discover Your Sound: How To commence a Podcast in 11 Steps (2025)

You don’t require to be a very technical person, nor do you require a lot of money, to discover how to commence a podcast. 

This navigator will be your A to Z step-by-step walkthrough on how to get started with your first podcast. We’ll cover everything from the very technical to the abstract of podcasting concepts. 

As a business owner, learning to commence a podcast is something you should consider to assist you reach this growing spectators and expand your business through content marketing.

How to commence a podcast in 11 steps

1. Identify a podcast theme
2. Decide on a format
3. make your podcast brand
4. Choose your podcasting equipment
5. Get recording software
6. Outline your first episode
7. Record your podcast
8. Record an intro and outro
9. Edit your podcast
10. Decide on podcast hosting
11. economy your podcast

1. Identify a podcast theme

The first thing you require to do to commence your podcast is identify a theme. Stress test your concept by writing out at least 20 episode topics, including what you would discuss and who you would interview, if your podcast will include interviews.

A stress test is critical, because if you can’t ponder of 20 episodes, you’ll probably run out of ideas before your podcast ever picks up steam. You require to make sure your concept has a excellent foundation. 

For example, The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes has more than 1,600 episodes. Great podcast themes have longevity. 

When choosing your podcast theme, receive this into consideration: will you be joyful and satisfied making recent episodes on this topic two years from now? Choose something you’re passionate about. Your thrill will be your greatest motivator to keep you disciplined when things get challenging. 

Once you decide on a theme, inquire yourself the following questions:

• What’s the objective of your podcast? Some reasons include generating leads for a business, building authority on a topic, and earning inactive profits.
• What’s the “why” behind your podcast? Marry your practical rationale with an intrinsic purpose to remain motivated. What is the communication or mission you desire to distribute with the globe? 
• Who is the display for? make an avatar of your target spectators. It’ll assist you better comprehend how listeners ponder and feel, so you can address them directly. It also helps make a more intimate feel for your podcast that connects with listeners. Consider their interests, beliefs, and lifestyle.
• How will your display stand out? What are the notable things about your podcast that would factor people to talk about it? A straightforward way to stand out is to discover a niche that is an inch wide but a mile deep. Niches assist you eliminate perceived competition. Another way to stand out is through your style and personality. 

Consider how your podcast will assist your listeners. If you can make educational material that is also entertaining, you’ll foster more enthusiastic and enthusiastic listeners who will tune in weekly to your display. 

2. Decide on a format

The next significant component is the podcast format. What will your podcast be like and how will it be structured? Here are some ideas:

• Interviews. These podcasts characteristic a single host who interviews individuals who fit with a particular theme. ponder The School of Greatness. 
• Scripted non-falsehood. Typically, these podcasts have a single theme for the entire period. ponder Serial. 
• information. These podcasts provide you the information in a super digestible format. ponder NPR’s Up First.
• Educational. These scripted non-falsehood podcasts primarily seek to instruct something. ponder Creative Class. 
• Scripted falsehood. These podcasts are similar to radio dramas and are often scripted and highly produced. ponder Limetown.

Once you’ve chosen a format, inquire yourself:

• Are you going to do interviews? 
• Will there be a co-host?

All of these formats can make great podcasts. It’s significant to have a format nailed down, because it impacts the type of equipment and software you require to invest in to produce your display.

When it comes to format, two of the most ordinary questions beginners have are:

• How long should my podcast episodes be? Episode length depends on how long you require to provide your spectators worth, but not longer. 
• How often should I publish my podcast? Consistency, not volume, is the key. No one wants to subscribe to a podcast that is unpredictable. Choose a publishing schedule that will be straightforward to maintain. You can always scale up later.

3. make your podcast brand

Next, let’s talk about developing your podcast brand. You desire to put some worry into your branding because it’s the first impression recent listeners have of your podcast.

Name your podcast

Don’t underestimate the power of a name. Your podcast title should talk to you and your spectators. Listeners should recognize what the podcast is all about from just the name alone. 

