Most people worry about getting the best equipment when they think of starting a podcast, but a podcast isn’t just about the gear. Every step — starting a podcast, promoting it and monetizing it — requires different skill sets. This guide will give you a step-by-step rundown about why you need a podcast in the first place, how to start a podcast and the various steps you should take to make it successful.

Table of Contents

• What Is a “Successful” Podcast?
• What Is a Podcast? Are They Video, Audio or Both?
• How Big Is Podcasting as a Business?
• The 13 Set-Process to Start a Podcast
• Can You Really Make Money Podcasting?
• Breaking Three Podcasting Myths
• Final Words

What Is a “Successful” Podcast?

So, what’s a successful podcast? It depends on your niche and, honestly, how you define success.

Various measures of success can include:

• Download numbers across all episodes and per episode.
• The money you make per episode.
• Traffic (organic and paid) to your website.
• Engagement and shares across social media channels.

If you occupy a small niche such as local news or tech product reviews, your numbers may not be as high as popular topics like productivity, psychology or true crime. How your podcast fits into your overall social presence also matters.

For example, The Knowledge Project is a small piece of Farnam Street’s overall business model. On the other hand, many podcasters frame their entire business model around their podcast. One such example is Australian Birth Stories.

Like in life, the parameters of success are personal. We advise you to take a hard look at how you wish to define your podcast’s success.

Now let’s take a look at what exactly a podcast is.

What Is a Podcast?

With video gaining traction and platforms supporting both audio and video, the lines are blurring. You can publish audio podcasts on YouTube, a video platform, and video podcasts on Spotify, which is primarily for audio.

As of writing this article, the popular consensus is that podcasts are similar to Talk Radio that you can subscribe to and download on your smartphone and/or tablet. That being said, over the last few years, the scope of what a podcast means changed.

Today, the term describes spoken word that takes a deep dive into a topic over video or audio. Audio-only podcasts publish on platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, while Spotify and YouTube support both formats.

How Big Is Podcasting as a Business?

Even though podcasts, or audioblogs at the time, have been around since 2004 and later popularized by Apple iTunes, when The Joe Rogan Experience struck a $100 million deal in May 2020 with Spotify, podcasts suddenly became the talk of the town.

Since then, the rumor is that the Joe Rogan Podcast deal stands at $200 million in 2022. On average, every episode has over 11 million listeners in 93 countries, making it one of the most popular podcasts in the world.

Not only do podcasts attract creators and listeners worldwide, but advertisers also use them for strategic ad placement. In 2021, according to a report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, podcast advertising crossed $1 billion and will exceed $4 billion in 2024.

This growth comes from the time audiences spend listening. Advances in advertisement technology let advertisers target audiences by location, gender, age and more.

This strategy led to a rise in the number of podcasts. Spotify has over four million podcasts, many of which are unavailable on RSS feeds, while Apple Podcasts have over 2.5 million listed podcasts.

To add to that, the rise of the Creator Economy and influencers boosts the numbers. With over 50 million creators valued at $104.2 billion, what’s stopping you from dipping your toes in podcasting?

13-Step Process to Start a Successful Podcast

Before we go on to list the steps from idea to publication, people take anywhere between four days to six months, depending on your goals and level of preparedness.

1. Start With Why

Irrespective of if you are an individual creator or a business, podcasting is a medium to reach audiences and establish authority. With that said, everyone’s reasons for starting a podcast are different, but you should be clear about your goals before you begin.

Knowing why you’re starting a podcast is important because it will help you power through tasks when you are pressed for time or run out of ideas.

Let’s look at the various reasons why individual creators start a podcast:

• Show off your passions. If there is something you are passionate about, podcasting is the best way to talk about it and attract like-minded people.
• Access a fairly hassle-free way of creating content.
• Build and promote your brand.
• Create another source of revenue.
• Save money. It’s much cheaper than video production.
• Find a way to express yourself if you are camera shy.

