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Podcast Promotion: How do I get my podcast in front of more people?

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The Extra Paycheck Podcast was launched in April 2015 so it's very new and fresh yet I'm already getting several questions from folks who want to start their own podcast. I am not surprised by this reaction because prior to starting my podcast I was completely clueless about this subject and I was desperate for a clear and detailed guide.
Update: A new guide to podcasting has been released and you can find it here.
I have been listening to several podcasts for a while now and I've always wanted to start my own show but I didn't think it was actually possible without a huge investment. I had no idea what kind of equipment to use, how to record or edit thepodcast. I didn't know anything about uploading my podcast and distributing it. I didn't have a single idea how I would find guests for my show and how I would record them. I was a total newbie so I was constantly seeking helpful information on the subject of podcasting. I found great bits and pieces of information from several people and I went through a few podcasting courses yet it still wasn't clear in my head and I felt like I simply wasn't ready.

At some point I caught myself doing what most people do - seeking perfection. I decided to take the knowledge I acquired during the 2-3 months of researching and just start! Folks, this is the first and VERY important advice when it comes to podcasting and pretty much everything else in your life: START NOW! You'll never be ready 100% and it'll never be perfect, this is why you must start today and make improvements along the way.

I've decided to write this post in order to share my experience and my knowledge so you could create your own podcast ASAP. If you ever asked yourself How to Make a Podcast then get comfy, this is my longest blog post/tutorial ever (over 7,000 words) but I think I have covered every single step in great detail so you can stop researching and start taking action.

Before We Begin

First of all if you are reading this post than you already have an idea for your podcast subject. The only advice that I could offer on this matter is to niche it down. I strongly recommend against doing a podcast "about everything". Unless you already have a huge audience of people who know and follow you, you probably wouldn't be able to interest people in your show about everything. It's a lot easier to build an audience when you become a go-to person for a specific subject. Instead of doing an investment show go with foreclosed real estate investment. Instead of going with gaming podcast go with PC gaming podcast. Instead of talking about health, talk about diets and healthy foods that improve health. The more narrow the better. Once you have created a large audience and loyal following you could always expand your show on more broad subjects but that will come later.

Podcasting is still very new but there's already an overwhelming number of different possibilities when it comes to equipment set-up, recording, editing, uploading, hosting, feed, distribution and so on. All these available options puzzled me and served as an excuse to keep on extending my launch date. In this tutorial I will be sharing every single decision I made when it came to my podcast. I did it on a very low budget and I would recommend the same to you. You can always upgrade your mic and your computer in the future. However, you might also record 2 episodes and realize that you don't want to podcast, even though you just spent a $1,000 on equipment. Let's start in a simple way.
If you are reading this tutorial and you think "but how do I XYZ", just keep reading. I am 99% sure that I cover EVERYTHING in this post. For your convenience I created an interactive table of contents. Simply click on the desired section to be taken directly to it, however I highly recommend reading through the full post.
Podcast Equipment

I seriously fried my brain watching hundreds of microphone reviews on Youtube. To be honest I could have still be researching for the best price/quality microphone if I didn't say ENOUGH. As I mentioned earlier, the possibilities are limitless but you should simply grab a mic and run with it.

Personally I opted for Yeti by Blue Microphones.

It's only $120 on Amazon and it's often discounted to a much lower price and could be purchased for less than $100. So far I am very impressed by it and I am totally happy with my decision. Yeti is a USB mic which makes the set-up instant and worry-free. Plug it into your computer and start recording. I have to admit that I really liked the retro look of the mic but I also spent countless hours reading the reviews and watching Yotube videos about it. This microphone comes with a stand, with a headphone jack, gain controller, mute button and multiple pattern selector. While most microphones are cardioid (record sound from the front only), Yeti offers 4 different patterns: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo. I recorded the 3rd episode of Extra Paycheck Podcast at a local coffee shop in Montreal with my show guest so I simply set the mic to "bidirectional" mode meaning the mic records from 2 different sides.

I could go on about the microphone but the point of this "how to make a podcast" tutorial is to make it simple for you. So head over to Amazon and buy a Yeti. While you're at it, make sure to also purchase a microphone pop-filter. It's only $6 but it makes a world of a difference. I didn't buy one initially because I thought it was useless but no matter how hard I tried to avoid making popping noises I realized it was simply impossible without a pop filter. Greatest $6 investment ever.

If $100 Yeti is still a little too much for you, Logitech ClearChat headset could be an okay alternative. It's only $25 on Amazon and I've spoken to a few podcast hosts who started with this exact headset and they vouch for it. I haven't tried it but it got a solid 4 star reputation on Amazon with over 1,600 reviews. What makes this headset better than many others is that it connects to your PC (or Mac) through a USB port. Older headsets connect through the regular 3.5mm mic and headphones jacks but the sound quality ends up being pretty horrible. A USB headset allows you to record the sound digitally which improves the quality enormously.

So there you have it. Don't break your head over the microphone. If you can afford a $100 Blue Yeti and want a good quality audio - go for it. If you would rather spend only $25 and sacrifice the sound quality a little bit then ClearChat is your option. I wasted a lot of time researching this subject so you don't have to. Get one or the other and let's move on!

If you look through some other podcasting tutorials you will certainly here of people using an XLR microphone ($100-$400) which also requires a mixer or another type of interface ($50-$500) as well a digital recorder ($200-$500). I must admit that this kind of set-up is more professional and it will produce a higher quality audio. However, it's a lot more complicated to set-up, to configure and it will cost you anywhere from $400 to thousands of dollars. I am thinking with doing this kind of set-up later on but I wouldn't recommend starting with it. Besides the monetary investment it will also create more confusion for you and it will give you an excuse to start later, once everything is perfect. Remember, "perfect" doesn't exist. Start small but start today.

If you are doing a multi-host podcast and you are 2 or more hosts in the same room then you don't have much choice as to buy a mixer that can accommodate several microphones at the same time.

Recording A Podcast

So you've got your mic plugged in and you're ready to record your first podcast episode. What's next?

I highly recommend using Audacity. It's a completely free software that will allow you to record and edit your recordings. Audacity is available for both, PC and Mac computers. Sure, you can opt for Adobe Audition which is $20 per month but Audition is a very professional tool that will also take a long time to learn. I looked at the interface once and I was completely lost, I had no idea where to begin and I realized I'd have to spend a lot of time learning it (and also paying $240+ per year to use it). So I opted for Audacity which does the job just as well but is a lot simpler and easier to use.

I mentioned that Audacity is available for Mac however Garage Band that already comes with your computer is a great choice as well. Last time I used Garage Band was in 2005 or so (I am a PC user) and I liked how intuitive it was.

What if you want to record a guest on your show?

That question left me sleepless on several occasions. How could I possibly record an episode with an interesting entrepreneur from California, or UK or Australia while I am in Montreal? The answer to that question is very simple: Skype.

Skype is free to use and offers a decent quality audio as long as both parties have a good internet connection. Then another problem arose. Skype does NOT record calls! What now? I found 2 solutions to this. If you're a PC user then you can use Pamela for Skype. This software costs $30 (one time fee) and allows you to record Skype calls, Skype video calls and Skype chats. The quality is not amazing but it's very decent. Pamela stopped supporting Mac a while ago but there is eCamm Callrecorder for Mac computers. It's also $30 (one time fee) and seems to be doing the same thing as Pamela.

