Podcasting Made easy

How to launch and succeed with your first podcast

Steve Hart

• Publisher: Steve Hart
• eBook ISBN: 9780473410414
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Advertising
• Index: Business

If you want to know all there is to start podcasting for fun and profit then Podcasting Made Easy will answer all your questions.

It will give you the confidence to make your first podcast using the hardware and software you probably already have.

Seasoned podcaster Steve Hart takes you through the whole process of recording shows and preparing them for distribution via top podcast streaming services.

Chapters include recording shows, podcast artwork, media law, the importance of SEO show notes, how to interview people, making money with your podcast, and key technical advice.

If you only buy one book about starting a podcast – this is it.

Welcome

Why podcast?

Who listens to podcasts?

Ideal duration of a podcast

Top and tail

Behind the mic

Podcast production

Equipment

Going solo

Your first podcast

Interviewing skills

Artwork

Hosting and storage

Show notes

There’s always a bigger fish

Promotion

Copyright

Podcasting for profit

Media Law (if in doubt, leave it out)

Podcast Libraries

Your copyright

Royalty free music

Hiring an editor

Ending your podcast

WordPress websites

Final thoughts

Worth reading

Steve Hart

COPYRIGHT

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior consent of the

publisher in writing.

A catalogue record of this book is available at the

New Zealand National Library.

The moral right of the author to be associated with

this publication has been asserted.

ISBN: 978-0-473-41040-7

First paperback edition 2017.

Also available as an audio book and E-Book

E-book: 978-0-473-41041-4

Audio book: 978-0-473-41043-8

Self-published by Steve Hart.

Book and cover design: Hart & Co

Copyright 2017 Steve Hart.

Steve Hart, PO Box 300505, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 0752.

www.SteveHart.co.nz

All companies and products mentioned in Podcasting Made Easy are used for example purposes only and have not asked to be featured, nor are any endorsed by the author.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Podcasting Made Easy. Podcasting is an increasingly popular way for people to share news and information about their business and hobbies.

Audio files are a lot smaller than video files, so are easier and quicker to download. Podcasts can also be enjoyed while on the move – they don’t require people to look at a screen. For this reason they are versatile and can be enjoyed during almost any activity.

My first podcast was made in 2011 when I started a weekly review of business and stock market news linked to a magazine I was editing.

Later I moved on to podcasting about careers and employment, and then a weekly news podcast called Talking Point. In 2014 I started a one-hour news podcast that was syndicated to dozens of internet and low power FM radio stations across the US, New Zealand and the UK (in addition to being on all the best podcatching sites). At the time of writing I podcast about the WordPress CMS and real estate.

So quite a few podcasts over the years, each one running its course, and some overlapping one another. Each podcast better than the one before as my experience developed.

My background is in journalism so I have been able to use some of the best gear there is. But from my home office / studio, I started podcasting using modest equipment.

I routinely browse the podcast forums and read heated debates on which microphone is ‘best’, which mixer is better than another, learn about people’s favourite software, and so on.

My view is that content comes first, audio quality a close second and then the gear. I am a bit fanatical about audio being clean so listeners aren’t turned off by poor audio quality. But it was only recently that I got anything near pro gear – most of my podcasts have been recorded using a budget mic and free software. Once I knew podcasting was for me I started to invest in better gear to up my game.

I think of it like this; does having a top-notch camera make one a better photographer? No. Most of the art of a good photo comes down to experience, technique, composition, and skill. The same applies to any trade. So when it comes to podcasting, while a certain level of audio quality is expected by listeners – because they are used to digital recordings and FM radio – you don’t need to spend a king’s ransom just to share your ideas, views, and information.

One podcaster I know still uses an old goose neck microphone that came free with his PC 10 years ago. It sounds like it too. But still, the content is good and he has built up a keen following.

And that is the basic premise of Podcasting Made Easy, to help you make great podcasts with as little initial outlay as possible, and help you understand why you would want to podcast at all.

I believe the basics required to be a successful podcaster are a passion to communicate and commitment to the subject matter of your podcast – the rest will fall into place as your audience builds and your skill level improves. Passion and desire must come first.

What is a podcast?

In this book, a podcast is an audio recording that is made available for free via podcast libraries such as iTunes, Tunein, and Spreaker etc.

POD stands for Play On Demand, and there is a podcast for most any subject you can think of.

Some radio broadcasters release shows, or segments of shows, as downloadable files, and there is some debate among the podcast community as to whether the podcast tag really applies to them – I don’t think it does.

In my opinion, podcasts are defined as a sequence of speech-based recordings where someone shares their expertise/information on a given subject at regular intervals – ideally weekly.

Some people talk about comic book characters, TV shows, films...you name it – if it exists (in the real world or in the mind) there’s bound to be a podcast about it.

So, if you want to start getting ‘on the air’ to share your thoughts and expertise, the following pages cover everything you need to get started and take your podcast to its full potential.

Why podcast?

First off, you need to decide why you want to start podcasting. Do you just fancy the idea of being heard around the world? Is it an ego trip, do you want to do it just because you can, do you want to raise your profile or drum up business?

If you are employed, and being paid by your boss to produce a podcast for the firm, then you’re laughing. You’ll get paid to do something that can be great fun – and you shouldn’t have to worry about the cost of setting it all up.

But if you are in business and only really get paid when a client pays you then you will need to dig deep to find the stamina to podcast week in, week out. There has to be a benefit to the cost in time and effort for doing it. Fame is great if that’s what you want, but fortune is better.

From what I have seen, most of the people who just fancy the idea of po...

Table of contents

• Chapter 1