Podcasts have become all the rage lately – as they should! Theyâre a great way to entertain yourself, catch up on pop culture, or even seek out inspiration if youâre feeling in a rut. Once podcasts became popular, I jumped on the bandwagon and was immediately hooked, so much so that I considered starting my own. Flash forward one month, and Iâve published 5 podcast episodes! Sure enough I have a friend whoâs crazy enough to start a podcast with me (which makes recording that much more fun!), but whether or not you have a co-host, there is nothing that should stop you from starting if youâre interested! Iâll walk you through everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running!Â
The Equipment
Youâll need a decent-quality microphone to record the podcast. If you have a Macbook, look no further than GarageBand! This is the platform I use to record my podcast on and the sound quality is great! Itâs very user friendly and awesome that your recording automatically saves to your laptop. If you do not have a Macbook, there are a ton of affordable microphones on Amazon! Here are some good options (1, 2)
You will also need to find a podcast host. This is a site that you will upload your podcast to and share with platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I use Buzzsprout and itâs great for up-and-coming podcasts! Many podcast providers will require you to pay per minute that you upload. This is common, so donât be turned away by it, but be sure to check the reviews of the site youâre considering using to make sure itâs safe!
Â
Your Message
While itâs awesome (and encouraged) to start a podcast for fun, itâs important that you establish a message or a feeling that you want to give to your listeners after each episode. Do you want your listeners to feel entertained? Knowledgeable? Relaxed? Energized? Do you want your topics to be lighthearted that someone could listen to while driving to work? Or would you want to talk about heavier topics that someone would need to sit down and listen to? The awesome thing about deciding on your message is that youâll probably come up with a good name for your podcast too! (This is exactly how I came up with the name âFlip The Switch,â because I wanted listeners to feel like they were flipping the switch to a better day after listening)
Gather Your Thoughts Before Each RecordingÂ
Once you start recording, one of two things will happen. Youâll either get microphone anxiety and not find the words that you were meaning to say, or youâll be so eager to say everything that youâll lose your focus, and hence, lose your listeners. The best thing you can do it make a rough outline of your episode theme with specific points that you know you want to say. This helps you keep your train of thought recording and also keeps your podcast at a reasonable time lengthy. Your listeners are more likely to listen if they know they have the time to listen to a whole episode.
Share your Podcast!
For some of us, this is much easier said than done, but it shouldnât be! I was extremely nervous to tell people I was starting a podcast, let alone actually sharing my episodes on social media. Your podcast should be something youâre proud of. If youâre proud of something, you should want to share it with those around you! You will be surprised at the people who support you and the amount of people who will admit to always wanting to start a podcast.Â
Â
My beautiful co-host, Haley, was the person who pushed me to start our podcast. Without her, I would still be listening to endless episodes of my favorite podcasts just wondering if I would ever start my own one day. If you sound like me, talk about your passions with your friends! You never know if youâll find someone crazy enough to take risks with you.Â
I hope that these tips gave you a clear guide as to how to start a podcast. Itâs incredibly easy and is a fun, stress-relieving side hustle that takes me away from the pressure of school and personal life. If youâre interested in listening to my podcast, check us out on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at Flip The Switch!
Â