Table of contents:
Key takeaways
- Podcasting is the process of recording, editing, and publishing a podcast.
- 3 reasons to start podcasting are that it’s easy, gives you a platform for your voice, and it can be lucrative.
- There are many podcasts today, so consistency and an understanding of the industry are key.
- Prioritize recording quality to gain credibility and increase your chance to monetize.
Though you may have tuned in to a podcast or two previously, recording and producing one is a totally different ballgame.
In this podcast 101 article, we’ve put together a podcasting guide for beginners.
Read on to learn what you need for podcasting and the best practices to make some noise in the podcasting world.
What is a podcast?
A podcast is essentially a pre-recorded radio show that is available to stream or download for on-demand listening. Podcasts can take many formats (solo, interview, panel etc) and often have a theme or specific topic of interest.
In terms of mainstream consumption, podcasting is a relatively new medium. Though podcasts have technically existed since the late 20th century, they really only started taking hold in the early 2000s. Although they started as an audio-based medium, video podcasts have been gaining serious popularity in recent years.
What does podcasting mean?
Podcasting refers to the process of recording, producing, and publishing a podcast show. You can record in a more traditional studio-setting, remotely online, or on-location. Some creators choose to livestream or repurpose live content for their podcast.
How does podcasting work?
As you might be able to tell, there’s no set formula for how to approach podcasting. That being said, the overall process will look similar to this:
Step 1: Record your podcast audio and/or video.
You can do this remotely using software like Riverside, or on-location in the studio.
Step 2: Edit and finalize your podcast in post-production.
Make sure your audio sounds as good as it should, stitch various segments together, and add sound-effects and other media into your recording.
Step 3: Publish and distribute your podcast via your podcast host.
Step 4: Monitor your podcast analytics to see how well your content performs.
You may also choose to monetize your content through dynamic ads, for example.
Step 5: Repeat!
Want to record, edit, and distribute your podcast all in one place? Find out how to start a podcast on Riverside in our guide!
Why should you start podcasting?
If you’re still on the fence about whether you want to start podcasting, here are a few reasons you should take the plunge:
It’s easy & affordable
The first, and arguably most compelling, reason to start podcasting is that it’s easy and super budget-friendly. Getting started podcasting doesn’t need to be complicated, nor does it require a big up-front investment.
With as little as $50 for a good USB mic, a laptop, and your phone as a webcam, you’re pretty much good to go. And when you’re ready to scale, you can invest a few hundred bucks ($300-600) to purchase yourself some good-quality equipment. As extras, I’d add things like 3-point lighting, a DSLR camera, XLR mic, mic stand, and sound treatment.
Read more: Learn all you need to know about the best podcasting equipment.
Audience reach & exposure
Whether you’re an independent creator or a business, podcasting’s wide reach has got to be tempting. Since at least 73% of US adults watch or listen to podcasts at least a few times a year, the exposure that podcasting can give you or your brand is invaluable.
Gain credibility
Podcasting gives you a great platform to establish your voice within a space. By podcasting, you can share your expertise and experience with your audience in a meaningful way.
Monetization potential
The profitability of podcasting should not be overlooked. Podcast ad spending was forecast to be at around 2.6 billion USD in 2026. For independent creators, this offers a lucrative opportunity to make money from their content. For businesses, podcasting represents a way to diversify revenue whilst promoting their product.
Read more: How to Make Money Podcasting in 2024: 12 Effective Ways
Advantages and disadvantages of podcasting
To get a better idea of the realities of podcasting, you need to know the pros and cons of starting a podcast:
Pros of podcasting
Easy
As we mentioned earlier, getting started with podcasting is easy. Even if you have no experience with podcasting equipment or recording one, you’ll be an expert in no time. This means it’s an extremely accessible medium for anyone and everyone.
Affordable
Secondly, even if you’re contending with a tight budget, podcasting won’t break the bank. Not only can you start a podcast show for free, if you want to, but you can also keep your ongoing costs very low by using free or affordable tools and services.
Growing medium
Podcasting is growing at a pace and it’s not slowing down. By 2024, podcasting is predicted to be a $4 billion industry. Getting in on the game early is never a bad thing.
Competitive edge
In the same vein, if all your competitors are podcasting then shouldn’t you be too? As the industry grows, podcasting will be a major factor in maintaining a competitive edge and ensuring your voice is as loud as those around you.
