These are programs that are very similar to radio broadcasts but their features and accessibility make them different.
you can subscribe to it and also download it and listen to it when you want.

A podcast may consist of many episodes and different types. If you want to read more about podcasts then click on this topic and read it.

Develop a podcast concept

I will tell you how to create a concept for a podcast if you want to produce it.

Your goal? Think why are you starting a podcast?

Think and search for which type of category like funny or information or many others, you want to work on.

Think and search for which type of category or topic you can cover easily.

Make your podcast specific

If you want to grow and want to make an audience around you, so, Work on a low-competition niche/category and make your content like that which people want. 

Do not use the content of other creators fully same and copy-paste, if you want to use someone’s content, then read or listen to it and gain information then you can use it in your own words. This means that you make all of your content unique.

Every category has its audience, it’s on you which topic you can cover with interest and easiness.

If people want fun, then create funny content that people laugh at loud and engage with you.

If people want informational and educational content, then create the content so that people take an interest in the podcast and engage with you. Consistency matters, launch your podcast episode on the same day same time with regularity. Do not break regularity if you want to create an audience or become successful.

Choose your podcast format

Your format should praise your podcast and feel sustainable. Ask yourself that in which you are interested.

Do you love to meet and connect with the podcast guests? Or do you love to work best alone?

If you select to have the cohosts, try to keep your group small because podcasting with two or more two people makes scheduling a challenge.

Remember that some type of shows requires more production than others. So, for example, fiction podcast episodes usually want more editing than interview podcasts.

There is types/Formats of podcasts

Conversational Podcast

Monologue Podcast

Non-fiction Storytelling Podcast

Theatrical Podcast

Repurposed Podcast

Hybrid Podcast

If you want to read more about the types of podcasts and what is difference between them than click on this article.

What is the Optimal podcast length

Do not make the podcasts so long. Because people will get bore and they will leave you and will not engage with you.

Make your episodes as long as they need and no longer or shorter. Cover your topic fully with remembering the people’s joy and happiness.

Use the length pattern normally 20 minutes to 40 minutes only because it is commonly used by podcasters.

Sometimes the Topic is not covered in the 40 minutes so say to your audience for seeing the next episode or part of your podcast.

What is the best Podcast publishing schedule

You can give full time to your podcast and publish the podcast daily but it will difficult for you to be consistent.

Sometimes we don’t do work or are busy with any other work so if a single day is miss from you, your consistency will break.

I recommend you to post your podcast in twice in a week or once a week, but remember it that post the podcast at same day same time every week. Do not Work randomly.

The maximum producers post their podcasts once a week or twice a week. 

As a percentage 35% of producers post or publish their podcast episodes in 3 to 7 days and 40% of producers publish their podcast episodes every 8 to 14 days.

Setup podcast equipment

Microphone:

Definition: A microphone is a device that converts the sound waves into the electrical form. Simply you can say that it is a device to capture your sound.

Dynamic or condenser Mic:

The dynamic microphones pick up lower frequencies and have less sensitivity and they work best for podcasting, 

This means that you want a noise-free or less noisy place or background to edit out later.

Sensitivity can be good for recording music and songs etc., but it is not ideal for the spoken words.

XLR and USB microphones:

There are two types of microphones, XLR or USB mic. The main difference between them is connection ports.

XLR

XLR will provide you with maximum flexibility. Commonly they have a long life, But the problem is that the XLR mics want a mixer to hook up or connect with a PC (Personal Computer) and Laptop.
So it is expensive, especially for beginners.

USB

However, USB mics can plug directly into a PC (Personal Computer) and Laptop without any interface. It is also cheap and inexpensive for the Beginners. Because of its inexpensive with best sound, it is the best option for the majority of the podcasters.

Choose your podcast software

When your podcast is recorded by you. It’s time to make edits for publishing it perfectly, here you will able to structure your episode and can optimize your audio also.

Remote recording software

If you usually do remote interviews, then you will need software for recording your podcast specially for long-length recordings.

Riverside.fm

Its cost is $9+ per month and gives you Studio-quality recordings. It allows you to record both video and audio locally, even if you don’t have a good internet connection.
Its users can live stream to social media and also can edit videos within a browser.

It also gives the facility its users to take listener call-ins and during recording the files are continuously uploaded to the cloud, so you never lose records of your work.

SquadCast

Its cost is $10+ per month and it also gives you studio-quality recordings.

SquadCast makes it simple and easy to set up a remote podcast interview and records high-quality and lossless audio for you.

