Colin Gray, Author at The Podcast Host

Podcast Statistics & Industry Trends 2025: Listens, Gear, & More

Colin Gray — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0000

There are so many podcast statistics, facts and trends circulating, from listener numbers to industry size. It’s hard to know where to start. So, to make your life easy, I thought I’d bring as many podcast industry stats together here, for your reading pleasure.

I’ll keep this article up to date as new reports come out. Therefore, below, you should find the latest numbers, according to the podcast industry.

Listen, follow, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice!

So, let’s get into it. Here are the questions we’ll cover. Take your pick!

Podcast Industry Statistics

How Many Podcasts Are There, Right Now?

In total, how many podcasts are there in the world right now?

There are 4,509,765 total podcasts registered, around the world.
podcastindex.org – April 2025

But what counts as a “registered podcast?”. We reached out to The Podcast Index to enquire.

Unsurprisingly, there are many “Hey, is this thing on!?” 20-second 1-episode “podcasts” on the free hosting platforms. The Podcast Index criteria require shows to have at least three episodes (one is often a trailer) and at least one of those episodes to be three minutes long.

So now that we know the total number of podcasts, let’s look at one of the most in-demand podcast statistics: how many are registered on one of the biggest listening platforms, Apple?

Apple Podcasts hosts 2,800,138 podcasts as of April 2025
Podcast Industry Insights courtesy of Daniel J. Lewis

This is up from 2,332,900 (+20%) in September 2021. To show growth over the past few years, here’s what Apple announced at WWDC in 2018:

In 2018 there were 550,000 active podcasts on iTunes
Apple, WWDC 2018

How Many Podcast Episodes Are There?

There are currently over 106,796,827 episodes published in Apple Podcasts, as of April 2025
Podcast Industry Insights courtesy of Daniel J. Lewis

This is up from 52,990,000 in June 2021. Again, to compare, these stats came from Apple at WWDC in 2018:

In 2018 there were 18.5 millions episodes published, total
Apple, WWDC 2018

How Many Active Podcasts Are There?

The stats show that just over 15% of the podcasts on Apple Podcasts are currently active. That means they’ve released a new episode in the past 90 days.

There are currently 436,240 active podcasts on Apple Podcasts, as of January 2025
Podcast Industry Insights courtesy of Daniel J. Lewis

View full active podcast stats

Podcast Promotion: From 100 Listeners to Your Next 100K – Let’s SCALE

Colin Gray — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 04:30:00 +0000

Podcast promotion is on many podcasters’ minds, even before launching their first episode.

It’s true that the best way to grow an audience is to create great content. But it’s rarely as simple as that. If you never do any podcast promotion, then it’s unlikely your show will fulfil its true potential.

Building a bit of marketing into your workflow from day one is advisable. There are loads of different ways to promote a podcast – some may appeal to you, others might not.

The aim here is that you can pick and choose the ones that feel like the best fit. With podcast promotion, there’s no silver bullet and no shortage of trial and error. But, armed with these tips, you’ll be ready to go out there and double, treble, or even quadruple your downloads – if you’re willing to put the work in.

Our ultimate guide to podcast promotion is a list of the various routes, strategies, and options gathered together in one place. You can pick a few and try them over time to see what works for you and what doesn’t.

And, because we love a framework, we’ve packaged our podcast promotion guide into one. It’s called SCALE

The SCALE Podcast Promotion & Audience Growth Framework

Each podcast promotion tactic in this guide falls into the following categories:

S – Syndication
C – Communities & Collaboration
A – Advertising (Paid Promotion)
L – Live & In-Person
E – Email & Engagement

Are you ready to SCALE your podcast growth? Then let’s get into it…

Syndication

Be everywhere your audience listens and searches.

Submit Your Show Everywhere You Can

The beauty of running a podcast is that people can consume it on platforms you’ve never even heard of.

Once you submit your show to Apple Podcasts, it will appear in the vast majority of directories and apps out there. Then, Submit to Spotify, and you’re catering to the large chunk of users over there. The final place to consider is YouTube. You can put a podcast on YouTube even if you don’t record video, too, so this is definitely worth doing!

Optimise Your Website for Podcast Growth

A great podcast can still suffer from having a poor website associated with it.

Many podcasters limit their show’s growth by overlooking some low-hanging website-based fruit. You want to enable your audience and traffic to help you grow.

If you don’t have a home for your show yet, check out our ultimate podcast website guide, which covers the whys, hows, and wheres.

But here are some important things to consider right off the bat;

Do you have an About page where you sell the benefits of why people should listen? What’s in it for them?
Do you have a Subscribe page where you link to podcast directories like Apple, YouTube, & Spotify? You could even explain here why and how to subscribe to the show.
Do you have a Contact page listing how folks can get in touch? Stick your email address and social media links here.
Do you have a media kit page?
Do you have social sharing buttons on your posts? You want to make it easy for your listeners to promote your episodes.
Is your domain name descriptive or memorable and easy to spell?
And does your site display properly on mobile and tablet?

Be sure to create a short promo trailer for your podcast and embed it on your homepage, too. That way, potential listeners on your site can get a taster of the show immediately!

SEO & Google Search for Podcast Promotion

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.

No matter how or where you set up your website, you now have a base to create searchable content that can rank and be found on Google, Bing, and the ever-evolving AI search and LLMs, where an increasing number of folks are finding their info.

If you’re using WordPress, the Yoast SEO plugin is a great tool for optimising your shownotes. It’s worth checking out this full guide on how to make your podcast SEO-friendly, too.

Of course, a huge part of this is your episodes’ actual names and titles, so how do we make the most of those?

Create Clear & Compelling Episode Titles

The way you title your episodes has a significant impact on your overall download numbers.

The worst thing you can do is to use a naming system like “Episode 6” or “The Whatever Podcast – Episode 6”. You don’t need your show title in there at all. And simply labelling content with numbers does nothing to tempt anyone to listen. It gives no hint of what’s on offer, so there’s no incentive to hit play.

Be as descriptive about the ‘hook’ of each episode as you can. It all depends on the content, but there are certain formats you can use to make clicking the play button irresistible. We go in-depth in our WHISPER TITLES Framework, and the following video will show you how to utilise them in your own topic or niche.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should try to shoehorn these episodes if they’re not a good fit for your show. Just be as descriptive as possible. Let your target audience know at a glance this is the show they’ve been looking for.

For examples of ultra-descriptive episode titles, check out our show Pocket-Sized Podcasting.

Build Great Blog Podcasts Around Your Episodes

The blog post you write around each episode is also called your podcast show notes. The more detailed and helpful these are, the more they can work as stand-alone content to get your show in front of new people.

Add links to any tools or resources mentioned in your episodes, and Google will appreciate that, too. Some folks recommend copying full episode transcriptions into your show notes, but this content is often badly written – we talk very differently to how we speak, after all. Instead, it’s better to make your transcripts available elsewhere and clearly link to them in your shownotes.

Here’s our full guide to writing great podcast show notes for a deeper dive on that topic.

Communities & Collaboration

Grow through people, shared audiences, and strong fan culture.

Run Regular Audience Surveys

This isn’t a strategy for brand-new podcasters who don’t yet have an audience. But if you’ve been running a show for six months or more, you can get some invaluable growth insights from an audience survey.