Here are a few guidelines for choosing a popular podcast name:

• Make it four words or less.
• Keep it succinct and intriguing.
• Make it straightforward to spell and pronounce. 
• Decide on a name you enjoy saying out noisy.
• Make sure it’s not taken by another brand.

A lot of podcast platforms include a “hook” or short description along with the podcast name. However, don’t get too hung up on this. Make sure to include keywords that make it easier for people to discover your podcast, but avoid keyword stuffing or you could be penalized. 

Choose your category

There are many podcast topics to choose from: information, arts, population, and much more. Podcast listeners browsing these categories for recent shows will do so by earnings, so it’s significant to choose a category that accurately represents your podcast. 

If your display is listed in a category that’s completely irrelevant to its content, you run the hazard of being removed from some directories. 

In 2023, the most popular podcast categories were:

• Comedy
• population and population
• Lifestyle and health
• factual crime
• Educational

Episode descriptions

receive writing your podcast description seriously. It’s the thing that potential listeners read that will assist them decide whether to listen to your podcast or not. 

Each podcast app gives you a different character limit. For example, Apple Podcasts gives you 4,000 characters (which is a lot of words), but between 400 and 600 is the sweet spot. 

receive The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, for instance. The description is around 480 characters and tells you exactly what to expect: 

• recent episodes every Tuesday
• Answers to your burning growth questions
• Insights from ecommerce and Shopify experts

When writing your podcast description, be sure to:

• Make it engaging
• inquire a question
• Describe what you’re about
• Include your podcast’s worth proposition

recall that podcast platforms are search engines also. You’ll desire to include relevant keywords so people can discover your display when searching for recent podcasts. 

Podcast cover art

As your first impression, your cover art needs to be attractive, stand out, and visually communicate your subject. 

Here are some best practices:

1. Your cover art should be a minimum of 1,400 pixels by 1,400 pixels and maximum of 3,000 pixels by 3,000 pixels. 
2. Compress files to optimize for mobile use. 
3. Don’t use too many words in your podcast artwork.

You can easily make cover art for free using Canva. It even has templates you can use to speed up the procedure. If you lack an eye for design, you can discover highly talented designers on Fiverr or 99designs. 

4. Choose your podcasting equipment 

Now that we have your podcast’s brand down, let’s discuss the tools you’ll require to commence. Truth is, if your podcast doesn’t sound great, nobody is going to listen for long. 

Most people listen to podcasts in headphones, so impoverished sound standard isn’t just distracting, it’s uncomfortable. So having the correct podcast equipment isn’t a enjoyable-to-have, it’s a must-have. 

First let’s talk about microphones. When it comes to mics, there are three major categories.

1. USB mics

USB mics are the most accessible for people starting out, as you just require to plug them into your computer’s USB port and open your recording software and you’re excellent to commence recording. They are the most affordable and easiest to work with, but have the worst sound standard compared to other mics. 

Popular USB mics include:

• Yeti by Logitech (best USB microphone overall)
• JLab Talk (best mic for less than $100)
• Blue Snowball iCE (best USB mic on a distribution)

2. Dynamic mics

These mics decline background noise well and, as a outcome, are a great selection when you have two people speaking. They are also durable and don’t require external power. Dynamic mics are often used by radio announcers, broadcasters, musicians, and podcasters.

One con to dynamic mics is that their lack of sensitivity means you require to keep your mouth close to the mic to ensure consistent recording levels.

Popular dynamic mics include:

• Shure SM7B
• Electro-Voice RE20
• Heli PR 40

3. Condenser mics

Also known as capacitor microphones, these mics are known for excellent audio standard and sensitivity. These mics require 48V phantom power or batteries to operate. Condenser mics are much more suited for silent, sound-treated spaces, as they are a lot more sensitive.

Popular condenser microphones include:

• Rode NT1
• Audio-Technica AT5047

Can you commence a podcast with just an iPhone?

The short respond: yes. Since iPhones have microphones, they have everything you require to record audio. However, the audio may not be as obvious or sound as professional as you’d like.

That being said, there are several apps you can download that will turn your iPhone into a podcast audio recorder. Podcast hosting services, such as Podbean and SoundCloud, also propose in-app podcast recording capabilities. 