I use Pamela for Skype so I'd like to share something very important here. Once you install Pamela go to Tools -> Options -> Call recording -> Advanced. In the "Two-way call recording mode" make sure to select "Save sound in STEREO mode". This is very important because this option will allow you to later split the recording in 2 different tracks (you and guest). This could be very helpful for editing. For example, your guests coughs or makes some other noise while you are speaking. If the recording is in stereo mode, you would be able to split the tracks and mute/edit separate parts on one side of the conversation only. You could mute your guests coughing without effecting your part of the track. However, if you record in mono mode, you would only be able to edit the whole audio, meaning that if you want to mute or delete something from your guest's track you'll be forced to do that on your track as well.

Another thing that I suggest is going to Tools -> Options -> Call recording -> General and selecting "Automatically record outbound calls" and "Automatically record inbound calls". This will allow Pamela to start recording immediately when a Skype call starts. If you don't have that set, chances are you would forget to hit the record button for at least a few first episodes. Prevent that from happening by setting Pamela to automatically record all calls. If you are just chatting with a friend or family member you can simply stop the recording at the very beginning of the call.

Editing Your Podcast

I already mentioned the Audacity software and that's what I use for EDITING my podcast as well. If you don't have guests or co-hosts then you can record your episode directly into Audacity and start editing it as soon as you're done recording. However, I record my guests through Skype so I only use Audacity for editing and not recording. Two paragraphs above I mentioned using Pamela and setting it to record in stereo mode. When you're ready to edit that recording, open up Audacity and import the recording you created with Pamela.

First of all I try to get rid of most of "Ums" and "Ahs". I never realized how often I use these fillers until I listened to my very first podcast recording. At the moment of writing this post I am on my 2nd month of podcasting and I notice a significant improvement on my side, however I still use them from time to time. I also edit these words out of my guest's track. I want to sound better on my podcast but I also want my guests to sound great and this is why I edit.

Sometimes a guest has some background noise so I try to edit that out as well (once again, stereo recording that allows me to split the track helps!). Sometimes my guest or I start explaining something and end up going in a completely different direction - I edit that out as well (sometimes).
What I Edit
I have nothing personal against profanities however iTunes and other podcast directories and not very fond of them, mostly because a lot of people might listen to the podcast at home in a family setting. I mark my podcast as "clean" and I try to keep it that way. From time to time a swear word might slip in from my side or from my guest, I make sure to edit that out.

On several occasions my guest or I might say something irrelevant, funny, unprofessional, etc. Before launching the podcast I thought I'd edit these moments out but when it came to actual recording I decided to keep them in.

I fell in love with little mistakes and off-topic chats and laughs because they make the show less serious, more human, more real and more pleasant to listen to. As I listen to several podcasts I often catch myself "laughing like an idiot" while the host makes a joke or when something goes wrong in the show and they don't edit it out. Don't fall in the trap of over-editing and figure out which moments should be left in the show even though they might be irrelevant or "embarrassing". Stay real 😉
What I Do Not Edit
If you have listened to the Extra Paycheck Podcast you have probably noticed that each episode starts with an into and ends with an outro. I try to keep my intro consistent so people start recognizing it.

You can listen to an episode right now to get an idea of my intro:
What I Add While Editing The Podcast
I first started my intro with some music and a voice over saying something like: "You're listening to Extra Paycheck Podcast...". I switched it up a little and now every episode starts with me saying" This is Extra Paycheck Podcast, episode 5 (or whatever number it is)." I do this because I don't want my listener to listen to my full intro to only realize that they have already heard that episode.

After this first phrase I add an intro with music and a voice over. This is something that you can pay hundreds of dollars for or you can make it yourself. I did it for about $6. I got the music from a forum where the member who created that music was giving it out for free. Unfortunately I do not remember which forum it was but you can buy music for very cheap or even get it for free. Just make sure you don't simply use your favorite tune, there might be (and probably will be) some copyright issues. The "explosion sound effect" that I use in my intro was purchased from AudioJungle. You can purchase various sound effects and royalty free music there for as low as $1 (that's how much I paid). Then I hired a voice over professional on Fiverr.com. The guys is a professional broadcaster and a host on a major radio station. I listened to a few of his sample and I liked his voice and the quality of the recording. That cost me $5. You can also hire someone on the same site to compose a jingle just for your show... starting at $5, how awesome is that?

At the end of the show I create an outro. I use the same music that I use for the intro and I record a message for my listeners. I thank them for listening to my show, I encourage them to visit the show notes (more on that later) for the episode and I ask them to rate and review my podcast on iTunes (more on that later as well).

Exporting The Podcast Episode

When my episode is ready to be saved it consists of five main tracks: show name and number of the episode, intro with music, introduction of the guest, main interview and outro. You can easily ditch most of it and just start your episode with: "Hi this is me and this is episode #0 of the XYZ podcast". I strongly recommend ending your podcast with a CTA (call-to-action). You probably want your visitors to subscribe to your show, or visit your blog, so tell them about it.

There are a few more steps to go through before creating your final version of the episode.

First of all, when we recorded the interview through Pamela in stereo mode, it created a stereo file meaning that one voice will come out through the right speaker and the other through the left. You must make sure you convert the interview track to MONO before exporting the final production. In Audacity, find the interview track, click on the black triangle and select "Split Stereo to Mono". This will convert the interview track to mono meaning the sound of both voices will come out from right and left speakers.

Next, the project rate. This is the option found at the bottom left corner of Audacity. By default it's set to 16000. You need to set it to 44100 Hz. I am not a sound engeneer so I can't explain all the details but 441oo will result in a much higher quality without creating a huge file. After all the research I've done on podcasting and Audacity, 44100 Hz rate seems to be the most recommended so just go with it.

When the above settings are set as I described, go to File -> Export Audio and in Select As Type field chose WAV. The final version of the episode will be exported as an .MP3 file but we aren't there just yet.

This next step is optional but highly recommended!

Download Levelator ( free and available for Mac and PC). Levelator is a tool that levels out your volume levels. Your intro might be too loud compared to the interview, your outro might not be loud enough compared to the rest of the episode. Levelator equals out the difference and tries to make the full audio volume equal. Once you install it, simply drag the WAV file we just saved into it and it will automatically start converting. After a few minutes you'll have a second file, YourEpisode.output.

Go back to Audacity, click on File -> New then File -> Import -> Audio and select that .output file.

You can take a quick listen to your episode to make sure everything's fine.

Finally, go to File -> Export Audio and name your file. I usually name it EPP005 (Extra Paycheck Podcast Episode # 5). I just prefer to have a short file name and naming each episode similarly (ex. EPP004, EPP005, EPP006) helps me stay organized. In Select As Type change from WAV to MP3. Then click on Options. Select Bit Rate as Constant, quality - 128 kbps, Channel Mode - Stereo. You can select higher quality but people won't really be able to tell the difference between 128 kbps and 320 kbps. However, higher bit rate will increase the file size which isn't recommended (more on that later).
note: there are paid online services where you can upload your file and they do the same thing as levelator, however levelator is free and I like how it works.
Click on OK then SAVE. A new window called "Edit Metadata" will open, leave everything blank and click on OK. Your episode is now exported as MP3 and it's almost ready to be shared with the world. Okay, "almost" is an exaggeration, there are still quite a few steps before our podcast goes live but we're getting closer!

