How to Create Podcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4JdpdIsJvY

Choosing a Microphone - Get a good dynamic microphone -  audio - Samson Q2U Audio

Choosing a Recorder - Hardware or software - Software better - 8 optios - podcastler/magicdesk.- Send them a link and invite upto 9 people. 

Record Your Podcast - Think Media podcast. Your podcast need not be perfect. You can correct later

Edit Your Podcast - Volumes should be similar of the speakers. noice redction, echo remover, equiliser, - 3 main edits. Others - remove fluffs, mistakes, dead space. Add some fading music in the beginning and fade out music at the end. Have text to speech intro. 

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Gear Recommended in this Video:

1️⃣ Samson Q2U Dynamic Microphone

https://geni.us/1hjcq (Amazon)

2️⃣ Zoom H6 Recorder

https://geni.us/bSWG (Amazon)

 📱 Subscribe and Listen to the Think Media Podcast HERE:

YT:   @ThinkMediaPodcast 

Apple: https://apple.co/2F3tmIS

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qevE8

Podcast timing:

• Solocast...15-30 minutes
• Solo with guest...30-60 minutes
• Co-hosted podcast...60-120 minutes

How to Start a Podcast in 10 Steps

• Develop a podcast concept
• Define your goals
• Why do you want to start a podcast? It’s important to know your why, even if it’s to have fun with friends.
• Some good reasons for starting a podcast are:
• to generate leads for a business
• be recognized as an industry leader
• share an important message
• Podcast names should have the following characteristics:
• specific and succinct
• available
• memorable
• similar to your business name or brand
• Once you have a title in mind, run it through a podcast name checker to ensure the social media accounts and domains are available. You also don't want to use someone else's podcast name.
• Choose your podcast format

These are some common podcast formats:

interview podcasts

cohosted podcasts

scripted non-fiction

news recap

educational podcasts

scripted fiction

Some podcasts are less than five minutes long, and others have episodes the length of a short audiobook. Here are the most common episode durations:

less than 10 minutes (14%)

10—20 minutes (15%)

20—40 minutes (31%)

40—60 minutes (22%)

Over 60 minutes (7%)

Podcasting can be a full-time job or something you do on the side. You might decide to publish daily or every two years like Serial.

We recommend publishing once a week to develop a connection with listeners and create the habit of producing consistent content. These are the most common publishing frequencies:

0—2 days (7%)

3—7 days (36%)

8—14 days (39%)

15—29 days (17%)

Over 30 days (1%)

• Setup podcast equipment

Best podcast microphones

A good podcast mic enhances your audio quality and makes editing easier. Less background noise in your recording means less editing on the backend.

XLR or USB

Podcast mics have two types of connections: XLR or USB.

XLR mics give you maximum flexibility. There are a lot of XLR mics to choose from, and they usually have a long life. But XLR mics require an interface or mixer to hook up. This can get expensive for beginners.

USB microphones are less expensive and plug directly into your computer. You can also run it through an interface if you record with multiple people.

USB mics are affordable, practical, and sound great. This mic is the best option for the majority of podcasters.

• Choose your podcast software

Once you've recorded your podcast, it's time to make edits. This is where you can structure your episode and optimize audio.

Fortunately, podcast editing software is often affordable. There are even some high-quality, free podcast editing tools.

1. Riverside.fm

2. SquadCast

3. Zoom

Editing software

1. GarageBand | Free

2. Audacity | Free

3. Descript | $10+ per month

4. Hindenburg Pro | $12 per month

• Record your first episode

Recording your episode requires a little preparation on the front end. Follow these three steps to set yourself up for success.

1. Write a podcast outline

Rambling is one of the most common mistakes new podcasters make, and the best way to fight this tendency is by writing a podcast script or outline.

Even taking a few minutes to jot down a list of bullet points will dramatically improve the flow of your episode.

If you're working with a cohost, share the outline with them so you can work on it together.

