How to Make a Podcast in 5 Steps – The Complete Guide 2024

1 out of 2 French people have already listened to a podcast and among those who have never listened to one, 20% intend to do so in the future. Today, more than 17 million French people listen to podcasts every month. An increasingly lucrative industry, which allows many podcasters to make a living from their audio content. 🤩

On the business side, 68% of listeners consider buying a brand’s product after listening to one of its podcasts. In this way, hosting a podcast allows many brands to reach a new audience and therefore attract customers.

And yes, a podcast can create a real business or promote a brand. No matter what your goal is, we’re going to give you a complete guide to creating a podcast. 🤝🏾

Step 1: Find a podcast idea and format

If you’ve decided to start your own podcast, you’ve already done a lot of the work. Now we need to start thinking about a content idea. Indeed, it is complicated to have a podcast that covers all topics. General podcasts are usually much more substantial to produce, as the audience will demand many more episodes from the creator.

Find a podcast idea

To maximize your chances of success in podcasting, you should focus on a theme. If you want to start a podcast on all topics, you should know that it will be more difficult, because there will be more competition. In order to get faster results, but also a more qualified audience, you are really encouraged to focus on one topic. 🎯

If you don’t have any ideas, no problem. We’ll introduce you to the podcast categories and themes that work best. By starting in one of these niches, you will have more chances to gain visibility quickly. We’re going to introduce you to the favorite themes of podcast listeners. Note that you don’t have to create a podcast on one of these themes. However, if you want to maximize your chances of success, that’s what we encourage you to do.

The most listened to podcast themes are:

• Children/family/parenting 👶
• Health & Wellness ❤️‍🩹
• Personal development 🏋️‍♂️
• Personal finance and investment 🏦
• News and politics 🗞️
• Business / entrepreneurship 👔
• Technology 👨‍💻
• Society/culture 📚
• Feminism ♀️
• Ecology ♻️
• Entertainment 🎤
• Sport ⚽

These themes also have the highest retention rate. Thus, by launching yourself on one of these niches, you will have more chances to get a qualified and loyal audience.

If you want specific examples, you can check out our list of the best entrepreneurial podcasts and the best SEO podcasts or the best marketing podcasts .

What we invite you to do is to select a broad theme, so that you are not limited in your choice of episode topics. If you choose a theme that is too specific, you won’t know what content to propose. To do this, here you can get inspiration from the podcasts that work best in each theme.

Next, the publication period must also be determined. If you’re going to publish a podcast episode every now and then, there’s a good chance your content won’t take off. In order to be well referenced, you will have to post podcast episodes on a regular basis . ⏰

Here again, some statistics can help you choose a publication frequency. Here are the most popular publication frequencies for podcast listeners in order:

• Daily
• Weekly
• Bimonthly
• Monthly
• Bimonthly
• Quarterly

As you can see, publishingone podcast per day is the most popular frequency. However, it’s very difficult to publish a podcast episode every day, unless your content is about current events. What we recommend is that youchoose a weekly, monthly or bi-monthlypublication.

Once you know what your podcast is going to be about and when to publish it, you will need to choose an episode length. Some podcasters opt for short formats of about ten minutes, others for 30-minute episodes for example. Longer formats, over an hour, are also very popular. ⌚

What form of podcast?

For many people, the podcast is primarily an interview. While many interview podcasts work very well, there are also other formats that are popular. Among the favorite formats of podcasters, we note the free radios, the feedbacks, the analyses of current events or other subjects in any kind, etc.

Here, we don’t really have any specific recommendations for you. It’s up to you to see what form of podcast suits you best. In any case, you will be able to change the format along the way. There are many podcasters who make short episodes most of the time, and then also propose long formats like interviews or free radio. 🎙️

If we look at the most listened to podcasts in France, we notice that short(between 5 and 15 minutes) and very long(between 1 and 2 hours) formats are the ones that work best. Intermediate formats(between 15 and 45 minutes) are less present in the favorite podcasts.