Your existing fans can tell you a lot about your show. For example, how or where did they discover it? If many listeners find you in the same place or way, you can do more of it.

Likewise, if you’ve just spent $100 on an ad campaign and literally not one person discovered you that way, you can save yourself the money in future.

You can ask your listeners what things they like about the show. What topics do they like you to cover? What would they like to hear in future episodes? Give them a place to tell you all their likes and dislikes, and then tailor your content around that data going forward. It’s a lot better than trying to guess what your listeners want!

Sell Podcast Merch

Many podcasters see merch predominantly as a monetisation strategy rather than a podcast promotion tactic. And, whilst it’s true that it can be both, it’s usually more effective as the latter.

The vast majority of podcasters use third-party print-on-demand stores to create and sell their merch. This means that prices can be high and profit margins low.

If you run a merch store in this way, it’s worth selling stuff as cheaply as possible to maximise the amount of it out there in the wild. After all, every t-shirt, sticker, or mug with your logo is like a little billboard for your show.

Here’s our full guide to running a podcast merch store, as well as our podcast monetization roundup for more effective ways to earn some pennies from your show.

Collaborate & Cross-Promote

If other podcasters cover similar topics, you don’t need to see these shows as your competition.

It’s not like old-style TV, where folks had to watch one or the other. Podcast listeners subscribe to lots of different shows, and they’ll usually be based on similar subjects.

So, what active podcasts are putting out content for the same target audience as you? Why not draw up a list and reach out to the people behind them?

Here’s our full guide on podcast collaboration and cross-promotion, with 14 actionable tips.

Working together can help share your collective audiences, which will benefit everyone. Here are some top-level suggestions:

Swap Trailers

You might initially consider doing a ‘promo swap’, where you each play the other show’s promo trailer on an episode or two.

Create Content Together

You could look at collaborating on some podcast content. A common way of doing this is to co-host an episode together, which is then published to both of your feeds.

Build a Montage Episode

If you’re in touch with a handful of podcasters in your niche, you could also create a montage episode. This is where you reach out to them with a question and have them answer it in an audio form. Then, you piece these together into a single episode.

For example, a writing podcast might ask, “What’s your best tip for overcoming writer’s block?”. Or a health podcast might ask, “What does your morning routine look like?”.

Montage episodes are well shared amongst everyone involved. In turn, everyone’s audience gets a boost as a result!

Create Content for (Or About) Others

This follows from the collaboration angle and is also based on creating shareable content.

Guest Posting

A popular way to promote your podcast is to post a guest blog on a site with a similar target audience. With a guest post, you’re creating insightful and helpful content for their readers and, in turn, can link back to your own content.

Reviews

You can also create content that’ll be well-shared by reviewing a product or service you like. For example, if you do a cooking podcast and use a specific type of whisk, you could review it on an episode, then get in touch with the company that makes it and let them know. The chances are, they’ll share it with their own audience, many of whom will be interested in your show.

Guesting on Another Podcast

Another way of creating content for others is to be a podcast guest on their interview show. However, it’s not as easy as approaching someone and saying, “Hey, bring me on, please!”.

If you’d like to be interviewed on a specific podcast, give them a thorough proposal on what you can offer their listeners. What unique insights can you bring to the table? Personalise this to the show’s format and previous episodes. Only reach out to podcasts you’ve actually listened to.

You might even want to make your proposal in video rather than in written form. This will be much more likely to resonate with the podcaster. It’ll also set you apart from the many other requests they might get in.

Here are some useful tips on how to get booked as a guest on a podcast.

Advertising (Paid Promotion)

Use strategic spend to boost visibility and reach new listeners.

Pay to Advertise Your Show

If you’re a traditionalist, you might see podcast promotion as simply paying to get it in front of some new eyeballs (or ears!).

And advertising your podcast can be a great way to kickstart your growth if you have some budget behind you.

You can pay for podcast ads to promote your show in many places. It’ll always depend on your topic and audience, but these range from Google and social media ads to newsletters and print magazines.

Advertising on the Overcast podcast listening app.

One of the most effective ways we’ve found so far is on the podcast listening app Overcast. Here’s the lowdown (and our data) on Overcast advertising.

Other podcast apps offering ads include Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, and Podbay. You can find full details in our podcast advertising guide.

However, a creative “Guerrilla Marketing” campaign might be the best option for those with little or no budget!

Gain Visibility Through Financial Support

Just like the traditional advertising route of podcast promotion, you might be able to dedicate a small budget towards gaining extra visibility.

You could literally sponsor another podcast in your niche or wider topic. If done well, this could be a very effective way of gaining new listeners.

Some shows run Patreon accounts (other crowdfunding platforms are available), and rewards often include being mentioned on their episodes or websites. If you find a popular show with such a reward tier in your niche, you could chuck some money their way.

This route doesn’t only apply to other podcasts, either. Perhaps there’s a charity in your niche you could support? An example of this could be a tabletop wargaming podcast supporting a veterans’ charity. Or a writers’ show supporting an organisation that helps fund books for kids in socially deprived neighbourhoods.

Obviously, with charities, it’ll be more of a reciprocity thing than a direct transaction of money for promotion. You’ll need to be respectful here and keep in mind that this is an ongoing relationship rather than a service.

Live & In-Person

Create real-world connections that deepen loyalty and word of mouth.

Real World Podcast Promotion

Believe it or not, promoting your podcast away from the screen is possible!

For starters, are there in-person events in your area based on your topic? If you join a local club or society, you’ll naturally meet folks interested in what you do.

Are there any conferences or conventions happening in the next year? Why not inquire about running a booth or organising a session, panel, or workshop?

Finally, you can use the montage episode idea to promote your show in person with Vox pops. Vox pops are basically just clips of numerous folk answering the same question. You can record vox pops anywhere, from a dedicated event to out in the street.

If you go down this route, give each person you speak to a business card promoting your podcast. Let them know that this is where they’ll hear the finished piece. Most of them will be keen to check it out!

Email & Engagement

Build lasting direct relationships and drive listener action.

Embrace Email Marketing

When we ran our podcaster cares survey, 40% of respondents agreed that “any serious podcaster must run an email list”.

If you’re a “serious podcaster” and don’t, though, there’s no need to go on the defensive about this. If you’ve no time or enthusiasm for email marketing, then it’s better not to do it.

However, if you can muster the time and motivation, email is a great way to keep in touch with your listeners.

“But I already do that with my podcast episodes” is a valid answer. The thing about audio, though, is that CTAs are tricky. Often, our listeners are busy doing other things whilst we chat to them in their earbuds. Very few are looking at their screen or in a position to immediately click any link.

So, an email list can act as the perfect complement to your show. You can use it to mail out your show notes or any other offers, competitions, or sales you’re currently running.

If you’re interested in setting up or improving your email marketing strategy, our full guide has you covered!

Optimise Your Calls to Action (CTAs)

Finding new listeners is a huge part of this podcast promotion guide. But one place you certainly will find your target audience is at the end of each of your episodes. Those loyal folks who listen right to the end are your biggest fans, and they’ll be willing to help you out if you ask in the right way. That means honing in on your Calls to Action.

