Want to learn how to start a podcast and publish your first episode?
Whether new or professional, this guide will help and inspire you to launch your podcast and market it to get maximum results.
More and more people are interested in listening to podcasts than ever before.
According to podcast statistics, the number of Americans listening to a podcast every week has increased significantly to 120% over the past few years. And more than 92 million Americans listen to a podcast every month.
As the podcast’s audience grows, now is a better time to start one for your business, brand, etc.
This guide will help you launch your podcast and use these new materials to succeed.
People are not just creating a podcast; they are creating a podcast because it makes a difference.
Best Podcast Recording and Editing Software
Alitu: Best podcast editor with a lot of features
Descrript: Great for podcast and video podcast.
Podbean: Best podcast hosting platform
The question is:
What makes podcasts different?
Because podcasts allow you to engage your audience uniquely with long-form content, it is more convenient for people to listen to them than read blog posts.
People can listen to podcasts while working out, driving, or even doing minor work at home.
Research shows at least 600 million blogs and 24 million YouTube channels but less than 800,000 podcasts in Apple Podcasts.
So, your podcasts allow you to reach more audiences and attract more customers.
Now that you understand how a podcast can help grow your brand and business let’s discuss the steps to take to start with podcasting.
Below are step-by-step instructions to make your podcast go live in less than 48 hours.
How To Start a Podcast For Beginners: Step By Step Guide
Step 1: Develop a Concept
The first step is to develop a podcast concept. There are podcasts about culture, neuroscience, marketing, history, health & wellness, etc. The only limit to what you archive depends on your efforts and readiness for this booming marketing model.
Before we continue, you need to ask yourself these questions
Why am I starting a podcast? And what is my podcast is about?
It will help you to overcome some obstacles along the way and make your podcast dream a reality.
What’s your goal for creating a podcast?
- To help you, here are some common goals in podcasting:
- To become an authority in your market/niche
- To generate leads and acquire customers
- To share an important message about your brand and business
Write your answer down so you can refer to it when needed.
Now you know the primary goal of creating a podcast, let’s move on to the next important aspect.
Pick a podcast topic.
The first step is to figure out your show’s topic or theme. Your topic can be as broad as marketing, news, wellness or focused on discussions about recent events such as Black Lives Matter.
The most important is to be passionate about whatever topic you choose. It should be something you can research and regularly discuss. Once you have an excellent topic to discuss in your podcast, it’s time for market research.
There are many places you can search your show’s topic to make sure you’re in the right track, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify etc., see if there are already related podcasts.
If there are, listen to some episodes to see what they’re doing and think of the best ways they could improve.
Name your podcast
You already know the topic to discourse in your podcast; the next step is to pick a podcast name. Choose something memorable, catchy, and that can easily rank for your podcast’s relevant keywords.
Make sure to pay adequate attention to the following:
- Title
- Author
- Description tags of your podcast.
Most professional podcasters use the title, author, and description fields for search.
Make your title specific and relate to your market. A podcast name that is too vague won’t attract many subscribers even if the content is impressive.
Use only related and relevant keywords.
You don’t want to include unnecessary keywords in your title, but make it easy for people to find your podcast. You can add a brief description in the title tag to help search results.
That is how to develop a podcast concept. In step two, we will look into how to select the best podcast format.
Step 2: Choose the Podcast Format
You can create a podcast without first knowing the format. Many podcasts have a single host, while others are scripted stories or feature interviews.
Make sure to choose a format that fits your podcast’s topic—there is no correct answer regarding podcast formats.
There are some standard podcast formats, so let’s talk about them.
- Educational podcasts
- Scripted non-fiction
- Interview podcasts
- News recaps
- Scripted fiction
You can learn more about the podcast format here
Your Podcast length
Most new podcasters get confused about the length of the podcast. And if you’re new, you may probably be thinking to what extent your podcast should be.
But the answer is that there is no specific length. It depends on what you want to archive or the information you want to convey to your listeners.
There is no actual length for a podcast episode.
Some Podcasts can take averages of 2 hours per episode, while some shows are 25 – 30 minutes long. But make sure it is worth the time of the listeners.
All podcasts can benefit from editing, so cut out the parts of the episode that don’t add any value to the listener.
If you’re producing high-quality and engaging content, people will keep listening.