Finalizing Your MP3 File

Now we need to properly tag the MP3 file and add artwork to it.

Let's start with artwork. Since we'll be submitting our podcast to iTunes (the most important and popular podcast platform) we need to follow their guidelines. iTunes requires your podcast artwork to be of at least 1400px by 1400px although I suggest 2000px by 2000px for better quality. The maximum size is 3000px by 3000px and it had to be a JPG file. You can do this by yourself or you can hire a designer or even someone off of Fiverr to do it for you. I asked my sister to take a photo of me, I cropped that photo to the desired size and added some text in Photoshop.

Here is the final result:

This is actually the 2nd version of my cover art. It's a lot more crisp than the original version and the text is more readable even in a very small format. Remember that you'll be able to change your artwork later so don't waste weeks trying to come up with a perfect cover art. Remember what I told you about "perfect"?

You can also go to iTunes and look at the cover art of podcast relevant to yours to get an idea of what your competitors are doing.

Ok, we've got the artwork. Now we need to ID3 tag the file (and add the artwork to it). Tagging the file means writing its name, artist name, selecting the category for the file and adding the cover art to it. When a user plays your episode on their iTunes, Smartphone, Tablet or anywhere else - they would be able to see all that information. And no, you can't skip this step.

There are various software available to help you do the ID3 tagging, some are paid, some are free (but come with limitations). I also spent a lot of time trying to find the perfect software to do this and I ended up reading somewhere that iTunes does it for free!

I don't like iTunes and never use it as a player but I had it installed on my PC because I have an iPod and I used to have an iPhone until I switched to Android. And although I usually download the podcasts that I listen to directly onto my phone, I still listen to an episode through iTunes from time to time.

Let's get to tagging.

Before tagging the episodes I suggest creating a text file where you would come up with your podcast title and artist name. You could simply use your name: John Doe and your podcast name: Fruit Diet Podcast, however I would suggest taking it a step further. iTunes store is a search engines and you need to use keywords to help that search engine (and the potential listeners) find you. DO NOT stuff random keywords everywhere but try to make the artist name and the podcast name a little more elaborate.

As you can see we didn't abuse on the keywords but merely helped iTunes (and its users) to find you and your show. I don't know how many keywords iTunes allows in these fields but I would suggest not overdoing it, the example I just gave you should work just fine. Save these lines into a text document so you could simply copy/paste that info when tagging future episodes instead of re-writing it every single time.

To keep things organized (and easier to manage) I created a playlist in iTunes called Podcast. Simply drag and drop your episode(s) into your playlist. Right click on the file and click on Get Info. A new window will open and the first tab is Details, this is where we'll fill out all of that information:
Here is an example: John Doe: Diet Specialist, Nutritionist and Private Trainer
Moving on to the second tab: Artwork. Click on Add Artwork and locate the cover art that you created earlier. That's it, click on OK and your file is ID3 Tagged. If you play that file in iTunes or any other player on your computer you would be able to see all the information we entered. If you listen to this file on your smartphone, ipod or a tablet you would also see the artwork. It took a lot of time to explain these steps but this process is rather simple and will only take 15 seconds once you've done it a few times.

The Fruit Diet Podcast: Healthy Dieting | Nutrition | Better Living
Uploading Your Podcast

Contrary to popular belief, you do not upload your podcast to iTunes. Podcast directories (iTunes, Stitcher, etc) do not host any files they simply host the information about that podcast. In order to have your podcast available on podcast directories you need to upload your files to a host then create an RSS feed. This RSS feed will be submitted to podcast directories. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and take it step by step. I admit that just a few months ago I heard a similar explanation and I simply freaked out because I didn't even know where to start. Take a deep breath and keep reading, my explanation should be rather easy to understand and to follow.

Podcast Hosting

First of all we'll need to host our episodes somewhere on the web. There are paid and free solutions and as much as I would like to help you save money I would strongly recommend paid solutions for podcast hosting.

If you already own a blog or a website, you probably have a hosting plan. Hosting your podcast on the same hosting plan as your website might seem like the logical thing to do but unfortunately it isn't. Most (I would say 99%) of web hosting plans simply aren't optimized to host media files such as audio and video. I understand that most hosting providers lure you in by promising unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth but in reality no one really provides that, just read the fine print.

Storage and bandwidth from your hosting provider are virtually unlimited because most websites will never reach the limit. However, if you have a few hundred people simultaneously listening to your podcast, you're pulling a LOT of resources from your web host and your website will start lagging and it will slow down considerably. If your episode gains some traction and you will get 1,000 simultaneous listeners (which is our ultimate goal) your website will simply crash. Your site and podcast would simply become unavailable for hours if not days. If that happens more than once your web hosting provider will either suspend or shut down your account. Don't ask me how I know this... So the short answer is NO, you shouldn't host your podcast on your web hosting account.

Song name is your episode name. You will have to create a new title (song name) for each new episode.

Artist - that's your name with a few extra keywords as mentioned above.

Album - that's the name of your podcast.

Composer - same thing as artist, I am not sure if we really need to fill that field but I do it anyway.

Year - put the current year,

track - number of your episode,

genre - select Podcast.

Option #2. There are several companies that offer FREE podcast hosting. They are already a better solution over the typical web host however they aren't ideal. FREE comes with a catch most of the time. If you upload your show to a free podcast hosting platform they will usually split your audio and infect it with ads. There will be an audio advertisement at the beginning of your show, somewhere in the middle and in the end. This is far from being ideal because you basically lose control of your show. It's one thing when you put relevant ads or endorsements in your episode because you show is sponsored but it's another thing when you annoy your listeners with irrelevant ads and you don't even get paid for it. If possible, stay away from free podcast hosting, no matter how attractive it may seem on the surface. Also these "free" providers have very strict content rules and they dictate what kind of things you're allowed (or not allowed) to talk about. They might decided that they don't like what you said in one of the episodes and they'll simply delete your whole show, there's nothing you can do about it.

The last option is the best option in my opinion. That's what I use for my podcast and that's what I recommend to others. I decided to keep full control of my show so I went with Podcast specialized hosting. After a lot of research and reading countless reviews I signed up with Libsyn.com. This company had been offering media hosting since 2004 and they really know what they're doing. Plans are very affordable as they range from $5 to $75 per month. I am on their $15/month plan and so far I am very satisfied with what I get.

Libsyn offers true unlimited bandwidth so you can have 1 million people listening to your show at the same time and they'd manage it just fine. However, their storage space is limited. For $15 per month I get 250mb of storage space. Each megabyte equals to about 1 minute of audio. In my case I release 4 episodes per month, each about 50 minutes long so a little less than 50mb. At this rate I am using up a little under 200mb out of 250mb available on my plan. Remember when I was talking about exporting your podcast episode and suggesting 128 kbps instead of 320 kbps? The quality difference between the two bit rates in insignificant but the final file size difference is rather big, this is why you're much better off with 128 kbps, it'll cost you less when hosting the podcast. It's also worth mentioning that a 45 minute .WAV file is about 500mb while an .MP3 file of the same length is only 45mb.

I have heard great things about Blubrry podcast hosting as well and they seem to be very similar to Libsyn with slightly higher prices. I can't recommend them 100% because I personally have not used them but the whole podcasting community seems to be divided between these two media hosting providers. SoundCloud now also provides podcast hosting for a fee but I haven't even looked at them yet so I can't say anything about their service. Libsyn, Blubrry and SoundCloud all offer podcast statistics so you could track the number of your downloads and a few other metrics.