Two of the most common podcast promotion mistakes are;

to overlook those who are already listening
to waste your Calls to Action

Even if you’ve ‘only’ 20 regular listeners, those 20 people can help you reach a much bigger audience.

You can give your Call to Action (CTA) at the end of each episode. You’ve served the listener with great content, and they’ve really enjoyed and benefited from it. Now, you can ask them for a small favour.

Many podcasters ask for reviews because they think that’ll help the podcast grow. Sure, they can be great social proof, and we’ll talk more about that shortly. But don’t focus exclusively on reviews in your CTAs.

Instead of constantly urging your audience to review your podcast, try some other CTAs that could make more of an impact. A great place to start is by asking your audience to recommend the show to one friend they think would enjoy it.

You could even make an engagement-forward game out of it: ask your fans to recommend your podcast to a friend directly on social media and tag your show in the post. Then, thank that listener in your next episode!

Social media may seem like the most obvious place to promote your podcast. But if all you do is post, “Hey everyone, check out my podcast!” then you’ll be another meaningless voice amongst a very loud noise.

If you want to use social media for your podcast (and, by the way, you don’t have to!), then pick a few where you think your audience is most likely to hang out. In What’s the Best Social Media Platform for Podcasters, Kristina gives the lowdown on each app, from Twitter/X and TikTok to Pinterest and Reddit.

Facebook isn’t the goliath it once was, but its ‘groups’ feature can still be an excellent place to find or create communities around your topic or niche. If you can contribute to these in a way that’s positive and helpful to others, your podcast can find new listeners as a result.

You can also use micro-content to run effective Facebook ads. Or, you might opt for a platform like Instagram to pay for some potential traffic. But I’d recommend starting with a very small budget and only investing more if you see promising results.

Promoting a podcast on WhatsApp is also a thing, and joining or running a Discord community offers all the benefits of social media without algorithm-led issues and distractions.

In terms of the content you create for social media, most of these platforms now lean heavily into video, so let’s take a look at that…

Create Shareable Videos

Audio is notoriously hard to “go viral” because it’s long-form and non-visual. A good way to make your audio more shareable on platforms that cultivate short attention spans is to turn it into short video clips. Traditionally, the most popular way of doing this was with Audiograms, but creating video (especially ‘Shorts’) has become simpler and more accessible in recent years,

Perhaps the most innovative and fun approach here, though, is to have a clip from your show turned into a cartoon. We tried that with our show Hostile Worlds a while back, and got a really nice response.

Text-Message Marketing

Text-message marketing is similar to email marketing, though arguably a lot more personalised. You’ve probably had a marketing text from your local gym, hairdresser, or takeaway shop before, and you can use that same technology to grow and engage your podcast audience with regular updates and unique offers. Check out our full guide to text-message marketing to learn more.

Use Podcast Reviews As Marketing Material

As mentioned earlier, podcast reviews can be great social proof for your shows. Here are some tips and tactics for getting more podcast reviews. Once you actually have a few, you can start sharing them, too.

This is much better than telling people how great your show is – now, you have others to do it for you.

There are still some tactful and elegant ways to share your reviews on any platforms you’re active on. Even bad podcast reviews can be used humorously as part of your podcast promotion toolkit.

You can use podcast reviews on your website or on your podcast merch. You can even grow your podcast by writing podcast reviews for other shows!

Ready to SCALE Your Podcast Growth?

Hopefully, that’s given you plenty of ideas and tips for drawing up your own promotional strategy. Combine these approaches with creating great, unique content, and you’ll be well on your way to running a successful podcast.

Remember, if you haven’t done so already, check out our article on what’s a good number of downloads for a podcast. Setting realistic goals and expectations is important to avoid disillusionment with your show.

And, if you’d like some real-world examples and case studies of indie podcasters promoting and growing their shows, check out the following Podcraft episode…

Top Promo & Growth Lessons From Successful Indie Podcasters

Finally, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community, where you can discuss your latest growth plans and strategies with an enthusiastic group of like-minded podcasters. We’d love to see you in there!

How to Start a Podcast: Launch to Growth Made Simple for 2025

Colin Gray — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:45:00 +0000

I’m here to teach you how to start a podcast, launch your show and start growing. I want this to be your complete launch blueprint: a step-by-step guide to podcasting for beginners that goes from initial idea to snagging your first 100 listeners and beyond!

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make a podcast and help it succeed in the quickest, most pain-free way possible.

Here’s the stages we’ll cover. How to start a podcast in 10 simple steps:

Develop a Growth-Ready Podcast Plan
Define your Show Structure & Format
Establish your Podcast’s Brand
Set up your Podcasting Equipment
Pick your Recording & Editing Tools
Present & Record your 1st Episode
Edit Your Podcast Episode (Learn how!)
Set up your Podcast Hosting
Submit to Key Podcast Directories
Create a Starter Launch Plan

Click a step to jump straight there. Otherwise… there are no shortcuts to success in life. Except here! Three extra tools to help:

Want help planning it out? Try our AI-powered assistant
Want a free email course to guide you through?
Wondering why you should start a podcast for your business?

1. Your PATH: a Podcast Framework for Success

Right, let’s create this show! First is the idea behind it, and the strategy. What does it look (sound…?) like?

I’ve developed a framework for this: PATH.

This framework leads to a podcast plan that stands a great chance of producing compelling content and consistent growth:

Purpose: why am I doing it?
Audience: who am I talking to?
Topic: what am I talking about?
Hallmark: why should they listen?

So, let’s dig into how to set up a podcast and create a fully-fledged podcast strategy for your show.

Want some extra help with this? Here’s a tool which asks the right questions, and uses AI to help you formulate that plan: The Interactive Podcast Launch Planner.

Purpose: Why Are You Making a Podcast?

So, firstly, why do you want to make a podcast? This gives purpose to everything else, and keeps you motivated long term. Here are some of the most common.

Marketing: Personal or Business Branding
Grow authority and trust. Be more personal than blogging, more evergreen than social media. Offer great, valuable content to customers. Nurture brand superfans.
Creative Outlet: Make something Cool!
Make a show around your passion, from true crime, to vegan baking, to audio fiction. Create something you’re proud of!
Build Community: Connect with Like-Minded People
Podcasting is a great way to bring people together around a common passion. Build that audience and attract them into a space where you can turn it into a 2-way conversation.
Education: Teach my expertise
Teach what you know, or educate by example and help your audience to elevate their own skills.
Entertainment: Help people have fun!
Comedy shows, quizzes: some great podcasts have no other aim than to entertain their audience, and grow great fans as a result.

So, what’s the bottom line with all this? Unless you answer the question of “why?” then you won’t be best positioned to design podcast content that’ll match your ambitions and objectives. You are building the foundations of your metaphorical house, so it’s worth a little extra thought (and work) to get it right!

Your Tasks

Grab a pen and paper, and write this down:

Pick a purpose: why are you running this show?

(Optional) deeper dive into your podcast purpose and “WHY”

Alrighty, our WHY is in place! Let’s get into HOW we’ll do it.

Watch a Full Guide to the PATH Framework:

Audience: Who is your Podcast For?

Unless you know exactly who you’re making your show for, you’ve got no chance of growing an audience.

A lot of smart people talk about creating an “ideal listener” for your show, sometimes called a podcast listener persona or avatar. It’s a great idea. Who exactly is it that’ll love your content?