2. Pick a good place to record

If possible, record in a quiet room with lots of furniture, curtains, rugs, or carpet.

Noise bounces off of hard, flat surfaces, so eliminate these where you can. You can also sound treat your space with foam panels on the walls.

3. Set up your recording equipment and software

Connect your mic to your computer or audio recording device.

If you have a USB mic, plug the cable into your computer’s USB port. If you have multiple hosts, run each mic through an audio interface and plug the interface into the computer.

If you have an XLR mic, connect its cable to a USB interface or an external audio recording device like the Podtrak P4.

Once plugged in, go to your audio editing software settings and select your audio input.

Microphone technique

Position your mouth 2" to 4" away from the microphone for the cleanest sound, but the optimal distance may vary based on your microphone.

• Edit your audio

Podcast editing is primarily for cleaning up the audio and making basic changes to the structure. Try to keep the process simple. If you focus too much on production, you'll get overwhelmed.

Follow these four tips to streamline your editing workflow.

1. Create an engaging intro and outro

ou can get royalty-free music for no cost or purchase your show's intro music through one of these resources:

Soundstripe

Audio Jungle

Storyblocks

2. Edit for content, then distractions

Edit for content on your first pass and work on noise issues or other distractions on your second go-around.

3. Fade between tracks to remove unwanted noise

When you cut sections of audio, you can sometimes get little pops or clicks in the finished product.

Use the fade tool at the beginning and end of clips if you run into those issues.

4. Create a punch-list

If you don't want to listen to an entire episode multiple times, create a list of audio distractions to check during your second pass.

This list can save time and ensure you don’t miss anything.

• Create podcast artwork

Your podcast cover art is the first thing potential listeners see on Apple Podcasts or social media.

Good artwork implies quality content, and 62% of new listeners are more likely to listen to a podcast if they like its cover art.

our podcast artwork should follow these technical specifications based on Apple’s Podcast Artwork Requirements:

square Image (3000 x 3000 pixels)

resolution of 72 dpi

PNG or JPEG file types

colorspace RGB

5 Tips to make your podcast artwork stand out

Follow these five tips to make artwork that stands out in podcast directories and attracts new listeners.

Visually communicate the subject of the podcast. Potential listeners should know what your podcast is about just by looking at your artwork. Too much symbolism or ambiguity can turn people away.

• Design for a variety of sizes. You will use your artwork across several mediums and platforms, so it must look good even at 55 x 55 pixels.
• Don’t use too many words or fonts. Don't use more than four words on your cover art, and make sure it's legible even in small sizes. You should also limit yourself to two complementary fonts.
• Avoid podcast imagery. Just as movie covers don't have pictures of DVDs and TV sets, your podcast cover art shouldn't show podcasting equipment. You don’t need to remind people that they’re listening to a podcast!
• Use consistent branding. Your podcast artwork is a part of your overall branding. Feel free to make subtle changes to artwork to fit various layouts and pages, but the imagery should stay consistent.

Tools to design your podcast artwork

• Buzzsprout's Canva integration
• Adobe Create Cloud Express
• 99Designs

• Set up podcast hosting

A podcast hosting service like Buzzsprout stores your audio files and distributes them to podcast platforms so listeners can find your show in direct stories like Apple Podcast. 

• Get listed in podcast directories

Podcast directories, like Apple Podcasts, are a centralized place for podcast listeners to find new shows.

Getting listed in the top podcast directories is a critical part of your podcast marketing strategy. Most of your new listeners will find your podcast through these directories.

Here are the steps for getting listed in the top three major podcast directories.

Submit podcast to Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts is the world's number one podcast directory, accounting for 37.4% of all podcast downloads.

Here’s how to get into Apple Podcasts:

Log in to Buzzsprout

Go to the Directories tab

Click Get Listed under Apple Podcasts

Log in to Apple Podcasts Connect

Click Validate

Click Submit

It can take up to 24 hours for a podcast to be approved, as Apple does a human review of every new podcast. You'll receive an email once your show is approved.

