Great topic. Worlds your lobster with it. I’m quite envious really! I’d recommend you search for podcasts about podcasting, podcasting school etc. there’s loads of genuinely free material out there which can help channel your thoughts. Spend a few weeks bingeing and making notes. Listen to other shows in your niche. Yes, ultimately just crack on and have a go but so many rookie errors can be avoided by some preparation.

Everybody’s advice is spot on. I recommend doing your research, you can do one on a small budget. Find a good host (I use Podbean bc I’m doing audio only). I use my MacBook’s GarageBand for recording and editing. My USB microphone I got from a pawn shop. My cover art I purchased it from Fiverr for $50 and it is perfect for mine.

Between using the search bar and reading the guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/wiki/top_post_podcast_guide/ right there is everything you could ever want to know. Read up and good luck.

And no, TikTok is not a good app for podcasting.

Once you decide to pull the trigger, do a short like 5-10 minute episode, just a random "in the middle of an episode" type deal. It's for your ears only. You're going to despise the way you sound (everyone does) but it's more to go over other things. How's the background noise levels? Is there a lot of room echo? Are you sitting there with a lot of dead air while you gather thoughts? Mouth noises (that moist mouth mlak). Heavy breathing in the mic?

Most of these can be overcome with filters or gates or mic input adjustments or pop screen, but if you don't check for them, you don't know to adjust for them.

As for the dead air, thankfully that's easy enough to edit in post production. (Which is something you should become familiar with, AI be damned). As for room echo, you can buy or build sound panels, blankets on the walls, rugs, etc will help a lot. But a cheap and effective sound panel can be made for not a lot of money (some thin plywood and some of those foam sound panels (12x12 deals) can be made and hung up for like $5-10 each)

The best way to start is not releasing any episodes until you have at least eight or 10 in the bag because then you can disperse them as you wish and not get caught up with the pressure of consistency cause remember once you start a podcast and you get an audience they’re going to be expecting some sort of schedule so releasing one podcast at a time is very risky And puts the pressure on you having to create something every single week so you have to strategize that. And then make sure you have a distribution platform like bus sprout of course and how you record your podcast is very important so my advice is get a good pair of headphones with built-in microphone for audio quality cause that’s first and foremost to start. And then your artwork must be very simple to read. Use bold fonts with perhaps a picture of you on there with brand coloring, etc. anyone can have a podcast but to have a great podcast. There’s a lot of layers so make sure you start off on the right foot I’ve hosted multiple top 100 podcasts and I currently have one where I solely interview top-tier individuals of multiple industries, celebrities CEOs, etc. and it’s very important to offer value… That’s the biggest thing you wanna make sure you serve your audience with personal stories that connect that should be a focus of your content. I hope that helps and good luck.

I go over what I learned / did wrong and what I did with the exact same budget as you ($300) in-depth in an ep of my pod. It’s #28 - 5 First-Year Podcasting Mistakes to Avoid (Recap) of No Set Path: Entertainment Break-In Stories.

I listen to This won’t end w3ll podcast

Just sent you a dm

r/podcasting is a great community and has a comprehensive wiki with threads and articles that can teach you just about everything you need to know about producing, distributing, and marketing a podcast. It's a great resource and they even have a link to gear recommendations if you're on a budget.

I did a "How to Start a Podcast" series earlier in the year. If you're interested, feel free to check it out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/podcasting/wiki/top\_post\_podcast\_guide

Record your first episode assuming you may never air it. It's like a practice episode. Spend money on an okay mic so you sound good. It will consume a lot of your time. Do it for the fun!

I started a podcast with my best friend and the early stages were definitely filled with lots of learning and gaffes. And tbh it was more expensive than I had anticipated.

My co-host already had all the equipment necessary, and an audio-friendly home office environment in which to record.

I thought I had most of it, but I really didn’t. After recording an episode or two using the camera I thought would be good enough (a DJI osmo pocket4), I knew I would need to upgrade. The reels we were able to create were just…oof. Not flattering on my side of the picture. Those early reels also made it clear I needed to rearrange the room I record in, to create a better environment for lighting.

Microphone I always knew I would need to acquire. I did some research and decided to get one that required an audio interface, not a USB mic, so here come the expenses.

