Create your own podcast today!
Have you ever wanted to create a podcast but thought it was too difficult? I want show you the steps necessary to create your very own podcast. It is a lot of work, but you can do it!
For a long time, I had a desire to create a podcast. One day while on LetsTalkBitcoin, a Bitcoin news site, I emailed the founder Adam B. Levine. I asked him if he would be willing to be interviewed by me to talk about Tokenly, his new company. He agreed and that was the beginning of my podcast, The StartUp.
Now that Adam agreed, what are my next steps? The list below are the tasks I completed to create the podcast.
- Record the interview
- Edit audio
- Create podcast structure
- Putting it all together
Record the interview
I needed to record the interview with Adam. He told me about a tool to record audio over the Internet. It is called Mumble, a free open source tool that can record audio from users that are geographically located in different places.
Adam and I conducted the interview and recorded it. Mumble captured the audio in a sound file (.wav or .mp3) that I saved to my computer.
A computer is one of many tools that you'll need. Below is a list of additional equipment that you may need. However, it really depends on your setup.
Equipment List
- Microphone
- Headphones
- Audio editing software
- Cables - USB, Microphone
- Recording software program or service
- Mic stand or desktop mic stand
Optional:
- Audio interface if your microphone not USB capable
- External speakers
- Shock mount
- Pop filter
Editing the interview
Editing is process of cutting, copying, and arranging audio in a particular fashion. I can spend a minimum of 4 minutes editing audio for each minute of recorded content. This is a time consuming process because it takes time to listen to and identify mistakes, verbal blunders, awkward pauses, and ramblings in the audio recording.
There are times when a mistake is removed from the audio and I must find a suitable point to merge the two audio fragments together to make the interview flow while simultaneously keeping the listeners engaged. This is not an easy task to accomplish. It may take several edits to get it right.
My audio editor of choice is Reaper. It is Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in which multiple tracks can be arranged and edited. You can place audio on separate tracks and if they overlap the tracks can be played simultaneously. If you know how to cut and paste, editing audio is relatively simple.
Podcast Structure
A podcast is like a story, it must have some type of structure and organization to it in order to inform, entertain, and educate the listener.
The are several ways to structure your podcast. Here is a sample structure that I use.
- Podcast Introduction with theme music
- Welcome
- Interview - Part 1
- Sponsor segment
- Interview - Part 2
- Closing remarks, contact info, and credits
- Audience call to action
The introduction, sponsor segment (you may not have any sponsors initially), closing remarks, and call to action segments need to be adequately planned. I suggest that you write a short script for each. Do not skip this step. This is important because you will use these scripts to record the audio segments. Recording audio without a script or an unrehearsed part is much harder than you think.
Every podcast needs an introduction to inform the audience. It doesn't have to be very long, 15 - 30 seconds will do. Theme music usually starts your podcast and then your introduction can proceed at this point. Intro music can be obtained from a variety of different sources. Contact me if you need theme music.
If you have an advertiser or sponsor segment, this is the place to position it in your podcast. A script of the segment may be provided for you or you will be responsible for recording it.
Closing remarks, credits, and call to action portions are essential elements of your podcast. They give you the opportunity to conclude the interview and then address any additional topics you deem necessary.
Finally, end the podcast with theme music. Do not underestimate the importance of it because it provides your podcast with an identity and branding.
Putting everything together
Now that all the audio elements have been created and edited, I place the individual elements in order based on the structure referenced above using Reaper, my audio editor.
After the rough draft is completed, I start listening to the entire podcast with a critical ear. My focus is to pay attention to the timing and transitions from one element to the next. Also, careful consideration is given to the musical elements because they serve as cues to listeners that something is about to change. I often take notes while listening to identify things that need to be modified. I then make the edits and listen again. I repeat this process until I’m satisfied and declare the podcast complete.
In the guide, I have walked you through steps of creating a podcast. I have described the process of recording the interview. I prepared a list of necessary equipment that is essential to the podcast creation process. I explained how to synthesize all the individual elements to create a cohesive podcast. In a future article, I’ll describe how to publish your podcast and market it to your target audience.
Conclusion
Podcasting is a wonderful medium. I hope that I’ve simplified the podcast creation process. All that is left to do now is to get started. You can do it.
I look forward to hearing your podcast.
Thanks,