To make it easier for you, I recommend Libsyn simply because I like them, I know how to use them and I can probably help you with Libsyn if you have any questions about it.

Once you have your Libsyn account you'll have to set up your show. I won't go into all the details because the process is rather straightforward. Type in your show name, your show description and upload your Artwork that you created earlier. Libsyn also provides you with a podcast page of sorts, RSS feed and a few other things but we won't use any of it. All we want is hosting for our MP3 files.

In your dashboard click on Content -> Add New Episode -> Add Media File -> Upload from hard drive and select your first episode that we just ID3 tagged using iTunes. Once the episode is uploaded (or while it's uploading, which takes seconds) type in the title of your episode and write a description of the episode. I usually use the same title as I used for tagging the actual file in iTunes. Do you need to write the episode description in libsyn? Honestly I don't know but I do it "just in case", it takes a few seconds to type 2 sentences. Once you filled out these 2 fields click on Publish. Get up, do a 20 seconds happy dance, your first podcast episode is officially out there. Now get back in front of the computer, we still have a few things to do.

Creating Podcast RSS Feed
Note: I am an affiliate for Libsyn and I was able to get a special offer for you. You can use discount code "ALEX" at checkout and you will get your first month of Libsyn completely free! This means that you will actually get the rest of this month at no charge as well as the next FULL month of free podcast hosting!

Important Update: June 2016

I have suggested to use a special WordPress plugin to create your RSS feed in the past. This made things complicated and WordPress has a tendency to break your feed once it grows big enough. I no longer recommend going this route. If you host your show with Libsyn than use their rss feed! It makes things simple and easy to manage.

My main goal of creating my own feed was the ability to move any time and any place I want. However after talking to Libsyn folks I was assured they would never lock in my show if I decide to change my hosting provider. They will also place a permanent redirect for you if you decide to move away from them so your feed keeps going 😉

If you decide to use Libsyn's feed like I do now, than scroll down to the section titled: Submit Your Podcast to iTunes Store.

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Your episode is finally online and you can start sending the link to your friends (or enemies to make them jealous of your accomplishment) but what you really need is to get it listed on podcasting platforms all over the internet. This is where people go to discover new shows. Don't try to force your potential audience to come to your podcast but rather find out where your audience is hanging out and bring your podcast to them.

iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and other directories simply take your RSS feed and display your podcast on their market place based on that RSS feed. This feed can be created manually but I don't even want to think about that, it seems quite complicated and time consuming. A few paragraphs earlier I mentioned that Libsyn offers an RSS feed with your account (most podcasting hosts, free and paid, will offer an RSS feed) but I told you we won't be using it. You can simply submit that feed to iTunes and it would do the job but I strongly advice against it and here is why.

When you use a host created RSS feed, they have total control over it. What if you decide to change your podcasting host? What is the company shuts their doors for whatever reason? That RSS feed will disappear, so will all your episodes from iTunes and other directories. When you create your own feed, you control it. If you decide to move your media host, a few tweaks and everything's running just like before, without interruptions. I don't plan on moving away from Libsyn any time soon but I can't predict the future so I'd rather play it safe. Let me repeat it one more time - You want to be in total control of your show. Every single part of it.

Finally we're ready to create that RSS feed. Don't worry, you won't have to code anything.

I assume your website/blog is running on WordPress like most websites these days. I am sure there are ways to do what I'm about to describe using other website platforms but I did it on WordPress and that's what I'll be showing you in this tutorial.

When I talked about media hosting I mentioned Blubrry. Although I am not using their hosting, I am using their WordPress plugin called PowerPress. It's a free plugin that Blubrry developed for podcasters. Why was it only developed for WordPress and not other platforms? Because WP is world's best and most used platform. Yes, I am a WordPress die-hard fan.

Your blog already has an RSS feed for all of your posts but we want to create a new feed for podcast only. So install the plugin in WordPress, activate it and you'll have a new menu item in your dashboard: PowerPress. Click on it and in Advanced Options tick in the Custom Podcast Channels (3rd box from the top). Save Changes then click on Podcast Channels:

In Feed Name type in a word that would describe your podcast. I wasn't very creative and simply typed Podcast. In Feed slug you'll need to type in a word that would become a part of your feed URL, I also typed podcast. Then click on Add Podcast Channel.

Now back to the PowerPress menu. Click on Settings then go to Media Appearance in the top menu. I chose to Disable the PowerPress Media Players and Links because I am using an external podcast player on my website but in your case this option should be Enabled. If it's not, enable it in order to have a media player on your site. Click Save Changes.

Next tab - Feeds. Make sure that Enhance All Feeds (Recommended) is selected. Podcast feed - there should be your new RSS feed that we just created, click the validate button next to it to make sure the feed is working properly. Feed Title - type in the name of your podcast. I also set my "Show The Most Recent" to 20 for now (I'll have to update it once I reach 20 episodes). In Episode Frequency I wrote "weekly", I left all the other fields blank. Click on Save Changes.

Still in the top menu of PowerPress, click on iTunes tab. Now this is freaking important. Whatever you write in there will appear on your iTunes listing.

On to the next tab: Artwork.

iTunes Image, tick the upload new image and upload your 2000px by 2000px artwork. Click on preview to make sure you selected the right image. RSS2 Image is not required but recommended. I simply saved my artwork as a smaller file (300px by 300px) and uploaded that as my RSS2 image. Save Changes!

Adding an episode to the feed

We're almost done!

In order for your podcast episode to appear in your feed you need to create a new blog post with your episode in it. Simply create a new post in your WordPress installation and start typing. This is often referred to as "Show Notes". In this post you're basically describing what your episode is about. If you mention any resources, links or anything else, you can add all that info in your post. To get a better idea check out my show notes post for episode #8 of Extra Paycheck Podcast. As you can see I also add some graphics in the post, I select the proper category (podcast) and I add tags - the typical post creation process. We're creating this post for two reasons: so your feed updates itself with a new episode and so the search engines understand what the episode is about (since they can't listen to the actual audio, yet). More Google rankings means more potential listeners.

Once you're done writing the post, scroll down the WordPress page until you see the Podcast Episode section.

Go to your Libsyn account and click on Content. You will now see a list of episodes (or just one episode) that you previously uploaded to Libsyn. Click on the 3rd button (Link/embed). New window will open and at the very top you'll see the Direct Download URL. In there you will see your file URL that should look similar to this: http://traffic.libsyn.com/yourshow/EPP008.mp3. Copy that URL and paste it into Media URL field (in podcast episode section):

Click on Verify URL to make sure everything is fine. Sometimes it might take a minute or so for the verification to work. Hopefully PowerPress detects your episode duration, if not you can specify it by typing it in. Once you verified the media URL you can finally click the publish button (to publish this blog post).

iTunes Subscription URL - leave this blank because you don't have that URL yet.

iTunes Program Subtitle - type in a short description of your show, 2 sentences are enough. I am not sure where this info appears but I'd recommend to fill it out anyway.

iTunes Program Summary - this is the actual show description that appears in your iTunes store listing. You can type in up to 4,000 characters and I suggest being as detailed as possible. My current summary is about 1,000 characters but I am constantly thinking of how I can improve it. Don't just spam it with keywords, write a compelling description.

iTunes Category - select the category that suits your show the most. If your show could be classified in more categories then simply click on "more" and select more categories.

iTunes Explicit - if you have explicit content than select that options. My show is clean and I believe iTunes prefers clean shows so that would be my suggestion (don't tell them your show isn't explicit when it actually is, that would result in a ban from iTunes store sooner than later).

iTunes Author Name - I typed in the same thing as when tagging the Artist field of the MP3 file.

iTunes Email - make sure to provide a real and functioning email.