That persona is something to keep in mind every time you plan an episode: “Would John, our listener persona, like this? Is this focused on what he likes, what he’s interested in?”

This all helps to keep your show focused and on track, both of which make for more engaging episode content.

And for growth, that listener persona drives every decision. The name, the description, the messages you put out on social media, the trailers you create. They’re all designed to tickle the fancy of that specific listener.

Your Tasks

Describe your ideal listener in a sentence
(Optional) Create an in-depth listener avatar

Topic: What am I Talking About?

So, what’s the show about? This is usually the easy part. So, let’s get it noted down before we dig into parts that really make it zing! A lot of this comes down to who YOU are, and to your experiences.

Your Tasks

Who are you, on this show?
What do you want to talk about?

Get specific on the who. This won’t cover everything about who you are. We contain multitudes, after all! But, when it comes to this show, who are you?

Hallmark: Why Should They Listen to YOUR Show?

We now know who you want to reach, and what you’ll talk about. So, how do you stand out?

You need to find your hallmark. It’s what compels your ideal audience to listen to YOUR show, above all others. But how?

Find a UNIQUE angle – that’s your hallmark.

Here are some of the most common hallmarks:

Tight Niche: Solve a specific problem for a specific person
Personal Angle: Your unique take on an existing topic
Podcast Format: Create a unique format for your niche
Production Quality: Extra time & effort on audio polish
Outcome: Create a unique outcome that’s appealing

This step is all about figuring out why your show is adding something new to the topic.

Then, any time you tell someone about it, it becomes really easy to tell anyone why they need to listen to your show.

And, not only have you given them a reason to listen, but you’ve also given them a reason to come back for more, and tell their friends about it!

Your Tasks

Write down your unique approach

Need more help on this, as well as a bunch more examples? Here’s an article: How to Make a Podcast More Unique

Want this FULL Guide to Take Away?

Email Course: How to Start in 7 Days – email course
Full Book: Finally Start your Podcast
Video Course & Support: The Podcraft Academy

Some Podcast Plan Examples

Let’s lay out some examples a nicely defined PATH, so we can see how it works.

The health show:

Purpose: Podcasting for my Business
Audience: Interested in weight loss, getting fit and eating better
Topic: Health and Fitness
Hallmark: I’m a personal trainer. I used to be very overweight, but I found CrossFit and lost 50 pounds. I’ll use my experience to help you repeat my feat by sharing a short HIIT workout that I know overweight people can actually complete.

The pop culture podcast:

Purpose: Podcasting about my Hobby
Audience: The same as me! Watches the Walking Dead and the Last of Us. Plays Resident Evil. Loves Contagion and 28 days later.
Topic: Post-apocalyptic books, movies, games, TV shows
Hallmark: I’m a huge fan of post-apocalyptic fiction. I’ll niche down on audience AND topic. I’ll choose Zombie films only, so this is the Zombie film show. And I’m 51, so I’ll target older fans of the genre, delving back into classic Zombie films and fiction as much as covering the new material.

The entertainment podcast:

Why: To entertain & have fun
Audience: Enjoys improvisation comedy, great storytelling & wacky humour
Topic: Creating a new fiction story every week
Hallmark: We are four friends who are into improvisation. We’re going to record our main story, but with a few alternative endings, every week. We’ll take suggestions from our listeners and record three of them, including them in the main episode. We’ll include chapters so listeners can skip to their favourite, or, listen to all three.

FAQ: Do I Need an Audience to Start a Podcast?

Absolutely not!

Everyone starts with zero at some point. So, if this is your first content rodeo, podcasting is a great place to start. It’s actually a great place to experiment, to try new things, to test out topics and find your voice.

Once you’ve found that groove, you can expand into other mediums, too.

It takes zero audience to begin. But to go beyond zero, you need to BEGIN!

If you DO already have an audience, even a small one, what then? This could be anything from a business or brand to a musician, former athlete, or author.

Whatever the medium (social media, YouTube, blog), it’s a great kernel for your show’s fanbase.

During the planning stages, you may opt to survey your audience. Here, you can ask them things like “What’s your biggest pain point?” and “What are you struggling with right now?”. This could help you shape your content, going forward.

You might even choose to find out a bit more about them. This could be anything from demographics and location, to what other podcasts (if any) they enjoy listening to.

FAQ: How Many People Consume Podcasts in 2025?

There’s no point doing all the hard work to create content in a medium nobody pays attention to. Fortunately, podcasting is not that medium.

To give you some perspective, 85% of people in the US are familiar with the concept of podcasting, with 55% consuming one each month, and 40% catching up with their favourite shows weekly. These are all stats from the Infinite Dial Report 2025.

So rest assured, your audience is out there. We just need to lay the groundwork to go out there and hook them with your brilliant content.

2. Define Your Show Structure & Format

Now that we know what kind of show we’re creating, it’s time to figure out how it looks! (or sounds…?). So, when looking at how to start a podcast, what are the most common questions about how it’s delivered?

What Podcast Format Should I Choose?

The format you choose is really personal and depends on who’s involved. It’s totally up to you!

So, what are the common types of podcast show formats?

The Solo Podcast

Also known as the monologue. You record (sing along!) “all-by-my-seeeeelfff!”

Pros

Don’t rely on anyone else
No scheduling conflicts
Building a reputation individually as the authority
You call the shots on sponsorship and monetization
No need to split the profits with anyone.

Cons

Intimidating to record alone for the beginner podcaster
Takes practice to avoid a monotone sound
Can be less engaging than a conversation

The Co-Hosted Podcast

Presenting alongside a friend or colleague.

Pros

Avoids the ‘mic fright’ of recording alone
Good co-hosts create great chemistry and engaging content
Builds long-term loyalty with two or more hosts
Can set up a regular recording time to reduce scheduling admin

Cons

Needs careful agreement over ownership and responsibility
Need to split earnings
Have to manage two people’s schedules

The Interview Podcast

‘Borrowing’ the expertise or entertainment value of others.

Pros

Talk to your heroes, or other really interesting people
Bring in different points of view & varied expertise
Grow your network
Some growth benefits if they share the episode

Cons

Interviewing is a real skill: it’s hard to do a great interview
Need to constantly find and approach potential guests
Booking logistics, and scheduling interviews
Builds less loyalty since it’s a new person every week
And less spotlight on building your brand

Other Formats

Finally, there are a bunch of other formats that aren’t so commonly used but might well suit you.

For example, you’ve got:

Roundtable – One regular host and several guests discussing one specific topic (e.g. The Game Design Roundtable).
Documentary – A narrator walks you through a range of interviews, conversations and on-location clips to paint a picture (e.g. Startup)
Docu-Drama – A mix between drama and documentary. Offering learning and info, but in an entertaining way (e.g. Hostile Worlds).

How Long Should a Podcast Episode Be?

This always depends on your content, but here are some stats on average podcast episode length:

Short: Under 20 minutes
Medium: 20 to 45 minutes
Long: More than 45 minutes

Don’t worry too much about these figures, though. Ultimately, your episode lengths should be decided by two things.

Your content
Your audience

If you have 50 minutes of valuable, relevant content, why chop it down to 20? Or likewise, if you’ve said everything you have to say in 10 minutes, why pad it out to 30? If you do go super-long on an interview, just cut it down into two episodes!