(Micro Center) Elgato Wave DX Dynamic XLR microphone: $99 Elgato Wave XLR Mic interface, refurb: $119 Elgato Wave XLR male to female cable: $12

I also needed a rig thing to mount my mic because it didn’t come with a desk stand of its own. And a pop filter for “plosions” and other mouth noises.

(Amazon, not affiliate links) Ulanzi boom arm:: $120 Generic foam Pop filter: $10

So we’re at $370ish right?

Then I bit the bullet to get a real webcam (the computer I use is a Mac mini and a 4K LG monitor, so no built in webcam, though my co-host uses the one built into her iMac and it’s fine): Elgato Facecam MK2 (can’t say enough good things about this, zero regrets) $110 micro center.

So we’re close to $500 in now, and that doesn’t even include the Mac mini and monitor I purchased weeks before starting this project.

Oh, and don’t even think about using AirPods for any of this– The audio they spit out is total garbage, sounds like you’re underwater.

So here come the Rode NTH-100 studio monitor/over ear headphones, Amazon, $150. They’re XLR headphones not USB. I believe the cable that I got in the beginning with the audio interface is the one that goes into these headphones.

Next, the desk I was using was janky and I kept knocking it during recording and that jarred the whole system and you could hear it on recordings. No bueno.

So I got a discontinued new in box never opened desk frame/adjustable legs. I believe it was $20. IKEA.

Head to FB marketplace to track down someone selling the top of the desk or a desk utilizing the top I need, since IKEA no longer offers it. $60.

(The legs they had it on were too short for the way I want a desk to be.)

So what am I at now, like $700? Yeah. This is probably not typical. Most people probably already own at least have a headset or mic they can use. And a USB mic is probably fine. That’s what my co-host uses and her sound quality is never an issue.

So on to actually recording. My co-host, as I mentioned, already owned basically everything she needed to jump into this. Now we need to pick a software to record in. We went with Riverside. So for the standard version, that’s $180 annual subscription after the 30 day trial. Co-host ate that one since she had no equipment startup costs.

Our first several times recording, we thought each one was gonna be episode 1. But due to quality or the overall vibe of the episode, none of those were episode 1. And 1 or 2 of them even got archived/scrapped altogether.

So I would recommend doing a couple various audio test recordings, just literally record yourself or you+co-host having a casual conversation. Get the equipment dialed in. If you don’t know anything about audio/sound and you go the XLR route instead of USB mic, you will need a little time to get your interface set up correctly for your use.

Another tip is to outline or loosely skeleton script your episodes. This will help you get the most important points across that you want to touch on, and give you some structure/direction on how you go from one topic or segment to the next.

Record a trailer. Upload it to the podcast registry early bc it can take a week or two to get it approved and officially onto the podcast apps/rss. (My co-host handled that, and that’s how she explained it to me, so apologies to the community at large if that’s not exactly true/accurate.)

For editing: we paid someone on fiverr to salvage audio from the one recording that we wanted to use but had bad sound, and smooth out the cuts since co-host was just brand new to this on the software side, too. Then she had an IRL friend spend an entire day with her teaching her how to use Audacity. Now we can do our audio editing ourselves, unless there is a particularly tricky issue or something.

Timeline: from both agreeing to start a podcast to actually dropping the first 3 episodes (we launched with episodes 1-3) I would estimate a very intense 4 or 5 weeks all told.

There’s also a ton of account creation necessary if you plan to promote on all the socials, and I had to upgrade my Dropbox to be able to join the shared folders my co-host was using for organization…and lots of random graphics creation of title cards for various formats and apps. Canva is your friend there.

We dropped episode 7 this Friday (we do 1x week always on Friday) and we plan to make 10 the season finale and take a few weeks off to plan and outline our episodes for the next season.

We each spend at least 7-10 hours a week working on the podcast. There’s a lot of listening and re-listening to edit it down to the length we want to publish, which is 35-50 minutes. Then creating and scheduling or posting social media clips, etc.

Sorry this is a novel. Hopefully some of it is helpful!

All of this work seems to be paying off for us, because since we launched, we get messages weekly from listeners and friends telling us how much the podcast makes them feel “seen” and less alone in the world. Which is exactly what we set out to do!

My biggest piece of advice is this: Have a focus and a goal– what do you intend to achieve with the podcast? Not in metrics, but what are you hoping to add to the world by putting effort into this? People will not listen to a podcast with meandering subject matter and no clear direction unless it’s hosted by a celebrity or someone they already consider a person of interest.

