To start or not to start, that is the real question… But in all reality, you want to start a podcast? I may not be able to give you ALL the advice, but I hope at least some of it may help you in your Shakespearic journey towards being a podcaster!
Step One: The Topic
To me, this is one of the most difficult parts of the entire process. What will my podcast be about? Or if you’re like me, what am I knowledgeable enough to ramble on about? However, with all this uncertainty, the brainstorming can be the fun part! When I was brainstorming a topic, I paid a lot of attention to the things I had good memories about, and the things I found interesting and compelling. The things I came up with were ultimately the ones I could talk forever about! While it may be great for me to listen to, the next part is making sure other people will listen. Are the topics I’m thinking about, ones that other people will tune in to? Or will they simply scroll past? Once you begin to weed out some of the ideas and you get to ‘the one’, it’s time for step two!
Step Two: Perimeters
Now all good podcasts need some perimeters or even just some plain ol’ logistics. What type of platform are you publishing to? I’ve seen a few different ways done, but my favorite is to post podcasts on personal website or social media because I feel that it maximizes user engagement more. Once the platform is established, think about your perimeters. The time limit, whether you have guests, and how you post can be huge in a podcast’s success. Once you’ve determined these, you’re almost ready to go!
Step Three: Recording
The recording step will come down a lot to how comfortable you are, and what your personal style is. Me? I HATE reading off of a script because I feel mechanic and fake, and I actually have a higher likelihood of losing my place. However, I’ve been able to talk on my feet since I was born (I’m convinced anyways). Maybe you’re not like this, and you need a full script so you can ensure you say every word while on air. Maybe you just need general bullet points that help get you where you need to go in the podcast’s concept for the day. Once you’ve determined how you’ll utilize your ideas, you can start recording. Whether you record in a fancy office cubical with foam walls like my university has, or if it’s on a voice memo app on your phone, anything can work if you let it. The biggest thing to remember is to make sure you eliminate any extra sounds and distractions. When I record, I know it needs to be silent, but I also have to lock my cat Jax up, otherwise I find myself talking to him instead of my audience. As far as the process of recording, I usually talk or read through my plan at least twice, making sure to say it out loud. Why? Because some things just sound weird out loud. Once you finish this, record a few times and pick your favorite!
Step Four: Editing
Step four is probably my LEAST favorite step. I’ve already recorded my podcast, so why should I even edit it, I mean it probably sounds good enough right? WRONG. Even from my perspective, editing is always a good thing. I like to edit my podcasts with Audacity, an easy and free download that helps you edit your podcasts. There’s plenty of videos online that can help you walk through this process, ensuring your podcast is as polished as possible. When I edit my podcast, I make sure to eliminate any unnecessary sounds or even mistakes, even out the tone of my voice, and add a little introduction to each episode. However, what you specifically edit is again, based off of your own style.
Step Five: Publishing
WHEW. You made it! I promise you’re almost done, but there’s one more huge component left – publishing! This is by far my favorite part as you can get really creative, especially with social media posting. This step will come back to what we talked about earlier in regards to the platform you use. I find that it’s incredibly helpful to have a schedule to publish, whether that be every week, every two weeks, or even every month. Remember, this schedule must be something you feel like you can do. Once you’ve decided where you want to publish your podcasts, it’s time to download the episode. The best file size I have found has been mp3, as it’s easy to upload and usually doesn’t change your original. Once you upload, your creativity takes it from there! I like to share my episodes across social platforms as there is a higher likelihood someone will see them, and there will be more traffic on my website. Come up with creative engagement, or even a brand that is recognizable to your podcast.
Finally! You’ve gone through the entire podcast-ing process! Now that you’ve done it once, every episode will get easier and easier. Now remember, have fun and try new things! You will only get better and find your own natural groove.
Pursuit of Purpose 