Finally, length can actually be a ‘unique’ factor, as I mentioned earlier. Short and snappy 4-minute episodes could suit a certain type of listener, or huge 3-hour in-depth interviews might suit another. Think about whether length might be a deliberate, unique choice for you.

How Often Should I Release New Episodes?

So, how often should you podcast? Here’s the answer:

The best schedule is normally the most frequent one that you can stick to, on a regular basis.

So, if you can only manage once a month, that’s fine. If you can manage every two weeks, even better. If you can manage weekly, that’s great.

You can still have a big impact with a fortnightly or monthly show, but people often plan their lives around what day of the week their favourite shows drop.

That said, sticking to a deadline just for the sake of it is pointless. You’ll have a bigger impact if you put out one excellent episode a month instead of a very average episode every week.

Should I Make a Daily Podcast?

These are hard! They tend to be short-sharp, “one quick tip” style, running Monday through Friday.

Becoming part of your listener’s daily routine can be powerful, but it’s a huge amount of work to create.

With my daily show, Pocket-Sized Podcasting, I batch all of the work. Scripting, recording, editing, production, and publishing an entire week takes about 3 hours. That’s one way to make it sustainable!

Should I Podcast In Seasons?

A “season” is a series of episodes all around one topic or theme.

Our fitness podcaster, for example, might do an entire season on upper body strength, whilst our zombie podcaster could do one on post-apocalyptic video games.

There are a bunch of benefits:

Addictive to listeners because episodes are related
Your back catalogue is more organised
Repurposing is really easy: turn one season into a course
Work towards a goal (end of season), then take a break!
Good excuse to text new formats & approaches each season

But do you lose listeners during the break? In my experience, no!

Just communicate well. Tell them when you’ll return.

And in any case, they’re subscribed, so next time you release an episode, it’ll just pop up in their app!

How to Create Great Episode Titles

This is the final thing around formatting, and a really important one to be found in search. Choosing good descriptive episode titles is vital!

Here are two mistakes I see all the time!

DON’T include “Episode 1” or episode numbers.
DON’T include the guest name at the start

Episode numbers or unknown names just get in the way of the ‘hook’. Because the goal of your title is one thing, and one thing only: give them a reason to listen that they just can’t ignore!

What’s the real meat of the episode?
If there’s one key takeaway or solution here, what is it?

This is a big clue as to what your episode title should be.

Our WHISPER TITLES Framework won’t only help you come up with killer titles, it’ll give you infinite new content ideas too:

W – “What” or “Why” Titles (e.g. “Why You’re Always Tired”)
H – “How to” Titles (e.g. “How to Launch a Business with No Money”)
I – “Insider” Titles (e.g. “Inside Apple’s Secret Process”)
S – “Secrets” Titles (e.g. “The Secret to Lasting Happiness”)
P – “Problem-Solution” Titles (e.g. “Feeling Stuck? Do This”)
E – “Emotion-Driven” Titles (e.g. “The Truth About Burnout”)
R – “Results-Oriented” Titles (e.g. “Get Fit in 30 Days”)
T – Trending & Timely Titles (e.g. “AI Just Changed Everything”)
I – Intrigue & Mystery Titles (e.g. “This One App Changes Everything”)
T – “Top List” Titles (e.g. “7 Habits of Successful People”)
L – “Life-Changing” Titles (e.g. “The Power of Saying No”)
E – Expert or Contrarian Takes (e.g. “Everything You Know is Wrong About…”)

Video or Audio? Or Both?!

It’s funny; in the early days, it was solely about audio podcasts, but these days, it all kind of blends together.

It’s possible to record a video podcast in great quality, using a lot of the call recording platforms you’ll read about in Step 5. But it does introduce a whole lot of extra factors that can make things more difficult.

Here’s my take:

Don’t believe the hype; you don’t NEED to do a video podcast. Audio podcasts are still vastly more popular, and extremely powerful.
Video (good video, at least) is far harder to create and edit. It can also make people more self-conscious, reducing the quality of the content.

So, normally, I’d recommend starting with audio only and adding video podcasting at a later date if your audience shows a desire for it!

This post contains affiliate links to products and services that we recommend, at no extra cost to you.

3. Establish Your Podcast’s Brand

In the world of podcasting, our brand is in all three realms:

Written: our podcast name
Audio: music and voice
Visual: podcast artwork

Let’s get that sorted before we get into making the thing!

How Do I Choose a Good Podcast Name?

No “how to start a podcast” guide is complete without answering this most common of questions: What the flip do I call the thing?

Generate a Podcast Name With the Alitu Showplanner

There are three main camps for choosing a podcast title and naming your show.

Option 1: The Clever Name

You might think of a really clever name for your show. But remember that people need to be able to find it when they’re searching for information about your topic. If you have a clever/catchy name for your show, try incorporating a description into the title. There’s no point putting out great content if nobody can find it.

For example, one of my old shows was called Path of Most Resistance. It probably falls into the ‘clever name’ category, even though I’m not that clever… So, to give a bit of description, I also used the tagline: The Uncommon Leader’s Guide.

Here are a few shows that do this well. They’re creative, but are still reasonably clear. Note, though, you’re probably still not 100% sure what they’re about. That’s the downside of this approach!

Beyond the Bump
Behind the Bastards
Should you Really Eat That?

Option 2: The Descriptive Name

The searchable (but some might say boring) choice is to simply call your podcast what your target audience is searching for. If our personal trainer called her show The Fitness Podcast, then there’s absolutely no doubt as to what it’s about. Look at these great examples:

The Australian Finance Podcast (Topic & audience)
The Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast (Topic & format)

It works really well for search and for recognition, but some people feel it can be a little… well… boring!

But, consider this: is attracting a zillion new listeners boring?! It is NOT. Simplicity and clarity are the best ways to do that!

It’s totally fine to add a few words to the topic name to build some character, but make sure the main keyword is fully mentioned in the final podcast name. Look at these examples; all really clear but still a little bit of personality and wordplay:

Diary of a CEO
The Rest is Politics
How Other Dads Dad

Option 3: Using Your Own Name

This is pretty much a no-no unless you’ve already got an audience. If someone started The Mike Smith Show and it was about rock climbing, people would just think, “Who is Mike Smith?” and move on to the next podcast. Again, you can incorporate this into your show’s name along with something descriptive (‘Rock Climbing, with Mike Smith’). But avoid naming the show after you without any other details.

The Mel Robbins Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The Lise & Sarah Show
Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting

Finding Music for Your Podcast

There’s no rule to say your show must have music, but many podcasters include a theme to add a bit of polish.

You might have seen TV shows with a minute or more of intro music, but don’t copy this in your podcast. I’d say keep it shorter than 10 seconds, and fade into your voice from there.

If you go beyond 10 to 15s you’re going to train your audience to hit the skip button.

Here are two great options for finding podcast-safe music:

Subscription music sites: like Shutterstock or AudioHero
Pay Monthly to use all of their music or FX
Podcast Production Tools: like Alitu
Music library included inside the recording & editing tool

If you want to see some more options (including some possible no-cost options if you’re wondering how to start a podcast for free) here’s all the music you can legally use on your podcast.

