How to start a podcast. A step-by-step guide.

Starting a podcast can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the medium. This article breaks down the process into manageable steps, guiding you from the initial idea to launching your first episode. We’ll cover key aspects such as defining your podcast’s purpose, choosing the right equipment, and mastering the basics of recording and editing.

Whether you’re aiming to entertain, educate, or inspire, this guide offers practical tips and insights to help you create a podcast that resonates with your audience and stands out in a crowded field. Get ready to turn your podcasting dreams into a reality with clear, actionable advice.

How to start a podcast

While starting a podcast can be simple with just a microphone, a computer or phone, and headphones, truly building a great podcast involves more layers.

You’ll need to expand your initial idea into a series of episodes that keeps listeners hooked, plan your content with care, craft a memorable brand, and invest in the right tools. Yet, even with all of that, the most essential element (in our opinion) is your “why.”

Why do you want to podcast?

Everyone has a reason for starting a podcast, and it’s up to you to determine your reason for putting out episode after episode. Whatever your purpose or goal in creating this podcast is, it will come to define the podcast.

There are plenty of reasons that you could create a podcast. We’ll give you some of them, along with examples of each:

Marketing: Promoting a product
Personal: Following your day to day life
Creative Expression: Reviewing books, TV shows or movies that you watch
Community Building: Podcasting about being a parent
Education: Learning a new skill
Entertainment: Just chatting with your friends about a variety of topics

Another thing to keep in mind is your intended audience. Who are you creating the podcast for? Is there a void in the space that you’re targeting that this podcast will fill?

If you try to create a podcast in a space where the market is overly saturated already, you may struggle to get your intended audience to listen.

What is your show going to be about?

This is an incredibly important step.

Finding out for yourself what your show is going to be about is more than just picking a podcast topic. It’s finding ways to split that topic into however many episodes you need for your podcast to be consistent.

A lot of podcasts run into the brick wall that is simply not having enough content to talk about. If you’re making a podcast about a super niche topic because there isn’t a surplus of content out in the ether about it already, remember that there may be a reason that there aren’t many avenues of that content floating around.

Passion is another thing you need to make sure that you have. Lots of podcasts face consistency issues where the host(s) either are not committed to a schedule or they stop podcasting before they build the community.

What will the format be?

While some people suggest starting with “designing your show concept”, which means designing the purpose of the show, the target audience, and the concept, we suggest figuring out your show’s format first.

While branding and the name and content are all important, so is the style that you present your show.

Take Call Her Daddy, Alex Cooper’s podcast, which is one of the most popular podcasts in the world right now. When Alex was at Barstool Sports in the early days of this podcast, she and her former co-host Sofia Franklyn emphasized the entertainment aspect, going back and forth riffing with each other about a wide variety of topics.

Now, Alex styles the show in an interview format, which has drastically changed the show and made it more about her guests, increasing the popularity.

There are a wide variety of format options that you can go with here, the most popular (and most recommended for starting out) a video podcast.

Why is that, you ask?

Well, promotion and growth sit at the forefront of why. It is easiest to monetize a video podcast and also, the community aspect is important because your listeners/watchers will be looking at your face.

Other options that are possible to go with include:

Host and co-host: Dunc’d on NBA
Solo: Akimbo from Seth Godin
Interview: Call Her Daddy
Documentary Style: Serial
Roundtable: Fantasy Footballers

Planning your podcast

At this point of the process of creating your podcast, you should loosely know what kind of format that your podcast will live as, and what main topics you’ll be talking about.

Now, the next step is to fine-tune some of those things, starting with specific show topics and creating a run down for them. You should also be working on setting up your publishing and promotion schedules as well, so that you are consistent.

Creating a run down, or show sheet, for your podcast is very important. Some hosts can do without one, but most prefer to have an organizational structure on their podcasts so you don’t waste valuable listener time by rambling on about a topic. This will keep you on track to hit all of the topics that you have planned for that episode.

We will be creating an in-depth article on podcast run downs at a later time, but the basics are that you need to put the following things on your show sheet:

Intro/Hook: way to get your listeners hooked for that episode
Introduce your guest if there is one
Calls to action for your audience
Topics of that show and brief bullet points of notes to explain them
Timestamps for important show moments

Designing your podcast brand

Now that you’ve created what the podcast is going to be about, it’s time to do the fun stuff.

