How to Start Your Own Podcast

Podcasts have exploded in popularity over the past few years, with around 19 million people across the UK now listening to at least one podcast. In simple terms, a podcast is a broadcast which involves a discussion on one or more topics and can be downloaded or streamed over the internet. You can find podcasts on every topic imaginable, and they can also be monetised.

You can launch your own podcast pretty easily, but if you’re a complete beginner, you might be wondering where to start. In this guide, we’ll share some tips on starting your own podcast, including what equipment you should have and what you need to know.

Podcast Equipment

You may be surprised to know that you don’t need loads of fancy and expensive equipment to start a podcast. If you’re just starting out and trying it as a hobby, you shouldn’t worry about buying anything, as you can easily record a podcast with a phone and free editing software.

However, if you want to promote a business or use your podcast to make money, it’s a good idea to invest in a good microphone and record it in the highest quality possible. You can find podcast studio hire, which makes producing your show much easier.

Choosing a Topic

When starting a podcast, you normally need to have a topic or niche on which the show will be about. This will need to be something you’re interested in and that, hopefully, you have a lot of knowledge on. If you’re planning to have a co-host or other people on your podcasting team, you might want to include them in the process of choosing a topic, too, as they’ll also need to have some interest in the topic.

It’s important to choose something that you’re interested in, as you’ll need to research it in depth and talk about it a lot. Bear in mind that the topic you pick will also affect the type of audience your podcast gets and the ways you can monetise. You can break the topic up into smaller chapters or episodes and cover different topics within the same niche.

Choosing the Show Format

There are many different ways to record a podcast, and you don’t necessarily need to follow the crowd when choosing a format. You can create your podcast however you want and use whatever works best for you. Most podcasts are around just under 30 minutes, but you can go shorter or longer.

Interview podcasts are a popular format, but you can also do solo discussions or speak with a co-host about your topic of choice. The key is to keep things interesting for the whole show and to avoid going off-topic and making it longer than it needs to be.

Creating a Script

Your podcast ideally needs a script with the information that you’ve researched beforehand and a rough guide on what you’ll be talking about. However, you shouldn’t read directly from a script, as this can prevent the conversation from flowing naturally.

Aside from the ideas you cover in the podcast, your script can also include items based on the show's production. For example, most podcasts start out with some intro music and a short introduction to the listeners. If you’re placing ads, this is also important to include.

Monetising Your Podcast

Generally speaking, it’s best to build an audience before you start looking to monetise, but there’s nothing wrong with trying to make money off your podcast from the outset. The easiest way to do this is through ad partnerships, with many companies looking to pay for ad space on popular podcasts.

Alternatively, you can also use your podcast to promote your own brand, either directly through an advert or indirectly. A growing number of businesses are now creating their own podcasts, which use indirect marketing to reach a wide audience and generate leads.