Save Changes

Submit Your Podcast to iTunes Store

Your episode is now hosted and it's live. Your own RSS feed is now set, updated and ready to go. Your show notes post is published and your episode can now be heard by millions of people! We've got one last important step ahead of us, submitting the podcast to the iTunes directory. It's crucial because most podcast listeners discover their new favorite shows through this marketplace. In 2013 Apple has surpassed 1 billion subscriptions for podcasts via iTunes. In 2010 45% of Americans have listened or watched podcasts and I can only imagine by how much that number grew in 2015!

Let's get in front of all these listeners by getting our show on iTunes. Are you ready?

I assume you already have an apple ID, if you don't then create one, it's free. I also assume you have iTunes installed on your computer (of course you do, we used it to ID3 tag our mp3 file). Open iTunes, go to Podcasts section and click on Submit a Podcast link located in the right-side menu. Or simply click this link and it should take you to the submission page (it will also request to open iTunes)

Apple will ask you for your Podcast Feed URL. Open up your site, go to PowerPress and in the top tabs click on Feed, this is where you'll find your podcast RSS feed that we created earlier. It should be in a format similar to: http://yourwebsiteurl.com/feed/podcast/. Copy that URL and paste it into the iTunes submission form. iTunes will present you with the preview of your listing, make sure everything looks good and click the submit button. Apple will send you an email once the podcast is accepted into the iTunes store which can take anywhere from 12 hours to 3-4 days. Remember that if you don't like something in your iTunes listing (description, artwork, etc) simply change it in the PowerPress iTunes section on your blog and the information will be updated relatively fast.

Congratulations, your podcast is now available on iTunes, world's biggest and most popular podcast marketplace. At this point you should grab a cold beer, have a sip while relaxing in your lazy-boy and start imagining millions of raving fans who can't get enough of your show.

Bonus!

If you aren't tired of reading yet I'd love to offer some closing thoughts, a few more tips and suggestions about that whole podcasting thing.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast tutorial and I hope it answered all the questions a beginner podcaster might have. If you have found value in this post and this tutorial, please don't forget to share it with others. 😉

- Alex

1. Total cost for such set up is about $100 + monthly $15 for the podcast hosting.

2. I wish I started earlier. Spending 2-3 months on planning everything basically means that you're 2-3 months behind.

3. Getting guests on your show isn't hard and you shouldn't be scared of it. People like free promotions and they love being invited as experts. Just ask, chances are they'll say yes.

4. Be consistent. Once you start getting listeners they'll expect you to put out content consistently. For example my listeners know that I release a new episode every Monday.

5. iTunes is the holy grail but there are other podcast directories that people might use. Stitcher, TuneIn, Zune - aren't the biggest players but still important. Submit everywhere.

6. Your rankings in the iTunes store are based on your show's ratings and reviews. This is why I end every single episode of my show by asking to review my show on iTunes.

7. If I was to start another podcast I would record at least 10 episodes in advance and release them at the same time so my listeners would have something to listen to, 1 episode isn't enough.

8. You will get better with every episode. I can already tell a big difference between my 1st and 8th episodes.

9. Stay updated about the podcasting industry. Join a sub-reddit. Join a forum. Listen to other podcasts.

10. START TODAY!

If you have any feedback, comments or question I'd love to hear it all! Please use the comment form below.

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How To Start A Podcast - The Ultimate Guide | Extra Paycheck

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The Extra Paycheck Podcast was launched in April 2015 so it's very new and fresh yet I'm already getting several questions from folks who want to start their own podcast. I am not surprised by this reaction because prior to starting my podcast I was completely clueless about this subject and I was desperate for a clear and detailed guide.

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List of Podcasts about Starting your own Podcast

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List of Podcasts about Starting your own Podcast

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(Originally posted on Medium on 11/12)
I always have an interesting discussion when I describe to people what my podcast is about. I tell them "it's a podcast about podcasting, I know, super-meta, huh?." I didn't even know podcasts about podcasting was a thing! And then, invariably, I make the comparison to the amazingly inventive and quirky movie, Being John Malkovich.

If you haven't seen the movie, it's a story about a guy that finds a portal that transports him into the head of John Malkovich for a few minutes. Then, when it's over, he gets dumped on the New Jersey Turnpike. You really can't make this stuff up!

I absolutely love that movie. To be honest, I'm drawn to anything written by Charlie Kaufmann. Adaptation is clearly one of the most inventive movies I've ever seen.

Back to podcasting.

I was inspired to start my show after attending New Media Expo in 2014.

Here below, in alphabetical order, is my current list. Descriptions are pulled straight from iTunes. I've included a link to host's Twitter account (when available) as well as the direct link to their iTunes page, as a reminder of how important downloads and subscriptions are to the lifeblood of a podcast!

A couple of caveats here. The show must be currently publishing new episodes. You'd be surprised out how many podcasts sit in the top of the charts and haven't published anything since 2011!

Special thanks to Steve Wilson ( Twitter), the 'How To Podcast' section in iTunes and The Podcast Chart, for helping me round out the list.

(Oh, and here's a free tip: want to have your podcast artwork seem like it's floating in mid-air? Put it on a white background!)

"Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich!"

Ask the Podcast Coach. Dave Jackson is the Founder of the School of Podcasting, Jim Collison is the head of the Average Guy Network, together they answer your podcast questions and talk podcasting news LIVE every Saturday at askthepodcastcoach.howtopodcast.com/live.
Host: Jim Collison and Dave Jackson | Subscribe Today!

The Audacity to Podcast. Award-winning podcast for you to learn about podcasting, Audacity, and WordPress from Daniel J. Lewis. Awarded #1 technology podcast in 2012 by people's choice. Podcasting is an exciting and personal way to share your message with others, but how do you do it? What equipment, software, and skills do you need? Daniel gives you answers to these and more podcasting questions. Many episodes focus entirely on Audacity. theaudacitytopodcast.com
Host: Daniel J. Lewis | Subscribe Today!

The Feed. A podcasting community driven show focused on growing your audience, getting more listeners, promoting your podcast through social media, creating a podcast strategy and talking to industry experts PLUS insight into Libsyn the premier company that provides everything for your podcast needs: publishing tools, media hosting and delivery, RSS for iTunes, a Web Site, Stats, Advertising Programs, Premium Content and Apps for Apple, Android and Windows 8. Dive deep into what Libsyn has to offer to make podcasting easy. Taking it beyond the How-To Podcast to KEEP you Podcasting! thefeed.libsyn.com
Hosts: Rob Walch and Elsie Escobar | Subscribe Today!

How Sound. The Backstory to Great Radio Storytelling, hosted by Rob Rosenthal, for Transom and PRX. transom.org/topics/howsound
Host: Rob Rosenthal | Subscribe Today!

