How to Create a Successful Podcast

In a previous article, we introduced you to podcasts by showing you the basic things about what a podcast is.

Now, we are going to give you the knowledge you need to create an actual podcast.

Creating your own podcast is easier than you think! Whether you have a passion for storytelling, want to share your expertise, or just enjoy conversations with friends and others, creating a podcast is a great way to express yourself and reach a wider audience.

Choose a topic and format for your podcast

Your Topic

First and foremost, you need to choose a topic. This must be something that interests you, and your listening audience. There is a way to achieve both these results, which I am going to show you right now.

Consider this. What is your area of expertise? What are you passionate about? What gets you excited? Think about somthing you love and know more about than most people. This must be something that gets you in the mood, where you can't wait to get out of bed in the morning and share your knowledge with the world.

Once you find the answers to these questions, you will be able to create content that is engaging, real, genuine and authentic. Your expertise, passion and excitement is going to carry over to the podcast you create. The more excited you are, the better your podcast will be. You will feel this excitement, and so will your audience.

Your Format

Do you want your podcast to be a solo show, an interview-style podcast, or a panel discussion?

Do you want music at the beginning and end of your podcast? How about soft, background music during different parts of your podcast?

Choose a format that makes your podcast the best it can possibly be. The sky's the limit. Now is the time to turn on all of your creativity.

Once you have chosen your topic and format, you can start planning and recording your episodes. You are now ready to take on the world. This is where the fun begins.

How podcasts are made

To make a podcast, you need two things: A recording device, and an app or software to edit your audio. You may think editing a voice recording sounds crazy, but this is the essential part of making a podcast. It adds to the listener's experience. Voices are enhanced, so they sound richer and more intimate. And unwanted or unnecessary information is removed for clarity and conciseness.

A podcast starts with something as simple as recording your voice on your app on your phone, or, the software on your laptop. You can use the built-in microphones on your devices, but, if you want your podcast to be professional and sound good, you may want to invest in a better microphone. This will give you better quality files to be edited.

Get some quality equipment and software

Before going on, let me clarify something.

There are only two pieces of equipment you will need. One is a Microphone, and the other is Headphones. Or, you can kill two birds with one stone by getting a set of Headphones with a Microphone.

These items are NOT expensive. In fact, you can get all the equipment you need to create a quality podcast, and only spend around $50 to $60, or much less.

Check out WalMart or Amazon. They have some great deals on equipment that will surprise you.

As for audio editing software, there are tons of free software programs that you can download to your laptop or desktop, or from the App Store.

The mic that is built in to your laptop, smartphone or tablet just doesn't cut it. The sound quality is not there.

You will be surprised the difference an external mic will make.

Remember, the better the quality of your podcast, the more likely it is to attract and retain listeners. Even a very in-expensive external mic will make all the difference in the world, and provide you with the sound quality you need.

If you are using a laptop, an audio editing software I recommend is Audacity. It's open source (free), and is available for Windows and Mac. I've used it for years, and I love it.

Audacity is extremely easy to use if you are someone new to making voice recordings, music, etc. Its features are easy to understand. The software will really help you out in getting your voice to sound clear and crisp.

Why podcasters wear Headphones

People on podcasts use headphones to monitor audio levels and sound quality in real-time. It helps them identify and correct any issues during recording. Also, wearing headphones helps minimize audio feedback and echo.

Plan, script and record your episodes

With a podcast, you're not just talking to yourself. You're talking to hundreds of thousands of people. You're recording to yourself. There's a big difference.

Having a lot to say, and not having other voices in the room to hear you may feel a little awkward at first, because it is something new to you. Once you get into what you are doing, this feeling will go away very fast.

Tips for creating a podcast

1. Speak as if you're having a conversation. Pretend your audience is in the room with you.

2. Don't worry about mistakes. It probably will not be perfect the first time. That's what editing is for. Any mistake can be fixed. Mistakes are your little secret. You are the only one who will know that you made a mistake.

3. Don't read a script word for word. If you do, it will knock your personality and charisma down a notch.

There are 2 ways to approach this:

The more you do this, the more you will get the hang of it.

4. Stay on point. Don't ramble, because this will cause you to lose your audience very fast.

5. Have FUN. This is the big time. This is podcasting. Enjoy yourself. Don't approach it like it's a chore. It's all about the listeners. If your listeners have fun, you're going to have fun too.

6. It's very important to practice before you create the real thing. Do a dry run. Do several dry runs if you need to. The more you do this, the better you will be at it. Don't worry about editing when you do your dry runs. The important thing is to get some content you can play back.

7. Finally, remember this: When creating a podcast, editing is your best friend.

How long should a podcast be?

The length of your podcast depends on your subject, industry or genre. In some situations, around 15 to 20 minutes is perfect for your listeners.

Sometimes your specific audience wants more in-depth, exploratory information. In this case, 45 to 90 minutes would provide more value.

Do podcasts need music?

While podcasts are spoken forms of audio entertainment, like radio shows during the old days, a good podcast effectively uses music at various points to heighten emotion or create transitions.

Many podcasts have their own theme songs, background music, and closing credits music.

Music is added to get the listener merged into the story of the topic.

For adding music at the beginning of, during, and at the end of your podcast, there is nothing better than Audacity.

Conclusion

As your podcast becomes more and more successful, you may consider investing in more expensive equipment.

However, this is not really necessary, unless you want to. The recommendations made in this article regarding equipment will get you started, and keep you creating successful podcasts for a long time.

I hope this article has helped you.

AND:

Remember! At SurfSideSafe, we are here to make your life much better.