How to Create Your Podcast Cover Art

Sadly, first impressions are still everything! Attractive cover art is vital to stand out against thousands of others in apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Here’s some podcast artwork recommendations:

1400px x 1400px minimum size
jpeg or png in format
Keep text short & large, so it shows up on small thumbnails
Keep the artwork simple and bold, to stand out

You can create decent cover art for free on Canva. They even have podcast logo templates on there. Or, you might want to hire a freelancer on a platform like Fiverr if you’d like someone to do it for you.

Cover art (sometimes called a podcast logo) is a bit like choosing a podcast name in many ways. You’re trying to find that balance between descriptiveness, cleverness, and quirkiness, all in one static image. And it all still needs to work well when viewed as a thumbnail on a phone screen.

4. Set Up Your Podcasting Equipment

Once you’ve done the groundwork and planned out your show, it’s time to get to work recording your first episode.

How to Choose Your Audio Equipment

This is where it’s really, really easy to overcomplicate things. Instead, let’s keep it simple. Because the bare minimum you need to podcast is a recording device and the internet!

Smartphone recordings can actually be just fine to start out (hold it to your face like you’re doing a call, and hit record!). But, using an external USB microphone is a wise, low-cost upgrade that won’t complicate things.

Top USB Microphones

Samson Q2U / ATR2100: two near-identical podcast microphones, both sub-$100 and great quality.
Rode Podcaster: great podcast mic, significant upgrade, around $150

Microphone Stands

The Samson comes with a small mic stand, but a nice upgrade is a boom arm mic stand, to give you a bit more flexibility.

Rode PSA-1 Mic Stand: rock solid and decent value at $80.
Neewer Boom Arm: Budget choice. Bit rickety, but does the job!

Portable Setup for In-Person Interviews

If you want to stick with smartphone recording, the kit has come on leaps and bounds these past few years.

The best option out there right now is the Rode Wireless Micro. This gives you two little mics that attach to your clothing, letting you record guests or co-hosts straight into your phone.

If you get serious about in-person recordings, consider the:

Zoom PodTrak P4.

The P4 is a dedicated podcast recorder that lets you record four participants locally, as well as remote guests, both on the phone and online. It’s a fantastic all-rounder piece of podcast equipment.

Other Gear

Good Headphones: Highly recommended for recording
The Logitech C920 Webcam
Podcast Mixers and Interfaces

For a full guide to all the gear options we recommend, go here:

Complete Guide to Podcast Equipment

5. Pick your Recording & Editing Tools

Nice work, you’ve plugged in your USB microphone or your audio interface! But how do you capture a podcast recording? How do you edit the audio file? Including audio recording, removing mistakes and background noise reduction, it’s time to pick your podcast software.

The good news is that there are plenty of great packages that do both recording AND editing. Let’s take a look.

Online Call Recording Software

Whether you have a co-host in another country or regular interviewees from all around the world, it isn’t difficult to create a podcast recording with them.

1. Alitu

Alitu includes both solo and call recording inside one recording studio. Reliable, includes audio cleanup (noise reduction, levelling, etc) and tied directly to Alitu’s editing tools, it’s a complete package.

2. Zoom

I mean, everyone knows Zoom now, right? So, super easy to share and use. Also free for up to 45 minutes. The quality is… fine… but isn’t A+.

3. Riverside

Riverside offers a range of features related to video recording and repurposing, including simple text-based editing, video clipping and its own streaming platform.

4. Squadcast

Another double-ender recorder, Squadcast captures great-quality audio and video.

For full details, read: Best Call Recording Platforms

Audio Editing Tools (+ Solo Recording!)

These are our picks for podcast editing software, but bear in mind they all offer solo recording, too, for those all-important podcast intros, adverts or solo episodes.

1. Audacity

Audacity is a good quality, free-of-charge audio editing package. It’s a bit old and clunky, but it’s free, and does a good job! It’s a fully featured digital audio workstation, so there’s a bit of a learning curve, but most of the features you need as a podcaster are quick to learn.

It includes everything you’d expect in a digital audio workstation (DAW), including multitrack editing and a range of manual audio cleanup tools, so you can get your audio quality up to par.

2. Alitu

Alitu : The Podcast Make r is designed to be the easiest audio editing experience on the market, tailored specifically for podcasters. It has everything else you need to run your show, too, like podcast hosting.

This web app records your audio (solo or remote call) and automates the audio cleanup, volume levelling, and EQ for optimum audio quality. Its editing tools are simple, and you can even chop out audio by deleting text in Alitu’s auto-generated transcripts!

The episode builder is a simple drag-and-drop interface for adding music, sponsor segments, etc. Then, you can directly publish via Alitu’s own hosting so your show is pushed out to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other listening apps.

If you’ve never worked with audio before and find the very thought intimidating, then Alitu was made for you. If you want to see how it works, check out my guide on making a podcast with Alitu.

3. Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is a great Pro-level production tool, ideally suited to full audio engineers. Great workflow and feature-rich, but a steep learning curve. It’s available through a paid subscription.

Here, you can compare Adobe Audition vs. Audacity.

4. Garageband

For what it’s worth, if you’re a Mac user, you will probably have Garageband installed by default on your machine. This is popular audio software with podcasters too, although recent versions have really cut down the features it offers. These days, I’d recommend that even Mac users get hold of Audacity as a free alternative.

What about the Computer?

The humble laptop fits nicely between the bulky desktop (don’t you ever try to move me, ever!) and the dainty mobile phone (take me everywhere you go, and please, doomscroll me to your heart’s content). So, if you’re looking for a new one:

What’s the best laptop for podcasting?

Or, even easier, you can Start a Podcast with a mobile phone.

6. Present & Record Your 1st Episode

Time to get this thing down on tape. Or… the 21st-century equivalent, anyway! Let’s cover presentation skills and recording that audio.

How to Script your Podcast

Finally, we’re ready to hit ‘Record’! But what will you say? That’s where podcast scripting comes in. Here’s two tips:

Word-for-word scripts give you confidence & cover the details, but they’re time-consuming to write & hard to read naturally.
Create a bullet-point outline to guide you, but one that keeps you flexible and conversational when recording.

The intimate nature of podcasting is far more suited to a conversation rather than a sermon. Feel free to use more detailed scripts in the early days, but try to work towards more flexible, natural outlines over time.

How to Talk Into a Mic

This is hard when you start out, no question. Especially if you’re doing a solo show! Here’s some advice:

Put a photo or teddy (?!) on a chair behind the mic, to have a ‘person’ to talk to.
Imagine your audience avatar in your head: speak to them.
Take confidence in the fact that you have a message to share, and there are people who want to hear it!

Once you’ve got the confidence to begin, it’s time for technique! Our mic technique for podcasters guide covers everything you need.

7. Editing Your Podcast

Gear: check!

Software: check!

Irrational hatred of your own recorded voice: check!

But you’ve recorded it anyway. Strong move. Now, how do we polish it up nice, so it can be catapulted out into the world?

This is where you take your podcast recording, edit out mistakes, stitch together audio clips, add music or FX, and make sure it all sounds great with EQ, levelling, compression, and more. Let’s look at how it all works.

How Much Editing Do I Need to Do?

From awkward pauses to uhms and ahs, there are no shortage of things you could edit out in the post-production phase.

