How to become a podcaster

The Podcast boom still has plenty of steam

You are not alone with the idea of making your mark on the internet with your own voice through an interesting channel. Podcasts have been experiencing a real boom in recent years, and on an almost daily basis, you end up hearing about a new format that is suddenly deemed to be the "in thing". The principle remains the same: one or more people agree to arrange a topic to talk about, record their conversation, and then make it available for download or streaming. Normally, it is free of charge. Stunning successes such as the $100 million dollar deal by podcaster Joe Rogan is far and few in between though, although it goes to show that there is impressive potential in this popular media format.

Because podcasts are easy to dive into, you can also opt to have it run in the background if you so desire. Casual conversations offer celebrities in particular, an opportunity to talk openly and honestly about topics that interest them in their professional or private lives.

But not every podcast has to lead to an exclusive deal with music streaming services such as Spotify. Even relatively unknown people with professions in the public eye are able to keep their fans up-to-date about their professional and private lives via a podcast. In principle, however, recording a podcast is already worth your while if you are moving out of your home and want to inform friends and family about life in your new place of residence.

Perfect preparation or just go for it?

Finding your footing in the podcasting world is not easy, let us get this straight. Is recording with the app on your smartphone enough or do you need to use a professional microphone? Should you just "wing it" and start blabbering away, or do you need to ensure that you have a script to stick to in order to come up with a well-structured program? Are there also potential pitfalls that will involve licensing agreements or fees?

All of these questions will be answered over the next few weeks, covering five subcategories, and there will be many more articles that will be posted online. This article will gradually become an archive that will provide you with information on all of the relevant topics. So, why not bookmark it directly or subscribe to NextPit on Facebook and Twitter? In a nutshell, I will briefly introduce each sub-topic to you.

1. Topics and conception

Are you able to still find a new topic to talk about every week for five weeks, when all that you do is to touch on everyday topics, or are you an expert in a certain field? When podcasting, it can make sense to focus on a specific topic. On the one hand, you make it easier for yourself to find a topic and at the same time, you can serve a smaller niche. In certain professional or interest groups, your podcast could be very well received.

To learn more about the conception and topic finding process when it comes to podcasting, I will talk to podcasters and learn from them what their routine is when recording a new episode. Do you have any suggestions as to which podcaster I should talk to? If so, please write your suggestions in the comments!

2. Create a logo and intro for your podcast

If you want to publish your podcast on the internet, it will hardly work without having your own logo. Here, your creativity and my tips for the different kinds of available design tools or image databases will certainly come in handy. The same applies to an intro, where you should make sure that the music is royalty-free lest you get tangled up in all kinds of legal paperwork. Because putting your favorite song at the beginning of each episode can be quite expensive in the end.

3. Podcast costs and monetization

What about the money involved in podcast creation? After all, a lot of time is lost in regular recording and it would be helpful in the long run if the hard work would bear fruit. The monetization process of podcasts is a possibility via advertising partners, but that would require building up a certain subscriber base. Until the new talkfest hobby is able to finance itself, you will have to bear all of the costs, which we will dive into together. Of course, I will compare portals and apps in order to present you with the possibilities of podcasting for free. You can already find out which app is suitable for listening to podcasts in this article.

4. Recording and production quality

In principle, you already carry the necessary equipment to create a podcast around with you. Smartphones these days come with several microphones, and the devices are powerful enough to edit and upload the audio files immediately. But speaking into an actual microphone brings about significant quality benefits and is also more fun. Talking of speaking: Alongside other professionals, I will provide you with tips in a tutorial on how to practice speaking correctly and how to get the most out of your voice on the computer or tablet.

5. Podcast platforms

Once you're ready to upload your first episode, you'll find the best podcast apps right here on NextPit. Again, I'll summarise the costs and tell you how the upload process works exactly. After the release, you should also keep an eye on the latest episode, because it's the interaction with your listeners that makes podcasting fun.

Create a podcast: your questions and wishes

Do you have any questions or suggestions regarding the exciting topic "Creating a Podcast"? Please use the comment function below this article or write to me personally on Twitter (@Blucksbaum) and Instagram (@benjamin.lucks). Last but not least, we would like to know how popular the topic "podcasting" is with you:

In this article, we introduced a new topic area that will continue to grow in the coming weeks. Subscribe to NextPit's RSS feed to be informed about new articles on the topic "Create a Podcast". We are more than happy to receive ideas and suggestions in the comments that will make this endeavor more interactive and beneficial for everybody.