The New Media Show. Recorded via live video every Saturday at 9am PST/Noon EST. The weekly 90 minute show is hosted by Todd Cochrane and Rob Greenlee. The series features the leading minds in the new media and podcasting space. Topics also include: new media and broadcasting events, media platforms, content monetization, platform apps, devices, content creation, publishing software and equipment. newmediashow.com
Hosts: Todd Cochrane and Rob Greenlee | Subscribe Today!

Podcast Help Desk. Helping you get setup to podcast, maintain your podcast website, help with iTunes, Stitcher and other directories. Help with Blubrry hosting and media statistics and more. Ask your questions and hear the answers on the show. podcasthelpdesk.com
Host: Michael Dell | Subscribe Today!

Podcast Master. Your essential guide to starting up a podcast and making your current show even better. Presented by Ben Green - producer of the Guardian's award-winning Football Weekly podcast - and adapted from his book of the same name, in this series you'll learn...
Host: Ben Green | Subscribe Today!

The Podcast Producers. A 10-part audio series focusing on subjects related to the art and business of podcasting. The hosts bring a polished, journalistic, audio experience to present a multifaceted insight into the world of podcasting and the personalities who produce them. Season One explores topics including: Podcasting for hobby or business, the podcast community, statistics and demographics, advertising on podcasts, podcast networks, the psychology of podcasting, outsourcing production or doing it yourself, the reaction of broadcast radio, and much more. www.thepodcastproducers.com
Hosts: Jessica Rhodes and Corey Coates (Twitter) | Subscribe Today!

Podcast Report. What's new in Podcasting that affects your bottom line? Paul Colligan, author of The Business Podcasting Bible (published before anyone had ever even heard of the iPhone), and the #1 Amazon book (in 7 countries) Podcast Strategies and How To Podcast 2015, takes a new look at the Podcasting Industry with The Podcast Report. Learn the new and newsmakers that are helping make Podcasting what it is today. thepodcastreport.com
Host: Paul Colligan | Subscribe Today!

Podcasters Group Therapy. Each week long time podcasters Corey Fineran, Tawny Fineran and Nick Seuberling talk about podcasting. From tips on how to make your podcasting workflow better, how to maximize audience growth using social media and more. Whether you're wanting to start your podcast or if you've been podcasting for years, Corey, Tawny and Nick make this discussion on podcasting useful for everyone! podcastersgrouptherapy.com
Hosts: Corey Fineran, Tawny Fineran and Nick Seuberling | Subscribe Today!

The Pub. Current's weekly podcast about news and trends in public and nonprofit media. current.org/category/thepub
Host: Adam Ragusea (Twitter) | Subscribe Today!

She Podcasts. She Podcasts is a show all about podcasting - for women - by women. Hosted by Jessica Kupferman and Elsie Escobar - two of the leading voices in podcasting - this show is dedicated to addressing all the things that come up for podcasters from a female perspective: news, tech gadgets, relationship management, interview best practices, show notes, everything you can think of can and will be covered. As podcasters, women often have a unique approach to all aspects of creating and growing a podcast - the tech, the interview, the sharing - all of it. Our mission is to highlight, enhance and support current women podcasters by creating a supportive, fun and nurturing community as well as a platform for continuing to cultivate stronger and more powerful voices in the world of podcasting. Our Facebook group is a safe place for women podcasters to celebrate, commiserate, and help support one another. shepodcasts.com
Hosts: Elsie Escobar and Jessica Kupferman | Subscribe Today!

The Showrunner. A weekly podcast about podcasting hosted by veteran podcasters Jerod Morris and Jonny Nastor. They provide actionable advice mixed with doses of inspiration to help podcasters take their shows from good to great. rainmaker.fm/series/showrunner
Hosts: Jerod Morris and Jonny Nastor | Subscribe Today!

Spreaker Live Show. For you the podcast creator and listener who love the freedom and openness of independent podcasting - since 2004. The show will cover podcasting news, tips, and interviews with leading podcast hosts, podcasting experts joining us on the show. The show is hosted by Rob Greenlee, Head of Content for Spreaker and is also the co-host of "The New Media Show". Regular guests will be Francesco Baschieri (Twitter), CEO, Anna Piazza and Tonia Maffeo, both Spreaker community managers. www.spreaker.com/show/spreaker-live-show
Host: Rob Greenlee | Subscribe Today!

Tape. A radio show about people who make radio. taperadio.org
Hosts: Mooj Zadie and Mickey Capper (Twitter) | Subscribe Today!

I'm pretty sure that after reading this list, you're all like...

As with all lists, I'm sure to have missed one or two. Have a favorite in the bunch? Either way, please leave me a comment below!

Dig the list? Sharing the article on social media would be an extremely kind gesture.

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The Exhaustive List of Podcasts About Podcasting

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(Originally posted on Medium on 11/12) I always have an interesting discussion when I describe to people what my podcast is about. I tell them "it's a podcast about podcasting, I know, super-meta, huh?." I didn't even know podcasts about podcasting was a thing!

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Ashley S.
Branding & Marketing Specialist

How to create a great Podcast name

Hey, I'm Ashley (Branding Expert) and I'm going to guide you through how to create the perfect name for your Podcast!

It goes without saying that a badly named Podcast will struggle to capture and engage new listeners and in an already competitive landscape, your Podcast Name is the first touch-point your podcast will have to capture new listeners.

In this guide, you'll learn all the tips and tricks branding experts use when it comes to name Podcast's. I'll also do an analysis of real Podcast names to help you understand why the name works so well for them!

1. Create a Tone and Personality in your Podcast Name

When there seems to be a podcast for every industry or topic on the internet, creating a unique, interesting and memorable Podcast Show name can be a difficult task. A good place to start the naming process is by really defining, at its core, the type of content, topics or information your podcast will produce and using words that capture those ideas.

For example, if you're creating a fun talk show about astrophysics setting the tone and personality in your podcast name will help you attract the right type of audience. Some podcast names that convey a fun and entertaining tone could be: " Astro-World Daily " or "To Infinity & Beyond!" (Also a Toy Story Reference if a kid/education focused podcast).

In contrast, if your podcast is a more higher-level educational astrophysics show, names that could convey might be: "Cosmic Engine" or "Galileo's Galaxy"

2. Be appealing and relevant to your target audience

When developing ideas for your Podcast name it's essential you create a name with your target audiences in mind. Ask yourself questions like:

What are their interests?

Why should they listen to your show?

What about your show name is interesting or relevant to them?

With your name, you have a couple of words to tell them what your podcast is about and/or capture their curiosity. To help the creative process, write down a list of keywords or phrases relevant to your podcast industry, create a shortlist of your best names and be sure to get feedback on it from any potential listeners.

3. Have timeliness in your podcast name

Better used for news, educational or talk podcasts, alluding to the shows length or timeliness of your podcast in the name is a great way to capture audiences that are either time poor or looking for a full-length podcast. Some examples of this can be seen in popular podcasts like:

Dissect - Dissect is a music podcast whose host breaks down the musical theory and inspirations behind popular music. A typical episode length is 45 mins to an hour, using the word 'Dissect' conveys a show that is in-depth and provides well thoughtout ideas.

This Week in Tech - A much more straight forward podcast name, this show lets audiences know exactly what they can expect and what it's about.

Murder Minute - With a typical length of 30 minutes, this podcast is made for audiences on a short commute or wanting a quick fix of true crime drama.