If you want a starter guide on what type of editing to do, check out my article on the MEE Podcast Production process. This keeps editing simple, sustainable, and consistent.

Here’s the rundown, though. For your first ten episodes, keep it really, really simple.

Here’s a minimum podcast editing plan:

Trim the start & end
Volume Levelling (video guide here)
Publish!

Here’s a more polished podcast editing workflow:

Trim the start & End
Remove mistakes (with a click edit)
Volume Levelling (video guide here)
Noise reduction
Add music
Publish!

It’s possible to do a lot more, but honestly, the improvement to time ratio just doesn’t provide enough value in many cases.

You could learn EQ and Compression for example to really polish up your voice. But, this is well worth outsourcing, either to software, or to a freelancer (below).

Automate as much of this as you can through software. You’re not an audio engineer!

Alitu, for example, is a platform that does noise reduction, levelling, compression & EQ. It adds your music and transitions automatically. And it provides a really easy, podcast-specific audio editor so you can trim and remove mistakes, both with text-based-editing and traditional.
Try Alitu with a 7 Day free tria l

Outsourcing: The Hands-Free Option

For some, if you have the budget, it’s better to hire in help for this!

You’ll find podcast editors for all budgets and requirements over at our Podcast Production Directory.

What File Type Should I Use for Podcasting?

The most common format for uploading a podcast episode is an MP3 file. That’s why so many people ask us how to convert from wav to mp3…!

Not all MP3 files are created equal, though. If you’re exporting yourself, here’s what to go for:

Bitrate? Choose 96kbps for spoken-word audio
Constant (CBR) Vs Variable (VBR) bitrate? Choose CBR
Mono or stereo? Go mono, unless you’ve got loads of music and sound effects
Sample rate? Opt for 44100Hz

If this seems like the sort of stuff that melts your brain, remember that podcast-maker tool Alitu does this all for you automatically!

8. Set up Your Podcast Hosting

When it comes to getting your podcast out there for everyone to hear, you’ll need a podcast hosting platform, sometimes called a media host.

A podcast host is where you store your audio files, set up your episodes, and publish them to the world. No need to upload anything to the directories, like Apple Podcasts or Spotify. They read the episodes right from your podcast host through your RSS feed (more on submitting to directories in the next step!)

I use a few different podcast hosting providers, and you can read what I think of them in that dedicated roundup. But here’s the TLDR;

Alitu: Hosting tied in with call recording, audio editing & audio cleanup, plus podcast analytics, transcriptions, podcast distribution and more.
RSS.com: Superb value-for-money service, fully localized in three languages (English, Spanish, and Italian), which includes customer support. Use promo code THEPODCASTHOST to get free months.
Captivate: Growth-focused podcast hosting, with tools like media kit generation, dynamic ad insertion, multiple podcasts, podcast distribution and excellent podcast analytics
Castos: a host focused on private podcasting & linked with a strong production service

Your Podcast Website: Publish Your Shownotes & Player

What about a website for your pod? You’ll want one place for people to read more about your show, access the show notes, signup for your newsletter, and a lot more. There are a few options for this:

A Podcast Host Website: Most podcast hosts offer a free website to work as a home base. They’re free and easy, and perfect for hobby shows. But, they can be restrictive.
Your existing brand website: Add a ‘podcast section’ and start publishing a page for every episode there (Read: how to install podcasting tools on your website)
Podpage: This is a dedicated tool to set up a podcast site in minutes, and includes blogging, growth tools, newsletters and more. Great option for a flexible, powerful site.
WordPress: Set up a new WordPress site, dedicated to your podcast. Super flexible, as powerful as it gets, but a little more work to build and maintain (read: podcast websites guide)

For 2 to 4, you’ll add your audio content to your shownotes pages by embedding your podcast player in your blog posts, straight from your host. This is really easy, generally just a cut and paste!

9. Submitting to Podcast Directories

Once you’ve created your show inside your podcast host of choice, you can then submit it to a podcast directory. These are the podcast platforms that handle your podcast distribution, and where listeners can discover, subscribe to, and download your show.

Any good host will have a decent set of auto-submit or guided-submission tools. So, they make it easy to get your show into Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other popular spots (although forget about Google Podcasts now!).

You need to have at least one published episode in order to submit your show to some key directories. It’s a good idea to create a short teaser, podcast trailer, or episode zero early on in your podcasting journey. This way, you can ensure you’re being listed on all popular platforms in time for you dropping your first “proper” episode.

Once your podcast is out there, the way podcast listings work varies from platform to platform. For example, Apple Podcast search will favour shows with high numbers of all-time followers, while Google Podcasts used to be mainly focused on search keywords. That means that established shows can have the upper hand when it comes to discovery, so take on board my podcast naming advice from earlier in this guide.

Next Step How to Submit to Podcast Directories

10. Set Your Launch & Growth Plan

Once you’ve set up your podcast launch, that’s when you’ll move on to thinking about podcast promotion, building your listener base, and maybe even earning a crust from your show.

Get Your First 100 Listeners (and Beyond)

When it comes to podcast promotion, growth and visibility, I work with the SCALE Framework:

S – Syndication
C – Communities & Collaboration
A – Advertising (Paid Promotion)
L – Live & In-Person
E – Email & Engagement

I break the SCALE Framework down for you in our Ultimate Podcast Marketing & Promotion Guide. And here are a few more options for you to bookmark and check out.

The Podcast Host Planner (Physical Notebook)
Podcast Growth Mastery (Video Course)
Podcast Growth: How to Grow Your Podcast Audience (Book)

Try at least a few of these in the first few months, and you’ve every chance of reaching far more of your target audience.

A Caution on Podcast Download Numbers

Podcast hosting services give you download stats which help you gauge how your show is doing. You can also get some platform-specific data from the likes of Spotify, Apple Podcasts Connect, and YouTube.

Download stats can become an obsession, especially when comparing yourself to any popular podcast. But there are so many variables when it comes to what are “good” download numbers. You might be surprised to learn that many successful podcasters thrive with “only” a few hundred downloads per episode.

So don’t compare yourself with others. Just try to improve every week.

Podcast Monetization (Earning a shilling!)

If you put the work in, stick at it, and consistently deliver great content for your audience, then you’ll eventually be in a position to think about monetizing your podcast. Here are a couple of resources to get you up and running:

Want to Watch a Full Guide on Making a Pod?

Need More Personal Help in Starting?

The Podcraft Academy is our coaching, support & community space, designed to help you take action and grow this show of yours! Including:

Live regular Q&As with our team
Launch & Growth Frameworks to follow
Time-saving checklists & templates
In-depth courses on editing, presentation skills, workflow & more
Community motivation, conversations & support

We’d love to see you there!

Sign up for the Academy here

About the Author

If you’re asking – “Who’s this guy? How does he know what he’s talking about?” – then that’s totally fair

I’m Colin Gray, and I started out in podcasting around 2008. I remember the day I walked into my boss’ office at a Uni in Edinburgh, Scotland, and she said: “What’s this Podcasting thing? Could we use that to teach our students?”

I had no idea! My job at the time was to teach lecturers how to teach better with technology, though, and I’m a bit (a lot…?) of a geek, so I jumped into the world of mics, audio cleanup & speaking… and I never looked back!