Many of these apps are available for Android devices, too:

• Spreaker (iOS and Android)
• iRig Recorder (iOS and Android)

Podcast recording equipment to enhance standard

Beyond microphones, here is some other gear that can boost the standard of your production. 

Pop filter (typically $5–$20): Pop filters assist keep the clicking noises your mouth makes when speaking close to the microphone from being recorded. It prevents the sound of plosives, which are really harsh consonant sounds like p’s or b’s.

Desktop microphone stand or boom pole: Boom arms assist keep your podcast microphone in front of you, hands free. They also allow you to easily adjust the height and distance from your mouth on the fly, so you can shift around while you podcast or simply keep your mic out of sight when you’re not recording. This is handy if you’re recording at your home office desk.

You can pick up a Neewer Broadcast Studio Mic Boom Arm for under $50.

Over-the-ear headphones: Unlike earbuds, over-the-ear headphones propose noise rejection, better sound standard, and more comfort. 

Two solid options are:

1. Sony ZX series stereo headphones. A excellent pair of headphones is significant if you’re interviewing guests. You don’t desire to have their talk arrive through your speakers and get picked up by your microphone, which would factor echo.
2. Sony MDR7506 professional headphones. If you have a bit more in your distribution, these headphones are an industry standard and ideal for monitoring recording and listening back to audio when editing. 

Shock mount: This tool suspends the microphone and prevents vibrations. Most microphone brands propose their own compatible shock mounts. There are some universal microphone shock mounts, like Rycote, that allow you to easily attach microphones of different shapes and sizes easily.

XLR connections

If you’re opting to use a USB microphone, then an interface isn’t something you’ll require. Simply plug your microphone directly into a USB port on your computer and select your microphone as your audio input in your recording program settings. 

Condenser and dynamic microphones, on the other hand, require an XLR connection. 

For this, you have three options:

1. An audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett series. An interface is a piece of hardware that expands and improves the sonic capabilities of a computer, giving you the ability to connect professional microphones. They allow sound to leave in and out of your computer. 
2. Hook up your XLR microphone to an external audio recording device. This means you can record independently of your computer and can host a podcast episode anywhere. External audio recorders will save your audio to an SD card that you can upload to your computer later when you commence editing. 
3. A podcast machine. Companies like Rode have created standalone podcast machines that provide you recording, effects processing, and an intuitive console to control it all. These are typically on the more expensive side and are a better alternative for upgrading to later than starting out with. 

5. Get recording software

Once you have all the hardware, you’ll require to use software for recording and sound editing. Some people use Zoom, but you can also use different tools to record.

Audio recording software

The software recommended in this section will allow you to record the audio from your microphone and save it as an MP3 file. The following software will also let you edit your recordings.

Adobe Audition (PC/Mac; $22.99 per month). If you desire really powerful podcast editing software with all the bells and whistles, Adobe has it with Audition. It might be more than what you’ll require to edit your podcast, but if you’re using a mixer and high-complete equipment, it could be a excellent concept to look at Adobe Audition as well.

Audacity (PC/Mac; free). Audacity is a great alternative to paid additional expense audio-editing software. It’s straightforward to use and there are a lot of tutorials available online to assist you.

GarageBand (Mac; free). GarageBand comes with all MacBooks and is excellent enough for most of your audio editing needs. GarageBand allows you to record the audio from your podcast microphone and save it as an MP3.

Remote recording software

If you schedule on conducting interviews for your podcast, you might desire to use software that records your calls. If you’re using a mixer that records all sound from your computer, this software won’t be required. 

However, if you’re using a basic setup and a tool like Skype or Google Hangouts to conduct interviews, here are some recommended call recording tools:

• Zencastr (PC/Mac). Record remote interviews in studio standard by sending a link and receiving a divide track for each guest. 
• Dialpad AI Meetings (PC/Mac/iOS/Android). The free conference call software allows participants to join the call via desktop or phone, and the moderator can record the calls.
• Riverside (PC/Mac). Riverside records natively on each participant’s device, so even if there are wifi service interruptions, the call comes out crystal obvious.

