your episodes) that are submitted to Apple Podcasts and other podcast directories. This means that you can upload your podcast on one host site, and that site then distributes it to all the podcast platforms. There are a lot of options for podcast host sites, and I did some research before settling with Libsyn. They have been around since the start of the podcast game, and a lot podcasts use them. Their fee is about $15 a month. They also have awesome support and it pretty much walks you through exactly what to do the first time you upload an episode. I also have a little experience with Anchor, and they are actually free. I eventually switched to Libsyn because I realized that I did not own my rights to the RSS feed with Anchor, but I think they changed their policy. If you want to start a podcast and not have to pay monthly, at least to start, then Anchor is a super user friendly, free option! 

• Internet Access: You need access to the internet to upload your podcast to the host site, or to do interviews via zoom. 

• Editing Software: I am not a sound engineer. A lot of people will send their recordings to a podcast editor, who will then put all the things together and send you back a file ready to upload. Obviously, that costs money. If you plan to have a really complicated format, then that would probably be a good option! Here is what I do: First, I try to record in spaces that will not need a lot of editing. Find a quiet place, out of the elements. A lot of people record in a closet or small office. Most of the time I record episodes from my bed. Second, you need a simple editing software. I use garage band that was already on my Macbook. A lot of people also use Audacity, which is free and pretty easy to figure out. Youtube tutorials will be your best friend as you figure out all the tech! 

• A Blog: Having a place where you can send people to learn about your podcast can be game changing. You can have episode show notes, freebies that go a long with episodes, and people can get to know more about you and your mission. Podcasts platforms also do have good SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which basically just means that without a blog your podcast is not going to show up in Google. If you want to grow your audience organically with people who are searching for what you are talking about, then having a blog is key! 

Okay, what about the episodes? How do you format them?

• There is not a right or wrong way. Be creative. Plan ahead. Make sure you are using your authentic voice, and share your message with the world! Here are a few common questions people have: 

  • Where do you get your podcast intro? A lot of people will make it themselves. Make sure you get music that is legal to use, or that you buy rights to use. Write your intro, and then use one of the above editing software to put it together. That is what I did! You can also use a company like Fiverr and pay a small fee to get someone else to make one for you! 

  • How long should my episodes be? That depends on your target audience! Are you wanting a podcast for the busy mom? A podcast for long distance runners? A podcast where you introduce new ideas might have shorter episodes. A podcast that dives deep into topics might have longer episodes. It depends on what you're willing to commit to, and what your ultimate goal is. 

  • Should I do weekly, bi-weekly or monthly episodes? It does not matter as long as you are consistent. Do what you know you can commit to!  

Okay, that is my brain dump of how to start a podcast. If you have any additional questions, then don't hesitate to reach out. I'll be happy to help!