If you live on a budget like me, you must be patient enough to listen to Spotify’s advertisements. One of the advertisements on the rise lately is about starting your podcast. If you have ever felt the need to rant and are looking for an audience who will appreciate it, this article is right for you. Here’s a guide and pointers to explore if you want to start your podcast.
Finalize the topic
Spotify Podcasts ask you to identify the field in which your podcast belongs, from art and history to lifestyle, food blogging, personal essays, reviews and more. You need to finalize the field and then narrow it down to a specific topic, for example, true crime podcasts. The podcast content can either be fiction or non-fiction.
Choose a style
A simple breezy conversation, a humorous take, or even a structured debate would work. Selecting a style is pertinent because it will accustom your audience to your podcast and voice. It is important to be consistent with the style in each episode, though you can divert occasionally for a bonus or special episode.
Pick a quirky name
The success of a podcast is rooted in how much the listeners can remember your podcast. Podcasting is an increasing hobby/job, marking it a highly competitive field. Under such a scenario, making a mark with a quirky name, for instance, my podcast is Gyaani Vani. (A little self-promotion never hurt anyone!)
Check it out: Two Best Friends Started A Malayalam Podcast And This Is Their Story
Select a platform (preferably Spotify for Podcasters)
Spotify is the easiest and most effective platform for starting and sustaining a podcast. Spotify for Podcasters is an app that guides you through each step, ensuring your journey is easy. Though there are multiple platforms, Spotify has a unique option through which you can publish your podcast on other apps like Google Audiobooks, Chromecast or Apple podcasts. It is done with a touch of a finger. Further, the app also makes it quite easy to track the number of plays and downloads and your audience’s demographic.
Create an album art
Visual representation leaves the audience with a deeper impact. Your album art and the colours used in it become associated with you and your podcast. Hence, your album art can either be a photo that is later edited with text upon it or a digital logo that attests to your podcast’s style. Though you can always update it, catchy album art across all podcast platforms creates uniformity. It is just like a DP for your podcast, if you may.
Record a trailer
A trailer helps your audience decide whether to listen to your episodes. It will not be particular to any episode but an overall view of your podcast’s focus. Its duration is just a minute, so it’s the perfect way to build up a short and simple introduction of who you are and what your podcast will focus upon. The trailer also lets you connect with your audience by setting the subsequent episodes’ voice, pace and style. So record and re-record until you are satisfied with the trailer. A good trailer always brings in new listeners.
Write down notes for your episode
This is a point that many podcasters often contest. While many prefer creating a complete and structured script, including the *pause for 5 seconds*, others just wing it and speak from the heart. The other section falls in between, where they make pointers which are then spoken about during the episode. Audiences can relate to a podcast better if they feel like they are conversing with the podcaster and not listening to a fact-teller.
Must read: Malayali Podcasters Who Are Worth Checking Out
Record your episode
This is the most exciting part of a podcast. Sit in a quiet place with your fan switched off to reduce external sounds. Most episodes are broken down into smaller segments. Spotify allows you to record the episode segment by segment and collect your thoughts before each segment. Further, if you are unhappy with the episode, you can add or delete segments instead of re-doing the whole episode. Make sure to listen to the entire episode once it’s done.
Recheck it all
A podcast requires research and mentioning appropriate recitations if you are using someone else’s material. So if you are referring to facts and statistics, recheck the information. Recheck that your voice is audible, the thoughts clear, and the segments are associated with the chosen topic. The description of the episode, the duration and even if the episode has been published in its entirety must be confirmed to avoid glitches. Unlike an Instagram post, it’s not easy to redact a podcast and republish it.
PUBLISH!
After you’ve recorded the episode, name the segments and calculate the duration; 10 to 20 minutes is ideal as it will keep your audience interested but not bored. After you publish it, share the link with your friends and family. Also, don’t forget to share it on other platforms and post on your social media about it.
A podcast is the best way to express your thoughts and opinions to an audience. To become a successful podcaster and record interesting episodes, you must also listen to multiple podcasts and thus carve your niche in the podcast world.