A few reasons to use podcasts to promote your business:

• Re-purpose articles and other ideas into audio.
• Access a new and growing platform.
• Add a potential source of revenue.
• Reach untapped audiences.
• Redirect leads to cluster pages.
• Become a thought leader within your industry.

2. Choose a Topic

Starting a podcast is an amazing opportunity to talk about your passions or promote your business, don’t jump into the deep end without planning.

It takes serious thought and work from start to publishing and beyond. It’s important to choose a topic that excites you. Planning for three or four episodes may leave you exhausted and disoriented, especially if you don’t get the boost you want.

Choosing a topic you are passionate about, knowledgeable in, or want to learn more about is a step in the right direction.

Let’s say you find five topics you enjoy.

Now, write down your plan for at least 12 episodes worth of content.

3. Select a Format

Your format is how you organize your show. Make sure you maintain the same formats for your episodes, so your audiences know what to expect.

The most popular formats are:

Interview

This format has one host and a new guest every episode. It starts with a brief introduction of the guest, followed by a discussion. More often than not, the host asks questions while the guest answers.

Since guests do most of the talking, this format may feel easier, but keeping the conversation on theme may be daunting. It also brings in new audiences because guests promote your show to their fans.

But the cons may be scary to a few:

• Finding new guests for every episode may be tedious.
• Learning interview skills can be a struggle at the outset.
• Lagging Zoom/Skype programs can affect interview quality.
• Researching your guests may be time-consuming.

A few interview-style podcasts include:

• The Knowledge Project
• The Straight Talking Guide to Launching Your First Product
• The Laptop Lifestyle

Solo

This format has only one host — you! If you are an expert in a niche, a solo show is the best way to establish your authority. This format requires more preparation from your side as it may not be possible to wing it for more than a couple of episodes.

Some people write a script, while others use bulleted notes.

The disadvantage here is that since, on average, we speak 140 words per minute, a 30-minute show may require a script of about 4500 words — that can be tedious.

A few solo podcasts are:

• Flash Forward
• The Gist
• Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Co-hosted

Conversational or co-hosted shows, generally between two hosts, thrive from people who share chemistry and passion for a topic. These shows have a sense of camaraderie and can be easier to record since you can share production costs and other tasks.

The disadvantage here is that episodes are more difficult to edit, a prepared script may not always work and there needs to be a consensus about topic and delivery.

A few co-hosted shows are:

• My First Million
• The Boagworld UX Show
• Errthang Show

Two other considerations are duration and publishing frequency:

Duration

The sweet spot is between 20-30 minutes. This doesn’t mean that longer podcasts don’t work. Shows like The Daily run for 20 minutes, while The Joe Rogan Experience is almost always above the two-hour mark. Duration largely depends on your topic.

Publishing Frequency

Podcasts have varying publishing frequencies ranging from several times a week, weekly, bi-weekly or every month. You should choose a frequency you can adhere to while maintaining quality.

A sloppy podcast, even if it’s published more often, will turn off audiences. Hence, quality first, quantity later. Many podcasts are published as seasons, like TV series, as well.

A lot of popular podcasts like The Podcraft Podcast, May Contain Nuts, Serial Podcast and StartUp publish as seasons with 10 to 12 episodes each, while others, such as The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish, happen every two weeks. Impact Theory, on the other hand, is a weekly show.

Shows with evergreen content, such as educational and entertainment, can publish as seasons, but news shows can’t.

4. Choose a Name

Once you zero in on your topic and have a list of at least 10 episodes ready, the next logical step is to choose a name. Most people spend a considerable amount of time fixating on the perfect name.

A few important things to keep in mind:

• Choose a name that’s less than four words.
• Make it easy to spell.
• Avoid punctuation, special characters and articles such as ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the.’

Ask these questions before choosing a name:

Are you an individual creator or a business?

If you are a business, you may want to include your company’s name.

What is the format of your podcast? Is it only you speaking? Will you invite guest speakers?

