How to Start a Podcast: From Idea to Launch and Beyond

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Now that you know what each of the foundational aspects are to start a podcast, let’s chat about the how, which is all about action and implementation.

You have your idea, now it’s time to start executing.

We’re about to cover everything from podcast equipment and software to actually recording, editing, and uploading your podcast to a media host!

• What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Podcast?
• How to Make a Podcast Content
• Giving Your Content a Goal
• Recording and The Interview Podcast
• Editing Tips and Uploading Your Podcast

What Equipment Do You Need to Start a Podcast?

You’ll find a full list of our top recommendations for podcast equipment and software here. Below we outline only our top recommendations (some of these links are affiliate links), and on our podcast equipment and software page we do have some alternatives.

If you already have podcast equipment and recording and editing software you use and like, perfect! No need to change anything up. What’s important is that your podcast setup works for you.

Our top recommendations for your podcast equipment and software are:

• MAC computer or laptop
• ATR-2500 Microphone
• Apple Earbuds
• For the beginner / intermediate podcaster, our partners over at Alitu are amazing!
• For the expert podcaster: Adobe Audition
• Honorable mentions: Zoom or Zencastr

If you plan to do your own editing, all-in-one podcast makers like Alitu can help! It’ll save you loads of time with automations – no tech experience necessary!

And if you’re looking for a great video recording and editing platform, check out Descript.

Once you have your podcast equipment and software set up, it’s time to put a plan in place for how you’ll prepare prior to connecting with your guest (if applicable) and recording your podcast.

How to Prepare Your Podcast Content

Preparing your content is going to depend largely on what podcast format and frequency you’ve chosen. For example, preparing your content for a daily interview show will look MUCH different than if you decide to do a weekly topic-based show.

Based on what your podcast format and frequency are, here are some ideas for how to prepare your content.

• Preparing content for an interview-based podcast
• Preparing content for a topic-based podcast
• Preparing content for a series podcast
• Preparing content for a Q&A podcast
• Preparing content for a variety podcast

Preparing content for an interview-based podcast

First thing you’ll want to do is decide on your episode flow.

Your episode flow might consist of the same set of questions you’ll ask every guest, or it might be a different set of questions based on the individual guest you’re having on.

How do you know which questions to ask?

Ask your avatar.

What questions would your avatar ask your guest if they were sitting down to record a conversation with them?

Remember, this podcast is for your audience, so when thinking about the content, questions, flow, and voice, you should always have your avatar in mind.

You’ll also want to consider the timing and how long you want your episodes to be.

A shortened example of your interview podcast flow might be:

• Introduce guest: 3 minutes
• 5 main questions: 20 minutes
• Resources & wrap up: 5 minutes

Of course, you’ll want to fill in each of these sections with more detail:

• Decided how you’ll introduce each question,
• List out what specific questions you want to ask, and
• Write out what your wrap up will include (rotating calls to action, a preview of the next episode, etc).

When in doubt, ask your avatar what they would want. And don’t be afraid to test different things out and request feedback from your listeners.

Finally, be sure you have some type of note-taking system down so you can easily jot down notes while doing your interview.

Your notes will include things like:

• Links mentioned;
• Recommendations or references that come up during the interview;
• Notes you want to refer back to, (like a previous answer from your guest); or
• Topics you want to revisit later in the interview.

Having a flow to follow will not only help you to prepare your guest for the interview (more on this later in this post), it will also help you stay on point.

And having a note-taking system will help you immensely after the interview when putting together your episode show notes.

Preparing content for a topic-based podcast

Preparing for a topic-based episode is very different from an interview-based episode, mainly in that you’re responsible for coming up with all of the content versus sharing the mic with a guest.

However, the huge perk of a topic-based episode is that you don’t have to deal with any of the guest research, scheduling, follow-up, or the reminders required when you have a guest on (we’ll cover these steps in detail shortly).

When preparing for a topic-based episode start by figuring out whether you want your episodes to have a flow.

Just like in the interview-based example, you could have:

• An introduction,
• A lesson, and
• A conclusion and call to action

The benefit of having some type of flow is that you’ll never have to second-guess or wonder what’s coming up next.

Once you’ve decided on a flow, you’ll want to brainstorm topics to cover.