Now that your podcast is ready, it is time to discuss the podcast schedule.
Podcast publishing schedule
The publishing schedule may depend on the time; it may be a full-time, part-time job or doing it on the side.
You might decide to publish every day, twice in a week or once in a month
If you have enough time and get results, we recommend publishing once or twice a week; it will help you to:
Develop and build a relationship and connection with your listeners. If you post daily, your listeners will start to schedule your podcast into their day.
A weekly podcast schedule will help you to build more connections with your listeners.
Grow your Brand: Releasing episodes consistently can keep your podcasting going viral. You want to build up the habit of creating podcasting to continue to grow your show.
When you have your podcast format, approximate podcast length, and publishing schedule, it is time to invest in the best podcast equipment.
Step 3: Podcast equipment and software
Step 3 is super important; you can’t create a podcast without equipment or software. You don’t need expensive podcast equipment to get started.
One of the best podcast hosts is Podbean hosting. It offers all the resources you need to host your podcast.
You can also check the list of the best podcast hosting sites to help you find one that fits your business.
You can even start recording your podcast with just an iPhone and a pair of headphones. Remember, the content is the most crucial part, not the equipment.
It’s relatively simple to begin the process with little experience.
People don’t listen to a podcast because it has sound quality; they’re less concerned about the sound quality if the content of your episode is excellent.
Let’s look at some of the best equipment to create your podcast.
Podcast Equipment
Choosing the best podcasting software can be confusing, especially if you don’t have experience in audio recording. To guide you, we put together the podcast equipment packages based on the number of people you’re recording.
- Audio-Technica ATR2100x – $99
- Samson Q2U (great alternative) – $60
- Foam Ball – $3
If you’re a cohost, you need to 2x of each of the software
Best Podcast Software
Your podcast won’t be quality if you don’t have the tools to edit it to remove all the uninteresting aspects.
Once you complete recording your podcast, it’s time to make edits and adjustments to get the best sound quality that people will love.
The best thing is that podcast editing software is very affordable. Below is the list of the best podcasting recording and editing software you can get to make your work easier.
Best Podcast Recording and Editing Software
- Alitu: One of the best podcast editor with a lot of features
- Descrript: Great for podcast and video podcast.
- Audacity: Free – Windows, Linux & Mac
Audacity is the most popular podcast editor, and it is free. It allows users to make changes to the original code, customize their user experience and make improvements where it is necessary.
Audacity also has pro-level features, so your podcast software won’t hold you back. But the only downside to Audacity is that it doesn’t provide training on how to use the tool, but tons of videos and tutorials are available to help new users learn how to use the platform.
Check the following podcast editing software.
Podcast interview recordings Software
If you want to interview guests on your podcast or cohost, you must record your show from different locations.
The below tools make it easy to make long-distance recordings without losing quality.
SquadCast: $20/month
SquadCast makes it easy to set up a remote podcast interview and get high-quality audio. It records lossless audio, offers video conferencing and provides separate tracks for each speaker.
Zoom: Free
Zoom is a powerful tool and one of the go-to online podcast interview platforms. The audio quality is above-average and easy to use for remote podcast interviews.
Zoom allows you to save each speaker’s audio to separate tracks, but unlike other software, such as SquadCast, it does not provide lossless audio.
Now, it is time to record your first episode.
Step 4: Recording your first episode
Recording your first episode may seem complicated if you’re just starting out, but once you master it, it’s very easy to do without feeling inferior.
Editing is where a lot of podcasters give up. Many newbies get caught up when recording a podcast and quickly lose interest when things get tricky.
Have It In Mind: Most of the best podcasters also experience difficulty when they have just started. The only way to improve is to record more episodes until you master everything.
Here is how to record your first podcast episode
Write a podcast outline
Writing the podcast outline is the best way to avoid rambling, one of the most common mistakes new podcasters make.
It is not necessary to write out your podcast verbatim, but taking time to jot down some points will make a significant improvement in the flow of your episode.
If you’re cohosting your podcast, it is a good idea to share the outline with them so you can look into it together and make all the necessary corrections.
Not only will it make you flow when creating your podcast, but it will also help you to avoid some common mistakes.
Pick a place to record
You don’t want to record your podcast in a noisy place or in small spaces with flat surfaces to prevent reverberant sound. And you don’t want such in your podcast audio.
