How to Start a Podcast In 2024: (Detailed Guide)

If you’re looking to start your podcast — this definitive guide to start a podcast has it all. 

With the help of our step-by-step guide, you can easily start and launch your podcast show. The best part is that we’ll be there by your side, helping with every step we have listed here.

In this guide — how to start podcasts, we have listed a definitive guide to starting a podcast quickly and easily. We’ll walk you through every single step to ease up the process. 

Why Do You Need to Start a Podcast?

There are many ways to engage, attract and grow an audience, such as — blogging, social media, email marketing, etc. However, all of these seem very saturated nowadays. That’s where podcasts come in. 

With over 2 million podcasts on the internet by the end of 2021, triumphs the popularity of podcasts will increase. However, there are more than 600 million blogs if we talk about blogs. 

Now you know why it’s essential to launch your podcast show. Let’s dive into the details to do it the right way. 

Equipment Need To Start Podcast: 

Here we have listed the equipment that you should need to start a Podcast. Let’s have a look. 

• Computer
• Good quality Podcast microphone
• Call recording software 
• Podcast hosting 
• Podcast editing and recording software 
• Podcast artwork 

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Before creating a podcast, you need to sit back and figure out who is your target audience. Depending on the genre of the podcast you’re planning to create, you also need to figure out how you’re going to attract your audience. There is not a single podcast that can fulfill everyone’s needs; that’s why you need to select a genre for your podcast. You can’t just blindly go into it without figuring things out.

You need to make sure that the content of the podcast is perfectly aligned with your business interests. The key to finding the right audience is to provide what the audience is searching for. If you want to target gamers, then you need to talk about the latest games, popular gaming platforms, streaming platforms, popular games, and so on. The basic idea is to keep your listeners engaged and talk about what they actually want to listen to.

The Definitive Guide to Start Your Podcast [Step by Step]

Here we will break down this definitive guide into simple steps to start a podcast. All you need to do is follow the exact steps listed below. 

So without further ado, let’s get straight into the list. 

Step #1: Planning [Brainstorming]

The initial step is to plan things; often, we underestimate this step while starting a podcast. In this step, you need to invest a lot of time planning this out the right way, so we don’t get stuck in between. 

For this particular step, you can easily use pen and paper to plan things. 

Choosing A Topic/Niche of Podcast

We need to start brainstorming with the podcast niche or the topic you’re going to cover within your podcast. It’s always recommended to choose a topic/niche where you’re confident and comfortable talking.  

Find that niche where you’re comfortable talking for countless hours; simultaneously, you enjoy doing that. Try to narrow it down, such as if we have to start a podcast at KickAss MasterMinds, we will target the marketing niche. Although, it’s a brainer to choose a subtopic and talk like an expert on that topic. 

Start with a sub-topic or niche; once you grow over time, you can expand your topic and niche. 

Note: Spend some time thinking about the niche you are going to cover while choosing a topic/niche for your podcast. 

Choosing The Podcast Name

This is one of the most important steps while creating a podcast, choosing the name of your podcast. 

If you have listened to a different podcast or have gone through the Apple Podcast list, you will have encountered different names. 

Some names have a hidden meaning; some are descriptive, like what the show is all about, while others have some generic meaning. 

You can choose different criteria to define podcast names that are listed below: 

This step is also crucial; spend some time choosing a podcast name. What else you could do is try to find a domain name that is relevant to your podcast. You can explore various domain name providers such as Bluehost, GoDaddy, WPX Hosting, etc. 

Deciding Show Format 

Now we have our podcast niche/topic, and podcast name ready. It’s time to decide the show’s format and length. 

You will find tons of guides and videos on YouTube saying certain lengths for a podcast are ideal. If we have to comment on this, we would say — there is no ideal podcast length. 

You don’t necessarily have to talk about a topic for 25 mins when you could do it in just 10 minutes. It depends on the value you provide through your content and not that fluff stuff. 

So decide a time duration to provide value in the best way possible. 

Now the next step is to choose the style of podcast. 

As of now, interview podcasts are popular. That doesn’t indicate that you need to start an interview podcast immediately.

It all depends on you, as you have the option to start a solo or a co-hosted podcast. You can try different things, but make sure you provide value through your content. 

The benefit of starting an interview podcast is that you will get tons of new listeners as well. Don’t go with the data and stats; choose a style that leverages where you can provide the utmost value.

Now it’s time to choose the format of the episode. 

The question is, how are you going to make your episodes sound? You can choose a specific episode format. Here I’m adding sample episode formats to help you understand. 

Podcast Teaser >> The Intro Music >> Welcome Gesture >> Ads Spot >> Mian Podcast Content >> Call to Action (Following the social media handles) >> Closing Music. 

This is a basic format any podcast could have. However, you can get creative here and choose a different format. 

Step #2: Podcast Preparation [Fundamentals]

This section will cover the basics of Podcast preparation, such as creating — creating cover art, aiming for a professional intro, choosing intro music, and so on. Follow the steps in a particular order. 

Creating a Cover Art

Cover art for your podcast is essential for your newly launched podcast. Your cover art is somehow the first impression most people will see once they browse your podcast listing on various platforms such as — Apple Podcast, Spotify, etc. 

Also, when you upload your podcast on social media platforms, the cover art will show up. For creating subtle cover art for your podcast, we suggest checking the guide of Buzzsprout to help you design your cover art. 

Aiming for a Professional Intro 

It would help to have a professional intro for your podcast. You can find professional and high-quality voice-overs on — Music Radio Creative.

You can use third-party tools to introduce yourself and make you stand out from the crowd. It’s a great way to stand out when starting your first podcast.  

Choosing a soothing Intro Music

Yes, the soothing intro music should have on your podcast. You can use various music production software such as PremiumBeat for getting outstanding podcast music. 

