How to Start a Podcast

Starting a podcast is 2019 is easier than ever, but there are still several steps to the process, and it’s easy to miss one. In this webinar, you’ll get the starter kit: everything you absolutely need to do to start a podcast.

Transcript

1. How to Start a Podcast Joe Casabona // Host of How I Built It // casabona.org/podcasting/
2. What is podcasting?
3. Google’s Dictionary The practice of using the Internet to make digital recordings of broadcasts available for downloading to a computer or mobile device.
5. Src: https://seths.blog/2018/10/podcasting-is-the-new-blogging-2/
6. Podcasting is a way to get your messages to thousands of people.
7. Why Should I Podcast?
8. Why Podcast? • Build your audience • Establish your authority • Gain a loyal following ◦ Podcast listeners are very loyal folks • Get your ideas out there
9. Podcasting is a way to get your messages to thousands of people.
10. Choosing Your Topic
11. Start With Why Why do YOU want to start a podcast? • Build an audience • Increase revenue streams • Try the tech • Repurpose old content
12. Be Passionate • Pick a topic that you’re passionate about • Podcasting is a grind. You need to love your topic to keep doing it • It’s OK if someone else is talking about it • Make sure you use your own voice and your content is good
13. Show Formats
14. Types of Podcasts • Solo • News / Headline • Host / Cohost • Interview Show • Heavily Produced
15. What to Know Solo • Easiest to produce
 • Doing it by yourself can make it hard to get motivated
 • It’s all on you News / Headlines • Great for a “quick” format show
 • You need to curate the right stories
 • Can get monotonous
16. What to Know Host / Co Host • Split the Work
 • Split the Spoils
 • Scheduling can get hard Interviews • Fun to learn new things
 • A lot of work scheduling new guests
 • Need to do research
 • Audio quality may vary
17. What to Know Heavily Produced • Can be incredibly engaging
 • Fun to do fiction
 • Very expensive / time consuming
18. Pick Your Name
19. Pick Your Name • Pick a name that communicates the show’s message • Do a search on iTunes to make sure it’s unique enough • You want it to stand out! • Get the domain, social media
20. Artwork
21. Podcast Artwork For Apple Podcasts: Podcast feeds contain artwork that is a minimum size of 1400 x 1400 pixels and a maximum size of 3000 x 3000 pixels, 72 dpi, in JPEG or PNG format with appropriate file extensions (.jpg, .png), and in the RGB colorspace. For Google: Recommended: Between 1200 x 1200, and 7000 x 7000 pixels. Everything Else: Pulls from Apple Podcasts, pretty much
22. Tools for Creating Artwork • Photoshop
 • Illustrator
 • GIMP
 • Affinity Photo • Adobe Spark
 • Canva
23. The Right Gear
24. What You Need • A Decent Mic • Pop Filter • Boom Arm (optional) • Headphones Links to everything: https://casabona.org/podcasting
25. Mic: USB vs. XLR
26. What you should get: Blue Yeti or ATR2011
27. Recording / Saving
28. Improving Your Recordings • Good mic helps • Deflect and dampen sound • Wear headphones • Pop filter / Boom arm
29. Capture Audio Solo • Audacity
 • Garage Band
 • Windows Recorder Co Host / Guest • Both Record Locally
 • Skype with ◦ eCamm Recorder for Mac ◦ Amoloto for PC
 • Zoom 
 • Zencaster
30. Editing
31. How Should You Edit? • Do it yourself
 • Hire a Professional
32. DIY vs. Hiring Out
33. What you should do: It depends! • On if you have the time
 • If you have the money
 • How much control you want over the show
34. Tools of the Trade • Audacity
 • Garage Band
 • Logic 
 • Adobe Audition • Fiverr
 • Upwork
35. A Podcast Needs a Home
36. A Podcast Needs a Home • Podcasts should have a website • They allow for a central place for content, RSS*, and Canonical Links** • Setting Up a good website for your podcast can help it grow
 *Really Simple Syndication - needed to get your podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more **The one true source for your content.
37. The 4 Things You Absolutely Need. 1. A Good Domain
 2. Good Hosting
 3. WordPress
 4. A Podcast Plugin
38. 1.A Good Domain
39. Choosing the Right Domain • .com or .fm (in this specific case) • Make it short (11 characters or fewer) • Make it speakable • Make it memorable - try to match the show name • Have alternates available
40. 2. Good Hosting
41. Choosing Good Hosting • Easy WordPress Setup • Good Support • Let’s Encrypt for SSL • Backups • Should be Different from Media/Audio Hosting
42. Why Separate Audio Hosting? • Specialization means faster downloads • If your site goes down, your podcast won’t • Advanced Analytics • Custom (or customizable) audio players
43. The Good Audio Hosts • Libsyn • Bluburry • Castos (Killer WP integration) • Simplecast (All-in-One solution)
44. Relative Newcomer: Anchor.fm
45. You should avoid: Soundcloud
46. Recommendation: Libsyn or Castos
47. 3. WordPress
48. Why WordPress? • Streamlines entire website setup process • Used by over 30% of web • Strong community • Great tools for podcasting • Easily add blog, shop, or community as well
49. 4. A Podcast Plugin
50. Evaluating Podcast Plugins • Consider if your podcast host has a WordPress plugin ◦ Also, have a separate audio host for your podcast • Make sure it has Apple Podcast compliant RSS feeds • Look at the features - how customizable is everything? • Does it play nice with other themes and plugins?
51. The Good Plugins • Seriously Simple Podcasting • Powerpress
52. Recommendation: Seriously Simple Podcasting
53. Submitting Your Podcast
54. Submit your show to: • Apple Podcasts / iTunes
 • Google Podcasts
 • Stitcher
 • TuneIn
 • Spotify
55. Tips for Submitting • Have an Episode 0 so your launch day isn’t at the mercy of Apple. • Get onto Apple first - they are the biggest, and many smaller podcast apps just pull from their directory • A good audio host should help you, but if you’re using your website as your feed, you might be on your own • Each host’s submission process is slightly different
56. Wrapping Up!
57. Takeaways • Pick a topic and format you’re passionate about
 • You don’t need the best setup starting out
 • Having a website / one source for your show is important • Podcasting is a grind
58. Thanks for Watching! I’m Joe Casabona, a Developer, Teacher, and Podcaster. Find me at https://casabona.org Any Questions?