You can record in a tranquil room with plenty of space around you If possible.
Choosing the right place to record your episodes is more important than buying expensive headphones or editing software. At all costs, you need to deal with audio problems.
Set up your recording equipment and software.
Now, you have a place to record your episode. The next is to get your microphone ready to record by connecting it to your computer or audio recording device.
We strongly recommend purchasing a USB microphone you can easily plug into your computer or Laptop, except if you have experience with audio equipment.
Recording set up: Setting up USB Microphone: Plug your microphone directly into a USB port on your Laptop or computer.
After plugging in, go to the settings of your audio editing software, such as Audacity, GarageBand, etc., and ensure that your microphone highlights it as your audio input.
After you’ve selected your microphone as your audio input, you are ready to start recording.
If it is an XLR microphone, a USB interface like Scarlett Solo will work better to record directly from your microphone into your computer.
You can also hook up your XLR microphone to an external audio recording device that will save your audio to an SD card.
Microphone technique for podcasters
If you notice too many sibilances sound in your recordings, the simplest way to prevent it is to move off-axis from the microphone.
Setting your microphone up to the side slightly toward your mouth may prevent air from beating the capsule, resulting in a more natural podcast audio.
For the best sound, it is better to position your mouth 2″ – 5″ away from the microphone, but the optimal distance may vary depending on your mic.
Start by recording yourself talking at a steady volume at different positions, and then listen to the recording to see which position is best for audio quality—different test positions.
You’ve written your outline, chosen the best place to record, set up your microphone, and practised your microphone technique. Now, it’s time to start recording your first podcast episode.
When you’re recording, don’t fear mistakes, stammers etc. The next step is to edit your episode to make everything look amazing.
Step 5: Editing & uploading your first episode
It is a very crucial aspect when it comes to podcasting.
This process allows you to edit, segment your podcast, and remove audible distractions. Also, insert pre-recorded ads, intros, outros and voiceovers.
You can create a quality, well-edited podcast with the right software and a few pointers.
Remember that the process requires a little preparation, but don’t let it devastate you.
Create a podcast intro.
If done right, good intros can improve the listening experience and listener engagement, but they aren’t compulsory.
Choose your podcast theme song.
If you create an intro for the podcast, you may want to get some intro music. There is thousands of free royalty music to use for your podcast. Head to Google and type “Free royalty music“, or you can purchase your show’s music.
Royalty-free music is great for a podcast, but other podcasters might use the same track you choose since it’s free.
Most podcast listeners will never notice, but if you want more special music for your intro, you can purchase a track.
Here are the two different resources to buy intro music for your podcast.
Audio Jungle: Prices start at $1 plus thousands of free royalty music.
Audio Blocks: The audio block costs $15 per month, and you will get access to their library of more than 100,000 songs, sound effects, and loops.
Once you’ve decided on the intro and episode music for your podcast, get ready to edit your first episode.
Here are five excellent tips to help you edit your podcast episode without stress.
Tips for editing a podcast episode
Editing a podcast episode is a topic that we can’t discuss in full detail, but these five tips will significantly improve your post-production.
Don’t become a full-time podcast editor when you want to have excellent sound quality. The main goal is to create a show your audience will find valuable and engaged.
Another thing is that you don’t want your editing to become an excuse and hold you back from publishing your first episode.
If you need to hire a professional podcast, we recommend contacting one of the best podcast editing companies WeEdit Podcasts and Resonate Recordings. They will do the job for you.
Save and Export your Podcast Episode
Once you complete editing your podcast, export it from the editing software as a full Wave file.
A podcasting hosting company like Buzzsprout will add ID3 tags automatically and convert your file to the right format and encoding.
Conversely, if you’re on Podbean, Blubrry’s WordPress Plugin, Libsyn, SoundCloud, or other podcast hosting services, you must export your file in the recommended format.
The best file type for a podcast
Many podcasters prefer to export their episodes as MP3s to ensure they are compatible with most podcast apps. They also set the bitrate to 96 kbps mono and 192 kbps stereo for podcasts that feature music.
- Podcast File type:
- MP3
- Bitrate:
- 96 kbps mono for spoken word and 192 kbps stereo for music.
Upload episode to Podcast Hosting Site.
