Podcasts have been a very popular form of media in the past decades, and the world of podcasting is still growing. More and more people are learning how to start a podcast and taking this medium and using it to advertise their business, or grow their social media following, and to even just talk about a subject or subjects that they enjoy and connect with others around the world who similarly enjoy them. It has become one of the best ways to bring together large communities of people with specific interest.

This form of content has even been used as an entertainment business and form of income itself. Overall, it has become a very profitable venture and regardless of what you are using yours for, if you put the work into it, it can be extremely beneficial for you! Getting yours set up right early on can help you reach that benefit even sooner! Taking your time and doing the research that you need to can be a great way to ensure that you start off right rather than figuring things out further down the line.

The Goal of This Article

One of our goals at Stock Music Central is to help new creators, whether professional or hobbyist, get started! We want to help them get started in the form of content creation that they have chosen. You should always take your time researching to get started right the first time through. In this article, we're going to talk about and break down how to start a podcast and hopefully, by the end of this article, you'll be ready to get yours set up and running. Here are the steps that we will be going over:

• Choosing Your Topic
• Researching Your Topic and Potential Audience
• Planning Your Podcast
• Choosing Your Equipment
• Put You Plan Into Action

When Did Podcasting Start?

2003 is when this form of media officially began, essentially creating a new type of audio show with a host, or hosts, that has many similarities to radio shows. This new media created massive interest in the power of internet entertainment among the younger generations and soon became an interest for not only the younger crowds, but for everyone! It also created a new medium for advertising and new forms of potential revenue streams for many people looking to get their own started.

In fact, it has become a more than twenty-billion-dollar industry and has generated over five hundred million listeners globally with expectations of continued growth. In America, it's said that the average American listens to not just one but multiple podcasts! With that sort of an audience, the financial opportunities that come with podcasts have grown as well! Consumption of this form of entertainment is still on the rise! So, whatever your end goals are, learning how to start a podcast is definitely worth it!

 

Step One: Choose The Topic Of Your Podcast

The first thing you'll need to do is decide on what exactly you want your podcast to be about. Odds are that you have already come this far. However, if you haven't, there are a few different factors that you will need to consider. First, why are you making this podcast? Is it to create a revenue stream for yourself? Or maybe it's to generate awareness for your business? Maybe there a subject that you've enjoyed for such a long time that you've decided to get your own podcast about it going? These sorts of questions will have a major impact on what sort of setup and research you will need to do in this first step.

Eplore Potential Topics

We will start by going over how to take care of some research to start giving you ideas if you haven't already decided on a subject for your podcast. Much like radio, there are many different topics that often generate good interest, but many of these subjects already have a large number of them started and going. This can create a lot of competition, which can cause you to have to do more work in the beginning and can cause a lot of difficulty down the line. This is by no means a reason to avoid it, especially if you love your chosen subject, but if you are not set on a specific topic, it may be best to find something with less competition, but still high interest. 

A great way to do this is by using a keyword research tool. Using this sort of tool can help you see what sort of topics are popular on the web with many searches performed for them each month. You can find a free one here at ahrefs.com: Free Keyword Generator Tool: Find 100+ Keyword Ideas in Seconds (ahrefs.com). Once you have a good list of popular topics, check out all the available podcast hosting sites, as well as YouTube, and look up your topics one by one. See which ones have a lot of content already going and which ones are still lacking in content.

Pick a Topic You Enjoy

Topics that only have a small number of podcasts already actively going that have extremely high watch rates could indicate a popular subject that doesn't have much competition. These are the ideal subjects that will likely be much less work for you, with higher benefit. Of course, it is also always helpful if you enjoy the topic that you are choosing because you'll already have a good level knowledge about what you've chosen, and you wont have to spend as much time doing research on that topic and on what sort of listeners will take an interest in it, which brings us to step two.

 

Step Two: Research Your Chosen Topic and Potential Audience 

Now it's time to learn more about the subject that you have chosen. This is a major step in learning how to start a podcast for your chosen subject! If you're not already familiar with it, you will need to spend some time researching. This is to learn enough to become an authority on your topic! Showing that you are knowledgeable with that topic will generate more interest among the ideal listeners for your podcast.  Do some research on what sort of listeners take an interest in your chosen topic as well. This way you know who your ideal audience will be.

