They say that everyone has a story to tell, and increasingly those stories are being spoken directly into the ears of podcast listeners – which, according to Ofcom, accounted for almost 25% of the UK’s adult population in 2021. If you have something to say, podcasting provides a simple, accessible, and inexpensive means of expression.
Start with your thought
Martin Bojtos, the co-founder of the podcast developers and producer Podmasters, asserts, “The idea is the most crucial element.” “Even with the best microphone, mixer, audio editor, and music, you cannot create a quality podcast.”
So how do you choose? Start with your knowledge. “Great podcasts are founded on passion, skill, or experience,” says Vic Elizabeth Turnbull, the founder, and CEO of MIC Media, a social enterprise dedicated to podcast production and training. “Consider the things about which you feel strongly. “What did you do?”
The creator of Cold War Conversations, Ian Sanders, adds, “Choose a topic that you can be passionately engaged with for at least 20 episodes, and that has an abundance of angles.”
Define your audience
According to Sam Shetabi, the UK content director for the podcast hosting company Acast, storytelling is everything.
“Every story has a beginning, middle, and end, and it’s vital to consider how you tell it,” he continues.
One method is to consider the listener. “Identify your ideal listener,” says Turnbull. “Everything becomes evident after you’ve identified your audience.”
Sanders’s ideal candidate is a history enthusiast with an interest in the cold war. I wanted to include experiences from the military, spies, factory employees, dissidents, and everyone else who experienced it,” he explains. He addresses numerous history enthusiasts. Cold War Conversations has been downloaded 2,300,000 times to date.
It does not need to be flawless. Shetabi states, “I applaud the concept of informal podcasting and learning on the fly.” “Part of the process is to not be so constrained by perfecting the idea that you don’t record anything. Your listeners have a direct link to you as a presenter, so you may fail “out loud” and learn from your mistakes.”
Don’t overspend
As the managing director and co-founder of the podcast hosting platform Captivate.FM, Mark Asquith explains, “As a rookie podcaster, it’s easy to believe that the equipment will make all the difference, but in reality, a mediocre microphone is just as good as a wonderful mic.”
Turnbull states, “I strongly believe that you should only purchase what you require. People purchase the entire package, including a nice microphone, an interface, and a new laptop. But there is no reason to be “all gear and no idea.”
You just need four items, and you probably already have three of them: a microphone, something to record into and save your recordings, headphones, and an editing device.
Theoretically, therefore, everyone with a smartphone is equipped.
If you do decide to upgrade, Bojtos recommends purchasing a high-quality microphone, which costs between £50 and £100. Asquith suggests the Samson Q2u USB, which costs approximately £80, and Bojtos suggests the Blue Yeti USB, which costs approximately £100.
Look for used equipment on websites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, or in thrift stores. Turnbull states, “I purchased my first microphone at Cash Converters, and I’m still using it.”
Asquith continues, “Microphone skill is the key to the superb sound.” Get near to the microphone, within a fist’s width, and keep the input volume in the green on your recording program.
Keep it tight
“Despite being a professional broadcaster, I continue to ramble. Elinor Hamilton, the creator of Tales from the Tannoy, says regarding the stories behind the automated voices we hear every day, “you must get to the point.” (She knows a thing or two about it; Hamilton is the voice that announces London Underground stations.)
Utilize free audio editing software, such as Audacity or the podcast one-stop shop, to remove superfluous chatter. Podcastle is free, but Adobe Audition, a popular subscription service, charges £19.97 per month. Bojtos states, “You do need to know what you’re doing.” “People frequently use YouTube to learn everything; this is not impossible. But because individuals are busy and can only remember so much information, many people hire an editor.”
It is a suitable alternative for fundraising consultant and trainer Sanita Guddu, who hosts the podcast Legacy Fundraising Chat for charity sector professionals. She wrote and recorded all of her podcast episodes within four months, but she believes that employing a freelance editor would be a more efficient use of her time.
Realize it takes time
The financial and technological obstacles to launching a podcast are quite low, but many people underestimate the amount of time required to create one.
Sanders says, “If people listen to a 45-minute or an hour-long program, they may conclude that all he did was hit record.”
“However, you must conduct a study to be knowledgeable enough about a topic to ask important questions. The editing process can take three or four times as long as the initial recording.
Sanders thinks that he spends between 10 and 12 hours per episode.
Correct your image
“Artwork is the only true window your podcast has. Shetabi explains that a thumbnail-sized snippet can convey everything about your show.
“There are numerous free design programs, such as Canva, which make it much easier to develop such a thing.
“However, if I were to get extremely serious about podcasting, I would just invest in this one thing. It may cost between £100 to £300, but it is a worthwhile investment.”
Select a hosting company
You must use a platform such as Captivate.FM, Acast, Anchor (owned by Spotify), Libsyn, Audioboom, or Buzzsprout to make your podcast accessible.
Some provide free basic subscriptions, with monthly rates increasing based on the number of downloads of your podcast.
The technology enables its distribution to Apple, Spotify, Google, and any other podcast distributor.
Inform everybody about it
The majority of hosts will get the word out, but that’s where it stops and the hard work begins.
It all comes down to knowing your audience and discovering where individuals who share your passion congregate, whether on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, or any other platform where you may spread the word.
Turnbull states that “becoming friends with other podcasters” is a successful strategy.
Find those in your field of interest and invite them on your show, be a guest on another podcast, or create a short trailer and then swap trailers with other podcasters to promote each other’s work.
Do not quit your day job (yet)
“With Acast, you can begin earning money as soon as your first listen is completed. “From day one, you can say, ‘I want to enable monetization,’ and Acast will populate your podcast with advertisements, and you can pick where you want them to be,” explains Acast’s Shetabi.
CPM (or cost per thousand) is the basis for calculating revenue; the more thousands of listeners you have, the more money you earn. If you have hundreds of listeners, you would only earn pennies.
Other methods include subscriptions, recurring payments via websites like Patreon, and charging listeners each episode. Even with 2.3 million downloads and a loyal following of paying members for Cold War Conversations, earning a living is not a guarantee. For the time being at least, Sanders is not giving up his day job.