And be prepared for the work. It’s a surprisingly time intensive endeavor.

I started my podcast because I wanted to share my journey with others. I talk all the time and I LOVE helping people. I wanted to create something that people could listen to and feel inspired to grow and keep going in life.

So I started “The Power Within” podcast.

https://open.spotify.com/show/2e3908nPb3ERIuYmxqgvKS

I didn’t do it for the money or to be famous, but I really want to help people and based on who I am and my personality, podcasting seemed to be the best route.

I simply just have a microphone, reaper, and my laptop. That’s all.

I love having my podcast!

Motivation: my guests and my platform Mometu

Equipment: RODE Podcaster Duo

Publish: a few weeks but we also filmed 9 episodes before dropping anything

Advice: plan knowing you will get behind

For me, what motivated me was having another solid source of income coming in. A lot of people will say don't get into podcasting for the money, which they're more than likely correct. But if you're able to break down each part of the process of making money from podcasting, then you start to have a little more confidence in making this a reality.

Ask yourself, "Ok why don't people make money from this?". Time, networking, marketing, etc...fortunately for me I was/am in a position where I was able to answer all of those concerns with realistic solutions. I also dream big which usually hurts me haha but as I get older and have plenty of failed ventures in my life, I still dream big but set more realistic expectations in the short/long term. And so far so good on this one.

Some of our first pieces of equipment we purchased was PodTrak P8 audio mixer, a couple of tripods that could hold our iPhones, and a couple of Rode mics (that I'll eventually swap out for better quality mics when more money starts coming in).

As for advice, so much of this is mental. For me, getting started was probably the most fun part of it all because of the "possibilities" or already thinking of what the accomplishment of having a successful podcast felt like - all without publishing or shooting your first episode.

Then the actual work needed comes in and its tiring, its tedious, and theres plenty of doubt that'll set in. But you just kind of push all that to the side and focus on doing whatever the next episode needs.

Great content. Great content. And great content!

Also try to specialise in a topic not already saturated by other podcasters. Conclusion: it’s difficult. But do-able.

Set topics, plan whole seasons (6 to 12 wks). Always record more than one episode at a time (if u do video, just bring a cage of shirt)

Do your intro and outro after you have finished recording so you can create proper teasers and conclusions.

Be your full personality at 1000% and know you are speaking to your tribe only. There is no way to please everyone and only the wrong people will leave negtove comments. They are not worth your response.

Multiply every positive comment x20 because most people who love your podcast won't comment.

Have fun!

The fun you have is the fun your listeners will share!

Live is too short not to do it with your whole heart!

First… how do you define success?

successful = enjoying doing it.

That's your metric.

You're asking about starting a "Successful" podcast. By far, the most important thing you can do is to define, for yourself, what the word successful means. Are you doing this for fun? Are you just interested in learning something new? Are you chasing likes and upvotes and social media recognition? Do you hope to make a dollar? If you can articulate why you're starting this podcast, and what success means to you, then you can start to look at strategies, tricks, established methodologies.

Others have said this, I'm just affirming it. Define for yourself what success looks like, and pursue that, ignoring any other "metrics."

I am well into my fourth year of my podcast, and approaching 100 episodes. When I started, my goals were twofold: to have fun, and to learn something new. On the day that I fail to do either of those things, I will have recorded my last podcast. My listenership is numbered in the dozens. I will never see a dollar, I will never be famous, and I have no idea how long this will continue to be entertaining. I am 100% successful! I am doing exactly what I set out to do.

My advice is to just jump in and try it. Seeking advice can be a rabbit hole at best and not helpful at worst because everyone’s motivations, circumstances and experiences are different. There’s a good app called ferrite if you’re on iOS, you can use it to record your interviews. I’m sure Google has great equivalents, grab a guest from your list and get interviewing!

If you haven't worked in sound before, I recommend doing a short practice run. Create 3-5 minutes of material as a sandbox experience so you can become familiar with the hangups of the production process.

How Sound is a great resource to learn more about audio production. Their archives are extensive and ever educational.

Pick a release schedule and stick to it. Only way to build an audience. Produce several episode before releasing your first so you can stick to that schedule.

Look at the Podcast Guide flagged at the top of this subreddit.