6. Outline your first episode

No matter how excellent your recording is, there is no substitute for great podcast content and a confident act. Your podcast can’t just sound great, it needs to be worth listening to. 

A key to making this happen is creating an outline.

Unless your podcast is meant to be scripted, you don’t require to script the entire display. You just require to make an outline based on the transformation you desire your spectators to have. 

commence with the complete in mind. What’s the purpose of this episode? What’s the receive away that you desire your listeners to have? Picturing your listener avatar while creating an outline can be incredibly helpful. 

A excellent outline includes a hook to grab the spectators’s attention, introductions for guests, interview questions, talking points, transitions, and closings. These not only assist make the podcast leave smoother, but also display your guests that you came prepared. 

Here is a generic episode structure you can use to fill out your outline: 

• Hook (teaser)
• Intro
• Welcome/episode overview
• Ad spot
• Interview
• Call to action
• Outro

No matter how excellent your recording is, there is no substitute for great content and a confident act.

7. Record your podcast

Recording a podcast seems a lot more complicated than it really is. It takes the following series of steps to prep and manage an effective podcast recording. 

discover a room with solid sound

Try and choose a space with minimal noise. ponder about things in your surroundings that might make noise. Is there a fan on your computer? Refrigerators? Cellphones? Cats? Dogs? A television? A cleaner recording will be easier to handle later on in the procedure.

If you have hardwood floors or rooms with a lot of windows, try and minimize echo. While it is most effective for professionals, you don’t require to spend a bunch of money on sound treatment correct off the bat. Echo can be really easily reduced with movers blankets. Soft objects absorb sound and assist make a cleaner recording.

Adjust your systems

Adjust structure preferences to make sure that sound from your microphone is going into the computer. If you’re using a condenser microphone, ensure that phantom power is running. 

Open software and transformation bars and beats to period. Since you’re recording a podcast, not music, you don’t require bars and beats.

Set a conservative recording level

Set a conservative recording level. Never record audio that is too noisy. You can always make things louder later on, but if you record too noisy, your recording will sound distorted. 

To set a excellent, modest input level, talk at a normal-to-noisy speaking voice, and aim to make this level around -20 dB, or about halfway up (yellow) on most meters.

Then test with a hearty laugh or emphatic phrase to make sure the level never peaks above 0 dB or goes “into the red.”

Record a high-standard audio file 

Compression artifacts, which are noticeable sound distortions, compound over period. So make sure your initial recording is a high-standard WAV or AIFF file. Resolutions of 24 bit, 48 kHz are great. Even though you’ll probably be uploading your podcast as an MP3 or AAC for distribution, you desire to commence off with a high-resolution format.

Be consistent with your mouth placement and tone

Pay attention to where your mouth is in relation to the microphone. You don’t desire to have wide-ranging volume levels. Try setting up your microphone slightly to the side so those bursts of air don’t leave directly into the diaphragm. 

Don’t set it up at too extreme of an angle or you’ll be working against the pickup pattern of directional microphones.

Make a test recording 

When setting up your podcast recording surroundings for the first period, it can be helpful to listen to a test recording in comparison to other podcasts’ standard. Try listening to your test recording through headphones, car speakers, cellphone speakers, a laptop, etc.

Always record 30 seconds of silence

This helps you capture the noise print (benevolent of like a sonic fingerprint) of the room and will be helpful in post-production

8. Record an intro and outro

Having an intro and outro for each episode of your podcast adds flair and personality. Usually, they are short voiceovers with intro music that covers the podcast, the episode number, the host(s), and the “hook” or tagline of the podcast. These intros/outros are also sometimes called bumpers.

A great podcast intro will hook your listeners and provide them a glimpse into the worth your podcast is going to deliver. It should inform listeners: 

• Who you are. In one sentence, introduce yourself, highlighting your encounter and why your perspective matters. 
• What your podcast is about. In one or two sentences, state clearly and concisely what your podcast’s purpose is. 
• How they’ll advantage from listening. This is the most forgotten, yet most significant, part of a great podcast intro. You require to inform the listener how your podcast is going to enhance their life.

