How to Start a Podcast from Concept to Launch
“How to start a podcast” is searched around 40,500 times just within the US every month (keyword surfer).
It’s a hot topic and we get why!
The potential benefits of starting a podcast can be out of this world from connecting deeper with your audience, building new leads to your business, and even monetizing the content itself.
However, it’s important to have the essential steps, tools, and resources when launching a successful podcast. You’ll want to understand your basics, get your branding down, make a plan, get your equipment, and more.
So, today I am going to be walking you through how we start a podcast from concept to launch (this process for us can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks)!
Getting your Basics (Planning Phase)
Before you even get started with podcasting you want to set up your basics. I like to consider this the planning phase. This is where you’ll figure out what your podcast is going to be about, who it’s for (target audience), and your plan for executing it.
1. Figure Out Your Topic + Target Audience
If you have a podcast that is going to be connected to a brand or business you already have then you may have a good sense of who you’ll be talking to and about what.
But if not and it will be its own entity, it’s important to figure this out from the beginning so that you know it aligns with your interests and your expertise. You don’t want to be talking about something you don’t care about or know anything about, it won’t be very long-lived.
Here are a couple of tips to help get you started on figuring out what your show will be about:
Research other podcasts within your niche or inspired your show. You can do this both on social media and within podcast directories like Apple or Spotify to see what gaps are missing that you could fill in.
If you already have an audience in some capacity that’s in your target audience - ask them their thoughts! What would they like to hear (or not hear)!
Finally, you will want to figure out exactly who you will be talking to - your target audience. Again, if you aren’t sure where to start here are some tips:
Is it going to be people who already buy or use your services? If so, describe them - what are their demographics and psychographics? Do you have social media stats you can reflect on and get an idea of who they are? Start getting a picture in your head of who you are going to be talking to.
If not, do the same thing but with some research and start creating your listener persona. Once you have your topic, start thinking about - who does it normally appeal to? Are there other podcasts already like it out there and who is their audience? Who are you wanting to reach?
2. Set Your Goals
Now that you know what your show is about and who it’s for, it’s time to set your goals. This will help you guide all your decision-making processes for your podcast. You’ll want to have an idea of where you want your show to grow and how you can keep track of that.
If you are looking for more details on how to write goals for your podcast, check out our blog on this topic.
3. Cover Art and Branding
You’ve nailed down your goals, target audience, and what your show is going to be about. It’s time to start thinking about the branding of the podcast.
This will help people remember you and your brand. Cover art can be a reason someone selects your show, so sitting down and making your cover art eye-catching while still saying what the show is about, is important.
Here are our tips for creating good cover art:
Make it eye-catching. It’s usually a small thumbnail that people are scrolling by on players, so you want it to catch their attention and make them want to stop, go back, and check out your show.
Confirm it meets Apple podcasts’ cover art requirements. And if you want to take it an extra step (especially if you plan to apply to Apple New + Noteworthy), then also create the rest of their artwork options.
If you have branding already, continue that to your artwork. But make sure that it still translates well into cover art.
Make it readable. You don’t want too small of text or too many words/images where it’s hard to read what the show is and tell what it’s about. It’s a small space, so be limited on what you put on there.
This is also a great time to think about…
Your name
Make it unique (see if your name has been Copywrited or used for another show already)
Or if you have a business/brand relate it to that to make it easy to put 2 and 2 together for your audience.
Include keywords to make it easier to discover but don’t make it so specific you can’t grow with it in the future
Don’t make it too long. You don’t want it to be hard to find or remember!
Show description
Make it clear and concise. Cover what the show is about, who it’s for, a little about the host(s), and what they can expect (such as how often it will come out), SEO-optimized, and a call to action.
Music selection
You will want to find music that fits the tone and vibe that you are going for with your show. For example, if it’s a leisure show for moms, you probably wouldn’t use serious music but instead something more upbeat and fun.
We recommend Audio Jungle for music
Once you’ve nailed down your branding and know who the show is for it’s time to get into the actual planning of your podcast.
4. Make Your Podcast Plan
You’ve have a lot of the basics set up at this point but it’s time to get the essential elements in your podcast plan nailed down. It’s time to figure out what your episodes are going to be like…
What’s the length?
Structure of the episodes?
Frequency?
Guests/no guests?
Is there a certain tone you want?
Will you have seasons or run a series (or multiple)?
Do you have any ideas for episodes?
Once you’ve answered those questions, this is a great time to add these decisions to your calendar and begin roughly outlining content for those episodes. That way this will help you stay on top of recording and creating!
If you are looking for additional tips on how to stay consistent, read our blog on it here.
5. Podcast Equipment and Software
You are almost ready to start the next step of actually getting the launch process started. However, before you can record you’ll want to make sure you have all the proper equipment and software. This will help make your recording and post-production much easier on you in the long run.
We’ve written an extensive blog post on this which you can read here but for a quick summary, you only need a computer, microphone, and headphones to get started (if you already have these great!) and a camera if planning on doing video.
For recording -
With/without guests (both video/audio) our recommendations are
With just audio
When it comes to editing
For audio, our recommendations are: Audacity, Garageband, + Adobe Audition
For video, our recommendations are: Adobe Premiere + Descript
This is also when we would…
Pick a hosting site, our recommendations: Captivate, Buzzsprout, and Spotify for Podcasters.
Sign up for Chartable (free version) to get additional tracking of stats and analytics of your show.
Set up your recording space for optimal audio quality. Check out our tips here to help maximize your current space.