We think it’s best to vary if you can, between short episodes and long formats, especially with guests.

Step 2: How to record a podcast?

Once you know roughly what your podcast is going to look like, you need to start recording it. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a professional to record and edit a podcast . However, it is necessary to get information before registering in order not to waste time. ⏱️

To help you, we will show you step by step how to record your first podcast. You will also see what equipment is needed to go from an audio file to a podcast episode ready to be published.

What equipment to record a podcast?

The main tool of every podcaster is going to be the microphone. To record a podcast with a perfect audio quality, you will need a good microphone. Don’t panic, it is possible to find a very good microphone for less than 100€. 💰

It is important to know that two types of microphones can be used, a USD microphone and an XLR microphone. The XLR microphone is connected to a mixer, and is therefore more complex to use. If you want to get the best sound possible, this is the type of microphone you should use. However, it is also much more expensive and difficult to get started.

In contrast, the USB microphone is cheaper and easier to use. However, it also provides excellent audio quality. 💪

In order to record your podcast, you will also need an audio recording software. There are several of very good quality, accessible for a fair price. Audacity or GarageBand come to mind. To get started, you can also use the Dictaphone application if you have an Apple device(MacBook, iPhone, iPad, etc.).

Once you have chosen the software, you will simply have to start the recording. If you’re not alone in your podcast, consider testing to see how well listeners will hear your guest(s).

In any case, it will not be necessary to pause the audio recording. You will be able to cut, modify and assemble the audio afterwards thanks to an editing software. 🧑🏼‍💻

Audio editing

Whether you’re doing long or short podcasts, you’re going to have to do some audio editing. Obviously, this editing will vary depending on the audio content format you choose. Overall, you’ll just have to add an intro, outro and remove the parts of the basic recording where you make mistakes or just delete the gaps.

To make an audio editing, you can use the same software as for the recording in some cases. Using Audacity for example, you can edit the audio right after the recording. Otherwise, you can also use GarageBand and Adobe Audition.

It will also be important to stabilize the audio toavoid sudden changes in volume. This will be very uncomfortable for listeners who use headphones or earphones. Again, most audio editing software does this automatically. 🤝🏾

Editing the audio of a podcast is not that complicated to do in itself. If you have difficulties, you can also hire a freelancer to edit your audio content. On Fiverr or Upwork for example, it is possible to hire a freelance audio editor for about ten euros.

Then you can also choose toadd music to your podcast. Some podcasters prefer to leave the audio raw, while others will add light background music. It’s up to you what you prefer, there will be no impact on the referencing of your podcast. If you include music, remember to use royalty-free audio. 👩‍⚖️

Once the edit is ready, you will need to export the audio. Of course, we invite you to use the mp3 file, which is the simplest and will be compatible with all streaming services. You can also use another file type(M4A, SRT, etc.) if you wish. However, remember to check if it is compatible with your podcast host.

Before exporting the audio, it is better to listen to your podcast in its entirety to avoid false connections or editing errors. To save time, we invite you to listen again to the audio in X2 or X3 speed.

Step 3: Host and distribute your podcast

The first step is to record your podcast in order tohave an audio file ready to broadcast. The second step is to host this file in order to publish your podcast on streaming platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Spotify, etc.

Podcast hosting

Once your audio file is recorded and edited, you will have to host it and broadcast it on the main listening platforms(Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Spotify, etc.). To do this, there are many platforms for hosting podcasts. Thanks to these services, you will be able to import your files and cut them into episodes, then publish them automatically on the streaming services. 🤝🏿

Among these platforms, we can think of :

• PodCloud
• Buzzsprout
• PodBean
• Libsyn
• Castos
• Blubrry
• FM Transistor

Obviously, these are paid services. On average, the cost of a podcast hosting platform will be 8€/month. There are also free platforms, but they will be much less functional.

If you want to know more about these services, we invite you to read our comparison of the 10 best platforms to host a podcast . 👀

Overall, the operation of hosting platforms is very simple. You will only have to import your audio files. Then you can add a title and a description. Once imported, it will be possible to schedule the broadcast of your podcasts on several platforms at once.

