Girls and women have been accused of whining for centuries. From being “too sensitive” to being outright “hysterical,” our conversations have been categorized as anything but consequential. Yet, with the resurrection of podcasting women have managed to take ‘whining’ back and turn it into a form of expression. Alex Cooper, Emma Chamberlain, Madeline Argy, and Olivia Neill are only a few of the many female podcasters who have used their platforms to turn female conversations into matters of importance. Sexuality, mental health, and our daily lives as women are now being documented on audio and broadcast on a variety of platforms. Our daily struggles as women, and people, matter, and thanks to podcasting we are finally taking ourselves seriously.
I love listening to female podcasts. Being able to learn from the experiences of other women who are struggling through the same issues I am going through, by simply putting in my headphones and hitting the play button, makes me feel connected to other women all over the globe. Hence, when one of the Her Campus St Andrews girls suggested creating a podcast for our chapter, I did not hesitate one bit. We bought the microphones and dived right into our first episode: Fresh out of Freshers, by Win(e)ing.
However, podcasting is harder than you would expect, which is why with the help of some of our more experienced Her Campus podcasters we have compiled our top podcasting tips.
1. A little bit of structure is never a bad idea
Podcasting is just talking, right?
I think we are all under the assumption that podcasting is essentially just talking to a microphone. When we are listening to “Call Her Daddy” for example, we are not thinking about how much effort went into making the intro sound, how much time Alex Cooper spent drafting her questions, or even how much money she invested in her podcasting set up. To us, the listeners, it is just a conversation between two people.
However, when you are starting your podcast show you are forced to face reality and ask yourselves some key logistical questions before you even start recording.
- What is the theme of my podcast?
- What is the goal of my podcast?
- What is my budget?
- How many people am I going to have on the show at the same time?
- How many platforms do I want to release my podcast on?
Once you address these, there is one more step we recommend you take before you even think about recording: your script.
Even if you want the tone of your podcast to be very conversational in its tone, it is always helpful to have some sort of scheme or plan that you can follow as you record. For instance, you do not want to blank out mid-conversation, or finish recording only to realize that you missed a key point that you wanted to discuss. You don’t have to follow the plan from start to finish, but it is a good backup to have on hand just in case.
2. Tech checks are necessary
Another top tip before even starting to record your first episode is your equipment.
Even if you are simply using mini mics that you can connect to your phone it is worth testing them beforehand. One of the common mistakes I have made, for example, is using one microphone for two guests without first testing the audio quality, every time we passed the microphone around it would try to pick up the signal and create the most jarring muffled screech. The worst part was that we did not even realize this until I was editing the FULL episode.
Honestly, how hard would it have been to record a 5-minute test round? So please learn from my mistakes and test your setup, so that my embarrassing anecdote can at least count as useful.
3. Research will make the process 100 times easier
This tip applies to point 1 as well. With being organised, comes being well informed. Learn about your options before going crazy buying equipment. Microphones can be very affordable and still have a pretty decent quality, so don’t go too overboard if you don’t have the budget, to realize weeks later that there is a better, cheaper alternative on Amazon. I recommend the QHOT Wireless Lavalier Microphones. They are reasonably priced, easy to use, and very versatile. For instance, you can also use them to film street interviews for TikTok, create some extra content for your podcast, and increase your audience interaction.
You should do your research before editing and uploading.
There are way too many editing APPs on the internet, so take your time to find the editing platform that works for you. If you have experience using Garage Band for example, watch a couple of tutorials that explain how to make the most out of it. It may be a simple APP, that you used to use to make up silly songs in your teen years, but it has many hidden features that could take your podcast to the next level.
Similarly, there are more than a dozen streaming platforms for you to choose from. Choosing the ones you want your podcast to be available on is super important, as this will be your podcast’s home until further notice. If you are ambitious like Her Campus St Andrews you will probably want your show to be available on as many platforms as possible, and the easiest way to do this is through RSS. RSS allows you to upload your episodes to all streaming platforms available in one click, making the process much more effective.
However, if you would rather keep your podcast exclusive, each streaming platform has its own APP for podcasters, which I recommend taking a serious look at.
4. A podcaster is born
I would like to end with Brooke Ryback’s, fellow podcaster, top tip: “Always keep in mind the person behind the mic”.
All this talk about structure, planning, and research should not distract you from the essence of what makes a podcast successful. At the end of the day, a good podcast is one that you enjoy listening to.
Brooke’s advice on achieving this is to focus on fostering “the most comfortable environment for whoever I’m speaking with and for the listener.” To do so, get creative! For example, Brooke admits to having interviewed guests “in my backyard with a bottle of wine, and even in a children’s bookshop!” According to Brooke, and I would trust her on this, the key to authenticity is “prioritizing relationships.”
To sum up, the key things to keep in mind at the start of your podcasting journey are 1) relationships, 2) organization & research, and finally, 3) experimentation.
Bear these in mind and get podcasting!
PS: Just turn to Win(e)ing, available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, if you need any inspiration!