Picking a name, getting some graphic design work for the podcast artwork, and crafting the perfect description are some of the things people view as incredibly important but are usually best left until the end of the process.

When creating the name of your podcast, you want to make sure you’re giving a name that a large group of people will understand. Try to avoid inside jokes and don’t be too vague. Remember, podcast directories like Apple and Spotify function as search engines and people will have to organically pick your podcast out of the crowd.

Now, onto designing the artwork for your podcast. You want to keep things simple as much as possible, as it’s important that people look at your name and artwork and understand what the show is about as quickly as they scroll through.

Using consistent branding is important, too. Your designs and fonts should be legible, even in the smallest format.

As far as sizing goes for the artwork, your logo should be 3000 x 3000 pixels.

Apple Podcasts accepts show cover artwork ranging from 1400 x 1400 to 3000 x 3000 pixels, and the file type should be either a JPEG or PNG.

Lastly, your podcast description will help drive organic traffic to your podcast! Similarly to the podcast name and artwork, simple is best, less is more. The podcast description can help convince people that the show is right for them, and you should use it to try and hook them in.

A good description will include what a listener should expect on the feed, what kind of content they’ll see, how often new episodes will come out, and why the listener should tune in in the first place.

Buying Podcasting Equipment

We noted above that to start a podcast, all you need is a microphone, computer, and headphones. And while that’s true, there are tons of accessories and extras that you can buy to maximize your podcasting experience.

Don’t get carried away, though! Podcasting equipment can get very expensive if you don’t limit yourself to exactly what you should have, and not every podcaster needs the same equipment upgrades.

To keep things simple, we’ve created a three-tiered buyer’s guide to podcasting equipment.

Tier 1 – Beginners and hobbyists

Before we dive too deep into this, please note that these are one-person setups, as doing an in-person podcast with multiple people as beginner is a relatively challenging undertaking. Down the line, we’ll have a guide come out on multi-person podcasting setups, but the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is an excellent audio mixer for getting started with multi person setups.

Microphone and Audio Needs

The Elgato Wave 3 is an excellent choice of microphone for beginner podcasters despite being a little bit more expensive than most of the beginner options you can find. The biggest thing that makes it worth it, however, is the incredibly powerful built-in software that the Wave allows you to use.

You can easily customize the settings on this microphone to make you sound substantially better than other microphones in this price range with the powerful software, which is uncharacteristic for this price range of microphones.

Lots of podcasters utilize a mic arm, and we recommend this, too. Getting your mic off a surface like your desk leads to better sound quality because the mic is closer to your face. It also avoids incidental noises like hitting your desk and other vibrations.

Our main mic arm suggestion would be the Innogear Mic Boom Arm, which you can buy here. Either the standard or low profile options are a great starting point!

Camera and Video Needs

When you’re just starting out on your podcasting journey, often times the easiest answer is the simple answer. Start with what you have, and then build from there.

Quick question, do you have a smart phone?

Plenty of beginning podcasters (yours truly included) have used their phone as a camera. A majority of phones have advanced cameras that work perfectly for a podcast, so make sure you check out how to use your phone as a webcam.

If you decide to go in a different direction than the phone, we recommend the Elgato Facecam MK2, which costs $129. Like the Wave above, the software is a massive reason that we recommend this, and you really cannot go wrong here. We don’t recommend anything lower-priced, as the quality you’ll get with most options is poor.

When it comes to lighting, beginners should just maximize the light that they have available to them.

The lighting in your room, natural lighting from outside, lamps, all can be configured so that your viewers can see you extremely clearly, without any shadows or anything. Try to make the best of what you have until you can justify the purchase.

Tier 2 – Intermediate Levels

Once you get past the beginner stages of podcasting equipment, you should have developed your strategies and have set yourself to a consistent schedule of uploading episodes while working on building your community.

It’s time to start maximizing that potential by upgrading your equipment a little bit, so let’s get into it.