Your podcast episode is ready; it is time to upload it into your podcast hosting. The method of uploading your podcast may vary depending on your hosting platform.
We will be using the Buzzsprout podcast hosting service as an example.
Now that your final file is ready, we want to upload it to your Buzzsprout podcast hosting. To do so, create a free Buzzsprout Account.
Then log in to your account, click Upload Podcast Episode and drag your audio file onto the page. After uploading the file, you can add the name and write the description for that podcast episode.
Once the file uploading is complete, Buzzsprout will automatically optimize your file; then, you’re good to move to the next step.
Step 6: Podcast Artwork and Categories
Now, let me walk you through creating artwork for your podcast before it goes live.
You will share the content with your listeners as your podcast is almost ready to submit to podcast directories like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
At this junction, make sure you’re doing your best and not relenting so that your podcast will look great in all podcast directories.
Create artwork for your episode.
While quality content should always be the focus of your podcast, your episode cover art is the first thing the listeners will see on Apple Podcasts and other social media.
Your artwork should tell your listeners what your show is about when glancing through it.
If you want your artwork to fit with other directories, you need to follow some technical specifications.
Here is what Apple’s Podcast Artwork recommended.
- Square Image
- 3000 x 3000 pixels
- PNG or JPEG file types
- Resolution of 72 dpi
- Colorspace RGB
Podcast artwork must communicate the subject of the podcast. Your ultimate goal is to make potential listeners understand what your podcast is about by looking at your artwork.
Design at different sizes. The artwork will be used on several platforms, so it must look good even at 55 x 55 pixels.
Avoid too many words– and make sure it’s readable even at small sizes.
Always be consistent: The podcast artwork is a part of your podcast branding.
Creating your podcast artwork
If you have design skills or knowledge, you can create your artwork using Photoshop or Sketch. However, we recommend Canva or 99Designs for people without design skills.
If you don’t want to create the artwork yourself, you can hire professionals to help you. But you can learn how to use Canva to create the artwork, which takes a few minutes.
Hire a professional: 99Designs
99Designs and Fiverr are great options for hiring a professional designer for your podcast if you have a few bucks to spend on your graphics.
Write a description for your podcast.
A podcast description is considered metadata that provides information about your MP3 file: the name of your show, the description, episode number, and the release year.
The description will make your episode appear on Google Play, Apple, and Spotify or wherever listeners search for your show’s category.
A good writing episode description is vital for success. It explains what your show is about in a simple paragraph.
You can always change the description later, so don’t let writing the perfect description take up too much of your time.
Pick the best category for your podcast.
Optimizing your podcast is a great way to make it appear in Apple Podcasts, and the best way to do that is to choose the correct podcast categories for your show.
You can pick up to three categories, but Apple Podcasts only cares about the first one, so make sure is the category you want your episode listed.
Not only will it make your show appear on the Apple podcast, but also boost your show’s visibility.
We’re about to get to the next step: learn to get listed on other major podcast directories.
Step 7: Getting listed in Podcast Directories
Getting listed in podcast directories like Apple, Google, and Spotify is crucial for success.
Apple Podcasts is a centralized place for podcast listeners to find new shows.
Getting listed in these podcast directories is a vital part of your podcast marketing strategy, as some new listeners will find your podcast through these directories.
Steps to get listed in the podcast directories
With over 800,000 podcast listings, the #1 podcast directory in the world is Apple Podcasts.
Here is how to get into the Apple podcast:
- Log in to your Buzzsprout and go to the Directories tab.
- Click on Get Listed under Apple Podcasts. It will send you to Apple Podcasts Connect with your podcast information pre-populated.
- The next step is to log in to Apple Podcasts Connect.
- Click Validate to ensure everything looks good. If any fields are missing, go back and complete them in Buzzsprout.
- Click submit to submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts. The submission process may take up to two weeks, and you will receive an email when you’re approved.
Submit your podcast to Spotify.
Spotify launched its directory two years ago, and they’ve become the second-largest podcast directory in the world.
1. log in to Buzzsprout
2. Go to Directories
3. Under Spotify, click Get Listed
4. Click Submit Podcast to Spotify
Once you submit your podcast to Spotify, it will be listed instantly, unlike Apple Podcasts, which may take up to two weeks.
Submit to Google Podcasts ( Google podcast is retiring)
Google Podcasts is another excellent directory that allows your podcast feature in Google web searches and Android phones.