I keep an ongoing list of potential topics in my Workflowy so that I never run out of topics to record episodes about, and I populate this list of potential topics by:

• Reading what others are writing and talking about (topics that are popular for a similar audience);
• Reading books in my industry / niche and picking out things that stick;
• Asking my current listeners and audience what they’d like to hear more of; and
• LISTENING – researching trending hashtags on social media, engaging with those who are reaching out to me, and being alert when answering questions I get.

These are ALL potential show topics, and if you’re diligent about keeping your topic list going, you will NEVER run out of topics to discuss on your podcast. At any given time, I have well over 20 potential topics for content.

Once you have a running lists of topics, it’s really about finding what content prep method works best for you, and then having a checklist you can follow every time.

My first podcast was called Kate’s Take, and it was an audio blog. That means I would create a blog post first on a particular topic, and then I repurpose that content for my podcast by recording an episode on it.

So, it’s topic-based, systems-focused, and it gives my listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how we run a 7-figure business.

My content prep checklist looked like this:

• Choose topic
• Research keywords
• Choose a title that includes the keyword I want to focus on
• Write intro
• Write bullet points for the lesson I’ll teach (what steps can they take?)
• Write conclusion
• Fill in the meat of the post (actually write it)
• Edits
• Record episode
• Schedule everything

Preparing content for a series podcast

Depending on how you produce your show, a series podcast could be the simplest form of a topic-based podcast, or the most involved form of an interview-based show.

For example, some series podcasts might include 10 episodes, all created and recorded just by you, like Season 1 of Kate’s Take.

Other series podcasts might include fewer (or more) episodes, all created and recorded with multiple people involved. This would require that you mix in different conversations and potentially have sound effects, which are both very time consuming in the editing process. But this can be a really rich recording experience, too!

Memoir is an example of this, or just think Serial.

Because you know the topic or story you’ll focus on when you choose to do a series (or seasons) podcast, the major benefit is that you have your entire series pre-planned. You already know what your content and topic is going to be, it’s just a matter of laying it out the way you want it.

When I do seasons on the podcast, I start with an outline of the entire season, and I fill in what each episode will be about.

I then create titles for each episode, and get into the same flow I shared for a topic-based podcast above.

For my new podcast, Ditch Busy, I created Season 1 in one sitting, then recorded and edited the entire season in another sitting. It’s a great way to batch content and get way ahead on your recording and publishing schedule.

Preparing content for a Q&A podcast

Q&A episodes are a great way to get your audience involved and could be great for increasing engagement.

Preparing for a Q&A podcast involves:

1. Having people to source questions from;
2. Knowing your topic really well so you’re able to answer those questions; and
3. If you don’t know the answer to a question, having the time to properly research it.

A great tool to use in order to capture your listeners’ questions and be able to download and add them to your episode is SpeakPipe.

Preparing content for a variety podcast

If you’re doing a combination of any or all of the above, then adjust your content prep accordingly.

Having a flow and outline or checklist to follow when it comes to content preparation will save you HOURS – and even DAYS – of unnecessary work.

Preparation is also key to making sure you stay on track (and on pace) with your podcast. We always recommend being at least one month ahead with your podcast content. That means if you’re doing a weekly show, then you should have 4 episodes scheduled to go live at any given time.

We’ll talk about batching – a great way to help you get ahead – a little bit later in this post.

Giving Your Content a Goal

Now that you know how to go about preparing your individual episode content for your show, it’s time to focus on your goal.

Unless you have a clear goal for every single piece of content you create, you’re wasting your time.

Ask yourself “WHY am I creating this content?”

Consistency is incredibly important, too, but you should never create content only for the sake of creating content, (again, this is why preparing your content ahead of time is so important).

A good way to track and measure your goal for your content is to have a Call To Action (CTA) in every one of your episodes.

For example, if you’re creating an episode with the goal of enticing people to sign up for your list, then you should have a downloadable related to that episode and include a direct call to action for people to sign up for that download.

Here are some CTA guidelines you can follow:

Every time you create a piece of content, you should have your avatar in mind. How will this help you guide them in a specific direction?

Once you know what you want their next step to be, how can you offer them something in your CTA that will make them want to take that step?

• This might be by way of a PDF download or some type of checklist you’re offering as an opt in (if that’s your goal)

Once you have your goal for the episode set, and a CTA that’s going to help you accomplish that goal, rotate and test!

There is no golden rule or guaranteed way of having a CTA that will be the best and highest converting one ever. You have to test out what will work best for you and your audience, so don’t be afraid to rotate 3, 4 – even 5 different CTA’s in a given month to see which one works best.