 

In short, researching both your topic and your potential audience will greatly influence how you organize your podcast! It also has effect on what sort of content you will be producing in it, so it is very important not to skip this step.

 

Step Three: Plan Your Podcast

In this step, it's time to start planning your podcast. This means everything from what your content style will be all the way to the details. Details like whether or not you'll also be making the podcast in a video format, which many have been doing for some time now, or even our specialty, what sort of music you'll want to use for it. Like step two, you are going to want to take your time with this to make sure that you cover all the bases. Doing this will give your work the best possible start. The more you plan and organize in the beginning the more professional your project will be! This is often what attracts many listeners. 

The Details For Planning How to start a Podcast

You will need to decide on how long your podcasts will be in general, as well as what day and time you'll release each session if you decide on keeping a regular posting schedule. You are also going to want to decide on how many people will be regular co-hosts if you have any. The sort of guests you'll want to have on and how often is also something to plan out.

Podcast Music

Podcast theme music can be another important element to plan for in your project! We of course have to bring it up because that's one of our specialties. It is often a great addition because it adds more professionalism and entertainment value to your project. A catchy track can also help people remember your work more often and return for more. Background music can also be another important option, as well as transitional shorts. These sorts of tracks can help create the atmosphere or boost the theme of your work! These can better immerse your listeners into what you're discussing, increasing the enjoyment they get from listening.

If you're intersted, you can find these sorts of tracks right here at our website with these links: Royalty Free Intro Music for Vlogs, Videos, and More (stockmusiccentral.com) and Royalty Free Background Music for Vlogs, Videos, and More (stockmusiccentral.com)

Podcast Hosting Sites

Another important item when planning how to start a podcast will be where you upload your podcast. There are many free and paid places to upload your sessions to and it's a good idea to spend some time finding the best ones. Here's a quick list of some of the free and paid podcast hosting services:

• YouTube
• Buzzsprout
• Castbox
• Soundcloud
• Podbean
• Pocket Casts
• Anchor 

There are many more options for hosting your podcasts so doing your research is important to find the best one for yours. 

 

Step Four: Choosing your equipment

Now that you have your plan all put together, it's time to make sure you have what you'll need. The two most basic pieces of equipment are your computer of course, and a microphone. You don't have to blow your entire budget on the most high-end mic that you can find, especially when starting out. A good quality mic will do the job, and these days you can often find a good one for a reasonable price. Good quality computer mics can often be found at electronics stores and will generally range anywhere from forty to two hundred dollars.

Higher-end mics can often be found online and at music stores in their studio sections. Regardless of what route you decide to take, it's important to research each mic and look at reviews so that you find one that you're happy with. You are also going to want to make sure and get a stand for the one that you select. 

Next you are going to want to look for recording software. There are free options like Audacity, and paid options like FL Studio, and Cubase. There are many to choose from so like the other steps in this guide, you should do the research to find the one that is right for you. 

Other Items to Consider

You will also want to have more basic equipment like headphones, and you may want to even consider sound proofing equipment for the area that you'll be recording your podcast in. Things like acoustic paneling can help stop excess reverb and give you a more professional sound while being very easy to attach to walls and corners and other places. You may also want to find the right props and decoration that will match the theme of your project in the area that you going to record it if you've decided on filming it as well.

If you have decided on adding the element of video, these days you can often times find a camera that will shoot good high-quality footage for a relatively low price at most electronics stores, and buying online can bring an even better price if your budget has already been stretched thin getting everything else set up.

 

Step Five: Put Your Plan Into Action

Now it's time for the most important step in how to start a podcast, getting everything going. If you've read this far, it's time to put in the work! Remember, take your time planning so that you come up with the best possible podcast that you can. The better quality and more entertaining it is, the quicker it will grow in many cases! So, don't rush to get it up and running without giving it some good thought and planning beforehand. However, if the plan never gets off the ground, then it won't do you any good. That's why it's important to be ready to take the last step! You'll likely find that this can be the most fun step, even if there ends up being some difficulty that you have to face or even some changes that you have to make. Often times this can happen in the beginning. 

Here's a little more guidance to have a look at when thinking of ways to attract more listeners: