It can take up to 24 hours for a podcast to be approved, as Apple does a human review of every new podcast. You’ll receive an email once your show is approved.

Submit podcast to Spotify

Spotify launched its directory in 2018 and is now the second-largest podcast directory, with 26.8% of all podcast downloads.

Once you submit your podcast to Spotify, it should be listed almost immediately.

Submit podcast to Google Podcasts

Google Podcasts makes your podcast visible in Google web searches and on Android phones. This directory accounts for 2.4% of all podcast downloads and works differently from its competitors.

Rather than submitting your podcast to a directory, you just make sure Google can crawl your podcast website.

You can manually submit your podcast RSS feed to Google to help speed up the process.

All Buzzsprout websites are compatible with Google Podcasts. Most podcasters see their episodes show up in Google results in a couple of weeks.

If you use another hosting platform, check out this article on how to get a podcast into Google Podcasts.

Other podcast directories

Once you get listed in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, your podcast is in front of 95%+ of all podcast listeners.

Submit to these smaller directories to further broaden your reach:

Step #10: Launch and grow your show

When it’s time to launch your podcast, you have two options. Choose whichever one feels best to you.

Strategy #1: The grand opening

A grand opening is when you build hype for your show before its launch. This is the approach used by most podcasters with an existing following.

Pick a launch date a few weeks away and reach out to people who might be interested.

You can pay for ads, submit to Apple Podcasts’ New and Noteworthy, or reach out to publications.

Strategy #2: The soft open

A soft open is more discreet. With this method, you publish episodes as if people are listening but wait on the promotion.

This strategy lets you get comfortable, iron out kinks, and overcome imposter syndrome.

When you see your podcast succeed in a lower-pressure environment, it’s easier to promote it more confidently.

Imposter syndrome

A lot of podcasters feel like a fraud when they first start. Maybe you dislike your voice or don’t feel qualified enough to speak on your topic.

It’s easy to sideline yourself, but you have a valuable perspective to offer. Know that this is a normal phase of podcasting that gets easier.

6 Marketing tips to grow your listenership

It takes time to get the word out about your podcast. Follow these five steps to building a successful podcast marketing strategy.

1. Share your podcast with friends and family

Share your podcast with loved ones and ask for feedback. You can get their honest opinions and have them leave your first reviews on Apple Podcasts.

2. Create a Buzzsprout Ad

You can grow your listenership by running a podcast promo with Buzzsprout Ads. Podcast promos are more effective than traditional ads since they target the right audience for your show.

When listeners click on your ad, they’ll be taken to your podcast page, where they can subscribe to your show and get notified of new episodes.

3. Post episodes on social media

Sharing podcast content on social media helps you build a connection with your listeners.

You can create Visual Soundbites for Facebook and Instagram, boost tweets on Twitter, and post content on LinkedIn. You could pick up ten new listeners over your first few episodes if you do this right.

4. Join groups and forums

Providing value on forums like Reddit, Quora, or Facebook groups helps direct people to your podcast.

Respond to relevant, recent questions you can confidently answer. Include a link to one of your episodes to direct traffic to your podcast.

Aim to post one or two answers like this for each new episode.

5. Cross-promote with other creators

Cross-promotion lets you partner with other podcasters and promote each other’s shows.

This marketing method lets you get your podcast in front of a new audience.

You can reach out to fellow creators on Podchaser or find hosts’ contact information on their websites or social media.

6. Overcast Ads

The Overcast podcast app runs ads exclusively for podcasting. In our experience, we get 100 new subscribers each ad cycle. This is an excellent way to get your first 100 subscribers if you have the money.

Additional resources

If you run into any issues during your launch or have questions once you’re podcasting, consult these Buzzsprout resources.

Celebrate your launch!

If you’ve made it this far and are ready to publish your episode, we encourage you to submit it soon and celebrate your accomplishment.

Launching your first podcast is an achievement, so congratulations from the entire Buzzsprout team! We can’t wait to see how far your podcast takes you.

Alban Brooke

Alban Brooke is the Head of Marketing at Buzzsprout and the co-host of Buzzcast. Have any questions about this guide? Reach out on Twitter.

How does a beginner start a podcast?

To start a podcast, follow these ten steps:

Do podcasts make money?

Can anyone start a podcast?

Yes, anyone can start a podcast, regardless of their experience level. All you need is a genuine interest in your topic and something valuable to offer listeners!