Getting Started (Launching)
You’ve finished figuring out all the basics, now it’s time to get started with actually launching your podcast.
1. record episodes
One of the first steps of the launch is doing the actual recording part. You can’t release any episodes until they are created.
Start by getting your content ideas prepped for each episode (if you already did this in the last step then you’ll be ahead of the game!)
Then take your content ideas and begin planning and writing your scripts/notes, if you are planning on using those (which I do recommend!)
If you have guests, you’ll want to confirm you’ve set up a time and scheduled them on the calendar.
Once you’re ready to record, sit down and do it!
This is also a great time when you are recording your first few episodes (we always recommend 3 and a trailer) to also record your trailer, formal intro, and outro for your show. Some tips on things you should include for each piece:
Launch episodes
You can set this up however you’d like. You could have an introductory episode that dives into more about you as the host(s), why you got into this, and what this show is going to be about.
You can just get right into the goods of your show and have the first 3 episodes be interesting and hot topics in your niche.
However you do this just make sure that you are giving your listeners valuable information. You want to give your listeners a reason to come back and listen to your show after the initial launch.
Trailer
This is going to be similar to your show description but it’s okay to be a little longer/more interesting since this could be your only shot to catch your listener. Make sure to include what the show is about, who it’s for, more about the host(s) and their stories, what they can expect, and a call to action.
Intro
We also think this is similar to your show description but we suggest making it short and sweet. That way new listeners will know if it’s for them but you won’t bore your regular listeners with a drawn-out intro.
Outro
Include a call to action so your listeners know what to do next. Such as asking them to follow you on a social media platform, to sign up for your newsletter, or to share the episode.
2. Editing and Post-Production
For the next part, this is up to you. If you don’t want to make any edits and would like to leave your podcast “raw and unfiltered” feel free! But if not and you’d like to do some editing to create a more polished final episode, this is the time to do it.
Edit your launch episodes, trailer, and intro/outros in your choice of editing platform.
Once you’ve completed editing all of these, if you’ve gathered music/sound effects, I would go ahead and mix them together. So, put the music with the “tros” and compile them with the rest of the audio to make a finished episode.
Note: if you aren’t editing that’s okay, but you will likely still be mixing together your intros and outros with your content - again, this would be the time to do this!
3. Publishing Your Podcast
You’ve signed up for your hosting platform and set that up as well as have your finished episodes. It’s time to make sure your show is on all the listening platforms and get your episodes scheduled for launch day.
We recommend putting your trailer up first to begin promoting the show so you can then submit your shows to all the podcast players.
Once the trailer is up submit it on all the major platforms such as Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, etc. Here is a good list from Riverside on some platforms you should get on. Note on their list: Stitcher has been discontinued as of August 29th, 2023 and Google Music is heading out in 2024.
After Apple and Spotify have confirmed that you are listed, schedule your episodes for launch day!
Another note: We recommend scheduling the episodes in order and about 5 minutes apart so that they come out without issues.
Keep Going (Continuous Management)
Once the episodes go live, your show is out there! It’s time to celebrate and keep the party going. Don’t forget that it doesn’t stop there, you must promote your show, and continue the production of the episodes with whatever plan you set up for your show.
1. Promoting Your Podcast
Before your show went live, you should do a pre-launch promotion. Whether that’s walking your audience through the launch of the show with you (which we love so you can get feedback!) or just promoting the actual launch date to get people excited for its release.
After the launch, you should continue consistently promoting the launch for a few more weeks and then get into your marketing strategy specific to your audience. You can use social media, SEO, collaborating, guest podcasting, and more.
Then keep track of what’s working and not working. Continue doing what’s working and change what’s not!
2. Building a Community and Engaging with Your Audience
Part of starting a podcast is to build a community and engage with your listeners. You want them to interact with you, share feedback, and foster a loyal listener base.
Some ways to build your community -
Through social media whether interacting in comments, DMs, or creating stories to have them engage with (like polls!)
Through Spotify’s interaction features such as Q+As and polls as well. Read our article on Medium in the Podcast Clubhouse on ways to utilize Spotify for your show.
Create a call to action in your show that asks for listener feedback or for them to get in touch with you
Set up a newsletter so you can begin interacting with email
3. Monetization
For many one of the big questions is when you can start making money.
And we say, there is no right time. If you have your target audience, a very specific niche, or a product you think your audience would love, you can definitely set up monetization options even before launch such as a sponsorship with a product you know your audience will love, maybe even affiliate links for the same reason or begin promoting your own services within the episodes.
Don’t let not having any downloads yet stop you from starting to incorporate monetization options in your show.
If you are curious about the ways you can monetize your show, check out our blogs on the topic here.
4. Sustainability
Finally, how to keep your podcast going and growing over time because being consistent is a huge part of your podcast’s success. We suggest these tips:
Batch record
Put your podcast plan in your calendar to hold you accountable with due dates (and you can easily send calendar invites to guests that way)
Outsource time-draining tasks that you don’t need to do like editing or guest production.
Cheers to your new podcast!
Launching a podcast can be a lot of work but it is a rewarding journey. If you are ready to launch today, again
Start with the basics
Your topic
Target audience
Your goals
Cover art + branding
Make your podcast plan
Pick your equipment + hosting
Get started with your launch
Record your episodes
Run episodes, your trailer, and intro/outro through post-production
Get your episodes published
Keep it going!
Promote your show
Build your community
Start monetizing
Keep your show going
We hope this helps make launching your podcast easier, if you have any additional questions on launching or another part of podcasting, reach out to us!
Aleea
