How to Start a Podcast (Resource Guide) https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/how-to-start-a-podcast.jpg?fit=800%2C1000&ssl=1 800 1000 Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast Nache’ Snow - Speaker, Author, Productivity Junkie, and Host of the Studio 78 Podcast https://i0.wp.com/nachesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/how-to-start-a-podcast.jpg?fit=800%2C1000&ssl=1 July 23, 2017 October 8, 2018

How to Start a Podcast (Resource Guide)

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The number one questions I get is: How do you start a podcast?

The super easy answer is I watched Pat’s Complete Step-By-Step Podcast Tutorial. It has everything you need to get started. I binge-watched it in a weekend in the Spring of 2015 and that was how my first podcast, Can I Park Here?, was born. I co-host it with my BFF Astral Riles and it’s all about how to start a fashion truck aka mobile boutique.

There were a lot of lessons learned and I modified the process along the way to something that works best for me. In early 2017, I started a second podcast, Studio 78, that’s all about finding, discovering and sharing your passion. I interview entrepreneurs and creatives about their journey. I also include lifestyle episodes that discuss health, money, lifestyle hacks and vision planning.

NOTE: Below I’ll give you a preview into my process, but if you’re new to all of this definitely check out Pat’s tutorial for a very detailed step-by-step process. The information below will be helpful for people who have or are going to (1) publish their podcast on their website, (2) edit their own episodes and (3) host their podcast on iTunes.

Before You Start Your Podcast

If you don’t have a podcast yet here are some things to think about before you start:

Will you have a co-host?
Are you going to have an interview style podcast or will you be the main focus?
Who’s your audience?
What type of content will you cover?
How often are you planning on posting an episode?
Are you planning to edit your episode or post it unedited?
If you choose to edit the episode will YOU edit it or are you going to pay someone to do it?
Will you have seasons? If so, how long will each season be?
How will you promote the episode?
How much time do you have to dedicate to producing a podcast?
Are you going to start out on iTunes? Or start out simpler with SoundCloud or YouTube?
How much are you willing to invest (time and money)?
Are you trying to make money off of this or are you using it to establish yourself as an authority in your field?

You need to really understand your motivations before you get started because if you don’t your podcast won’t last a year. You need to make sure it’s something that interests you and that you have somewhat of a plan on how you’re going to make it happen and share it with the world.

Studio 78 Podcast Process

First, you need to get organized. There are a billion steps when it comes to planning, posting and marketing your podcast. Having a good filing structure and your processes documented will save you time and reduce stress!

Google Docs and Google Sheets

If you don’t have a Google Gmail account sign up for one. Once you have a Gmail account go ahead and sign up for Google Docs and Google Sheets. Docs and Sheets are a great way to organize your content. The best part, you can access your information from anywhere: phone, tablet, and desktop.

Google Sheets is good for coming up with a game plan. I suggest creating the following sheets:

Interviewees: This sheet should include everyone you want to interview to include their contact information, if you reached out to them, and if they said yes or no.
Media: List everywhere you’d love to be featured, include: the URL, contact information, if you’ve contacted them, and if they’ve responded with a yes or no.
Expenses: You need to know how much you’re investing in this process. In this sheet include expenses for ads, software, and hardware. Be sure to mark off items that are a monthly expense so you know what your monthly and yearly investment is.

I use Google Docs to document all of my processes and to create cheat sheets. For example, I have a document dedicated to links and tags I use over and over so I can quickly copy and paste them anywhere I need them on the fly (i.e. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, etc.).

Computer Folder Setup

I edit my own podcast so it’s extremely important for me to stay organized. I started out with Pat’s folding structure, but over time I’ve modified it to make sense for my processes. To help me stay organized I have the following folder structure:

1st level: Main Podcast Folder

2nd level: Episodes
- 3rd level: Episode folders (I have a dummy folder that I can duplicate when I need a new folder)
  - 4th level: Audio files, GarageBand, and iTunes folder (each episode folder has these folders)
2nd level: Graphics
- 3rd level: Native files folder (i.e. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator)
- 3rd level: Podcast folder (images you use weekly)
2nd level: Music
- 3rd level: This folder should include your intro and outro music

Submitting Your Podcast

There are several places to submit your podcast. These are the top three.

iTunes Connect (Only took a few days for them to publish both podcasts)
Stitcher
Google Play

Metrics

Be sure to keep track of your stats on your hosting site (I use Libsyn to host my episodes) and Google Analytics (you should have this set up for your website).

Libsyn stats will let you know how many people have downloaded your episodes.

Google Analytics will tell you how many people are coming to your website, how long they’re hanging around and what they’re clicking on.

Resources

Tutorials

Pat’s Complete Step-By-Step Podcast Tutorial (Smart Passive Income)
How to Start a Podcast: The Ultimate Step by Step Podcasting Guide (Shopify Blogs)
Entrepreneur On Fire Podcast Tutorial

Relevant Articles

WordPress Plugins

Blubrry PowerPress – FREE (publishes episodes on WordPress post; also has a free media player)
CoSchedule – PAID (schedule out social media content)
Smart Podcast Player – PAID (fancy media player)
Pretty Link – FREE (I use this to create short share links for episodes)

Hardware and Software Considerations

Heil PR-40 Microphone Bundle – (I have this package. It’s pricey, but I’ve used it now for 3 years and I love the sound and quality)
Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Mic (Lots of podcasts use this one; it’s more affordable)
Blue Yeti USB Microphone (Lots of podcasts use this one; price is midrange)
Mixer (I don’t use one, but most podcasts use this to help with sound)
Skype (Use this to make calls)
Call Recorder for Skype (Use this to record Skype call; audio-only or video)
GarageBand (Mac users use this to edit audio)
iMovie (Mac users use this to save audio in an MP4 format for YouTube)
Libsyn (podcast hosting)
Photoshop (Creating and editing images; To hardcore? Try Canva or PicMonkey)
Fiverr (pay 5 bucks for an intro or 0utro)
Calendly (I use this to schedule interviews)
Coschedule (allows you to schedule out social media post)

*I recommend getting a microphone that doesn’t sit on the desk because it will pick up typing and other sounds.

Studio 78 Podcast

I hope you found this article to be useful and that it pointed you in the right direction. Please listen, subscribe and rate my podcast! I’d really appreciate it!