Broadcasting your podcast

Now that your podcast is hosted, let’s see how to get it out on streaming services(Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, Amazon Music, etc.). To do this, we will simply use the hosting platforms, which all have a “broadcast” section.

Let’s take an example using the Podbean platform.

To schedule the publication of your podcast, you will have to go to the “Distribution” section and then “Applications“. As you can see, several streaming services are displayed like Spotify or Amazon Music. To synchronize PodBean with one of these streaming platforms, just click on the “More” button.

Secondly, you should know that each integration will be different. Some streaming platforms require more information and take longer to sync. But for the most part, you’ll be able to connect to them very quickly. 🌐

On all podcast hosting platforms, you will be able to create an “RSS feed“. Thanks to the RSS feed, your podcast will be directly published as soon as you upload it to your hosting platform. The advantage of the RSS feed is that you can set it up to publish your podcasts on one or more streaming platforms.

Personally, we recommend you not to restrict yourself, but rather to publish your content on all streaming services. If you don’t necessarily want to publish your podcast everywhere, at least do it on Apple Podcast and Spotify, the two most used streaming services. 📊

If you don’t want to use podcast hosting platforms, it is also possible to publish your episodes directly on a streaming service. In this case, we invite you to learn more about podcast integration for Spotify, Apple podcasts or others.

Step 4: Develop your audience

When you publish your first podcast episode, it’s very rare to get several thousand listens instantly. Building an audience is a long process that takes work and experience. However, we will show you some methods that will allow you to gain visibility quickly. 📈

Promote your podcast

No matter how good your podcast is, you will absolutely need an audience to live off your audio content. And to get an audience faster, you’ll have to promote your podcast. It’s also possible to naturally attract your audience, but that’s going to take a lot more time. ⏳

If you want to attract listeners to your podcast quickly, we’ll show you several methods.

To begin with, you should know that the referencing of a podcast will greatly affect its visibility. If your podcast is well referenced, it will be displayed in “recommendations” on streaming services. This way you will gain new listeners every day, who will discover your content on the homepage of Spotify, Apple Podcast or others.

In order tooptimize the SEO of a podcast, there are several things to do. The most important thing is to write a complete description and to give an attractive title to each podcast episode. In addition, you can ask your listeners to leave a review and a comment. The algorithm of the streaming services tends to put more emphasis on podcasts that are well rated. ⭐

Another way to promote your podcast is through social networks. Today, it is essential for any brand or content creator to be present on the main social networks. In order to promote their podcast, many creators post clips on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram.

Thanks to the short format like “Reals” or “Shorts“, you can quickly make a lot of views on TikTok or YouTube for example. On the excerpts, you will just have toindicate the name of your podcast, so that the Internet users can go and see it. 👁️

Example with the Makers’ TikTok account:

Finally, you can also partner with other podcasters. Clearly, you’re going to be on other podcasts talking about your content. Since the podcast in question already has an audience, you can gain visibility. To do this, we invite you to contact the podcasters present in your theme. If you manage to get on even a few podcasts, you can already gain a lot of visibility!

There are still other ways to promote your podcast such as advertising, contests or others. 🎁

Analyze the results of your podcast

Hosting platforms as well as streaming services will provide a whole bunch of statistics about your podcast listening. These statistics are a mine of information, which allow you toevaluate your audience and the episodes that work best.

To progress in terms of content or to gain visibility, a fine analysis of these statistics will be essential. Once again, we’re going to show you the different statistics to watch closely. 👀

Take podcast host Podbean, for example, which provides a detailed listening report.

To begin with, you can see the number of downloads by periodicity. This will allow you to know when to post your content to get the maximum number of downloads. You can also see which streaming services your listeners use the most.