Something like the Nathan Barry Show may work for you if you are an individual and invite guest speakers.

Do you have a co-host?

If you have a co-host, you may not be able to use your name on its own. You will have to choose a business name or include your partners.

How searchable is the name?

Since podcasts live in the digital world, check for how easy it is to search for the term. Does it have high-volume competitors? Has another popular brand cannibalized the name? Check your name on these podcast directories and then decide.

Is the name available across social media channels?

Since social media promotion is an important part of your marketing plans, ensure that the name you are looking for isn’t in use by another business or big name. For example, if you name your podcast The Tesla Show, ranking in Google will be impossible since Tesla is the name of a prominent car maker. Namechk helps you check domain and social media username availability.

Popular podcast name formats:

• Host’s Name: Eg. The Tim Ferriss Show, The Ramsey Show
• Creative: Eg. Twenty Thousand Hertz, All Consuming
• Descriptive: Eg. Financial Feminist, I Will Teach You To Be Rich

5. Describe Your Podcast

A podcast description briefly clarifies the topic and what audiences can expect. It’s quite similar to a Netflix blurb, helping potential listeners understand the topic and your perspective. It displays in RSS feeds of apps such as Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.

The key to a good description is search-engine-friendly keywords that ensure it appears in search results on Google and podcast streaming apps.

Remember, show notes are different from a description. While a podcast description is about the whole podcast, show notes give details about every episode with information such as episode number, specific topics, names of guest(s), episode name, etc.

Some best practices:

• Concision: Include concise information, avoiding complicated sentences and flowery language.
• Searchable: Use your primary and secondary keywords in context and avoid keyword stuffing.
• What to Expect: Explain the show’s format, topic and focus. Some podcasters also include how they intend to impact their listeners.

6. Create Marketing Collateral

Most people think of marketing their podcast once they publish an episode. But that’s a bit too late. The best way to promote your podcast is to start before the first episode publishes.

We suggest hitting this step as soon as you finalize your podcast’s name, format, episode duration, publishing frequency and description.

Some collateral you need to have in place before you start publishing are:

Website

Buy a domain name if you don’t have one. While some individual creators create a page on their personal domains, a few prefer the name of their podcast/business. It depends on your budget and long-term vision.

Landing Page

A landing page typically contains a description of your podcast and some strategically placed email subscription forms.

This step ensures that you have an email list by the time you launch your podcast, which should typically be in the next three to four months. You’ll be able to send pre-launch emails, share status updates and conduct surveys.

Social Media Accounts

If you are a creator, you need social media accounts with descriptions and graphics that describe your topic.

Instagram for Business, Youtube Creator, Facebook (not personal) and Twitter are a few must-have accounts. They come with analytics dashboards that give you an insight into how people respond to your messaging across platforms.

7. Create Music and Artwork

Visuals are a great way to attract an audience. Attractive podcast artwork is the first impression that your podcast creates, and it can be the deciding factor for listeners to check out one episode.

The guiding principle here should be the topic and how specific you are within it. What is the tone? Is it edgy, funny, a discussion or a statement of facts?

Next, you should consider your target demographics, like age, gender and location. Also, is your show for newbies or experts in the field?

Artwork Size

Most podcast feeds can accommodate sizes between 1400 x 1400 pixels and 3000 x 3000 pixels in PNG or JPEG formats in RGB. Apple suggests compressing artwork.

Music

Some podcasts don’t have any music, but adding it makes things more engaging and entertaining. Even though most people like music, some are turned off by it.

There are two ways to incorporate music into your podcast — in the introduction and in the background at the end.

Ensure your music isn’t copyrighted.

8. Recording Equipment

Your gear can be anywhere from a microphone to a full blown-studio. Recording equipment can cost anywhere from $5 to over $100,000, depending on your budget and setup.

A quality microphone is the most important factor. Poor audio quality is an absolute turn off for listeners.