How To Start A Podcast: A Complete Step-By-Step Tutorial

Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If you’re looking for a guide that walks you through how to start a podcast, you’re absolutely in the right place…

Starting a podcast isn’t difficult, but there are a number of steps you’ll need to go through in order to get it launched.

In this podcasting tutorial, we’ll walk you through every step of the process:

Bonus: Free 10-Day “How To Start A Podcast” Email Course
Just click the link and enter your email to get the first lesson:

Just a few of the things you’ll learn:

Get started today!

Podcasting is a much less crowded and competitive space than blogging, making now the perfect time to get started.

As of August 2022, there are just over 2 million podcasts, but over 600 million blogs!

In case you’re wondering, I’ve helped thousands of people start a podcast in the last several years and have started a few shows in different industries myself.

Looking to start a podcast quickly? Sign up with Buzzsprout, upload your audio files, and submit to Apple & Spotify.

Let’s get started:

Planning

This is the initial (often overlooked) stage to make a podcast. You’ll want to spend a good amount of time here before you move on.

Feel free to get out a notebook or a whiteboard so you can start planning your podcast like a pro.

Choose A Topic

You want your podcast to be focused on a particular topic or niche.

Try to narrow it down to something you can speak about for many episodes (100+) but that isn’t so broad that you won’t appeal to your potential audience.

For example, instead of having an “outdoor” podcast, talk about hiking – or even more specific, like hiking 14ers.

You can always expand your topic later as you get more popular.

Important: see the section about choosing a name to make sure you don’t limit yourself.

Pick A Co-host (optional)

Do you have a friend, business partner, or coworker that you want to co-host with?

It can be much easier to start podcasting if you have a co-host.

You will naturally have a more engaging conversation if you both share your points of view on a topic. It can also be helpful to have someone to keep things on track.

Plus, you can split additional tasks of editing, promoting, and more.

There can be downsides though.

You’ll want to make sure both of you are committed to it for the long term. And it helps to set a schedule from the beginning so you know when you will be recording every week.

There aren’t rules here though. If your co-host drops off, you could still continue the podcast without them. Or you could start solo and add a co-host later.

The important thing is to just get started.. so let’s choose a name:

Choose A Name

If you look at the top Apple Podcasts charts, you’ll see a variety of different names.

Some are descriptive of what the show is about, while others don’t mean much.

I’m actually going to seemingly contradict what I said earlier: You want to choose a name that is broader than your topic.

Using the hiking example earlier, if we choose “The 14er Cast” as our name, what happens when we want to talk about backpacking & ultralight camping too?

Instead, choose a name that will let you expand if you decide to later. Maybe “Mountain Adventures (Above & Below 14K ft)” would work as it gives a hint to hiking 14ers but gives you the option to talk about all kinds of stuff if you want.

I just came up with that as I was writing this, I’m sure you could do better!

Action Step: Purchase a domain name (opens in a new tab) for your podcast.

Another option is to get a free domain name with a Bluehost web hosting plan. You can search right here on this page – try it out!

I also have some more tips on choosing a domain name here if you want.

Show Format

Length

You’ll find a number of “experts” claim that certain lengths are perfect for podcasts. The problem is that’s just BS.

You don’t need a 28-minute podcast because that’s the average driving time. Or under an hour because people can’t pay attention longer than that.

There are 5 minutes podcasts and there are 6-hour podcasts. Find whatever works for you and run with it!

What I would try to avoid is making it longer than it needs to be because you went off-topic for 15 minutes.

Here’s a great image from Pop Up Podcasting that shows “easy, good, or long – pick two”:

Style

Interview shows are popular, but that doesn’t mean you have to do one.

You can do solo (or co-hosted) shows half the time and interview shows the other half.

One big benefit of doing interviews is that they help a ton with getting new listeners – especially if you make it easy for your guest to share with pre-written templates and graphics.

Episode Format

So what does a specific episode sound like? I wrote this post about podcast intros, but it has a bunch of examples of different episode formats for popular podcasts.

Here’s one example:

Get creative with this part.

Different segments make it easier to share small clips on social media too.

But remember that for every episode you put out, you will have both repeat listeners and new listeners so you should try to speak to both of them.

