Content
1.Start by answering some foundational questions: Who am I podcasting for? (Audience) What am I uniquely passionate about and/or positioned to speak about? (Or who am I uniquely positioned to speak to) What is the format of my show? (Interview, monologue, educational or how-to, video, audio-only, etc…) The goal of answering these questions is to filter the myriad possibilities and center your content on a consistent theme.
2. Scripting questions or building an outline of the topics you would like to cover can be helpful. Include timestamps on the outline if you are concerned about rambling on (and keep an eye on your clock). If you are interviewing folks it’s always a helpful reminder that the best questions come to you by being in the present moment, and not from your list!
3. Everyone finds their own style. I personally like a laid back and conversational tone with my show, and I try to host interviews in that format. This is what works best for me. I am usually loosely scripted and know about half of the questions I end up asking before the interview begins. I like the audio-only format. It’s way easier to edit audio for me as opposed to video. I’ve found that the more qualified your guest is, the easier your job is as an interviewer. Start with people who have a clear passion for what they do, and the ability to articulate that passion.
Hardware
4. In terms of production, you can start recording with just your laptop microphone and Adobe Audition. You can spend as much or as little as you want on your production value, but I would suggest at least picking up a decent headset if you are going to record just yourself.
Here’s an affordable/decent quality headset:
Amazon.com: Yamaha CM500 Headset with Built-In Microphone: Yamaha: Musical Instruments
If you really want to go all out, here is a link to a single mic set up with an amp:
If you are planning on having a single guest per show, I would recommend something like this:
You can upgrade from that set up for about a $100 per headset/mic input.
5. Adobe audition is the industry standard for audio recording/editing software. Here is a link to a tutorial on getting started with that software. If you are a student, check to see if your school has free licensing options for their students.
How to Make Your Own Podcast in Audition | Adobe Creative Cloud
6. I would recommend creating a SoundCloud account to upload your content. It’s free. It allows you to generate an RSS feed from the settings/content tab which you need if you want to place your episodes on iTunes or Spotify. Here’s a link to learn about RSS feeds.
You’re all set to take the podcasting world by storm!