Additional revenue
Finally, we’re sure that nobody would turn down a potential revenue stream. As monetization methods for podcasting grow and expand, the possibilities for a great ROI increase too. If you’re able to create a successful and popular show, you could start to see some serious bang for your buck.
Read more: How to Make a Successful Podcast: 15 Effective Tips to Try
Cons of podcasting
Number of podcasts
The sheer number of podcasts (approximately 200 million worldwide) might put you off entering what’s already a fairly saturated market. That being said, every voice is different and if you can produce a high-quality podcast, there’s nothing stopping it from rising to the top of the podcast charts.
Consistency is key
Though a podcast can be as high-maintenance or low-effort as you want it to be, generally speaking, to hit the top of the charts you’re going to need to commit energy to consistent creation and output. This might not be achievable depending on how much time and energy you can commit to your podcast.
Monetization doesn’t mean profit
Lastly, if you’re looking to podcasting as a way to make money, it’s important to realize that monetization doesn’t always mean a huge profit or even necessarily breaking even. Attracting lucrative sponsorship and advertising deals relies on establishing a niche and generating a captive audience. Whilst this isn’t impossible, it’s the product of concerted and consistent effort.
How to get started podcasting
If you’re ready to get started podcasting, you’re probably wondering how. In this section, we’ll offer some podcasting tips for beginners and how to get started easily:
Understand the industry
We’re not saying you need to be a podcasting expert from day one, but it definitely helps to understand what kinds of shows do well and why, the best tools and platforms to use, and what you can do to make your podcast stand out.
Practically speaking, this means taking the time to do your research, listen to some podcasts, and really hone in on your podcast’s identity and niche. In the long-run, this should help you define your podcast’s voice and build out a really successful show.
Podcasting setup
Figuring out your podcasting setup is the first step. Your setup can be as minimal or fully-equipped as you want it to be - depending on your budget, recording format, and the space available to you.
A basic podcasting setup should include a mic, computer, and recording software at the very least. If you’re thinking of creating a video podcast, you’ll also need a camera of some sort.
If you want some inspiration for your podcasting setup, follow the tips in our guide to setting up a podcasting studio at home.
Podcasting software
Podcasting software is a must for all beginner podcasters. They’re key to getting your podcast made, but they can also elevate the quality of your show.
Some of the best podcasting tools you can look for include:
- Riverside: Best all-in-one
- GarageBand: Free for Mac users
- Audacity: Free and advanced, but a bit outdated
- Reaper: Great for customizability
Though there are plenty of more generic audio-recording platforms out there, we’d recommend opting for a tool that’s podcast-specific, like Riverside.
Riverside actually offers you the full podcasting workflow in one platform. You can:
- Record locally in up to 4K video and 48kHz audio. This keeps your quality top-notch even if you (or your guests) have a slow connection.
- Capture synced separate audio and video tracks for up to 10 participants, giving you more control in editing.
- Edit your podcast in minutes with text-based editing and automated tools for audio cleanup, eye-gaze fixing, filler word removal, captions, and more.
- Repurpose or even fully edit your podcast with chat-based editing. Prompt the chat-based editor to create full episodes, podcast covers, social clips, blogs, or other assets from your recording.
Read more: Check our guide to the best podcast recording software.
Podcasting remotely vs in studio
You’ll also have to choose whether you’ll be recording remotely or in a studio. Though, of course, these don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With Riverside you can go hybrid and do a mix of the two!
If you’re stuck between the two, here’s a quick comparison between recording in a studio and remotely:
Remote guests vs in-person
If you choose to record remotely, this opens up your flexibility for including remote guests. This means that even if someone can’t make it physically to your location, they can still participate in your podcast. This is great for extending invites to guests in other parts of the world or even locals who prefer a home-working approach.
Pro tip: With Riverside, you can invite your guests to join on their browser by just sharing a link with them, no downloads needed!
That being said, you might prefer to gather people physically in a room to benefit from the organic rapport and interaction. This approach usually entails a few more logistical considerations, though.
And of course, you could go for a hybrid approach, incorporating remote and in-person guests in the same recording. The video below walks you through how to go about podcast hybrid recordings.