Preparation

Now that you’ve written down your topic, format(s), and secured a domain name, we’ll need to get a few things prepared ahead of launch…

Create Cover Art

Your cover art is the first impression most people will see as they browse through Apple Podcasts or their favorite podcast app.

It’s might also be the image someone sees when you share your show on social media.

Buzzsprout has written an excellent article about designing cover art, so I would definitely start there.

If you have a little bit of a budget, I highly recommend 99 Designs to get yours created.

You’ll get hundreds of different designers to produce a draft – then you can choose the ones you like to have them further refined.

Get A Professional Intro (Optional)

Music Radio Creative is the best place to get professional-quality voiceovers and intros.

Having a third-party introduce you just takes your perceived value up a notch, which is a great way to stand out when first starting a podcast.

Choose Intro Music

I’m a big fan of PremiumBeat for podcast music.

It’s easy to search, you get a full license, and they have a bunch of different styles.

Take a look at this post on royalty-free music for more options.

Most people don’t need an unlimited subscription-style music service – just a song or two.

Get A Microphone

Audio quality is important but it doesn’t have to cost a ton to get a good quality microphone for podcasting. One of the most popular podcasting microphones is the Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB (brand new version for 2020).

It’s both a USB microphone and has an XLR connection which lets you upgrade your recording equipment without needing a new mic.

I recommend taking a look at our podcast starter kit post for more options here, especially if you plan on having a co-host or two.

Podcast Guests

If you are doing an interview show, now is the time to get a list together of who you want on your podcast.

Then start reaching out to them.

It can help to use a service like Acuity Scheduling so people can book right on your calendar when it’s convenient for you.

This saves the headache of going back and forth working out a meeting time – and means you can focus on getting more guests!

Plus you can ask them for certain info like their Skype username or an intro you can read when they schedule with you.

To record your interviews when you’re not in-person (or if your co-host doesn’t record in the same room with you) I use and recommend Iris.

Recording & Editing

Alitu (The Easy Way)

If you haven’t used editing software before, even simple actions in GarageBand or Audacity can be quite intimidating.

It’s understandable: audio production is completely full of jargon!

It’s a ‘podcast making’ tool that automates a lot of the confusing technical parts, and practically builds your episode for you. It’s all based right inside your browser, so no software to download, and it works on any computer connected to the internet.

It is built to be super simple to use and does pretty much everything:

All you need to do is upload your recordings, and use the fool-proof podcast-specific editor to take out any big mistakes. Alitu does the rest!

Even better, Alitu includes a library of music and jingles which you can use as your theme tune, or as transitions between segments.

Whether you’re a complete beginner, or an experienced podcaster looking to drastically cut down on your production time, you should definitely give Alitu a try. It comes with a 7-day free trial, so sign up here and try it out!

GarageBand (Free Option)

I’m going to show you how to use GarageBand for recording and editing.

Other audio editing software is similar but most have more advanced features that you don’t need when getting started. Popular options are Adobe Audition & Audacity (both work with Mac & PC).

You can also check out our full post on podcast editing software.

Create A Template

Before you get started, it will be much easier if you create a template that you can reuse every time you record a podcast episode.

What this means is that you will have your intro & outro music already placed, space for ad spots, as well as your tracks for your voice or an interviewee.

Keep in mind this will look different depending on your episode format – create a podcast template that works for you. Here’s one I use:

This will also keep any effects you have applied to the tracks, including compression, EQ, or anything else. I’ll show you the settings I use in the editing section below.

Record Your First Episode (Or 3)

If you’re just recording a solo episode or want to record an intro to an interview you did, simply select the track you want to record to (see the light gray Podcast Audio track selected above) and click the red Record button up top:

Multiple Hosts

This will give you the option to enable multiple tracks to record at once and you’ll see the Record Enable button on each track:

You’ll click that button on each track you want to record, then click the big record button up top. Easy enough!

Remote Interview

Many people use Skype for recording remote interviews and the easiest way to actually record the audio (or video) is with Ecamm Call Recorder For Skype (Mac only) or Pamela (for Windows).

If you want better audio quality than Skype or Zoom allow, or a way to have individual audio files for more than 2 people, services like Iris are excellent. They are designed for remote recording and podcast interviews.

When you are done recording, you’ll have two separate tracks that you will place on top of each other like this:

This also shows another template that you may want to use. The Podcast Audio track is only used for solo shows, and the Interview tracks are only used for interview shows.

