How to create a podcast: getting started & logistics for beginners

The first episode of Nifty Creatives is finally out. And with it the honor and responsibility of being an author (just kidding, the podcast is not nearly as big and impactful yet) ー but it’s finally out and live (*dances in happy). 

As a new podcast creator I found out ー  by friends reaching out to ask questions about starting their own journey ー that even though they have ideas for their own amazing podcasts they hesitate to get started. Taking the first step. 

But all hippy-dippy motivation speeches aside, once I started explaining the process behind launching the podcast, even though it’s easy, there are quite a few tiny elements that come together to get a podcast live. I’ll share mine (hoping it will at least save you my research hours, by having all the resources I needed, found, and used in one place).  

1. Put idea to paper

Get the name of your podcast, even of you will change it later. It will help visualize your podcast, and get you excited for it.  I used Google Docs, since I organize things easier and have access from any device. You choose what works for you (even pen and paper if that floats your goat).

Explain potentially in a short paragraph what do you want your podcast to be about. What is its purpose: entertain, educate, inform. 

Try to answer questions like: 

• What topics will your podcast have?
• Who do you see as guests in your podcast (if you have people in mind, or in line as guests, even better. Write em down babey!)
• How long do you want one episode to be?
• What language will your podcast be in?
• How often do you want to post?

I started with these, but you can refine more as you go. You will need a podcast description later on. So put some work to it. 

2. Structure your first episode

And by that I mean, set the guest, invite them, make sure they will come. And write a list of questions so that you can keep track and direction of the conversation while recording. A list of questions will help you guide the talk in the direction you want. NOTE: I combined conversation as spontaneously as possible with questions from time to time, to not lose track of what I wanted to get out of the conversation. 

3. Get your hands on a good mike.

Yes, good microphones can be costly (I borrowed mine), a Blue Yeti X (and I plan on doing more episodes  with it hehe). There are many microphones you can choose from, but do some digging into the one you choose.  For podcasts audio is key. You want a microphone that record you with high quality, helps filter background noise, and if you have a small voice like me feel more confident in the voice quality after the recording is done. 

4. Get you an audio editing tool. 

I used Adobe Audition. Did little research on the best tools to edit podcasts, and came across Adobe Audition. Used it to record the podcast and edit the audio (cuts and montage). If you have another tool at hand that you already use, go for it. Familiarity with the program lets you do everything faster. If not, dig into Adobe Audition. 

5. Choose the podcast theme music. 

I used MixKit to find free music to use without any copyright infringements. Also, a tip, find music that goes with the theme of the podcast, as that will add to your podcast’s identity. And find something catchy, who wouldn’t want to jam to some fine tunes. 

6. Do some channel art.

Yep, a podcast ain’t all audio. You need some cool visuals to flaunt it (a podcast cover, and an episode cover.) The easy way to go about it is by using Canva as I did. Canva has podcast templates you can use and modify to create something original, and that shows your podcast identity. Another way is to hire a cool designer to do it (if you have da money). 

7. Get everything ready to publish. 

Before we jump to the last part, you need to do an audit of everything you got. Episode ready? Check! Channel art ready? Check! Podcast description (that you created in the first step, and refined it on the way)? Check! Episode description and resource links? Check!  With everything ready, we jump into action. Hosting the podcast!

8. Choose a podcast hosting service. 

I choose Buzsprout. Because it kept on popping up as the best podcast hosting solution. It lets you upload up to 3h a month for free, and has a free trial/plan of 90 days. After that you have to upgrade your plan. If you don’t, your episodes get deleted after 90 days. You can explore other options here! (Edit: I switched to Acast after 200+ days, because it offers free hosting for as many episodes as you want, so they don't get deleted even if the podcast is no longer active).

9. Host your podcast. 

You create your account in the hosting solution you’ve chosen create your podcast and upload your episode. Add the podcast info and descriptions (from point 7), and publish. Once your podcast is hosted and live, you can use the RSS feed to link it to other podcast accounts like Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more places where you want your podcast available. Everything ready? Spread the word to everyone deserving of your podcast.

For monetization, planning, marketing, and more I am on a journey of learning by growing Nifty Creatives. Will share more insight as we go and grow!

Good luck and Godspeed.