How Long Does It Take for Episodes to Upload to Itunes After Theyve Aired
If you're looking for a guide that walks you through how to first a podcast, you're absolutely in the right place…
Starting a podcast isn't hard, but at that place are a number of steps you'll need to go through in society to get it launched.
In this podcasting tutorial, we'll walk you through every footstep of the procedure:
- Choosing a topic & proper name
- Prove and episode format
- Embrace fine art creation
- Intro & outro music
- Equipment pick
- Sound recording & editing
- Submission to Apple tree Podcasts (iTunes)
- Promotion tips
And much more…
Bonus: Costless 10-Mean solar day "How To Showtime A Podcast" Email Class
Just click the link and enter your email to go the get-go lesson:
Click Here To Become The Free "How To Beginning A Podcast" Email Class
Only a few of the things you'll learn:
- What to podcast most
- Equipment y'all'll need
- How to record & edit
- How to promote your podcast
Go started today!
Podcasting is a much less crowded and competitive space than blogging, makingnow the perfect time to get started.
As of April 2022, there are but over two million podcasts, merely over 600 1000000 blogs!
In instance you're wondering, I've helped thousands of people start a podcast in the terminal several years and have started a few shows in different industries myself.
Looking to offset a podcast quickly? Sign up with Buzzsprout, upload your audio files, and submit to Apple tree & Spotify.
Let's get started:
Planning
This is the initial (oft overlooked) stage to make a podcast. You'll want to spend a good amount of fourth dimension here earlier you motion on.
Feel free to get out a notebook or a whiteboard and then you tin can start planning your podcast like a pro.
Choose A Topic
Y'all want your podcast to exist focused on a particular topic or niche.
Try to narrow it down to something you can speak about for many episodes (100+) but that isn't so broad that you lot won't appeal to your potential audience.
For case, instead of having an "outdoor" podcast, talk about hiking – or fifty-fifty more specific, similar hiking 14ers.
You can always aggrandize your topic afterwards equally you go more than popular.
Important: meet the department about choosing a name to brand sure you don't limit yourself.
Pick A Co-host (optional)
Do you accept a friend, business organization partner, or coworker that y'all desire to co-host with?
Information technology can be much easier to start podcasting if y'all have a co-host.
You will naturally take a more engaging conversation if you both share your points of view on a topic. It can also be helpful to have someone to keep things on track.
Plus, you can divide additional tasks of editing, promoting, and more.
There tin be downsides though.
You'll want to make sure both of y'all are committed to it for the long term. And it helps to set up a schedule from the beginning so yous know when you will be recording every week.
There aren't rules here though. If your co-host drops off, you could nevertheless continue the podcast without them. Or you could start solo and add a co-host later.
The important thing is to just get started.. so allow'southward choose a name:
Choose A Name
If you lot look at the top Apple tree Podcasts charts, you'll see a variety of different names.
Some are descriptive of what the show is about, while others don't mean much.
I'm really going toseemingly contradict what I said earlier: You want to choose aproper noun that is broader than your topic.
Using the hiking case before, if we choose "The 14er Bandage" every bit our name, what happens when we want to talk virtually backpacking & ultralight camping too?
Instead, choose a proper noun that volition let you expand if yous determine to later. Maybe "Mount Adventures (In a higher place & Below 14K ft)" would work every bit it gives a hint to hiking 14ers but gives you the choice to talk about all kinds of stuff if you want.
I just came up with that equally I was writing this, I'thou sure you could practice better!
Activity Step:Purchase a domain proper noun (opens in a new tab) for your podcast.
Some other option is to get a gratis domain name with a Bluehost spider web hosting plan. You lot can search right here on this page – try it out!
Please enter your domain.
Please verify that you are not a robot.
I also have some more tips on choosing a domain name here if you want.
Prove Format
Length
You'll detect a number of "experts" claim that certain lengths are perfect for podcasts. The problem is that's but BS.
You don't need a 28-minute podcast because that's the average driving time. Or under an hour because people can't pay attending longer than that.