Edit Your Episode

There are a couple of things you can easily set up once (and save in your template) that will make your podcast (and your voice) sound much better.

Keep in mind that everyone’s voice is different so there aren’t perfectly universal settings, but these may give you a good starting point:

I’m not going to get into what all that means, but if you just do one, the low-end roll-off (on the left) will be a good start.

Or you can just download my Podcast Vocal EQ settings here (.pst file on Dropbox).

The last step I’d recommend is going to Auphonic to apply some normalization for loudness (LUFS), leveling, and filtering. It will also automatically add ID3 tags should you need them.

Launch!

Get A Podcast Host

I use and highly recommend Buzzsprout podcast hosting after trying many different companies over the years.

Feel free to check out our complete podcast hosting guide if you want to see other options, but another great choice for larger brands is Transistor.

You can also look at this list of the best podcast platforms.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll need to fill out some required information about your podcast (name, description, categories, etc.).

Upload Your First Episode

If you use Buzzsprout, this process is super simple.

If not, it’s possible you need to mess with things like embedding ID3 tags into your MP3. Sounds confusing and unnecessary – let’s not do that.

You’ll just need to click the “Upload” button:

and they’ll apply some magic processing to your mp3 file.

Then you’ll need to fill out the episode title, description, summary, publish date, and episode #.

If you want to use Seasons, put a “1” there, otherwise leave it blank. If you use a lot of bad words, click the explicit checkbox.

It can be helpful to create a template for your episode description (in a separate text document) to reuse for every episode – I use something like this:

Click save and repeat this step for your initial release of episodes.

It’s recommended to launch a podcast with more than 1 episode so that people don’t have to wait to hear more.

3 to 5 episodes is a good number to start with.

Submit To Apple Podcasts (iTunes)

I have a separate guide on how to submit your podcast to iTunes but within Buzzsprout just click Apple Podcasts under the Directories tab and follow the steps they’ve put together.

After that, grab your podcast RSS feed and submit it to other podcast directories too.

As you upload new episodes, your host will automatically update your RSS feed and any podcast directory you’re listed on will also update with your new episode.

Spread The Word

Use Buzzsprout’s social sharing feature to generate teaser videos and start sharing!

Buzzsprout’s built-in video soundbite creator.

There are other companies that will help you generate different styles of audiograms, but having it built into your host makes it really easy to create (and it won’t cost you extra).

Wavve and Headliner are two excellent choices if you want to create more custom podcast videos to share.

Check out this article on podcast promotion to for a bunch of other marketing tactics. One of the most impactful ones is building your own website (see next step below).

Recommended Steps (After Starting A Podcast)

Your job isn’t done once you start a podcast. Here are my recommendations to help make your show more appealing and easier to grow:

Create A Website

WordPress (Easy To Medium Difficulty)

Podcast hosting companies usually give you a website, but if you want to be taken seriously get yourself a separate WordPress host.

For beginners, Bluehost is easily the best option (plus you’ll get a free domain name for the first year).

If you need a bit more guidance, start with this how to start a WordPress blog post for the initial steps.

I have a list of excellent WordPress plugins that a podcaster would need too.

And if you need more help, I have a course called Podcast Website LaunchPad that walks you through everything.

Podcastpage (Easiest Method)

Podcastpage is a website builder and hosting all-in-one made specifically for podcasts. Kind of like Wix but designed for the needs podcasters.

No coding is necessary. You just choose one of their themes, customize to your liking, and optionally integrate email marketing or Google Analytics.

You can add pages or blog posts, customize your audio player, and make it easy for your visitors to subscribe!

Get Transcriptions

Transcriptions are an excellent way for search engines (like Google) to “read” your podcast episodes. They also give your audience another way to look something up quickly.

You don’t have to start out with them, but it’s another one of those things that will set you apart.

Create Show Notes

Show notes can be transcriptions like above, a simple summary of what you talked about, or a full blog post tailored more toward reading than listening.

Some people do a combination.

On this site, we start with written content first and then create podcast episodes after.

Embed Your Episode

Grab your episode embed code and place it on your show notes page so people can listen from your website.

How to Make a Podcast

What to know before starting a podcast

In This Article

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You owe it to yourself to make your podcast as good as you possibly can, and a huge part of that is making sure you have all of the hardware, software, and supporting services required to elevate you above the competition. With that in mind, here’s how to make a podcast.