Logistical considerations
The logistical considerations are the biggest difference when it comes to remote vs in-person recording. If you want to record in a studio, you’ll need to locate and book out a space. This will inevitably add to your podcasting budget. And in addition to getting your guests there, you’ll also be contending with time-constraints.
By contrast, remote recording affords you invaluable flexibility. All you need is your phone or laptop and you’re good to go. Your remote guests can join your session from wherever they are and you’re not so limited on recording time if you need to extend your session.
Recording quality
You may be leaning towards studio recording simply because you want to maximize your recording quality. The biggest misconception is that remote recording means low quality. With platforms like Riverside, you can record a studio quality podcast straight from your laptop - even if your internet isn’t playing ball. The secret? Local recording.
Learn more about Riverside, or start podcasting today!
Podcasting best practices
Unfortunately, there’s no fail-safe way to podcast. However, there are some tips to get better at podcasting and set yourself up for success.
Keep up to date with trends
As we mentioned earlier, keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in podcasting is vital. You need to know what’s doing well, what tools to be using, and what audiences are listening to. Additionally, understanding how different platforms like Twitter and Spotify are changing the space are important for adapting your content and strategy to keep up.
Listen to your audience
Your audience aren’t the only ones who should be listening. You need to cater to your listeners, producing content that keeps them engaged and interested. This is also important if you want to monetize your content.
You can harness your podcast analytics to understand your podcast’s performance and refine your output. You can also diversify your content by recording exclusive podcasts for your subscribers or doing livestreams.
Stay agile
Though you might get into a good rhythm with your podcasting, it’s important to be adaptable and keep innovating to stay ahead of the game. This means integrating new tools and platforms into your process as you grow, and staying open to changing things up if and when the time comes.
Prepare and be consistent
Launching with just one episode or stopping production for months are very common mistakes. Start by publishing 3–5 episodes on day one, and make sure you’ve got at least another 3 ready. This boosts your download numbers to trigger algorithm recommendations and will help you maintain a consistent publication schedule.
Invest in your process
As your podcast grows, you’ll probably be able to start spending a bit more on your setup. Though you can get away with a bare-bones podcasting setup, if you’ve got the budget, it’s definitely worth upgrading and investing in your equipment.
Don’t skimp on quality
Skimping on quality is another common beginner’s mistake. You don’t need a $500 microphone to start out, but you shouldn’t record with your laptop mic either. A podcast is defined by its audio, visual, and production quality. This is what gives your show credibility and keeps audiences coming back.
Promote your podcast
The best content in the world won’t matter if no one hears it. To promote your podcast, share short teaser clips on social media and drive traffic back to the full episode. You can do them in seconds with Magic Clips by letting the AI pick the best moments of your recording for you. You can also generate them by prompting Co-Creator! Also, invite guests who’ll cross-promote to their networks, and work on your website SEO to improve your show’s discoverability on search engines.
FAQs on Podcasting
What is podcasting and how does it work?
Podcasting is the process of creating, recording and publishing a podcast - which is an audio-based recording that is available for on-demand streaming or download.
In recent years, video podcasts have gained serious popularity amongst podcast-lovers and creators alike. This has been spurred on especially by the success of YouTube Podcasts.
What is the purpose of a podcast?
There’s no singular meaning or purpose to a podcast. It can be anything you want it to be - whether that’s to make people laugh, contemplate different issues, or introduce new ideas.
Podcasting is unique because unlike a live radio show or livestream, listeners can decide when and where they want to listen to your content.
What are the 3 types of podcasts?
We’d say there are more than 3 types of podcasts. That’s because there are lots of different ways that you can break down the different types of podcasting: remote vs studio recorded, monologue vs interview vs panel, fiction vs nonfiction - the list goes on.
Are podcasts profitable?
It’s important to realize that a podcast probably won’t be profitable straight off the bat. You’ve got to dedicate time and effort into building a niche and cultivating a solid (and captive) audience base. That being said, podcasting can be incredibly lucrative if you open up into advertising and subscriptions.
How much time does it take to produce a podcast?
This depends on how much time you want to spend. Theoretically, you can spend as little or as much time as you want or need. Using tools such as Riverside’s integrated editor, you can take a raw recording to publication-ready podcast in minutes. Just chat with Co-Creator, and AI will apply all changes for you. However, if you want to get down to the minute detail using a dedicated editing suite, you may find yourself spending longer.
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