So, what should you pick? Choose something that’s easy-to-use and compatible with your existing devices, such as an iPad, laptop or smartphone. Compatibility is something that a lot of people overlook, resulting in frustration and unwanted expenditures.

If you increase your budget a little, you should buy a microphone that’s compatible with mixers and amplifiers so that when you add more gadgets, they’re compatible. Check out these options for various budgets.

A starter kit with a microphone, adjustable arm and shock mount is helpful for beginners.

9. Record and Edit

While recording, shoot for consistent quality to reduce editing time. That being said, you will want to choose how you record based on the format of your show, your recording equipment and budget.

Let’s take a look at a few ways you can record your show:

With a Recording Device

Choose a portable device if your format involves recording people at various locations. Popular choices are Zoom Podtrak and Zoom H6, as they are easy to carry and are compatible with most ports.

This option is versatile while maintaining sound quality.

With Meeting Software

If you are a podcast host with a guest at another location, you may choose to record your show on Zoom, Skype or Meet.

Zoom may require some setting changes to record a podcast. For Skype, you need an Ecamm Call Recorder, a piece of software that gives you more flexibility with audio recordings.

Note: Make sure your network is stable and provides uploading and downloading speeds of above 150 MPBS to retain excellent quality.

Directly With Editing Software

This method is the simplest way to record a solo show because you only need a microphone and audio editing software. Plug in your microphone, ensure it’s your preferred device and start recording.

Since computers don’t recognize two microphones simultaneously, you may need to re-configure your computer for shows with guests.

Popular audio-recording software includes Adobe Audition and Audacity. Audacity is good for beginners as it is free. If you are used to recording software, you may find its interface buggy.

Adobe Audition is subscription-based software with tools to remove background noise and clean audio.

10. The Magic of Editing

Now that you’ve recorded your podcast, the next step is editing. At this step, you will likely question your life choices, but don’t worry. You’re on the right track. It may seem like you are in the eye of the whirlwind, but keep at it, and you will come out victorious.

If you thought you hit record, say your thing and hit publish, then you’re wrong. While recording, you will have awkward pauses, stumbles, mispronunciations and mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up. That’s what editing is for!

Editing software you go on, even in the face of mistakes. When you make a mistake, don’t restart from the beginning. Just stop the recording, press record, repeat what you were saying and continue.

In the beginning, it’s going to be bad. Accept it as a part of the learning process and plow through. You may flinch when you listen to your podcast. But don’t get demotivated.

Write down your thoughts, take feedback from your listeners and make sure you improve over time.

The final and most possibly the most important step: upload your podcast. The desire for perfection is what stops many creators from publishing their work. We get too judgmental of our ideas and feel lacking when the time comes to click publish. Instead of perfection, focus on improvement.

As long as you are improving with every episode, you should be good.

11. Podcast Hosting

Since high-quality audio files are large, storage and sharing are serious concerns. While you can definitely put them up on your website, you must have storage and bandwidth access. If the servers you choose aren’t up to the mark, your listeners won’t be able to stream it without lag.

Podcast hosting subscriptions address this need.

It’s where your audio files save for distribution as episodes. Later on, you have to submit them to podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc.

These platforms include scheduling, analytics and web players. A few services also support ad integrations and social media posting. Simply put, they make the process of publishing and analytics seamless.

Three popular hosting platforms are Transistor, Buzzsprout and Captivate.

Now, hit publish and watch the magic happen!

12. Launch It

The biggest issue most first-time podcasters face is ‘findability.’ How do people discover your podcast in a sea of already available options?

If you implemented step six, all you need to do is hit the social media channels and promote your podcast.

Tools such as Wavve and Repurpose.io help with repurposing and distributing your podcast. Spleasheo converts long episodes into short snippets for social sharing.

Next, tap into your network. Share your podcast freely with friends and family. Ask them to write a review and share it across their social media channels.

Leave a thank you for people that comment on your podcast. This personal touch can do wonders and boost your podcast’s numbers and rankings on podcast directories.

