How to start a Podcast!

Y’all. International Podcasting Day came and went, and this is the encore. I know I have a lot of friends who are into starting there own podcast, but are unsure of where to start. SO. I thought I would lay out some tips and tricks to give you some direction.  Good luck!

So- What goes into making a Podcast? IT’S EASY(ISH):

• FIND YOUR VOICE:  Do you have something to say? Define your goals and your mission.
• CHOOSE A NAME/PREMIS/FORMAT: Pick your name (make it unique!), set the initial premise (game show, interview style, parody, etc.), and set some basic structure to follow.
• SET REALISTIC GOALS: Will it be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly? When will you work on it? Schedule it into your life; make it your second job, and be committed.
• RECORDING EQUIPMENT: Get yourself a Mic (we first bought Blue Yeti- USB Mics, that plug straight into our laptop- totally recommend!), explore headphones/mixers/hard drive/storage/computer options.  All you need is a Mic and a computer to start, but you can go deep on equipment if you wish to. (I recommend to start small and grow your vision and accessories)
• SOFTWARE:  What will you record to/on? We use Audacity, which we totally recommend! It’s free and easy. IF you need to record with more than one Mic you need a work around though (it only supports one mic). You can check out Voiemeeter if you have a PC, or “pair mic’s” if you have a Mac (SO. EASY.)
• EDITING:  If you use Audacity, I can recommend some simple edits that I use. (I researched a TON to learn Audacity, and these are the basic edits I learned, that are great to use)———->Editing the recording:Notes:

  I = the select tool, and the < – > = time shift tool (move around audio pieces)

  *When editing, you can isolate any section, and use the silence tool to remove sound completely

  1.     Zoom in to intro silence/highlight:

                 -go to “Effect” -> “Noise Removal”, then click on “Get Noise Profile”

                 -Then, select the entire clip (zoom out if you need to)

    -Go back to Effect -> Noise Removal -> Select PREVIEW for what it will sound like with the     noise removed, then click OK if it is satisfactory

  2.     Use “Cut tool” to remove the silence from the beginning.
  3.    Normalize (-2.0)

  -highlight the whole recording

  -“Effects” -> “Normalize” -> enter -2.0

  4. Amplify the whole recording if necessary
  5.     Compressor (reduces loud sounds/increases soft sounds)

  -“Effects” -> “Compressor” -> Click preview for the Basic/default one -> Click apply if you like it

  6.     Re normalize (-2.0)
  7.  Reduce Silences by Ratio (See how to on Attachment)
  8. Listen to the content, adjust/cut as necessary
  9.    Add in the Intro/Outro Music (Fade in/ Fade out) (Import Audio -> Cut the selection to however many seconds you need, and use the Move Selection tool to move it to front/end)
  10.     When done, export as  and MP3 (for MP3:  select options and save atleast 64kbps)
• MUSIC:   Make sure you pull music from a “pod-safe” website. You can also record music on Garage band, and be RIDICULOUS (which we’ve done recently/we’re still improving).
• HOST: You have to “Host” your episodes somewhere/generate an RSS feed- we recommend Libsyn, which we use.  Starting at $5/month, it’s totally accessible! Look for a coupon code online, and get some free months to try it out!
• LISTING (WHERE DOES IT FEED TO?):  ITunes is your #1. Set up on there, Stitcher, Google Play, Youtube, your own feed (on your website), SoundCloud, etc.  There are so many choices, but Itunes is your main place for sure -> so start there!
• WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA/ MARKETING/EXPOSURE, ETC.: Get a website (WordPress integrates RSS feeds well/easy!), grab your SM handles, and try and build a following/get some exposure.
• CONSISTENCY: Make a schedule, commit to it. If you tell your audience it’s bi-weekly, DO IT bi-weekly.  Manage your own expectations, and others.
• BUILD AN AUDIENCE: Network, post on reddit, share on FB, find your audience, and cross promote where possible (easier said than done, for sure). At least get your friends to download 🙂
• KEEP GROWING/KEEP DEFINING WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S NOT WORKING: Learn from your mistakes, and adjust!
• MERCH/OTHER ITEMS/SPONSORSHIP/NETWORK EXPLORATION:Figure out what’s next – and try to make some $$!
• START ANOTHER PODCAST!

So- that’s it in a nutshell BB’s! Let us know if you have any questions, but mostly dedicate hours of your life to getting it started. It’ll feel good. I promise.

Happy Podcasting BB’s!

-Morgan