You can explore the complete platform with the help of the search button. With the help of a full license, you will bunch of different styles. 

Getting a Reliable Microphone

Audio quality is super important for a successful podcast. You can find various good-quality microphones for podcasting. Well, don’t for high-end microphones if you haven’t had the budget. 

You can make a quick search on Amazon and choose one reliable microphone as per your budget and requirements. 

Inviting Podcast Guests [Optional] 

Somehow if you’re doing an interview show, we suggest getting a list of your podcast guest. Once you have the list ready, you need to start reaching out to them right away.

You can use various services such as Acuity Scheduling, Google Calendar, Calendly so that guests can book the time. This will help you schedule a call with your guest and remove the hassle of going back and forth to set up a meeting time.  

Step #3: Recording & Editing Podcast Content

Now it’s time to start recording the podcast and start the podcast content. In this section, we will share that you can easily record and edit your podcast without any hassle. 

We have two options available for recording and editing your podcast episodes — the easy or the advanced option. Here we’re listing the two available options to help you record your podcast and edit podcast content. 

• Alitu

Alitu is a reliable option available for recording and editing podcasts. 

Alitu is a reliable podcast-making tool that generally automates various technical parts. The best part, it is cloud-hosted, so you don’t have to download any software to use it. The interface of this tool is straightforward, and it comes with various functions such as:

Audio Cleanup
Adding custom music
Piece together audio segments 
Direct publishing to your episodes. 

You just need to upload your recording and edit the podcast in a simple interface to get started with this tool. Rest all will be managed with the help of Ailtu. 

What’s more, Alitu also includes a library of music and jingles, which you can use within your podcasts. You can use the music library for podcast-specific editors to make any big mistakes etc. 

Garageband (Free Available Option)

You know what Garageband is if you’re into the Apple ecosystem or a Macbook user. In this section, we will tell you how to use Garageband for recording and editing. 

So without further ado, let’s get straight to the list here. 

Creating a Template First 

Before rushing to other things, let’s create a template for recording a podcast. The thing is, you will have your intro and outro music already placed in all the spots, along with all your for your voice or an interview. 

Remember, the settings will look different depending on your episode’s format. Just create a podcast template that works for you. Once you create a template, you can open the template, click the file, and save the templates. 

It will also keep any effects applied to the tracks, including the compression, EQ, or other aspects. 

Recording Your First Episode 

Let’s start recording the podcast using the tool Garageband. We can make use of different options to record the podcast. 

• Solo Record

If somehow you’re recording a solo episode or want to record an intro to an interview, you just need to select tracks that you want to record. You just need to see the light gray Podcast audio track, select the above, and easily click the red record button.

• Multiple Host

If you have multiple hosts for your podcast, you can use the multiple host option. To do this, you need to click on Track>> Configure Track Header and then check whether the record is enabled or not.  

This will open up the option to easily enable the multiple tracks to record at once. You will also get to see the record enable button on each Track. Also, you need to click that button on each Track that you want to record and then click on the big record button. 

• A Remote Interview 

 Most of the time, podcast owners use Skype to record remote interviews. However, there is a feasible way to record a remote interview using two reliable tools: Ecamm Call Recorder for Skype (for the Mac users only) and the second one is Pamela for Windows. 

Somehow, if you need better quality than Skype or Zoom, you can use tools like Iris. The Iris tool is designed to record remote interviews easily.

Once you’re done recording, you will easily find two separate tracks that you can place within the Garageband. So this is how you can make use of the templates that you have created. The thing is, Podcast Audio Track is used for solo shows, and interview tracks are mainly used for interview shows. 

Editing Your Recorded Podcast 

Now it’s time to edit the podcast that you have recorded. You need to set up a few things once, and it will make your podcast voice clarity much better. 

To edit the podcast, you need to open Garageband and then follow the steps given below:

So this is how you can easily edit your podcast and then move to the next step of launching it. 

Step #4: Launching Your Podcast [Voila] 

In this step, we’re going to launch your podcast right away. All you need to do is follow the steps which are listed below. 

Choosing a Reliable Podcast Host

As per our experience with podcast hosting providers, we found Buzzsprout reliable. What’s more, when you start with Buzzsprout, you will also get a $20 Amazon Gift card once you purchase the paid plans. 

You can also check out some other podcast hosting platforms as per your needs and requirements. 

Upload The Very First Episode

Somehow if you got started with Buzzsprout, the process would be simple. 

Once you log in to the Buzzsprout dashboard, you just need to go and click on the “Upload New Episode” button, and the mp3 file processing will be done. After that, you will need to fill out the episode’s title, descriptions, summary, publish data, and other important information. 

Now you need to click save and then repeat these steps to launch your first episode. We suggest you launch a podcast with at least more than one episode. It would help if you also got started with around 3 to 5 episodes.

Submit the Podcast to Apple iTunes

Using Buzzsprout, you can easily submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts right under the Directories tab and follow the screen instructions. 

Right after that, you can easily grab your podcast RSS feed and then submit it to other podcast apps available out there. 

Sharing [Spread The Word]

If you’re using Buzzsprout hosting, you can use their social sharing feature to spread the word. You can even start to generate teaser videos and start sharing. You can also use other tools and services to easily generate different audiograms styles.

There are other options available such as — Wavve and Headliner are the two excellent choices available if you want to create more custom podcast videos to share. 

Related Read:

• Best SEO Podcast To Listen

Conclusion: Starting a Podcast In 2024

Yes, as explained above, the podcast is the new way to educate and engage with your audience. You can follow our step-by-step guide to start your podcast right away easily. All you need to do is follow our step-by-step guide to starting a podcast the right way. 

We hope this guide serves your purpose well. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

FAQs On Starting A Podcast