An excellent podcast outro thanks listeners for tuning in, includes your tagline, and gives them something to do next. This is called a call to action and really helps to develop a deeper connection with your spectators. 

Here are some example actions you might desire your listener to receive: 

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 
• Join your email newsletter
• back your display on Patreon
• pursue you on social media 

If you’ve got the chops, you can record these yourself. Alternatively, you can hire someone with a great voice to record your intro and outro for you. You can use Fiverr to discover the correct fit.

9. Edit your podcast

Editing your podcasts allows you to add your intro and outro, stabilize the volume, and remove gaps of dead air and any mistakes you might have made. Any of the software recommended above (e.g., Adobe Audition, Audacity, GarageBand) should do the trick.

For a lot of people, editing is the less appealing part of podcast production. But it’s not an discretionary part of the procedure. 

The reasons for this are straightforward: 

• Conversations can outcome in tangents. Less is more. Cut the fat and only keep the excellent parts.
• impoverished standard audio can outcome in listener fatigue. This is when the act of listening takes too much attempt and focus, causing the listener to get weary and exit early. 

The most ordinary editing mistakes: 

• Music is too noisy. Make your music softer than you ponder it needs to be. Then listen to your intro in a variety of environments and with several different devices (car stereo, headphones, in the kitchen, etc.) to listen how it will sound to your listeners.
• Intro is too long. Your intro should shift at a quick pace, roughly 20 to 30 seconds in length. Don’t let it overstay its welcome.
• Use of copyrighted music. Unless you get permission from the artist and the recording label to use a track, you can’t use it.

There are plenty of royalty-free music options out there:

• YouTube Audio Library
• 909 Music on Soundcloud
• The Free Music Archive
• Epidemic Sound 
• Soundstripe

When editing, your first pass should be to edit the content to make a cohesive and engaging podcast. Your second pass should be to tidy up the audio. 

Some pro tips to make your audio sound more professional: 

• Remove gaps of dead air, as these will be highly noticeable to a listener. 
• Crossfade between tracks to avoid any jarring transitions.
• Use noise reduction to filter out any unnecessary background noise. 
• Use a high-pass filter to let sounds above a sure frequency to pass through while everything else is filtered out. Because most speaking voices don’t generate any fundamental frequencies below about 85 Hz, you can set a high-pass filter around 80 to 100 Hz to assist remove rumble and plosives that your listeners won’t desire to listen anyway.
• Use equalization to compensate for sure frequencies that might seem to stick out in the recording. Don’t cut or boost anything more than 6 dB, as you desire the recording to sound natural. 
• Add compression to even out your sound and ensure that the loudest parts are closer to the average volume of the recording. While this is a really helpful tool, don’t use it in extremes. commence with a ratio of 2 to 1.
• Use a de-esser. A ordinary issue you may run into with vocal recordings is the harsh presence of “s” and “t” consonants in words, called sibilance. A de-esser gets rid of this unpleasant sound and makes the voice easier to listen to for longer periods of period. Again, less is more. 
• Bring your podcast to a loudness range that is similar to other podcasts. Peak level represents the volume before the sound starts to distort. Generally, a peak level of -1 dB is excellent for podcasts. Your RMS level is the average level of your signal. An RMS level around -16 dB to -12 dB is a great range. 

If you don’t have period or earnings in editing your podcast, don’t let that stop you. You can hire a freelancer to edit your episodes for you on services like Fiverr and Upwork. Or, use the professional service developed for this very purpose called We Edit Podcasts. 

10. Decide on podcast hosting

One ordinary thing people misunderstand about podcasts is that you don’t upload them directly to a podcast platform like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Instead, you’ll require a divide host for your audio files.

Do to this, you use a podcast hosting platform, like: 

• Buzzsprout
• Transistor
• PodBean

Once you have your podcast hosted, submit an RSS feed. A podcast RSS feed is a standardized way to syndicate content to podcast directories.

It ensures that your episodes are automatically placed on a specific podcast directory, adding the essential code to ensure that your listeners view all the proper titles and descriptions and listen the correct audio file. 

