Your Podcast Journey

A Comforting Guide for Beginners

by Nick Dunkerley

Starting a podcast can feel like an exciting yet daunting adventure. Whether you're driven by passion, business goals, or a desire to make a difference, preparation is key. Here's a straightforward guide to help you kick off your podcast journey smoothly.

the Why & Who

First, clarify why you’re starting a podcast. Is it because you’re passionate about a topic, aiming to achieve business goals, or wanting to shed light on a cause or topic? Knowing your purpose will steer all your decisions.
Once you’ve identified your “why,” think about your audience — your “who.”
For the best listener experience keep them in mind as you work. Research, to better understand your target listeners. Get to know their interests, habits, and passions. This insight will help you produce audio content that resonates with them.

Content Development

Now that you have an idea about the “why” and “who”, lets look at “how”
Genre: will it be true crime, interviews, comedy, or education? The genre will set a tone for the show and an expectation from the listener. Once you have settled on a genre, then try to stick to it. Changing horses will be confusing for your listeners and might turn them of your show.
Make it clear what the premiss is for you show. Let the audience know, so they feel invited into your universe.

If you are listening to a show, like This American Life or Joe Rogan, you might get the impression that doing a podcast is fairly straight forward. You interview someone … and that’s it really. But there is more to it than that. To much in fact, to get into here.
One of the mail components are structure. The structure is something that your listener need to be able to follow the story. Why is it interesting, who is it interesting for, what is the conflict, what is the solution? This structure you can map out, before you ever hit the Record Button.

If you’re planning guest interviews, choose guests who add value for your listeners.

But don’t limit yourself to the traditional guest interview format. For a unique touch, consider different structures. For example, instead of just interviewing a gardener, create an episode that tells the story of urban gardening with soundbites from various hobby garden enthusiasts, scientists, politicians. Adding soundbites can make your content more engaging and informative.

Format Ideas:

• Narrative Storytelling: Weave stories around your topic with guest interviews and soundbites. For instance, an episode on jazz history could include music clips and expert insights.
• Documentary Style: Similar to narrative but more journalistic, involving in-depth research and multiple viewpoints.
• Solo Commentary: Share your thoughts and experiences on a topic, with occasional guest appearances.
• Panel Discussions: Host a group of experts or enthusiasts to explore a topic from different angles.

Always focus on providing value to your listeners. Engage, inform, and entertain them with every episode.

The Microphone

Let’s talk about tech. literally the fist thing you encounter is, the microphone.
If you do a google search for microphones, you will be inundated with hits. cheep, expensive, for home use, for professionals, dynamic or condenser, USB or XLR connection.
This is not a article about microphones, but there are a few thing to keep in mind.

Dynamic or Condenser microphones
What is the difference between dynamic and condenser? A dynamic microphones is roughly the same as a loudspeaker, in revers. You speak, a membrane moves, it creates an electrical impulse and presto … you have audio.
A Condenser microphone is different. Here you have a electric voltage (48v) that is trapped between two membranes. When you speak into the microphone the minute differences in the  electric voltage will be translated to a  signal and later to audio.

For recording Mik Jagger on stage, you need a  Dynamic microphone. For recording the wings of a butterfly, you need a condenser.
As radio people we are typically somewhere in the middle, but if you only have one microphone, then it should always be Dynamic. They are more versatile and less prone to to pick up background noise and plosives (the popping sound from "p" and "b" sounds).
Condenser microphones, are excellent in soundproofed environments. They  capture the full range of your voice but are more sensitive to noise, plosives and distortion.

The Recording Studio

You might not have a recording studio at home. Most don't. A quiet recording space is still crucial. If you don’t have a dedicated studio, a quiet room or even a closet with some soundproofing can work wonders. Recording under a duvet is also an option. Don't forget a pen-light.

The Audio Tool 

When it comes to editing, various Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) are available.
On the surface they all do the same thing. The record and edit audio.
But there is more to it than you might think. A DAW is a tool. It’s typically a professional tool. If you are a sound designer, then would have specific needs. If you are a musician you have other needs. And the same goes for the audio storyteller.
Here’s a breakdown of popular DAWs and what they offer:

Sadie and Hindenburg PRO: Ideal for creating elaborate audio features. Both are made for professionals and for Broadcasting. Hindenburg PRO is designed for the audio producers, giving them tools to create broadcast quality productions. Sadie is designed for the sound engineer ot sound designer at the radio station.
Hindenburg PRO is also available for audio beginners and intermediates, whereas Sadie has a premium price-point specifically aiming at the broadcast stations.