Maybe one CTA is to download a cheatsheet related to the content you just presented, and then in the next episode your CTA is to reach out to you via email with a question or a specific piece of feedback related to that episode.

Once you look back and measure the results, double down on what’s working and get rid of the rest!

You can always go back and re-record your CTA in an episode, too, then replace that episode in your media host (do not delete and re-upload it or you’ll lose out on your download statistics for that episode).

So if you haven’t been using strong calls to action that will move the needle for your business, it’s not too late to go back and add them in now.

Recording and The Interview Podcast

Preparing to record your podcast is not just about content prep, but also about making sure your equipment and software are setup properly.

You should also have a checklist to follow every time you hit the record button, which we’ll talk about in just a bit.

For this step, your focus should be on:

• Your surroundings are conducive to recording (quiet, controlled, no echo)
• Setting up your recording template (this happens inside of your recording & editing software)
• Setting up your hotkeys (also happens inside of your recording & editing software)
• You’re recording in mono (stereo will result in HUGE audio files)
• Testing until it sounds the way YOU want it to sound

Setting up your recording template, hotkeys, and sound settings will depend on the software you’ve chosen. We have full video tutorials for how to do all of this in GarageBand, Audacity, and Adobe Audition inside our exclusive podcasting community and membership, Podcasters’ Paradise.

You can also find some great tutorials by going to YouTube and searching for what you’re looking for specifically.

• Researching guests for your show
• Scheduling guests on your show
• Preparing your podcast guest
• Getting your guest to share your podcast

Researching guests for your show

If you’re doing an interview-based podcast, then early on you should consider the type of guest you want to have on.

Build a guest profile – an outline of the key identifiers and characteristics you’ll look for in a guest (and you can also include things that would be deal-breakers) – so you’re clear on who you want to ask, and who you don’t want to ask on your show.

Once you have your profile for your ideal guest, it’s time to start doing some research.

Places you might find guests for your show:

• • Speaker pages of conferences in your industry or niche
  • Amazon book section (search for authors in your industry niche who cover your topic)
  • In magazine articles in your industry or niche (i.e. Inc Magazine, Success, Time, etc)

• Through friends or colleagues
• On LinkedIn
• Through a recommendation from a previous guest

Next, it’s time to set up an interview scheduler link for your guests so that booking a time slot for recording is simple.

Scheduling guests on your show

Scheduling guests on your show requires a commitment. It’s very unlikely that you’ll reach out to a potential guest just one time and get a ‘yes’ and have someone schedule their interview immediately. It takes follow up and hard work to get the right guests to schedule a recording time on your show.

Recommended interview scheduling tools:

• ScheduleOnce
• Calendly
• Acuity Scheduling

An online scheduling tool will help you save loads of time and prevent unnecessary back and forth between you and your guests. Just put your interview schedule into your scheduler and share the link with your potential guests so they can schedule a time that works for them!

Of course, in the beginning, while you’re building authority and credibility, there may be times you go “off schedule” to accommodate someone you really want to have on the show.

Preparing your podcast guest

Preparing your guest is your responsibility, and that prep should start with the very first time you reach out to invite them on your show. Make sure they know what you expect of them.

You can start with sharing your podcast goal and mission with them…

If you can get a potential guest on board with your podcast goal and mission (perhaps they have a similar goal or mission?), then chances are they will say yes to being on your show.

Once you’ve confirmed the interview, reminders and followup are key. Any online scheduler will provide you with the tools to automate this process so your guest receives reminders about when, where, and how the interview will take place.

Leading up to the interview you should also be sure they’re prepared for the discussion; go ahead and share your interview flow with them so they know what to expect – especially if you’ll be asking them specific questions during your recording.

This would also be the time to confirm with them whether it will be audio-only or video, and to share any setup specifications or details they might need to know so they’re ready to go before you hit record.

When you first connect with your guest the day of the interview, take a few minutes for your pre-interview chat.

During these few minutes:

• Ask if they have any further questions,
• Initiate some back-and-forth conversation so they’re feeling comfortable,
• Double check that they have their microphone set and their notifications off, and
• Test your audio and recording setup to confirm it’s working properly before you hit record.

Getting your guest to share your podcast

Once the interview wraps and you’re done recording, it’s time for the post-followup, which is where you’ll ask your guest to share their interview once it goes live.

This starts the minute you go off air with your post-interview chat.

Again, confirm your guest doesn’t have any questions about when the interview will go live, or what happens next. Let them know you’ll be following up a week before the interview goes live, and also the day-of to share links and an image with them so they can share it, too.

