How to Create a Podcast From the Ground Up

Podcasts. Toss a rock into the digital landscape and you are sure to hit one. No matter the subject, no matter the language, no matter the opinion, there's a podcast for everything. There's a good reason for that: consumers eat them up. They listen to podcasts while driving, working out, walking, or simply while relaxing.

According to podcastinginsights.com, there are over 1 million podcasts with over 30 million episodes. And those numbers continue to climb. So it should be on the radar of every company (big or small) or individual (young or old) to consider starting a podcast.

But to some, the idea of starting such an endeavor is a bit daunting. After all, there are a lot of moving parts to get a podcast up and running. Fear not, I'm here to help you do just that. So whether you work with outsource Java development, have your own Etsy shop, or if you happen to have particular expertise in a topic, you too can have a podcast.

Let's run through the process of making this happen, step by step.

Step 1: The topic

The first thing you must do is come up with a topic for your podcast. This is probably the single most important step in the entire process. Why? Because if you don't have a topic interesting enough to draw listeners, your podcast is doomed to fail from the beginning. So, right out of the gate, you must spend a good amount of thought coming up with a subject for your podcast that will draw listeners.

That's not all. You could come up with the single greatest podcast subject to have ever been thought up and still fail. One of the biggest reasons for this is that, all too often, a chosen subject might be good for a few episodes at best. Once you've explored the subject, you might not have enough to say about it beyond that point.

Because of this, it's important to land on a subject that can safely cover at least a "season" worth of episodes. Choose a topic that is too narrow and you won't get much mileage from it. At the same time, choose a topic that is too broad and you'll have trouble attracting audiences. So your topic must be:

• Broad enough for you to discuss it for some time.

• Narrow enough to be interesting.

• Timely enough to be relevant.

So long as the chosen subject meets those criteria, you should be good to go.

Step 2: Select the frequency

Next, you must decide how often you'll be releasing new episodes. This is crucial. If you don't release with enough frequency and regularity, you'll lose your audience. So you need to decide if this podcast is going to be monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly. Don't attempt to start a podcast unless you have the ability to publish at least an episode every month.

And, while you're at it, it's important that your episodes be released on the same day (or close to it). Choose a day of the week to release and stick to it. Consumers like regularity and predictability. The more you hold to those ideas, the better your chance of keeping audience members listening.

Step 3: Choose your talent wisely

For some, this might be the hardest aspect of creating a podcast. Not everyone has the personality to host, co-host, or make a guest appearance on a podcast. You need to be able to speak off-the-cuff with a high level of fluency. If you tend to fill space with a lot of "uhs" and "ums", you'll sound unprofessional. And if your presentation lacks dynamics, you'll be boring.

No one wants to listen to a podcast with an undynamic host who says "uh" and "um" too much. So when you're in the early stages of development, make sure to find hosts with the skills and presence to come off as interesting and professional. Otherwise, you doom your podcast from the beginning.

Step 4: Get the right equipment

Now that you have your topic and your host(s), it's time to put up the money for the right equipment. You don't have to have a professional recording studio, but you do need, at a minimum, the following:

• A computer with a fast internet connection.

• A prosumer-quality mic (such as the popular Blue Yeti).

• A pop filter for your mic.

• Software to record with (such as Audacity).

• Soundproofing material (if needed).

• A quiet room.

• A good pair of headphones (such as the Audio-Technica M50x).

For those that will be doing interviews with people in other parts of the country or world, you'll also need the software to make that work. At one point, Skype ruled that space. Since being purchased by Microsoft, Skype is no longer a reliable alternative for recording podcast interviews. Instead, you might have to turn to a platform like Zoom and record audio only.

Step 5: Record your first episode

Before you move onto the publishing stage, it's important to record your first episode. After you do this, you'll want to give it to a test audience. Get feedback and listen to the suggestions you are given. If necessary, tweak the podcast, according to feedback, and re-record the episode.

You'll also want to record an intro and outro. Once you have intros and outros that you like, stick with them. Your audience will appreciate that consistency. Put it all together, making sure to remove pauses and any moments that don't satisfy the topic or your brand.

Step 6: Publish

Once you're satisfied with the results, the next step is to publish your podcast. You can either go directly to the likes of iTunes or Spotify, or you can find one of the many podcast networks that accept new entries. One thing to keep in mind with selecting a podcast network is that you'll want to find one that caters to your specific topic. For example, if you're producing a Java application development podcast, you wouldn't want to submit it to a network that focuses primarily on true crime or cooking.

Once published, it's then time to start inviting listeners and promoting your new venture.

Congratulations, you have a podcast.

Conclusion

Getting a new podcast off the ground isn't nearly as difficult as you might think. However, it does require some planning, practice, and production. Keep those things in mind as you move forward and your podcast should find some level of success.