Microphone and Audio

The Shure MV7 is the best intermediate microphone that you can buy. At $179 for just the microphone itself, it isn’t cheap, but it provides excellent sound quality, and it comes with software that allows you to customize your sound. It also has the flexibility to be used as an XLR or USB microphone. We recommend purchasing the XLR option if your end goal is to use advanced equipment, as this will allow the MV7 to grow with you as your setup changes.

Shure recently released a refreshed version of the MV7 called the MV7+. We suggest sticking with the MV7 for now, as the main improvements made to the MV7+ are the additions of an LED touchscreen adjustment panel, as well as the change from micro USB to USB C. So if you NEED USB C, the MV7+ is a great option.

For the microphone arm, we fully recommend the Elgato Wave Arm in both the regular and the Low Profile versions.

As you get into the intermediate stages, you may be considering a setup for 2+ person podcasts. Keep in mind that this is still a challenging venture at this stage, but the following equipment will make it more manageable.

For podcasts with more than one person, you need an extremely directional mic so that sounds from the other person(s) don’t bleed over into your mic, and a good option here is the Rode PodMic. You’ll also need an audio interface to be able to route audio and adjust sound levels properly, and for that, you should target the Rodecaster Pro.

Camera and Video

Once you reach this stage, you should consider a camera that uses a capture card. A capture card allows you to record and stream video in real-time without losing any quality. It’s popular with video game streamers mostly because it enables them to keep streaming high-quality content while playing a game at the same time. Podcasting can be similar to this, so as you rise up through the ranks, capture cards can come in handy.

We recommend two options at this stage: the Elgato FaceCam Pro and Sony ZV-1. The ZV-1 is a great all-in-one camera option, but is a bit limited due to the fact that you cannot use external lenses.

Other potential camera options at this stage include versions of Sony DSLRs, cameras known for being very durable and offering higher shooting speeds without auto focusing and blurring the shot. They are also all have the ability to output a clean HDMI signal, which is 100% needed to use your camera as a webcam.

The cheapest and oldest option here is the a5100, but these are hard to find outside of eBay. You can use the a6100 or the a6000, but these are more expensive than the a5100. Any of these are a great option to get started.

A downside of the DSLRs is that while they are high-level from a production standpoint, they come with more expenses. You need a tripod or a camera mount in addition to the capture card and more cables, not to mention if you decide to use upgraded lenses.

We recommend that you invest in professional lighting equipment for lighting at the intermediate stage. The Elgato Key Light is a solid option. While expensive, they will work with your high-level to portray you very clearly to your viewers and come with very powerful software that allows you to set lighting brightness and temperature from their app on your computer or phone.

Tier 3 – Advanced Equipment

It’s all extremely high-level equipment suggestions once you get to the advanced tier.

At this point, you’re at the top of your podcasting game, and you’re looking for the top tier equipment, which means you will look and sound the best.

Don’t forget to keep focusing on creating the best content possible. Having the best equipment means nothing if you aren’t making good content! You still have to ensure that your podcast audience wants to tune into every episode.

Microphone and Audio

The Shure SM7B is the upper tier. A fully XLR microphone, the SM7B is the microphone of choice for all of the top podcast studios around the world and gives you everything you need to have the best sound quality.

At this point, you need a mic arm for your new Shure SM7b, and we recommend the Elgato Wave Arm in its standard or low-profile version.

Lastly, you need a top-tier audio interface/mixer to go along with that Shure microphone, so pick up an Elgato Wave XLR, Rodecaster Pro, or a TC Helicon Go XLR.

Camera and Video

In tier 3, every camera we suggest will require a capture card, tripod, and potentially an additional camera lens, so just keep that in mind.

The Sony a7 III and the Sony ZV-E10 are great options here. The Sony a7 III is truly a top-of-the-line option, where the Sony ZV-E10 is an elite option for 90%+ of content creators. The Sony A7 III has significantly more built-in options for optimizing the look of your video, but it also requires a bigger investment into camera lenses due to its “full frame” shot.

The Sony ZV-E10 is no slouch when it comes to built-in features, and will also save you money on lenses.

Both of these cameras require the use of an external lens. We suggest purchasing your camera with a “kit” that comes with a basic lens to start, figuring out the style and look you’re going for, and THEN making your upgrades. Generally speaking, the more advanced your gear gets, the more complicated the setup will be, so try to keep it simple while you can!

