As you are aware, podcasting is a quickly expanding industry if you have been following the most recent news in the media and technology. In actuality, there were 48 million podcast episodes and an astounding 485 million podcast listeners globally as of last month.
Read More: Professional podcasting
Although most podcasts are not (yet) lucrative, demand and advancements in audio advertising technology are starting to open up more avenues for dedicated podcasters to make money off of their work. Indeed, it is anticipated that U.S. expenditure on podcast advertising would increase to $1.33 billion in 2021 and reach $2.7 billion in 2025.
Whether your desire to start a podcast stems from a career, a personal interest, or an entrepreneurial attitude, you’ll want to make sure it sounds amazing and draws in as many listeners as you can.
Step 1: Make the Correct Podcast Equipment Invest
These days, the foundation of a podcast studio can be any high-end laptop that has editing and recording software installed.
To ensure that your voice sounds as clean and natural as possible, get a high-quality microphone and headphones in addition to your laptop or desktop computer.
You will lose your audience if they are straining to hear you. Using the computer’s built-in microphone is not advised.
The first important consideration when selecting a microphone for your podcast is: USB vs. XLR?
Mice with USB connections are incredibly cheap and provide a simple plug-and-play option. Nonetheless, audio experts often prefer XLR microphones. Although they need extra gear to connect to your computer, such as an audio interface or mixer, they provide a lower noise floor and more versatility than most USB microphones.
For podcasters, a good pair of headphones is particularly essential since they let you watch your recording while it’s occurring and modify as needed (such pulling the microphone away from the speaker to compensate for popping noises or air conditioner hum).
We suggests: A Focusrite Scarlett interface and a Shure SM7B microphone. Pairing it with the Sennheiser HD280 headphones is possible.
Step 2: Select an Engaging Podcast Subject
Prioritize self-awareness and goal-setting for your podcast. With your podcast, what goals are you aiming to accomplish? Are you attempting to entertain, enlighten and educate your audience, create a community of similar minds, motivate them to take action, or something else entirely?
Once your objective has been made clear, it is preferable to stick to subjects you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about. Consider starting a popular podcast as a marathon rather than a sprint, as it might take some time to develop a sizable following.
Lastly, determine who your target customer is. Successful podcasters need to understand their potential listeners, much as successful firms conduct market research to learn about the newest trends and customer interests.
For instance, you should know the general age range and demographics of homeowners if you intend to launch a podcast on home renovation projects. Select a subject on which you can reliably provide excellent material.
Because there is an abundance of material in the world, it will take consistently excellent content to stand out.
Step #3: Select the Format and Length of the Episode
Podcasts come in a multitude of forms and styles, including co-hosting, narrative, solo or monologue-style commentary and opinions, and interviews. Select the podcast format that best suits your network, special interests, and skills. Keeping with the home improvement theme, for instance, you could know of experts you can interview for your podcast series on various project types since you have experience working with or being a contractor. Roofers, garage organizers, paint color specialists, and other professionals might enhance the intrigue and complexity of your program.
#4. Take a Clear Recording
Once you’ve selected a subject and are prepared to record, there are a few key points you should remember. Although there is more to getting a very professional recording than we can discuss in this post, we will touch on several important points here.
First, ensure that the area you’re using for this has little background noise that your microphone may take up. Numerous aural distractions might arise from large, open office environments or from sitting near a window with street traffic.
Though it’s not necessary to soundproof a whole room, perform some testing and steer clear of spaces with plenty of surfaces that reflect sound, such as marble, tile, and glass, as they might reverberate.
To make things seem natural, avoid consuming or chewing gum. Instead, use an outline. Instead of writing the full episode, use the outline as a broad guide: Scripting that is word for word typically sounds less conversational. Flexibility is essential, especially when dealing with visitors. As long as things don’t go too out of hand, you want to allow for some creative deviations from the plan.
Step #5: Don’t Neglect the Editing, Post Production, and Feedback
Professional podcasts, such as those produced by large networks, typically undergo a rigorous editing process. Many of the programs you may use to record podcasts, such Adobe Audition, Garageband, and Audacity, also provide editing features.
In post-production and editing, components such as music beds, pre-recorded intros and outros, and the removal of undesired elements from the raw recording—such as long silences, sneezes, ums and ahs, expletives, etc.—may be added.
Other software alternatives, like Notetracks Pro, allow your guests to provide comments on the episode and improve and enable creative cooperation with your podcast staff and/or guests. For example, you may quickly provide feedback on the podcast timetable and ideas for the post-production phase using Notetracks Pro. It’s free to try for seven days.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a network to acquire a podcast that sounds professional because there are so many choices accessible. Given the surge of interest in audio material worldwide, it is well worth the time and money to invest in appropriate software and technology as well as careful content design.