Its audio quality is much better but why? Because it records local WAV files to each User’s Computer. The initial setup is more complicated but this knowledge will give you help.

Zoom

It has a free version and a pro version starting from $15 per month and will give you average-quality recordings. Most guests have experience with the software Zoom.

It is a go-to remote recording tool and has average-quality audio. 

Most people already know how to use it because it is simple.

The Zoom app’s default features are set on compressed audio but you can improve the audio by using the best settings in the Zoom app for recordings.

Editing Software

GarageBand|Free

Mostly GarageBand comes pre-installed on Apple computers, but if you find it that’s okay if you don’t have then you can easily download this for free.
We think that GarageBand is exactly like what a user expects from Audacity.
It is very easy for the beginners but it is not available on windows computers or Android Phones and only available on Apple products. 

Audacity|Free

The Audacity is a moderate software, it means it is not so difficult or not so easy.

Audacity is an open-source and free audio editor with pro-level features.

For most podcasters, this DAW is more than enough to produce great episodes of their podcasts.

Descript|$10+ per month

The Descript is also a moderate software, not so easy or not so difficult. This software is for Mac and Windows both. It is a paid tool starting from the 10 Dollars per month.
It is an all-in-one tool that gives many facilities like transcribing, mixing, or recording and also edits the audio files you would text a document.

Descript can dub over a phrase with its text-to-speech voice cloning feature and can auto-remove the filler words from it.

Hindenburg Pro| $12 per month

Hindenburg is also a moderate type of software that is not too easy and not too hard. It is a paid tool that will give you pro-level audio editing. It is specially designed for podcasters and journalists.

Adobe Audition and Logic Pro are the alternatives to Hindenburg.

Record your first episode

For recording your first episode you want some preparation. Follow these three steps only:

Write a Podcast outline

One of the common mistakes of a beginner podcaster is rambling. Writing a script for your podcast is the best way to fight that tendency.

Even a little effort of some minutes to jot down a list of bullet points will dramatically improve the flow of your podcast episode.
If you are working with a cohost then you can share the outline with them and ask their opinion.

Choose a good place to record

I suggest you record your podcast episode in a quiet room that has a lot of furniture and carpeted also, if possible, otherwise, that’s okay.

You know that noise bounces off of hard, Flat surfaces, so decrease them where you can. You can also stop the sound bounces by pasting the foam panels to the walls of room.

Set up recording equipment

Connect your mic to your audio recording device or your PC (Personal Computer) or Laptop.

If you have a USB-type mic then connect it to the laptop by plugging its cable in but if you have multiple mics then connect the mics with an audio interface and plug the interface into the computer or laptop.

If you have an XLR-type mic then connect its cable to a USB interface or any external audio recording device.

Once mics are plugged in then you will go to your editing software where you will edit audio and select audio input.

Microphone technique

If you want the cleanest sound for the podcast then position your mouth 2” to 4” inches away from the mic.

But usually, it depends on the mics so figure out if my suggestion is not the best.

If you are hearing too many plosives or harsh sibilance in your sound which you recording then usually its solution is that to move off-axis from the microphone.

Set up your mic at the side slightly angled towards your mouth it will prevent bursts of air and will give you cleaner and more natural audio.

Record test track

Try recording yourself talking at the same volume at several different positions, 

Then listen to the recorded audio and figure out which place gave you the best and cleanest sound and is best for recording your podcast. 

Don’t worry about the little mistakes we will edit them in the next step.

Edit your audio

We edit a podcast usually to clean up our recorded audio and make some basic changes to its structure and make it best.

You will get overwhelmed if you focus too much on the production so try to keep it easy and simple.

Create an engaging intro and outro

Your intro tells your audience which topic cover is the goal of your podcast episode.

When it is done well then it convinces your listeners to engage with you and see your all episode.

If you want to get royalty-free music for no cost or want to buy your show’s intro music.
Then get them through one of these resources:

Soundstripe

Audio Jungle

Storyblocks

Edit your content, then distractions

Edit your content first and then work on noise issues or other distractions.

If you focus on noise early than the content editing then you might remove the sections of audio which are polished by you, so this will waste your time.

So do your content editing first and then go ahead to fix audio issues.

Fade between tracks to remove unwanted noise

When you cut the parts of an audio then sometimes you get little pops or clicks in the finished audio.
Use a tool named fade tool at the start and end of the clips if you facing those issues.

Create a punch-list

If you have not enough time or you didn’t want to listen an entire episode multiple time then make a list of audio distractions to check during your second pass.

This will ensure that you don’t miss anything and will save the time.

Export audio file

Export your podcast as a .WAV file after editing. ID3 tags will be added automatically by Buzzsprout and your file will convert to the correct file format.

If you choose any other podcast hosting platform like Anchor, then you need to export your file in the recommended format of your host.

Create podcast artwork

Your cover art of the podcast is the first thing that convinces the listeners potentially to see it on Apple Podcasts or social media.

Good artwork means it is quality content, 62% of listeners like to listen to your podcast if they like your cover art, which means make it like that nobody can live without clicking after seeing it.

If Based on Apple Podcast Artwork Requirements, your podcast artwork should fulfill these specifications.

A square Image of 3000 x 3000 pixels

The resolution of 72 dpi

File types: PNG/JPEG

The colorspace RGB

5 Tips to make your podcast artwork stand out

I will tell you 5 tips to make the best artwork that will attract new listeners and stand out in podcast directories.

At first sight by just looking at your artwork people should know that your podcasts cover which topic. So visually communicate with listeners because too much ambiguity and symbolism can turn your audience away.

The Design for different varieties of sizes. Your artwork will used by you at the several types of mediums or platforms you know! So, your artwork must look good even at 55 x 55 pixels.

Don’t use too many fonts or words in your artwork. Use less than 4 words or the limit is Four words so don’t cross it, and make sure that is readable and visual even in small sizes you should also limit yourself to only two types of complementary fonts.

Don’t use and avoid podcast imagery, Like the movies we see movie covers have not any type of pictures of DVD and TV. So, in your podcast, we don’t need to remind someone that he is listening to a podcast.
So avoid showing the podcast equipment images.

You need to use consistent branding in your artwork because it is a part of your overall branding

You have the freedom of this to make fit the layouts and make changes in your artwork but I am telling you artwork should stay consistent.

Set up podcast hosting

Your audio files are stored by a podcast hosting and they distribute them to podcast platforms so audience of listeners can find your show in directories like Apple Podcasts and other hosting’s like that.

So, it is compulsory for podcast because here we post our podcast episodes.

Get listed in podcast directories

• Submit podcast to Apple Podcasts
• Submit podcast on Spotify
• Submit podcast to Google Podcasts
• Other podcast directories

Launch and grow your show

Publish your podcast episodes but don’t promote your podcast now, keep calm.

This strategy will help you to remove the kinks and give you control to overcome imposter syndrome.

If you see that podcast succeed in a lower-pressure environment and the audience likes it then promoting it can be very helpful to create an audience around you.

Imposter syndrome

Usually, when a beginner podcaster starts a podcast, he feels very confused and feel like a fraud. Maybe you feel inadequate to speak on your selected topic or maybe you don’t like your own voice, but make confidence in your mind that you will work hard and will be successful one day.

It is not hard to sideline yourself, but you have a great and valuable perspective to represent. It can be difficult for you at the starting but podcasting is very simple.

Some marketing tips to grow listenership

Send your podcast to your loved ones and ask them for feedback about its quality. You can ask them for their honest reactions and ask them what you need to improve.

Post your podcast on social media like Facebook, Instagram Twitter, etc.
You can boost your post on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter also and can get more and more listeners.
Note: Boost is paid not free.

Join groups and forums like Reddit Quora or Facebook groups that will help you to direct traffic to your podcast.
Respond to the relevant question and after giving them answer, paste the link of your podcast and tell them if they want to know more so listen podcast.

Ask the other creators to do promotion of your podcast and charge you. Do this if you have enough money for that because it will represent you and your podcast in front of a new audience.

You can run ads for your podcast at the Overcast Ads app. It will run your podcast ads exclusively and in one cycle we approximately get 100 subscribers if you have enough money for it.

Features and uses of a podcast

It is easy to produce and listen.

You can download it.

You can listen to it when you please.

You can subscribe to a podcast.

It gives you valuable information and covers all types of topics.

Background/History of a podcast

Podcasts do Have not a long history. It has a short history you can take Appraisal of it by that the word “Podcast” was first Appear in 2004.
So it has only 20 years of History.

Conclusion

So there you have it! With this comprehensive guide, you’re well-equipped to embark on your podcasting journey. Remember, consistency and quality are key. By following these steps, dedicating time and effort, and embracing your creativity, you can launch a podcast that informs, entertains, and inspires your audience. Happy podcasting.