There are 5 minutes podcasts and there are 6-hour podcasts. Find whatever works for you and run with it!
What I would try to avoid is making it longer than it needs to be considering you went off-topic for fifteen minutes.
Here's a great image from Pop Up Podcasting that shows "easy, expert, or long – choice ii":
Fashion
Interview shows are popular, but that doesn't mean yous have to practise one.
You can do solo (or co-hosted) shows one-half the time and interview shows the other half.
Ane big benefit of doing interviews is that they help a ton with getting new listeners – peculiarly if yous make it easy for your guest to share with pre-written templates and graphics.
Episode Format
Then what does a specific episode sound like? I wrote this post most podcast intros, but it has a bunch of examples of dissimilar episode formats for popular podcasts.
Here'southward one example:
- Teaser
- Intro Music
- Welcome
- Ad Spot
- Interview
- Call To Action ("Review us on iTunes!")
- Outro Music
Get creative with this part.
Dissimilar segments make it easier to share pocket-sized clips on social media also.
But recollect that for every episode you put out, you will have both repeat listenersandnew listeners and so you lot should effort to speak to both of them.
Grooming
Now that you lot've written downwards your topic, format(due south), and secured a domain name, we'll need to get a few things prepared ahead of launch…
Create Cover Art
Your cover art is the first impression most people volition see as they browse through Apple Podcasts or their favorite podcast app.
Information technology's might also exist the image someone sees when yous share your show on social media.
Buzzsprout has written an first-class commodity about designing cover fine art, so I would definitely start there.
If you take a little fleck of a upkeep, I highly recommend 99 Designs to become yours created.
You'll get hundreds of different designers to produce a typhoon – so you can choose the ones yous similar to take them further refined.
Become A Professional Intro (Optional)
Music Radio Creative is the best place to get professional-quality voiceovers and intros.
Having a third-party introduce you but takes your perceived value up a notch, which is a great mode to stand out when offset starting a podcast.
Choose Intro Music
I'thou a big fan of PremiumBeat for podcast music.
It'due south easy to search, you become a full license, and they have a agglomeration of dissimilar styles.
Take a look at this post on royalty-free music for more options.
Most people don't need an unlimited subscription-fashion music service – simply a song or two.
Get A Microphone
Audio quality is important merely information technology doesn't have to cost a ton to go a good quality microphone for podcasting. One of the most popular podcasting microphones is the Sound-Technica ATR2100x-USB (brand new version for 2020).
It's both a USB microphone and has an XLR connection which lets yous upgrade your recording equipment without needing a new mic.
I recommend taking a await at our podcast starter kit mail for more options here, peculiarly if you plan on having a co-host or two.
Podcast Guests
If you are doing an interview show, now is the time to go a list together of who you want on your podcast.
And so showtime reaching out to them.
It can help to utilize a service like Vigil Scheduling so people can book correct on your calendar when it's user-friendly for yous.
This saves the headache of going dorsum and forth working out a coming together time – and means you can focus on getting more guests!
Plus you tin can ask them for certain info like their Skype username or an intro y'all tin can read when they schedule with you lot.
To record your interviews when you're not in-person (or if your co-host doesn't tape in the aforementioned room with you lot) I use and recommend Iris.
Recording & Editing
Alitu (The Easy Manner)
If you lot haven't used editing software before, even simple actions in GarageBand or Audacity can be quite intimidating.
It's understandable: sound production is completely full of jargon!
If that'south the instance, and then Alitu might exist the manner to go.
It's a 'podcast making' tool that automates a lot of the confusing technical parts, and practically builds your episode for you. It'south all based correct inside your browser, so no software to download, and it works on whatever computer connected to the internet.
It is congenital to be super uncomplicated to use and does pretty much everything:
- Takes care of sound cleanup
- Lets you lot add music
- Helps you lot piece together your audio segments
- Has direct publishing of your episodes.
All yous need to do is upload your recordings, and use the fool-proof podcast-specific editor to have out any large mistakes. Alitu does the rest!