13. Growing Your Podcast

There are a few surefire ways to grow your podcast. However, at least five of them should happen simultaneously. Let’s take a look:

• Interact with listeners on your website and social media channels.
• Ask for feedback and incorporate it into your next episode.
• Engage with other podcasters, even if they aren’t in your niche.
• Appear as a guest on other podcasts, even if they are tangentially related to your topic.
• Add transcripts to episode show notes.
• List all the popular podcast directories and your website.
• Advertise on social media, communities and other niche websites related to your topic and scope.

Can You Really Make Money Podcasting?

Honestly, most don’t make any money. Most people are usually in the red because of equipment, hosting costs, etc.

If you want to make a quick buck, podcasting isn’t the way. It’s slow work till you reach the tipping point of attracting enough listeners, and that requires a lot of patience and work.

In this game, consistency pays!

Even so, making money is possible. It won’t happen immediately, but if you keep at it, follow the steps above and don’t give up, your audiences will compound, and advertisers will follow.

So, how can you make money? Let’s take a look:

Sponsors

This method is the most popular. Basically, the host promotes the sponsor in return for compensation. It’s almost like advertisements on cable television. Advertisers and brands seek out creators based on their download numbers. The cost is calculated per thousand listeners, and average rates vary between $18 and $ 50 for every thousand listeners.

Prices also vary by ad placement (beginning, middle or end of the show) and duration.

Ads in the middle are more expensive as the audiences are paying attention by this point. More often than not, the advertisers provide the script.

Buy Me a Coffee

This method uses accounts on services like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee, where your listeners can send you money directly to support you. You may also link a Paypal or Stripe account to your website to keep the money flowing.

Though there are quite a few options out there to receive a direct deposit, we recommend Pateron as it lets you charge for early access, downloadable files, bonus episodes, consultation and live chats.

Don’t forget, 1,000 true fans can bring in a lot of mileage.

Become an Affiliate

Affiliate marketing was the rage a few years ago and has slowed down, but in the world of podcasts, you make money from what your affiliate links sell. This income comes from commissions these companies pay you.

Audible is a popular choice that pays when someone signs in using your link. The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most successful in terms of both affiliates and sponsors.

Product Sales

Though not as popular as sponsorships, selling merchandise, books, consulting services, etc., is another way. Many people use drop-shipping to fulfill such orders. All you need is a website page, and you are good to go!

Breaking Three Podcasting Myths

1. You Have To Be an Amazing Speaker

Most people planning to start a podcast listen to podcasters with over 50 episodes and think that’s where they should start. Anything less than that makes first-time podcasters lacking. But that isn’t true. You don’t need to have a radio voice to start a podcast. To build authority with your listeners, you must sound like you.

Podcasts are popular because when you listen to popular podcasters, it sounds like they are talking directly to you. At the start, no one has their voice figured out. You should record at least 20 episodes to identify your way of communicating and interacting with your listeners/guests.

2. Your Topic Must Be Popular

Not true at all. The more niche your topic is, the easier it will be to build popularity in the segment. Popular topics with higher search volumes also face more competition, making it harder to get listeners. Niche topics have niche audiences; with the internet, your audience isn’t limited to your geographic location.

The internet is overflowing with small corners of people interested in small niches, and followers accrue over time. Top podcasts on a topic like quilting are very popular among hobbyists.

3. You Need a Huge Following To Succeed

Most people start podcasts to build an audience, not the other way around. While having a social media following is good to have, remember that podcasting is a way of putting your voice out there.

Your social media following will increase as you refine your voice and implement the feedback you get. For example, Sophie Walker of Australian Birth Stories started with no followers in May 2017 but boasts 6.5 million downloads today.

Final Words

Even if your podcast is about a topic (you think) others are not interested in, but you are passionate about, go ahead and start publishing. The internet is a mesh of interconnected pockets of people interested in and searching for topics they are passionate about. So, don’t overthink. Get to work!

Let us know how your journey to a successful podcast is going in the comments below!