Make sure Google crawl your podcast website rather than submit it to the directory.
Every website that comes with a Buzzsprout account is compatible with Google Podcasts. Some podcasters see their episodes appear on Google Results within two weeks without taking additional steps.
If you host your podcast on other podcast hosting services, check out this guide on how to get a podcast listed in Google Podcasts.
Apart from those we mentioned above, there are other directories to which you can submit your episode and gain more listeners.
Other podcast directories
If your podcast show is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, it is already in front of 90% of podcast listeners.
Step 8: Launch Your Podcast
It’s time to launch your podcast.
There are two ways to launch your podcast: the Grand Opening or the Soft Open launch.
Grand Opening Launch: When most professional podcasters are ready to launch their episode, they usually have big promotion plans.
They pick a day to launch their podcast, have others and influencers preview it, and run many adverts to create awareness.
You can follow this step for your podcast if you can access an existing audience or influencers or have a few bucks to spend promoting your show.
You can pick a date before the launch, say weeks, and start contacting people you think might be interested in the show.
You can join some social groups related to your market or niche and post about the podcast episode.
But if you don’t have what it takes to promote your podcast to thousands of people, you may consider Soft Open a better option.
The Soft Launch: A Soft Open launch is when you start podcasting without anyone listening. You begin publishing as if people are listening, but wait a week or more before promotion.
Both options work well, but it depends on the one that fits your business.
Step 9: Marketing Your Podcast
Now that you know how to start a podcast for your business,it is time to learn the secrets of marketing it.
Marketing is crucial to your podcast’s success. You want more people to listen to and download your podcast.
You’ve made a real effort. Even if you haven’t received any downloads yet, it’s essential to remember that one download is equal to one person listening to your episode.
If you don’t have a community waiting for your podcast when launching it, leveraging existing communities to get more listeners is essential.
Find the groups of people who should be interested in your podcast and tell them about your show. Your main goal is to add value to the community, not spam it.
The six marketing tactics we believe have the best chance of directing listeners to a new podcast:
Share your episode with friends and family.
If your podcast adds value to your friends and family, share it with them. Don’t forget to ask for feedback through reviews on Apple Podcasts.
Post episodes on social media.
Sharing your show on social media is the best way to reach more audiences, but it goes beyond just posting your episodes to your social page.
It is about sharing valuable content on your social channels. Posting quality, consistency, and interaction with listeners across several podcasting platforms can help your show go viral.
Join a relevant Facebook Group.
There are many Facebook groups related to your podcast. If you’ve got a podcast on marketing, find some marketing or business podcast groups.
Join these groups and contribute by sharing informative content, answering questions and asking the admin’s permission to share your podcast.
If you have contributed to the group, the admins might post the link for you.
Share your show on Reddit & Quora.
Quora is one of the best questions and answer sites you can use to drive people to listen to your episode.
Search Quora for questions about your podcast’s subject matter and provide a relevant answer.
In your post, mention that you discussed the related topic thoroughly in the podcast and provide a link to the episode.
You can start by providing one or two answers for each episode you post. You can use the same approach on Reddit.
With Reddit, you need to focus more on providing value on the platform. Make sure you help people and link to your podcast.
Share Your Episode On Relevant Blogs
Sharing your podcast on relevant blogs is an easy way to expose your show to more listeners. You can find an established blog that is getting thousands of traffic and has a following in your show’s genre, then reach out to the owner to see if they’d like to partner with you.
The best way to attract more bloggers is to promise to promote their podcasts on your show so that they can share your podcast on their blog.
It is a win-win.
Overcast Ads
Overcast is an exceptional podcasting app that runs ads for podcasts.
If you can spend a hundred bucks, you can run ads on your podcast for a whole month. It is a great way to get the first 100 subscribers to your show.
Thanks for reading this guide on how to start a podcast for beginners.
Related posts
- 14 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms In 2025
- 25+ Podcast Statistics That You Should Know
- 7 Tips To Unlocking the Power of Podcast Marketing
- 8 Best Podcast Software to Edit & Record Your Show In 2025
Oyundoyin Anthony is a blogger and an affiliate marketer that offers helpful contents to people who are looking for different products for their needs. He enjoys helping people to achieve success in their business.