Beginner's Guide to Podcasting
Podcasting is complicated. I just finished launching my second podcast. It was a huge success! A far cry from the one I made back in 2012 when I was 15. I ran into a bunch of issues.My podcast wouldn't update on iTunes. The website I was using ended their service. My editing software kept crashing.Podcasts are time-consuming, especially when it comes to starting one in the first place. That's why I'm here to give you three tips for starting your podcast.
Identify your Brand
Before you begin, you need to have an idea of what the podcast is about. Open a text document and write down what you'll be conveying to your audience. Who is your audience? What makes you different from the millions of other podcasts out there? You need to answer these questions.Make sure you are still happy with what your podcast will be because a successful podcast will need to maintain consistent release. This is your life now. Make sure you will enjoy it.
How to Podcast
Web Costs
Before you purchase a Libsyn account and go crazy with a Weebly Pro plan and a hundred dollar domain, relax. For a simple podcast, you shouldn't have to spend more than $20 to get started.
Website
FIRST: Take the name you planned for your podcast and find a domain that fits with it. I use GoDaddy for this. My new podcast is called the Aux Cable, and we went ahead and bought the www.auxcableshow.com domain. Nice and simple domain, nothing fancy. Again, this will only cost about twenty dollars.SECOND: Set up a simple website for free using the free plans that come with either a Weebly, Wordpress, or even a Blogger website.THIRD: Set your domain to redirect to the website. That's it. You have a website set up.
Hosting
Without a website plan, you're limited to files you can upload directly to your website. This would cause a problem, but there's a workaround.We can use a service called Internet Archive. With a free account, you can upload files free of charge and embed their player on your website posts. Once you've done that, your post should look something like this.
Submitting to iTunes
You'll need to create a feed in order to submit your podcast to iTunes. To do this, we'll use Feedburner. Grab the link to your website's blog (where you'll be posting your podcast episodes). Go to Feedburner and stick it in this dialogue and make sure to check the box, "I'm a podcaster".
Make sure you fill in all the information including artwork, podcast description, artist name, etc.Once the feed is setup, you can submit your podcast to iTunes.
What you need to Record
The online setup didn't cost much, but what about recording? You'll need a decent mic. Luckily, I have a few resources for you.It's common for people to pick up a Blue Yeti or a Snowball mic, ranging from $50-$150 depending on what you get and where you buy. They aren't perfect, but it's rare that microphones are.I use a Studio Projects B1 microphone with an XLR to USB converter called the Icicle. It then plugs directly into my computer. You can get those both for less than $200 if you buy from the right place.If you want to listen to what my podcast sounds like with this mic, check out any episode of The Aux Cable.
Software
Great audio editing software costs money (Adobe Audition). However, I've found that Audacity is great for beginners and experienced editors alike. Its main drawback is that you can't turn on and off effects you use. So anyway that you change the audio will stick with you.So just don't make mistakes.Four years into audio production, I still use Audacity just because it's simple and gets the job done.Plus, it's free.
Finally, Ignore This
This guide is great for when you're just starting out. You get a decent podcast that gets the job done.But realize that eventually, you'll want to upgrade. You'll need a professional website, personal hosting space, better microphone(s), etc. When that time comes, you'll have to consult other guides or wait for my "Expert's Guide to Podcasting" blog post.Until that time comes, simply focus on improving the quality of your show. As long as you share knowledge or provide a service for others, you're doing it right. The quality of your podcast will be judged more by what you create than by your website domain or your hosting provider.A great resource for finding good software, hardware, advice, etc. for podcasting is The Inner Tube podcast. Check them out!