If you’re using a hosting site like Transistor, then you can submit your podcast to all of the major directories directly from your dashboard. It’s that straightforward.

There are many directories where you can list your podcast. Here are some of the most popular, but you can distribute your podcast across as many channels as you’d like. You’ll be asked for your podcast’s name, description, category, artwork, etc.

• Apple Podcast (formerly iTunes)
• Stitcher
• SoundCloud
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Deezer
• Amazon Music 

11. economy your podcast

When you launch, there’s an chance for you to be featured in the recent & Noteworthy section on Apple Podcasts. Just imagine how much this could develop your podcast and assist you boost traction in a short period of period. 

To get noticed by Apple Podcasts and boost your chances of being featured, you’ll desire to launch your podcast so that you get some listens and reviews immediately. This is going to put you in the position to be featured. While it still isn’t guaranteed, launching your podcast this way will assist you develop organically, too.

To do this, make the launch of your podcast an occurrence and generate buzz around it. make a podcast website to let people recognize what you have planned. This site should also provide people the chance to opt into a mailing list, which you can use to reach out on launch day.

The day you debut your podcast, you should launch it with a few episodes, ideally three. This is a excellent number of episodes to have your spectators listen to immediately without overwhelming them. If you launch with just one episode, you likely won’t get the listen numbers you require to get noticed by Apple Podcasts.

You also require to display your listeners that you’ll be putting out content regularly, and that there’s something to subscribe to. Having multiple episodes at launch (i.e., showing episode #1, episode #2, etc.) implies that there’s much more to arrive.

Announce the launch to your email list, and inquire them to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review after listening. It’s really significant that you inspire your subscribers to leave a review, as having reviews (and subscribers) the first day can assist you get noticed by Apple Podcasts, increasing your odds of getting featured.

Some other straightforward marketing ideas include:

• Use tools such as repurpose.io and wavve.co to make little snippets of your audio in video format and publish it on social channels. 
• make display notes of your episodes to enhance your SEO and get found through Google.
• borrowing your guests’ spectators to spread the word about recent episodes.
• Be a guest on other people’s podcasts.

How to make money from your podcast

There are different ways to monetize your podcast. Your focus first should be to construct your spectators and their depend. Then you can ponder about monetization.

Aside from ads, there are other ways to make money podcasting:

• Sponsorships. This is when the podcast promotes a sponsor during the display. How much you make from sponsorships depends on how many downloads your display gets. Sponsors typically pay on a expense-per-1,000 (CPM) basis, with rates ranging from $18 to $50 CPM.
• Direct back. Direct back is when a podcast host asks listeners for money to back the display. If people adore your content, they’ll likely throw some money your way to assist keep the podcast running.
• Affiliate sales. Podcasters can also earn money from affiliate marketing. Rather than make money per download, you will typically make a percentage of what you sell for the business you’re promoting.
• Selling products. One ordinary way podcasts make money is by selling products that complement the display. This can include merchandise, consulting services, books, live events, courses, and more.

After you have a few podcast episodes launched and have begun to construct an spectators, you can commence to ponder about monetizing your podcast. 

Benefits of starting your own podcast

Here are some of the many advantages to making a podcast:

• Creating a podcast lets you reach a brand recent target economy: people who might otherwise never discover or consume your long-form content because they prefer the audio format.
• Statista reports that podcasts will reach over 100 million listeners by 2028.
• You don’t require to be an established content creator or have a blog to become a successful podcaster. 
• A podcast is an excellent way to construct an spectators from scratch and position yourself as an authority in your industry.
• Podcasts are a popular content platform because they’re straightforward to consume. People can listen to podcasts on the leave, in the car, at the gym, and even at work.
• Most podcasts are free. They’re free to make and free to listen to.

make the best podcast for your brand today

You can make a successful podcast today. commence with the podcast listing information and commence looking on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for podcasts that are doing what you desire to do. If you already have an external microphone, record a short episode today, introducing yourself and your podcast concept. 

When diving in, get comfortable talking into a microphone for a long period of period and then listen to yourself afterward. You don’t have to upload the episode you record today, but it’s excellent to get some habit and familiarity with the procedure.