Fifty-fifty meliorate, Alitu includes a library of music and jingles which you tin use as your theme tune, or as transitions betwixt segments.
Whether you're a consummate beginner, or an experienced podcaster looking to drastically cut downwards on your production fourth dimension, you lot should definitely requite Alitu a attempt. It comes with a vii-day gratis trial, and then sign up here and endeavor it out!
GarageBand (Free Option)
I'm going to show you lot how to use GarageBand for recording and editing.
Other sound editing software is similar but well-nigh accept more avant-garde features that you lot don't need when getting started. Popular options are Adobe Audition & Audacity (both work with Mac & PC).
You tin can also bank check out our full post on podcast editing software.
Create A Template
Before you get started, information technology volition exist much easier if y'all create a template that you tin can reuse every time you record a podcast episode.
What this means is that you will accept your intro & outro music already placed, space for advertizement spots, besides as your tracks for your vox or an interviewee.
Keep in mind this will wait unlike depending on your episode format – create a podcast template that works for you. Here'south 1 I use:
I'll just open the template up, click File -> Relieve As, and salve the file as my episode name (i.due east. 008-episode-8-title).
This will likewise go on any effects you have applied to the tracks, including pinch, EQ, or annihilation else. I'll show you the settings I utilize in the editing department beneath.
Record Your First Episode (Or iii)
Solo
If y'all're just recording a solo episode or want to tape an intro to an interview y'all did, simply select the track you want to record to (run into the low-cal gray Podcast Sound rail selected to a higher place) and click the red Tape button upwardly top:
Multiple Hosts
If you take multiple hosts, you'll demand to click Runway -> Configure Track Header and cheque Record Enable.
This will give you the option to enable multiple tracks to record at once and you'll see the Record Enable button on each track:
Yous'll click that button on each track you desire to record, then click the big record push up summit. Easy enough!
Remote Interview
Many people use Skype for recording remote interviews and the easiest mode to actually record the audio (or video) is with Ecamm Call Recorder For Skype (Mac only) or Pamela (for Windows).
If you want better sound quality than Skype or Zoom permit, or a style to have individual audio files for more than two people, services similar Iris are excellent. They are designed for remote recording and podcast interviews.
When you are washed recording, yous'll have ii separate tracks that you will place on elevation of each other like this:
This as well shows some other template that you may desire to use. The Podcast Audio track is but used for solo shows, and the Interview tracks are but used for interview shows.
Edit Your Episode
There are a couple of things you can easily set one time (and save in your template) that will make your podcast (and your vox) sound much ameliorate.
Keep in mind that everyone'southward voice is different so there aren't perfectly universal settings, but these may give yous a good starting point:
- Select the rail yous desire to work with (offset with your vox)
- Click an empty space in the Plug-ins box
- Add compression by going to Dynamics -> Compressor:
- I apply these settings (sometimes I'll add more gain):
- Next we're going to add EQ (under EQ -> Channel EQ).
- Here are my settings:
- 100 Hz: 24dB/October roll off, Q: 0.79
- 160 Hz: -ii.5dB, Q: 2.20
- 500 Hz: -ane.0dB, Q: 0.71
- 930 Hz: -0.5dB, Q: 3.twenty
- 3400 Hz: +0.5dB, Q: 0.71
- 5400 Hz: +2.5dB, Q: 0.71
I'yard non going to go into what all that ways, only if you just do one, the depression-end roll-off (on the left) volition be a good start.
Or y'all can but download my Podcast Vocal EQ settings here (.pst file on Dropbox).
The last pace I'd recommend is going to Auphonic to apply some normalization for loudness (LUFS), leveling, and filtering. It will also automatically add ID3 tags should you need them.
Launch!
Get A Podcast Host
I use and highly recommend Buzzsprout podcast hosting after trying many different companies over the years.
Plus y'all'll get a complimentary $20 Amazon souvenir card after you lot sign up for a paid plan!