Submit podcast to Spotify

Spotify launched its directory in 2018 and is now the second-largest podcast directory, with 26.8% of all podcast downloads.

Here's how to get listed on Spotify:

Login to Buzzsprout

Go to the Directories tab

Select Get Listed under Spotify

Select Submit Podcast to Spotify

Once you submit your podcast to Spotify, it should be listed almost immediately.

Submit podcast to Google Podcasts

Google Podcasts makes your podcast visible in Google web searches and on Android phones. This directory accounts for 2.4% of all podcast downloads and works differently from its competitors.

Rather than submitting your podcast to a directory, you just make sure Google can crawl your podcast website.

You can manually submit your podcast RSS feed to Google to help speed up the process.

These will reach 95% population. 

Submit to these smaller directories to further broaden your reach:

• Podcast Index
• Amazon Music and Audible
• Stitcher
• Pandora
• TuneIn
• iHeartRadio
• TuneIn Radio
• Listen Notes

• Launch and grow your show

When it’s time to launch your podcast, you have two options. Choose whichever one feels best to you.

Strategy #1: The grand opening

A grand opening is when you build hype for your show before its launch. This is the approach used by most podcasters with an existing following.

Pick a launch date a few weeks away and reach out to people who might be interested.

You can pay for ads, submit to Apple Podcasts’ New and Noteworthy, or reach out to publications.

Strategy #2: The soft open

A soft open is more discreet. With this method, you publish episodes as if people are listening, but wait to promote your episodes.

This strategy lets you get comfortable, iron out kinks, and overcome imposter syndrome.

When you see your podcast succeed in a lower-pressure environment, promoting it more confidently is easier.

Imposter syndrome

A lot of podcasters feel like a fraud when they first start. Maybe you dislike your voice or feel inadequate to speak on your topic.

It’s easy to sideline yourself, but you have a valuable perspective to offer. Know that this is a normal phase of podcasting that gets easier.

7 Marketing tips to grow your listenership

It takes time to get the word out about your podcast. Follow these five steps to build a successful podcast marketing strategy.

1. Share your podcast with friends and family

Share your podcast with loved ones and ask for feedback. You can get their honest opinions and have them leave your first reviews on Apple Podcasts.

2. Create a Buzzsprout Ad

You can grow your listenership by running a podcast promo with Buzzsprout Ads. Podcast promos are more effective than traditional ads since they target the right audience for your show.

3. Post episodes on social media

Sharing podcast content on social media helps you build a connection with your listeners that can be hard to achieve over just audio.

You can create Visual Soundbites for Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, boost tweets on Twitter, and post content on LinkedIn. If you do this right, you could pick up ten new listeners over your first few episodes.

If you’re comfortable filming yourself, we’ve seen multiple podcasts go viral after posting original content to TikTok.

4. Join groups and forums

Providing value on forums like Reddit, Quora, or Facebook groups helps direct people to your podcast.

Respond to relevant, recent questions you can confidently answer. Include a link to one episode to direct your podcast traffic.

Aim to post one or two answers like this for each new episode.

5. Cross-promote with other creators

Cross-promotion lets you partner with other podcasters and promote each other’s shows.

This marketing method lets you get your podcast in front of a new audience.

You can contact fellow creators on Podchaser or find hosts' contact information on their websites or social media.

6. Overcast Ads

The Overcast podcast app runs ads exclusively for podcasting. In our experience, we get 100 new subscribers each ad cycle. This is an excellent way to get your first 100 subscribers if you have the money.

7. Create a call to action

A call to action (CTA) is one thing you ask your listeners to do after listening to an episode, and it can be a powerful way to reach your podcasting goals. You can ask listeners to:

subscribe to your show and leave a review

download a lead magnet

sign up for your email newsletter, etc.

Just make sure to limit yourself to one CTA per episode so you don’t overwhelm your listeners.

Buzzsprout’s support team: support@Buzzsprout.com will help you if needed