4. Check the Domain Availability!

A typical pitfall for many up and starting podcasts is failing to secure the website/domain name for their show. As your podcasts builds a strong and steadily growing audience base, you'll want to direct them to any merch or offers from your show. By securing the exact name of your podcast (.com's are always the most memorable), you'll mitigate the amount of listeners that go to the wrong website or aren't able to find your podcast because of a totally different or irrelevant domain name.

Should you use your real name when Podcasting, or a Pseudonym?

A common question new podcaster's have when starting out is whether or not they should use their real name. Whilst there are both risks and benefits for each, here's our advice when thinking about your podcasting persona:

Share your business name ideas

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Ashley S. Branding & Marketing Specialist Hey, I'm Ashley (Branding Expert) and I'm going to guide you through how to create the perfect name for your Podcast! It goes without saying that a badly named Podcast will struggle to capture and engage new listeners and in an already competitive landscape, your Podcast Name is the first touch-point your podcast will have to capture new listeners.

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audacity (Video)

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audacity (Video)

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How to Edit a Podcast in Audacity [2020]

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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The easiest way to record your podcast in studio quality

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audacity (Guide)

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audacity (Guide)

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This guide is for those who want to be walked through the process step-by-step. It was developed by Ian M. Cook and Dumitrita Holdis.

This guide is available as a .pdf

how_to_edit_your_podcast_in_audacity_-_a_step_by_step_guide.pdf

And below:
1. Import the audio you have previously recorded

Use Track One for your main audio track (e.g. narration, interview, discussion)

Place the audio material in sequence (e.g. intro narration, interview, outro). When you import multiple tracks, the audio will appear on different tracks. Move it so that all the audio is on one track.

Leave an empty track underneath for editing

You will add music, sound effects or secondary audio later in the editing process

2. (Re)listen to your material 3. If you have background hiss, computer noise or other wanted noise remove it 4. Delete unwanted material

Delete any material that you will not use

For now just concentrate on the large chunks that you don't need, don't worry about coughs or other minor noises that you want to fix.

5. Move everything into the right order 6. Go through the audio and fix all the unwanted noises

Sometimes you will want to delete and close the gap, for example if there is a cough

But sometimes you will not want to close the gap and yet still remove the noise, for instance if somebody breathes loudly. For such occasions copy a section of audio during which nobody is speaking (e.g. at the start of the recording) and paste it over the unwanted noise. This will preserve the natural pacing of speech.

7. Make the volume consistent throughout the podcast

Normalise the levels, choosing -2.0 for your peak amplitude

Amplify any areas that remain too quiet

8. HIGHLY OPTIONAL - Improve the audio quality

Use the compressor tool to make parts sound louder, more 'in your face', softer or so on

Use the equalisation tool to manipulate the frequencies, for instance if you want to make a voice less nasal or deeper

9. Add music or sound effects

If you are using music/sound throughout the podcast, remember that there are two ways to paste, one that shifts everything else on the track and one that doesn't.

Now that you have material on two tracks you might need to move many things at once, pay attention to if you want material to move as one or independently

10. Export your finished podcast

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How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity - A Step by Step Guide

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This guide is for those who want to be walked through the process step-by-step. It was developed by Ian M. Cook and Dumitrita Holdis. This guide is available as a .pdf how_to_edit_your_podcast_in_audacity_-_a_step_by_step_guide.pdf And below: 1. Import the audio you have previously recorded Use Track One for your main audio track (e.g.

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Do you want to learn how to start a podcast? You've come to the right place: Welcome to "How to Start a Podcast in 2020 Part 1!"

IDEA

First thing's first. Begin by asking yourself why you want to start a podcast. Do you want to make people laugh? Do you want to comment on the daily news? Do you want to educate your listeners with experts in a particular field? Spend some time brainstorming on what you want to communicate with your listeners.

It's also important to consider who your listeners are. Are they close to your age? Do they live in a particular place? What do they enjoy doing? By narrowing down who you are talking to, you can determine how to deliver your message in a way that they will respond to.

FORMAT

Your answer to the above questions will help inform what format your podcast should be in. There is no "best" format. Choose the format that makes the most sense to you and that will best communicate your message.

Some popular podcast formats are:

Solocast

Interview

Conversational

Educational

Fictional Storytelling

Non-Fiction Storytelling

For a detailed breakdown of podcast formats, check out this blog post!

NAMING YOUR PODCAST

Every podcast needs a name. Ideally, you want to come up with a name that is unique, easy to remember, and gives some information on what the show is about.

Brainstorm ideas, and then give them time to sink in. Are you feeling anxious to get started? There's no need to rush! The last thing you want is to decide on a name, and then halfway through your first season realize that you'd rather have something different. Once you've started with your podcast, changing your name isn't impossible, but rebranding does put you at risk of losing audience members.

When choosing a name for your podcast, keep in mind that podcasts are only searchable by the podcast name and the creator's name in Apple Podcasts. Does your name align with your subject matter? Will it be easy to find if someone is looking for it? Do your best to make your show as easy to find as possible.

Once you have a name that you like, do a search to check for podcasts with similar names. If there's an existing podcast with a substantial audience or if the domain and social media handles are taken, it might be a good idea to tweak your name. You want your listeners to be able to find your show without confusing it for another.

CHOOSING EQUIPMENT

To record your podcast, you'll need some basic equipment. There are many options for fancy equipment, but the truth is - you don't need the most expensive option in order to have a high quality podcast.
You'll need:

Laptop / computer

Microphone

Headphones

Optional:

Mixer/ audio interface

Additional microphones

Boom arm

Shock mount

Pop filter

Audio interface

If you are planning on doing a solo show or recording guests online, then a simple USB mic that connects directly to your computer will be sufficient. However, if you are planning on recording multiple hosts or in person guests, then you might need something more advanced.

DYNAMIC MICS VS CONDENSER MICS

Dynamic mics focus on your voice and block out other sounds. These mics are a great option for spaces without a lot of sound proofing. For those recording out of a home studio, a dynamic mic is probably the way to go.

Condenser mics pick up a larger range of sound. Condenser mics are great if you want the full depth and dimension of a voice. Put simply, condenser mics are very accurate and will pick up even the most delicate sounds. Condenser mics are best suited for podcasters with a full studio setup. Although they can be used in a home studio, they do not work as well in high density areas ie: larger metro cities since they will pick up the sound of traffic and emergency vehicles.

If you've found this post helpful, then you'll love the courses and connections exclusive to StartAPod users. We offer comprehensive courses and connections to potential advertisers that can't be found anywhere else.

Ready to move on to the actual recording? Check out How to Start a Podcast in 2020 PART 2!

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How to Start a Podcast in 2020 PART 1 - StartAPod

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Do you want to learn how to start a podcast? You've come to the right place: Welcome to "How to Start a Podcast in 2020 Part 1!" IDEA First thing's first. Begin by asking yourself why you want to start a podcast. Do you want to make people laugh?

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Everything you need. Right where you need it.

Along with tools for colour, audio and graphics, Premiere Pro works seamlessly with other apps and services, including After Effects, Adobe Audition and Adobe Stock. Open a Motion Graphics template from After Effects or download one from Adobe Stock and customise it - all without leaving the app. And Premiere Pro integrates with hundreds of partner technologies.

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Join our newsletter for everything you need to know. Start with our 20-part intro series to get set up with top quality, & continue with our regular equipment, growth & monetisation resources, plus updates on the other work and products we provide.