Startrack and Dalet One Cut: Good for very basic Radio production, typically news and sport. Only available for broadcast enterprise solutions.

ProTools and Logic: These are designed for music production and have interfaces tailored for musicians and sound engineers. They offer extensive features for creating complex audio projects, but they might be overwhelming if you’re new to audio editing.

Reaper and Audacity: These are free DAW’s that are aimed at audio engineers. They are powerful and flexible but come with a steeper learning curve. Both DAW’s are often used by podcasters as they are free.

GarageBand: This is also a free option for Mac users and is very intuitive. Its focus is on music production, making it user-friendly for beginners but less specialised for podcasting.

Descript: This DAW is made for podcast production, both video and audio. Its focus on text-based editing makes it ideal for those who primarily produce guest-driven shows and don’t need extensive audio sound-scaping tools.

GarageBand: This is also a free option for Mac users and is very intuitive. Its focus is on music production, making it user-friendly for beginners but less specialised for podcasting.

Choose a DAW that matches your skill level and the type of audio stories you want to create.

If you are planning to work with audio storytelling for a significant part of time, then choosing the right tool from the beginning will save you time later on.
Hindenburg PRO, despite being a professional tool, is accessible. This tool can follow you from your first episode to your full features audio documentaries and what might be important you won’t be cut short as your skills develop down the line of your progression in working with audio stories.

Recording

Practice your recording technique. Keep a consistent distance from the microphone, avoid peaking (distorted audio from high volume), and minimise background noise.
If you experience plosives (pop) then you can try to talk slightly beside the microphone or use a pop filter. 

Editing

After recording, audio editing has two main focuses: making your guest sound as good as possible and ensuring the story is clear and understandable for your listeners. Here’s how to achieve both:

Focus on the Story: Start by shaping the narrative. Move or remove sections of the recording to ensure the story flows naturally and is easy to follow. Use soundbites to open the episode and clearly establish the premise. The goal is to make the story engaging and coherent from start to finish.

Tidy Up the Audio: Once the storyline is in place, clean up the audio. Remove distracting
elements like excessive "um's" and "uh's" and stuttering. However, don't strive for perfection — leaving some imperfections can make the podcast sound more human and relatable.

Soundscaping: Enhance the listening experience by adding music and ambient sounds. These elements should support the story and not overshadow it.

Audio Quality: Finally, make sure the audio is clear and pleasant. Use tools like EQ (equalization), noise reduction, and compression to enhance sound quality. The goal is not to make the audio clinically clean but to ensure it is not distracting. It should be clear, pleasant, and natural.

Hosting and Distribution

Once your episode is ready, you’ll need a place to host it. A podcast host is essential for storing your audio files and distributing your podcast to various directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Hosts like Libsyn and Buzzsprout offer reliable hosting services and ensure your podcast is available on major platforms.

Beyond storage and distribution, a good host will provide detailed statistics about downloads, listener demographics, and other relevant metrics. This data is crucial for understanding your audience and improving your podcast. Additionally, these statistics can be valuable if you later want to attract advertisers.

For more information see the link to our article regarding hosting in the bottom of this article.

Branding and Design

The look and feel of your podcast matter. Create an eye-catching logo and a memorable title. These elements are the first things potential listeners will see, so make them count. Your branding should reflect your podcast's content and ethos. Additionally, your podcast artwork should visually represent the style and tone of your show. Whether it’s minimalist, vibrant, professional, or quirky, your artwork is a key part of your brand identity. It should be compelling and consistent with the themes and emotions you want to convey in your episodes

Promotion

With your podcast live, it’s time to promote it. Utilize social media, Repurpose your podcast for social media, collaborate with influencers or other podcasters, and encourage listeners to leave reviews. Engaging with your audience, responding to feedback, and maintaining a consistent release schedule can boost your podcast’s popularity.

Monetization

Once you have a steady listenership, consider monetizing your podcast. Sponsorships, affiliate marketing, listener donations, and premium content are all viable options. Keep in mind that not all podcasts will generate the large number of downloads that some advertisers look for. However, if you have a very dedicated audience, even a smaller listenership can be attractive to the right brand. Niche podcasts with engaged listeners often provide value that large, general-interest shows cannot.

Final Thoughts

Remember, podcasting is a journey. Each episode is a learning experience that will help you evolve and grow.
With passion and persistence, success is within reach.