Experience gratuitous to check out our complete podcast hosting guide if you desire to meet other options, just another groovy choice for larger brands is Transistor.
You can also wait at this list of the best podcast platforms.
Once you've signed up, yous'll need to fill out some required data well-nigh your podcast (name, description, categories, etc.).
Upload Your First Episode
If you utilize Buzzsprout, this procedure is super simple.
If not, it'south possible you need to mess with things like embedding ID3 tags into your MP3. Sounds confusing and unnecessary – let's non do that.
You'll just need to click the "Upload" button:
and they'll apply some magic processing to your mp3 file.
Then you'll need to fill up out the episode championship, description, summary, publish appointment, and episode #.
If yous desire to employ Seasons, put a "i" there, otherwise exit it bare. If you apply a lot of bad words, click the explicit checkbox.
It can be helpful to create a template for your episode description (in a separate text document) to reuse for every episode – I use something like this:
Click save and repeat this footstep for your initial release of episodes.
It's recommended to launch a podcast with more than 1 episode so that people don't have to wait to hear more.
3 to five episodes is a good number to get-go with.
Submit To Apple Podcasts (iTunes)
I have a separate guide on how to submit your podcast to iTunes but within Buzzsprout just click Apple Podcasts under the Directories tab and follow the steps they've put together.
After that, catch your podcast RSS feed and submit it to other podcast directories too.
As you upload new episodes, your host will automatically update your RSS feed and any podcast directory you're listed on will also update with your new episode.
Spread The Discussion
Use Buzzsprout'due south social sharing characteristic to generate teaser videos and starting time sharing!
At that place are other companies that will help you generate different styles of audiograms, only having it built into your host makes information technology really like shooting fish in a barrel to create (and it won't cost you extra).
Wavve and Headliner are two excellent choices if y'all want to create more custom podcast videos to share.
Check out this article on podcast promotion to for a agglomeration of other marketing tactics. I of the most impactful ones is building your own website (see side by side step below).
Recommended Steps (Subsequently Starting A Podcast)
Your task isn't done once you start a podcast. Here are my recommendations to help brand your bear witness more appealing and easier to abound:
Create A Website
WordPress (Like shooting fish in a barrel To Medium Difficulty)
Podcast hosting companies usually requite yous a website, but if you want to be taken seriously get yourself a divide WordPress host.
For beginners, Bluehost is easily the best selection (plus you'll go a gratis domain name for the first year).
If you need a bit more guidance, beginning with this how to start a WordPress weblog post for the initial steps.
I have a listing of splendid WordPress plugins that a podcaster would need too.
And if you need more help, I accept a class called Podcast Website LaunchPad that walks yous through everything.
Podcastpage (Easiest Method)
Podcastpage is a website builder and hosting all-in-one made specifically for podcasts. Kind of like Wix but designed for the needs podcasters.
No coding is necessary. You just choose i of their themes, customize to your liking, and optionally integrate email marketing or Google Analytics.
You can add together pages or blog posts, customize your audio histrion, and make it easy for your visitors to subscribe!
It works with whatever podcast hosting provider and pricing is fair, starting at $eighty/year or $8/month.
Check it out and sign up for a complimentary trial here.
Get Transcriptions
Transcriptions are an excellent mode for search engines (like Google) to "read" your podcast episodes. They also give your audition another way to look something up quickly.
You lot don't accept to start out with them, but it'southward another one of those things that will ready you apart.
Buzzsprout has a built-in transcription service (on paid plans) that costs $.10/infinitesimal, but my favorite transcription service is Rev – requite them a endeavour.
Create Testify Notes
Show notes tin be transcriptions similar in a higher place, a uncomplicated summary of what y'all talked about, or a full blog post tailored more toward reading than listening.
Some people do a combination.
On this site, nosotros outset with written content first and so create podcast episodes after.
Embed Your Episode
Take hold of your episode embed code and place it on your show notes folio and then people can listen from your website.
Source: https://www.podcastinsights.com/start-a-podcast/