Next door, you can also see the Retention rate per week. This is the percentage of listeners who listened to one of your podcasts and then came back to listen to another one after one, two, three weeks. This statistic gives you an idea of how loyal your audience is. 🎯

Once your podcast is up and running and starting to get visibility, we really encourage you to look at these statistics.

Step 5: How to monetize your podcast?

It would be a shame tohave a successful podcast that doesn’t make money. In case your podcast has the objective to promote your brand, it’s not a big deal. But if you want to make a living from your audio content, you’ll have to monetize it. 🤑

And there again, no need to worry. Thanks to the growing popularity of audio content, it is becoming easier to monetize your podcast. To do this, we recommend that you use podcast hosting platforms that offer monetization solutions.

There are several methods to monetize your podcast, advertising, sponsors and private podcasts.

Advertising

This is the simplest form of monetization. Here, you will only need to register with an advertising agency. Once registered, you will have to indicate the podcast episodes where you want to place ads, as well as their periodicity(beginning, middle or end of the episode).

Then, the hosting platform takes care ofintegrate ads into your podcasts. You will be able to collect your advertising earnings directly from the platform. This form of monetization is by far the easiest, as the hosting platform takes care of everything. However, it is also the least profitable monetization strategy. 💸

Sponsorship

Once you have a podcast and an audience, many brands will offer you product placements. In concrete terms, you will be paid to promote a brand during your podcast. In most cases, it will be enough to speak for one or two minutes at the beginning of the podcast.

To find sponsors, there are several solutions. You can approach brands yourself and offer them product placement in your podcast. Or, some podcast hosting companies offer “ marketplaces “of sponsors. 🤝🏾

In this case, you will simply have to register on their marketplace and the brands will contact you for a partnership.

Private podcasts

The third monetization strategy will be to sell podcast episodes instead of releasing them publicly. In itself, you can offer a free podcast on Spotify for example, and then sell bonus episodes. Here again, podcast hosts will allow you to create private accesses reserved for members.

With private podcasts, you are totally free. You can sell a podcast by monthly subscription or offer a single episode, for example. Selling premium podcasts is more complicated to set up, but is also the most profitable monetization method. 💰

In conclusion

Now you have all the tools you need to launch your successful podcast this year. We really encourage you to follow the advice given and take your time toavoid starting a podcast the wrong way. Building an audience takes time and if you don’t use the right strategy, you may be disappointed with the results. 😔

In addition to this guide, we present several articles that will help you launch your podcast. If you want to have more chances of success, we invite you to read our comparisons on hosting platforms, but also our examples of podcasts on several topics such as marketing, personal development and others.

We also invite you to listen to our podcast “Les Makers on YouTube and all streaming platforms. You can take inspiration from this podcast if you also want to make a living from your audio content. Besides, many interviews will allow you to progress in several fields related to digital marketing.

FAQ

Why start a podcast?

As you have seen, a podcast is a communication channel in its own right. Therefore, it can allow you to create a real business and live from your audio contents. Or, a podcast can also be used to promote your brand.

In both cases, podcasting is part of a content creation strategy. The advantage is that your podcasts will stay online for life and therefore, each episode you publish can bring you visitors/customers for several years.

What investment is required?

To launch your podcast, you will need a microphone, an audio editing software and a hosting platform. For the software and the podcast host, a few dozen euros per month should be more than enough. As far as the microphone is concerned, it is possible to find a quality one for about 100€.

Is it mandatory to have guests in your podcast?

The free radio and interview formats are very popular in the podcasting world. However, there are also many examples of solo podcasters that work very well. So you can make a living out of your podcast without having guests in every episode!

How long does it take to make a living from your podcast?

It is difficult to estimate the time needed for a podcast to take off and allow its creator to make a living from it. What is certain is that by following our method, you will be able to obtain results more quickly. Generally speaking, the more podcasts you publish and the more you show up on other podcasts, the faster you’ll gain visibility.

Which podcast host to choose?

As you have seen, using a podcast host will make your life easier in many aspects. Nevertheless, there are dozens of different hosting platforms, and not all of them are equal.