Key question though is who are you doing this for? If you want to grow an audience it needs to focus on the listener. What are you delivering to them, what problem are you solving, what is unique about your area or insight? The more specific you can be about your audience and topic the better chance you'll have at any success.

Best purchase/investment I ever made was the Rodecaster pro, I can record my podcast directly without a computer and have the audio feed directly into the camera so there’s no hassle in post editing syncing

Could you theoretically talk about whatever I want? Yes, it's called freedom of the press. (Insert topical satirical comment here)

Will people listen to it? Most probably not. They're unlikely to find the podcast in the first place. And unlikely to stick around unless you are extremely charismatic. A format like that works mostly for celebrities who also happen to be stand-up comedians. People who already have a following, and who stick around because the host knows how to engage the audience.

It helps if you have a clear idea on what value you bring to the table. Something you do/say better than anyone else. And something you are passionate about, even if no one was listening.

TikTok is full of short videos of some advertising executive talking about how consumers are manipulated by branding. I'm sure he could also just talk about his day, walking the dog and other relatable stuff, but this is his thing.

There’s a conversation starter app called Let’s Talk. Download it, choose a topic and record yourself riffing about that topic for 15 minutes. See if you can do it.

Garageband is already installed on your Macbook. Plug in your mic and you can begin recording.

What will you be talking about? I'd say first of all, you need some focus.

Just do it! Even if this first show is just to get your feet in the water, it's worth it. The biggest step always feels like the first one.

Personally, I recommend Adobe Audition for recording audio but I know it comes at a cost!

From a professional standpoint the advice I can give is that the thing that makes podcasts successful is consistency. The only podcasts I can think of now that do well despite inconsistent episode release dates are podcasts that feature someone who was famous prior to being on the show.
Listeners want to be able to kind of know what they're getting into and when they can get into it. If you can keep a consistent episode release schedule as well as a vague episode structure then I think the sky is the limit!

I second the part of “not over thinking it”… . Take each episode as an experiment and a learning opportunity. Each episode will bring you something new. . Try a few topics and see which one brings you joy. I’m all about setting some sort of checklist for the birth of each episode but you may be more inclined to be in the flow.

I’m finally starting to get more into mastery and more serious about so I’m refining my process. . As far as platforms I use Riverside for recording, editing and creating socials .. it’s been a time saver. I occasionally use CapCut after Riverside but not often.

Podomatic is my distribution platform but I have heard people using Buzzsprout (I think) .. but it all comes down to what you like. . For a long time I just used the camera on my computer.. Recently I got Elgato facecam and I like it. Still a learning curve but I’m in for it! . Sending you good vibes as you bring your episodes to life!!!

I started my podcast last year and I took a free class from my local library to set it up. I used Abode Podcast for recording which is super easy to record, edit and special features make you sound like a Pro. I use RSS.com to upload and they take care of the distributing part for me. Check out my link RSS feed on my profile.

Step 1: What is your podcast going to be about? What is your niche? What is one thing you can talk about for over an hour with great interest and curiosity?

Step 2: How are you going to record? You can record on your iPhone - that's fine. Getting an audio mic is a good idea. Plenty of solid choices you can find on Amazon for not too much.

This one is pretty good https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075KL6ZLC/

This is the one I use https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Creators-Condenser-Microphone-988-000100/dp/B00N1YPXW2

Step 3: Distribution. I would advise trying out Riverside. You can record on there and they automatically upload it different websites like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I would also recommend Podcasters for Spotify because you have to pay for Riverside.

Step 4: Production. How will you edit your podcast audio? I use Auphonic. It is a website that uses AI to perfect your audio in case it is too low or there are a lot of ums or huhs. You can also use Audacity - a free and easy to use audio editing software.

Step 5: Presentation. What is the name of your podcast? What is the logo? Do you plan on having a website or a landing page? Is is audio only or do you want to do audio and video?

Lastly, there are a lot of things that go into making a podcast. It's great that you want to do this. I'm very happy for you. If you need any advise, hit me up. I've been in the game for 6 years now and I have a lot of advice to give.

Step 1: Don't over think it.

Step 2: Record on literally anything.

Step 3: Post it literally anywhere.

Step 4(optional): Sign Million dollar deal.

Binge listen other shows in my niche and learn from the best and worst. Don’t promote for three months, focus on SEO with titles and summaries.

You are most welcome!!! Enjoy the journey ✨✨