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The Best Podcast Microphones on the Market, for all Budgets & Levels

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How To Create Podcast Cover Art: A Complete Guide

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How To Create Podcast Cover Art: A Complete Guide

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First impressions count, there's no denying it. And, although people always say to never judge a book by its cover - they inevitably do, especially when it comes to podcasts. Good cover art can make the difference between being 'featured' in Apple Podcasts (which is the new branding and identity from iTunes) and gaining tons of new listeners, to appearing unprofessional and setting your podcast up to fall flat on its face.

Therefore, the real question is: how do you make your podcast's image pack a proverbial punch? Luckily there are some handy (and easy-to-follow) tricks you can employ which will immediately help your visuals - we've listed 9 of the most important in this written tutorial. Read the guide, cross the items off your checklist and give your podcast some added pzazz!

1. Get Your Podcast Artwork Dimensions Right

Size DOES matter. First off you need to ensure your artwork follows some basic requirements (which are pretty much the same wherever you're submitting) in terms of dimensions so that it gets accepted across the main podcast directories.

Most importantly, you need to be 100% sure that your image fits Apple Podcasts requirements. Although Stitcher, Google Podcasts and all the others out there are great, Apple Podcasts is without a doubt the biggest platform and luckily as a consequence, most other platforms have followed suit to create similar requirements.

Here are the Apple Podcasts' album artwork specifications:

Must be a minimum 1400 x 1400 pixel resolution, recommended 3000 x 3000 pixels

Must be a JPEG or PNG file

Must be in the RGB color space

Last but not least, before finalizing your design check how it looks in smaller formats too. You want to make sure your podcast cover art resolution stays crisp, and always easy to read when displayed in different dimensions on the various Apple Podcast sections and also when scaled down to thumbnail size on mobile devices.

Here are three of the key Apple Podcasts dimensions to be aware of:

iTunes Store Podcast Page on desktop displays at 220 x 220 pixels.

iTunes Store New and Noteworthy Section on desktop displays at 125 x 125 pixels.

Apple Podcasts on mobile displays at 55 x 55 pixels.

2. Check Out the Competition

If you're lacking inspiration for your podcast cover art, a great way to get your creative juices flowing is by looking at what your competitors and peers are up to.

For example, if your podcast is centered around learning, why not try selecting the Apple Podcasts category for 'Education' see what's already listed? Or click the 'What's Hot' section for 'Education' and have a think about why those particular podcasts stand out from the crowd.
Below is a snapshot of the current educational podcasts in the section. Take the time to look at the podcasts included, think about which one your eyes are drawn to, why is that? Do they have anything in common? What have other podcasters done which might work for your podcast?

3. Communicate Your Podcast's Message

Your podcast's artwork is the first touchpoint your listeners will have with your podcast. That's why it's SO vital that you immediately communicate what your podcast's about, the topic, theme or ethos of your podcast - using imagery, visuals and colors.

Your podcast artwork has to visually evoke the content of your podcast to your listeners. With this in mind, think about the answer to this question and it might help inspire you: What is my podcast really about?

Here are some great examples from our community:

4. Keep It Consistent With Your Podcast Logo and Brand

Never underestimate the importance of brand consistency: you want your customers to instantly recognize your brand, wherever it is being represented. That's why you should use the same logo, fonts and color scheme for your artwork, whether it be on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts or your social media accounts, so as to visually connect your brand.

Spreaker Top Tip!
Create a template for episode images to distinguish episodes from each other whilst keeping them consistent with the podcast's overall artwork.

5. Use Design Tools or Outsource Cover Art Creation

If you're quite a creative person (lucky you!) and you're wondering how to create your cover art using a specific tool, well we've listed some of the best design tools available for developing your album artwork. If like most of us you somewhat lack artistic creativity, no worries, outsourcing is also a great option. We've summarized the best options for both categories of person below.
Design Tools:

- Create your own images using one of the custom templates available. There are both free and paid versions of Canva's stock images available, with images costing as little as $1, and you only pay once happy with the image in your artwork.

- Snappa is a free graphic design tool that allows you to create eye-catching images in minutes with professional quality templates and a library of over 500,000 photos to choose from.

- Over a million icons and images, hundreds of design templates, ready to go quotes and shapes and graphics. Stencil is extremely easy to use for people looking to create professional looking graphics.

Desygner - Desygner is a free graphic design software with thousands of ready-made beautiful templates which can easily be tweaked, shared and printed in minutes. Best of all, it can be used on your computer, tablet or even a phone.

Outsourcing Your Cover Art
If you decide to outsource your artwork you essentially have two options: and .

Fiverr offers the option to find design freelancers who provide excellent quality work at decent rates. With Fiverr it's your responsibility to contact and select from the potential candidates and it's always better to go with someone who has good feedback and a portfolio you like. All designers will want to receive a very detailed brief, so if you're going to use the platform, make sure you have a clear idea in mind!

Alternatively, with Upwork, you publish a job with your requirements and wait to receive applications from potential candidates - it's the better solution if you don't have a clear idea in mind. You'll probably receive lots of applications but you can sort through the candidates quickly by seeing who's got good feedback and a portfolio that you like! It's also standard practice to discuss with your chosen designer the specifics of the job (which could lead to their initial quote price rising).

6. Use High Quality Images (which aren't already overused!)

Using a quality image will convey that you mean business with your podcast. Your potential listeners will already know that they are looking at a podcast, so avoid using overused and obvious images such as microphones or headsets - they're boring and a waste of space.

If don't know where to even begin looking for an image, why not try some of these websites, which offer free stock images: , and .

7. Make it eye-catching

As listeners browse through podcasts on Spreaker, they'll be deciding in a matter of seconds which ones to listen to, based solely on who has attractive or unattractive images. So, consider creating artwork with bold contrast and try to use images that will immediately catch people's eye as they're scrolling through. And it goes without saying that if the artwork isn't attention-grabbing enough, Apple Podcasts won't feature it.

8. Use Your Words Carefully

Don't use too many words, listeners don't have the time nor want to read a full blog post explaining what your podcast's about: save those syllables for your podcast description section!
"The easiest word to remove from your cover art can be the word 'podcast,' as it's really unnecessary in your title. [...] Think of 'podcast' as the label for your distribution method (which it actually is, technically) and not part of your title unless necessary."
9. Don't use more than 2 fonts

Your artwork's text needs to be legible, even in the tiniest dimensions. That's why font is so important. to be legible, unless they're really big (and never put a script font in all-caps!).
Another great tip from Daniel J. Lewis : Serif fonts (with "feet"), like: Times New Roman , Garamond, Bodoni often have thin lines and small details that get lost or blurred at small sizes. Script fonts can be too ornate Sans serif fonts ("without feet"), like
Arial, Myriad Pro, or Futura, work really well with thick or uniform-thickness lines, clear characters, and strong contrasts from the background.

Whether your podcast's been running for a long time or just getting off the ground, a great image is vital to its success - use these top tips and see what sort of impact your visuals have on your podcast's popularity!

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How To Create Amazing Podcast Cover Art: A Complete Guide - Spreaker Blog

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First impressions count, there's no denying it. And, although people always say to never judge a book by its cover - they inevitably do, especially when it comes to podcasts.

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audition (Video)

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How to Edit Podcasts with Audition (Video)

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How to Edit Your Podcast with Adobe Audition

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🎙7 Easy Ways to Promote Your Podcast 📣📣 Free Podcast Promotion