What You Need to Start a Podcast

Before you can start your podcast, there are four bases that you need to cover:

Finding Your Podcasting Topic or Niche

This is the first step in starting a podcast, and it’s a pretty important one. If you already have a built-in audience from somewhere else, then you may be able to just roll tape, talk about whatever, and have your audience eat it up. For everyone else, do yourself a favor and put some thought into the big picture and the overall theme of your podcast.

If you’re starting from scratch, then think about your favorite interests and hobbies. Is there anything you could talk about with some level of both authority and enthusiasm?

After you have some ideas, do some research on the competition. See what’s out there in the same topic or niche, and think about how you could attack the same thing from a different angle, put a different spin on it, or just bring something new or better to the table.

If you need some inspiration, you’ll find all kinds of ideas in the best history podcasts, the best mystery podcasts, the funniest podcasts, and the best podcasts overall. It’s good to listen to tons of episodes to see what’s working for other people.

Recording Equipment for Making a Podcast

You can technically record a podcast on your phone and upload it from free Starbucks Wi-Fi, but the result probably won’t be that great. If you want to make a professional-sounding podcast that people actually want to listen to, you need to put together some essential podcasting equipment.

Here’s the basic equipment you need to make a podcast:

While it’s possible to record a podcast using a phone or a tablet, it isn’t really recommended. You need a good computer that’s capable of running audio recording software if you want to put together a professional podcast.

A decent microphone is the next most important piece of equipment. You don’t have to break the bank, but you should seriously consider buying a condenser microphone if you don’t already have one. There are a lot of decent USB condenser microphones out there that are also affordable, or you can go for a more expensive microphone that has an analog output, phantom power, and the whole nine yards.

Headphones you can cut some corners on, as any set will do. Over-the-ear headphones are better since it’s less likely your microphone will pick them up, but you don’t need to shell out for expensive studio monitor headphones unless you’re super serious.

With that basic equipment assembled, you can start recording your first podcast. However, the sound quality of your podcast can improve if you add additional equipment like:

There’s really no limit as to how far you can go with your recording equipment. Upgrades to your mic and mic accessories, audio input and mixer equipment, and your recording environment can all help create a more professional sound.

A microphone shock mount is a good place to start, as that’s a great way to keep your mic from picking up noise from vibrations like moving your chair or tapping on your desk, and a pop filter helps minimize red-lining from specific sounds when you’re talking.

If you upgrade from a USB mic to an analog mic, then an audio interface and a high-quality sound card can improve your overall sound quality. A physical mixer board is an expensive upgrade, but it gives you more control over your levels and can really help if you plan on having call-ins.

If you can’t afford a full-on home recording studio, then some acoustic foam can go a long way toward preventing unwanted noise.

Recording Software for Starting a Podcast

You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing recording software for your podcast. There are choices at every price level, including some fantastic free ones if you’re feeling the pinch after buying all of your recording equipment. In fact, our favorite is Audacity, which is free and available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Before you download and use Audacity, be sure to review its privacy policy to ensure you’re comfortable with its terms.

Whatever software you select to record your podcast, make sure it has editing capabilities that allow you to fix any sound issues that crop up. You may also want to be able to cut and splice your audio, add sound effects, and other advanced options. The ability to save in a variety of other formats is also key.

How to Get Podcast Hosting

There are a lot of options out there for podcast hosting. You can technically use any web host and just upload your podcasts, but that isn’t always ideal. If you become popular, you may run into bandwidth and throughput issues, especially if you have cheap shared hosting.

Dedicated podcast hosting is designed specifically for podcasts, so you won’t experience any issues if you become popular and have a lot of concurrent listeners or downloads. A lot of these hosts also provide extra features that are geared toward increasing your audience, disseminating your podcast to various platforms, and even monetizing your podcast.

Making a Podcast: How to Record and Release Your First Podcast

Now that you’ve put together all of the equipment you need to get started, it’s time to record and release your podcast into the world. This is the basic process you follow:

Record your podcast using the audio recording software of your choice.

Listen to your podcast, and use your audio software to fix any issues.

Upload your podcast to your podcast host.

Use tools provided by your podcast host to promote your podcast, or promote it yourself by sharing the link on social media.

One strategy you may want to consider is to get your podcast on Spotify. It’s not an easy process, but you get tons of exposure that might help your podcast catch on and become viral.