Podcasting 101: Microphone options and how to get listeners

February 12, 2022

By Kim Komando

Podcasts come in all types, from soothing words to help you meditate to political discussions to serialized stories. You can catch a podcast via many services, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

You can even listen to Kim Komando podcasts on your own time. You’ll find great topics on Kim Komando Today, Tech Refresh and the Daily Tech Update. Tap or click here to get started.

Maybe you haven’t found that perfect podcast. Perhaps you sense there’s an area or topic that’s lacking. In that case, there’s only one thing to do. Start your own podcast! It’s not as difficult as you may think. We’ll show you where to begin.

Planning

The first thing you should do is listen. Just listen to as many podcasts as you can so you get an idea of how they work. There’s nothing wrong with taking influence from one you enjoy to inspire your own.

Now you’ll need a topic. There’s plenty of podcast competition out there. How will yours be different from the rest? How will it stand out?

Start with something you know. Will your content interest others? Find a similar podcast and listen for ways to make yours unique and even better. If you can’t think of a topic, you might encounter one that piques your interest while listening to others.

Next, think about your audience. Who is the podcast for? It could be the general population or a smaller group of hardcore fans. Think of the demographics. This is determined by the topic you choose. Think about yourself as a listener. What do you want to hear? Work that into your podcast.

Next, come up with a format. You can listen to three podcasts centered around the same topic, and they’ll all sound different from each other. One might consist of one person doing most of the talking while another always features a guest. The third could feature many guests at a time. Find the format that works best for you.

You may also like: Have trouble sleeping? Our list of 10 ways to get better sleep includes apps, podcasts, gadgets and more.

What you’ll need

You won’t have to break the bank to start a podcast, but you do need to get some equipment. At the very least you’ll need a microphone, headphones and editing software. A mixer can come in handy if you have multiple guests. You can get this stuff piecemeal or as a kit.

[content-egg module=Amazon]

When it comes to editing software, it comes down to features and cost.

• Audacity is one free option that’s open source and includes plugins.
• Adobe Audition has a free trial and a monthly subscription starting at $20.99. This software lets you edit, mix, record and restore audio.
• Avid Pro Tools has a free trial and two monthly subscription plans: $29.99 and $79.99. These tools are great for any audio project.

How to find listeners

You’ll need a hosting site to store and broadcast your audio before you can use a service like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Anchor is a free platform that lets you create, host and distribute your podcast.

RELATED: Want to know how to start a podcast for free? Check out free hosting sites like Buzzsprout, Spreaker and Podbean, among many others.

Spotify has more than 389 million listeners across 187 markets worldwide, so that could be a goal for you. Here are some tips on how to start a podcast on Spotify:

• Get your podcast up on a hosting site and have an RSS feed link ready.
• Log in to Spotify for Podcasters with your Spotify account or choose Sign Up For Spotify to create an account.
• Click Get Started.
• Paste in the link to your podcast’s RSS feed.
• Spotify will send a verification email to the address in your RSS feed. Copy the 8-digit code from that email and paste in the submit form.
• Add podcast info like the category, language and country.
• Review the info, then click Submit. 

That’s it. Now you’re ready to jump into the world of podcasting. Remember, have fun and keep it interesting. Good luck!

RELATED: How to leave a review on your favorite podcast