Don’t hesitate to mention right then and there in the post-interview chat that you’d be grateful if they’d share the episode with their audience, as you’re excited to do so as well.

Canned Responses in Gmail and Boomerang for Gmail are both great tools to help you with these followup emails. Just setup your 1-week reminder and your day-of reminder in your canned responses, fill in the blanks, and set your emails to send on the schedule you want with Boomerang.

If this all seems like a lot of work, that’s because it is – at least up front. But don’t worry: within a few weeks you’ll be a pro!

Your post-interview chat is also a great time to request any recommendations from your interviewee for future guests. Chances are they’re connected to other like-minded individuals who are also experts on similar topics. Don’t hesitate to ask if they’d be willing to make a recommendation or intro to other potential guests.

We have step-by-step video tutorials, resources, templates – everything you need to create, grow, and monetize your podcast inside Podcasters’ Paradise. PLUS a community of 3,400+ other amazing podcasters who are on the same journey as you who are there to help provide you with support and encouragement (including myself and John!)

If you’re looking for every resource you need – plus a supportive community to help answer questions 24/7 – Podcasters’ Paradise is the place to be!

PRACTICE!

Being on the mic and interviewing guests is going to feel uncomfortable at first…

…but recording your podcast will get easier! The more familiar you become with your equipment, the software you’re using, and the interview or topic-based flow you’ve created, the easier it will become.

It’s important to trust the process and know that you will get better every single time you hit record.

The fastest learning technique for becoming more comfortable behind the mic and with interviewing is to do it often, and listen back to your recordings so you can make note of the things you want to improve.

Things you might want to improve:

• What filler words do you use too often when recording?
• Could you work on getting rid of your “um’s and ah’s”?
• How could you pose questions in a better way to help your guest provide the best answer?
• How could you improve your responses or commentary to be of more value for your listeners?

These are all questions and things you should be evaluating when listening back to your recordings.

Practice, practice, practice!

Now, editing your podcast…

Editing Tips and Uploading Your Podcast

• Quick editing tips
• Your podcast intro and outro
• Exporting your episode

Quick editing tips

Editing is something you can definitely outsource, but I wouldn’t recommend it – not at first anyway.

Here’s a little secret for you: editing your podcast won’t be a long and drawn out process if you don’t make it one.

At first, you’ll want to edit out every breath, every pause, every um, and every ah in your recording.

Don’t do it!

By doing so, you’re going to make the final recording sound even worse because it’s going to be unnatural.

Instead, continue to improve upon the things you don’t like to hear in your playback rather than try to delete them. Remember: you’re only human! We do have to breathe, and we do say um and ah a lot…

Your voice is what connects you to your listeners and allows you to provide so much value through your podcast. Don’t forget that.

My best tip for editing is to pause for 2 seconds, or drop a marker using editing shortcuts (you can do this in GarageBand, Audacity or Adobe Audition), whenever you or your guest makes a mistake that you want to edit out.

This way, when you look back at your waveform, you’ll see the break in the audio recording where your voice stops and will be able to go straight to that part to edit versus having to play back your entire clip.

It will look like this:

If you do want to move forward with outsourcing your podcast editing, you can check out companies like Podcast Press or visit Fiverr to search for audio specialists who can help.

Your podcast intro and outro

During the editing process you’ll also want to add your intro and outro: a short clip – typically no longer than 10-30 seconds – that introduces you, your show, and the episode, and that includes your call to action.

Whether you record your intro and outro in your own voice is completely up to you, but when you’re first starting out it could add credibility and a certain amount of professionalism if you have a voice artist do it for you.

If you do outsource this, we recommend Tim Paige, who has helped us with our podcast intros and outros multiple times in the past. Him and his team are spot on!

If you decide to do it on your own, you can check out inexpensive royalty-free music on sites like Audio Jungle and Pond5 for your background music and record your intro and outro with your own voice.

Exporting your episode

Once you’ve completed the recording and editing process you’ll want to export your file as an MP3 to prepare it for upload to your podcast media host (we’ll cover uploading to your media host in just a minute).

When you export your audio, you want to confirm your settings will allow for a small file size, otherwise you could end up with 20 MG+ files, which isn’t necessary and will only cost you more money in hosting.

Here are the recommended settings:

Now that we have your recording, editing, and uploading covered, let’s head into your podcast launch!

How to Launch a Podcast?

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