When it comes to a great hobby or even a career choice, perhaps one of the most sought-after is podcasting.
Podcasting can be extremely fun to do and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
However, with all of the fun, there are also lots to do and lots to think about. It can be quite hard work and to get it just right, you’ll need to ensure you are practicing when you can (also see, ‘How to Get Into Podcasting‘).
But how exactly do you practice podcasting? Well, in short, you should research already established podcasts, work on your voice and your planning and ensure you have the best equipment.
Of course, there’s more to it than just this. Our guide looks at the best possible ways you can practice podcasting along with some other handy tips.
Read on and learn more.
Research
The best way you can learn about how to make your first few episodes better is by looking at already established podcasts.
There will be reasons why their podcast content are so good and amass such a large number of podcast listeners (also see, ‘How Do I Get More Listeners On My Podcast?’).
Depending on what you want your podcast niche to focus on, you’ll want to look at podcasts that sit in that specific field.
For example, if you are going to conduct a sports podcast, then you should look up an established sports podcast brand.
If you’re looking to do a general lifestyle and a more casual podcast, then you could look at the Joe Rogan podcast or even the old Ricky Gervais Show podcast.
Whatever you decide you’re going to do, you need to make sure you’re listening and taking notes on why you think their podcast is so good.
What are they discussing? How is the flow? What are the guests like? How do they fill gaps?
Once you’ve got your notes, you should be able to draw up your own plans, think of a catchy podcast name, and this feeds in nicely to our second point.
Planning
No good podcast has ever happened without lots of planning. During the planning process, you will be looking at several things. We’ll look at these in more detail below:
Podcast Equipment And Technology
A great podcast episode relies on having equipment that is both reliable and has good feedback for the audience. In other words, you’ll need to make sure you have excellent podcast microphones (also see, Best Dynamic Microphones‘), a fast web connection, a powerful computer, and the right headphones.
ALSO SEE: Best Podcast Microphones
If you are going to film your podcast, you will also need a great camera and likely need to film it from multiple angles.
Once you’ve decided to start a podcast, the next step is choosing the right equipment. It’s important to invest in high-quality equipment, as this will ensure your podcast sounds professional and of high quality.
Investing in the right gear will make all the difference in how your show is received by your audience. It’s worth spending the time to research the best podcasting microphones, headphones, computer software and sound mixer that you can afford.
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Recording and Editing Your Podcast
When it comes to podcast recording and editing, there are several tools available to help you get started so you can record separate audio files. You’ll need a microphone or headset with a pop filter to capture high audio quality and minimize background noise.
You’ll also want to invest in an audio interface for recording multiple devices simultaneously, a remote recording software, as well as software for mixing, mastering, and editing.
Once you have the necessary equipment and software installed, you can begin recording.
ALSO SEE: Podcast Production Tips: Equipment, Recording Techniques For Your Own Podcast
Podcast Hosting Service
Once your podcast is recorded and edited, you’ll need to choose among podcast platforms in order to make it available for people to listen.
A podcast host provides the necessary infrastructure for distributing and streaming your audio files online. Many podcast host companies offer additional features such as analytics, RSS feed creation, and embeddable players.
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Promotion and Distribution
Now that your podcast is recorded and edited, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to promote and distribute it. The most popular way to do this is through a podcast hosting platform such as SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts (also see, ‘Stitcher Vs Apple Podcasts‘).
These are great options for getting your show out there so that more people will find it and be able to listen.
Having an RSS feed will help make sure your content reaches the widest audience possible.
Additionally, don’t forget about the power of social media when trying to promote your podcast. Create a podcast artwork, Facebook page or Twitter account dedicated solely to your podcast, and use these tools to spread the word.
Finally, you’ll want to set up an iTunes podcast page. This will help your podcast show up in the popular iTunes directory and make it easier for people to subscribe.
You can also reach out to other podcasts or blogs and ask them if they’d be willing to feature your show on their website. Doing this will increase the chances of more people discovering your podcast.
- SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform.
- It allows artists to upload, promote, and share music.
- Offers both free and premium services.
Guests
Your guests may be the make or break part of your podcast. Now, it’s not always necessary to have guests for a podcast, but some of the best podcasts rely on the “bounce” factor.
This is when topics bounce off one another and you have no gaps of silence.
When selecting your guests, ensure you have guests with charisma and those who are knowledgeable or appropriate for your chosen podcast topic.
You might also need to invest in a system for remote interviews, this way you can reach out to bigger names and those who are not physically in your city.
Topics
Whatever field your podcast is in, you will likely need to have specific talking points for your podcast episodes.
If you’re a sports podcast for example, you may have one segment on a specific sports news story or recent game.
Ensure these topics flow and feed into one another if you want the best possible tone and pace.
Work On Your Voice
Perhaps unsurprisingly, podcasts are largely focused on what you have to say – therefore, it’s critical that you work on your voice.
This is not just getting a great voice that sounds good and a voice that people can respond positively to (although this is important!), but it’s also about confidence.
Confidence when speaking makes a huge difference to the quality of your podcast.
Not only will it give your voice more authority when you are talking, but it also means that people respond better to the content of what you are delivering.
If you want to practice your voice, simply practice by recording yourself talking about a specific topic on your smartphone.
This recording will not be broadcast, so this should get your confidence going.
Once you’ve done this, take notes on areas where you can improve and use this for future recordings.
Other than this, try singing and delivering made up speeches to yourself. That way, you’ll get really familiar with your vocal range and be able to make better podcasts.
Practice Improvisation
No matter how many podcasts you do and how often you speak with your friends, there will always be times when the conversation stops and you have a brief gap of quietness.
This is fine in a social setting, but this is no good for a podcast. To try to curtail this, you could try learning improvisation skills.
Consider taking up a class and learning from experts – or you could try playing improv games at home.
The point of these exercises is to try to fill gaps of silence with appropriate conversation, which helps to keep the podcast going.
Passion And Controversy
Without a doubt, some of the best podcasts are the ones that stir passion and controversy.
Ensure that during your planning process, you are choosing something that you and others have a huge passion for.
This will be brought through in your recordings, and it will definitely help when it comes to gaps in conversation.
When it comes to controversy, some topics will always have some level of controversy (such as sports or politics), but you need to make sure you’re not making controversy for the sake of it.
If your podcast is good enough, the controversy and passion will naturally and organically flow – so bear this in mind!
The Final Thoughts
Developing your podcast skills doesn’t have to be too complicated, but it will require some dedication and hard work. Hopefully, our guide will help you get there! Good luck.
