It used to be strange to find things on the internet and listen to almost anything which we enjoy. Today, you can find almost everything online, from how to build extremely complex devices, medicinal knowledge, to even betting online and with a Bet Bonus, at that.
Some people enjoy listening to the radio and even though it’s getting more difficult for some phones (due to the headphone jack, which also acts as an antenna and trigger for the radio, being removed), and with that in mind, they also enjoy podcasts. What is a podcast? A talk show about a certain subject which users can then download. They are very similar to radio shows, except they are distributed by using the internet and not radio waves.
Let’s say you want to start your own talk show? How do you go about doing that? Here is everything you need to know about starting your own podcast.
Getting the Right Equipment
Starting a podcast should be done with the right equipment. For the most optimal listening experience, the podcast should be recorded with a high quality microphone. Microphones can range anywhere from 100 dollars to 3000 dollars, meaning the ones which should not offend any listener, including audiophiles, who are, of course, niche listeners.
A good microphone is a great place to start, and depending on the type of microphone, you might need a preamp, used to amplify the signal coming from the microphone and then transmit it to an interface of choice, for most use cases, a PC. People argue that Apple’s MAC computers are better for audio recordings, but one could build a really good PC for recording for much less than an Apple counterpart would cost (investing the remaining money into better recording equipment).
Know Your Topic
If you want to start a podcast, you should know what you want to talk about. If you are already planning on starting one, chances are that you already know what you want the podcast to be about. In case you solved your equipment issue first, the topic should be the next most important thing on your list. That could impact the way your podcast is received, if you stray away from a topic or try to host a very general podcast.
Choose Your Hosting Platform
Today, almost nobody hosts their own content, unless they are Google, Amazon or Microsoft and even then, they use other platforms for marketing purposes. Given that hosting large files often costs money, whether the size or the duration being the determining factor, you should stick with one hosting platform. Among the many you could choose from, Buzzsprout, Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast, Podbean are some of the best ones. They are among the best because you can start your podcasts for free. That is something you do not get with plenty of other great hosting platforms like Spreaker, AudioBoom, Backtracks and PodcastGIANT.
Advertise Properly
Without advertising, chances are that your podcast will not be heard by enough people, or anyone at all. Advertising is an essential part of surviving in the modern world, to the extent where it has more to do with the success of a product than the product itself. Think about car companies. They advertise in such a way that their brands are considered prestigious, even though you would get a much better car for less money and it would be more reliable. People would still go for the car with the perceived value and status symbol. This is why advertisements pay out, and you should definitely advertise your podcast, on social media and if you want to invest in it, with PPC ads.
Starting your own podcast is easy, and following these steps, you will become a master quickly.