In our January issue, podcaster Kat Brown introduces some of her favourite podcasts out there. Fancy making your own? Follow Kat’s steps to give it a go:
Find a theme you’re passionate about, and make a plan for how each episode will run. Will you have a co-host? When can you record? How many episodes will you aim for?
Record in a small, quiet space that won’t echo or have eg trains running through it.
Allow a mic per person, ideally – Blue Yeti Snowballs aren’t too pricy – or get a table mic. Keep it on a mat so it doesn’t knock over, and use a good pair of headphones to keep an ear on sound levels.
If your interviewee is remote, programmes like Zencastr allow you to record each end of the interview and save the files. Make sure to plug a mic into your computer.
Audacity is a good, free tool for editing audio – it looks tricky, but there are plenty of sensible YouTube tutorials.
Choose a podcast server – there are plenty, and opinions are divided on which ones are best. Libsyn and Podbean are popular choices.
Record and publish a ‘zero episode’, a trailer that will make people aware of your and give listeners something to subscribe to before launch day!
Get the word out there – create a social media profile, send out a press release, get people in your community talking about it. Be passionate and proud – it’s catching.
Make sure any guests you have agree to publicise their episode. Send them a piece of artwork and/or the link afterwards to make it easier.
If you’re on Facebook, Helen Zaltzman’s incredibly useful Podcasters’ Support Group is a haven of advice, from good free music, to logo design.