Recording, editing, and publishing your podcast

Once you have all of your equipment settled and you’ve outlined everything you need to do for the back-end of the podcast, it’s time to get to the fun part: recording the podcast! Editing and publishing come afterward and are processes you should look to excel at, but let’s start with the recording.

Recording

There are recommended processes for recording your podcast that differ based on the amount of people in the podcast, so let’s run through each of them.

Recording a solo podcast

The best way to record a solo podcast is to use OBS, or Open Broadcasting Software. The main selling point is that the app is free and most computers can run a basic version of it that will allow you to record your show.

OBS allows you to record both audio and video and customize your show by triggering sound effects and background music. If you want, you can also play prerecorded segments on OBS as well.

Recording with more than one person

When you are recording your podcast with more than one person in a space, there are a couple of other platforms that you can use instead of OBS that make things easier: VDO Ninja and Restream.

VDO Ninja, used with OBS, allows you to connect with your co-hosts and guests with almost 0 latency or delay. Besides being completely free to use, it’s very powerful, and while there is a bit of a learning curve in figuring out how to use it, it’s a very customizable platform. As long as you have a strong PC, you should be able to use VDO with OBS and avoid technical issues.

Restream is a program that, while made specifically for live streaming, is very user-friendly and allows you to easily connect with your co-hosts and guests.

It has a monthly subscription fee and it has slightly lesser quality than VDO Ninja and OBS, but it is significantly easier to use and we also prefer it over the other livestreaming platforms like Streamyard, Riverside, and other subscription-based services.

If you do not have a powerful computer, apps like Restream are your best bet. Using programs like OBS or VDO ninja, puts stress on your machine, and requires quite a bit of computing power to run.

We suggest starting with OBS and VDO ninja to see if your machine is up to the task, and then moving to Restream if needed from there. Restream is also a GREAT backup to have just in case!

Editing

After you wrap your recording of the podcast, it’s time to edit it, cleaning up dead air, those pesky uhms and uhs, and any other way you want to smooth things out to give you that professional feel. Some people like to heavily edit their podcasts if they feel there’s just too much content, whereas others don’t mind the length and publish the episode as is.

There are several different options for editing your podcast, both free and paid.

On the free side, you have options like Garageband on Macs and Audacity on PC. On the paid side of things, you can use the following options:

As we recommend most people start a video podcast as their first podcast, keep in mind that Audition, used for audio only, will be less helpful.

Publishing

Now, once the podcast has been recorded and you’ve finished making it look ready and presentable for people to be entertained by, it’s time to go get it listed in podcast directories so that it can get out to the public. There are quite a few podcast directories that we feel it’s important to be included in, so let’s get into some examples.

For most people and shows, Spotify for Creators (formerly Anchor) is an easy first place to get your podcast on. It’s free, easy to use, and allows you to get published in the main podcast directories easily. Spotify also has other more powerful enterprise hosting services like Megaphone that are easy to upgrade to when the time is right.

Some other options that are worth checking out are Blubrry and Libsyn. Neither are free, but both offer a strong podcast hosting platform with detailed analytics as well as making setting up the podcast incredibly easy.

We view the following podcast directories as being very important to be in:

Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Amazon Music

Some others that we’d also recommend for podcasters to make sure their podcasts are located on are iHeart Radio, Podcast Addict, Tunein, and Listen Notes.

Things to keep in mind about your podcast

As we wind down this piece, there are definitely a few things that you should keep in mind when looking at the post-production plans for your podcast.

Monetization

As we covered in our article on how to make more money with your podcast there are plenty of ways to drive revenue towards a podcast. From ads and sponsorships to premium communities, you should be actively looking at ways to maximize your base and keep working on growing your show.

How will you get people to listen?

People tend to think along the mindset of “If you build it, they will come”, and while It’s a good mindset to have, growth doesn’t happen by itself, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight.

Building that community is not the easiest thing in the world, although we will have an article coming out down the line on how to promote your podcast in plenty of ways.

Defining success and failure

Defining success and failure is tough, because everyone looks at it differently. You should try and figure out a metric outside of downloads that is important to you and your show, whether that is: