2018 Podcast Primer

on thoughts, ideas, show_your_work, podcasts

Getting Started

I have been asked to share some tips and tricks on starting a podcast. This question has come up in a couple of different forums so I thought I would share some of our podcasting journey. Luckily for me I had access to a full mixer board in the early days of recording. Our church had a lot of equipment along with a full stage so I was able to practice with a lot of different setups.

This doesn't translate into the world of podcasting now, especially if you don't have the budget. The good news is that getting started as a podcaster can be as simple or as complex as you want.

So what do you need to get started in podcasting?

  1. An Idea
  2. Equipment
  3. Host
  4. Distribution

Idea

When I say you need an idea I do not mean that you have to have a full show complete with format and outlines for each week. I mean that you need to have something to talk about. You need something that you are passionate about enough that you will stay interested. Podcasting, depending on the format, can have you talking to yourself a lot so you'll need something that matters to you.

Questions to ask yourself

  1. What am I passionate about?
  2. What do I enjoy doing?
  3. What irritates me?
  4. Who would I like to talk to if I can get access?

Equipment

I'll split this section up into beginner and intermediate. I am by no means a pro so I will defer to others on pro setups. I want to get you up and recording as soon as possible.

Beginner

If you are just getting started and are not even sure that this is for you I would recommend against spending a bunch of money up front. most of us carry around a full audio rig in our pockets in the form of a phone. Whether an iPhone or Android you can use your phones mic to get started in podcasting. Here are 2 apps that can be used for creating, hosting and distributing your podcasts.

The process for both of these is to install the app on your device and record your content. New episode will be pushed out to users of their platforms and other podcast players as you configure them. I think Anchor distributes to more systems than soundcloud natively.

Lastly I also use an app called Voice Record Pro when I need to record a quick snippet. Here is an exple from series over on Youtube called The Minute Podcast over on YouTube.

Intermediate

If you want to invest some money into your podcast setup than you will need the following:

  1. Mic(s)
  2. Computer with editing software
  3. Optional: Mixer

Here are some example setups depending on how you plan to record your podcast.

Single Desk Reporter

Nice and easy for recording a single voice or multiple voices that do not need individual leveling.

Traveling Reporter

The Zoom is a recorder with the ability to attach multiple mics as well as a single built in mic for use in a roving interviewing setup.

Questions to ask yourself

  1. What style of show am I doing?
  2. Do I need my recocrder to be portable?

Hosting

If you are going with the Anchor or SoundCloud options than this section is not as relevant for you. Make sure you research the payment tiers for each. Hosting is expensive so there will be a charge for using either of these sites.

If you are recording/editing using your computer than you will need to host your podcast online. Here are some sites that can host your podcasts.

  1. Podbean
  2. Libsyn
  3. PodOmatic

Our podcast Life in the Clouds Podcast is currently hosted on PodOmatic.

Once you have selected your hosts, signed up and uploaded some episodes you can move onto the last step. Distribution.

Questions to ask yourself

  1. How much do I want to spend for hosting?
  2. Do I need web streaming for my podcast?
  3. How much support do I need?

Distribution

Once you have picked your host you will be given a RSS feed link which is what you will need to submit to the platforms where you want your podcast to be found. For our podcast we distribute through:

  1. LITC on Apple Podcasts
  2. LITC on Stitcher Radio
  3. LITC on Google Play Podcasts

Depending on your host you may have to submit yourself to each platform individually. I know that Anchor provides you a way to submit yourself to different platforms. Here are the links where you can submit your podcasts:

  1. Submit to Apple Podcasts
  2. Submit to Stitcher Radio
  3. Submit to Google Play Podcasts

Once you have been approved each time you post new episodes you episode will publish to each of the platforms.

Hopefully this will help you get started on your podcast journey.

Happy Recording