In the years following, I left the Uni to go full-time on this. I inhaled everything podcasting, learning anything I could, and turned that knowledge into this website you’re reading right now. In 2015, I started working with Matthew McLean, a veteran audio drama producer, after a chance meeting in Birmingham. Together, we built this site to 2 million+ views a year. We started Podcraft, and grew it to a top 1% podcast. We reach tens of thousands of podcasters through our newsletter every week. I’ve spoken on stages around the world, and we’ve helped start thousands of podcasts over the years.

All this to say: I really love this medium. It changed my life, and I’ve seen it change hundreds of others. We’ve been in this a long time, but we’re still learning. Every day. All of that learning goes into the writing we publish here on The Podcast Host, aimed at helping you do the same.

So, if you’re up for it, read on and let’s get that fantastic voice of yours out into the world

How to Start a Podcast: Raring to Go?

Phew. That’s it. We’re done!

Don’t forget to bookmark my post here, so you can pop back every time you move on a step.

Good luck with the show, and I can’t wait to see your voice out in the world

Podcast Episode Titles: How Should I Name My Episodes?

Colin Gray — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Podcast episode titles might be an afterthought to many creators. But they are vital to the success of your show as a whole.

You can pour time and energy into creating the best content humanly possible. But if you don’t put a bit of thought into the naming of that content, you’re going to limit its overall reach and impact severely.

So, how do you come up with good titles for your episodes? What considerations are there? And are there any “rules” to be aware of?

It Starts With Your Episode Content

One way to prevent the name of your episode from becoming an afterthought is to have a clear plan and aim behind your content.

For example, some of the most effective types of episode titles are things like “how to…[do something]” or “7 tips for… [achieving something]”.

These kinds of episodes have their titles in place before they are recorded. It’s all part of the planning.

So, if you’re doing things like lists, comparisons, reviews, or case studies in your episodes, then the titles are basically going to write themselves.

If it’s an interview or a monologue, though, you might need to retrospectively decide what the most valuable part of the episode was, and create your title around that.

The WHISPER TITLES Framework

We created the WHISPER TITLES framework to help give examples of compelling episode titles, but it quickly became a source of infinite content ideas, too. How many of these could you rework for your own topic or niche?

W – “What” or “Why” Titles

Spark curiosity or offer clear explanations.

Why Some People Always Seem Lucky
What No One Tells You About Building Wealth

H – “How to” Titles

Provide actionable, step-by-step advice.

How to Launch a Business with No Money
How to Wake Up Early Without Feeling Tired

I – Insider Titles

Offer exclusive, behind-the-scenes insight.

Inside the Mind of a Billionaire
Inside Apple’s Product Design Process

S – Secrets Titles

Reveal hidden truths or little-known strategies.

The Secret to Lasting Happiness
The Hidden Truth About the Stock Market

P – Problem-Solution Titles

Tackle a pain point and offer a fix.

Struggling with Anxiety? Try This
Feeling Stuck? Do This One Thing

E – Emotion-Driven Titles

Tap into strong emotions or shared experiences.

The Heartbreaking Truth About Burnout
Why No One Talks About the Dark Side of Success

R – Results-Oriented Titles

Focus on transformation or measurable outcomes.

Get Fit in 30 Days Without a Gym
Master Any Skill in 10 Hours or Less

Subscribe or follow Podcraft on your listening app of choice!

T – Trending & Timely Titles

Leverage current events, pop culture, or timely insights.

Why AI Will Replace 80% of Jobs
The Biggest Fashion Comeback of the Decade

I – Intrigue & Mystery Titles

Create suspense and curiosity.

The One Thing That Will Make or Break Your Career
The Hidden Connection Between Wealth and Happiness

T – Top List Titles

Use numbers for easy-to-digest tips or rankings.

7 Habits of Highly Successful People
10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Memory

L – Life-Changing Titles

Suggest dramatic transformation or impactful advice.

Life-Changing Lessons from a Monk
The Power of Saying No

E – Expert or Contrarian Takes

Challenge the norm or present authority insights.

Everything You Know About Dieting Is Wrong
What If We’ve Been Wrong About Success All Along?

S – Storytelling Titles

Share relatable personal journeys or experiences.

How I Went From Broke to Millionaire
The Unexpected Journey That Changed My Life

Target Audience, SEO, & Keywords

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t simply about choosing a title for your episode. It’s about deciding what your episode will be about, and why.

When planning your next batch of episodes, think about your potential audience – the podcast listeners who haven’t discovered your show yet. Ask yourself the following questions:

What sort of terms are they searching for?
What questions are they seeking answers to?
How are you positioned to help them?

Make it clear in your episode titles that this is precisely what they’re looking for. Remember, it’s not “clickbait” if you deliver on your promise in the episode.

Podcast directories are essentially just search engines, so make sure your titles are the sort of things that’ll appear in a search on that topic. It helps to add the odd relevant keyword or two, but don’t go overboard into the “keyword stuffing” realm.

Of course, your podcast episodes aren’t limited to being found in listening apps, either. If you run a website or publish your episodes on YouTube, then that’ll go a long way to helping your show’s discoverability, too.

Test Your Titles: What Do Listeners Love?

There’s no need to guess how effective your titles are in the long run. By looking at what existing listeners are already hitting play on, you’ll know how compelling they’ll be to potential listeners.

Looking over your stats will show you at a glance how many people are hitting play on or downloading each episode.

You can compare individual episodes with others released in the same period and look for patterns. Check to see if certain types of titles perform better than others.

For an even deeper dive, you can look at your Apple Podcast Connect data to get a sample of listener completion rates for your episodes.

If your compelling titles are doing a great job enticing people to hit play, but nobody is listening for very long, it’s possible you aren’t delivering on what listeners feel you’re promising them. If that’s the case, you might need to rethink how you introduce each episode and get to the main topic quicker.

Should I Put Guest Names in My Episode Titles?

Adding a descriptive title to any non-fiction podcast episode is good practice. But what about interview shows? Should you add the name of the guest to your title?

If your guest is “famous” (even within your niche), this is beneficial as folks might search their name for the content they’ve been involved in. You can still get a bit of description in there, too. For example:

Taking aaaaages to finish a book series, with George R. R. Martin

Meghan Markle on how to monetise your podcast on Spotify

But, after publishing these two episodes, you’ll face a dilemma next time you have a guest nobody has ever heard of. John from next door might have an interesting topic, but will he get offended if his name doesn’t make it into the title? These are the tricky “no right answer” decisions you sometimes have to navigate in podcasting.

What About Non-Industry Podcasts?

This advice so far is definitely geared towards “industry” podcasts. But there are a lot of other types of shows out there, too.

If you run a fiction podcast or a more experimental type of human interest series, for example, then these literal titles won’t necessarily work for you.

With this branch of podcasting, most listeners discover their favourite shows through means other than search. Word of mouth, audience relationship, and community building will be more important than episode titles here.

Of course, it’s still a good idea to get certain keywords related to your content in there over time. For example, if your show has a Lovecraftian theme, then the odd nod to the Cthulhu Mythos in your titles won’t do you any harm at all.

Overall though, you have a lot more creative freedom here than someone who podcasts help and advice topics as an industry leader or content marketer.

How Long Should My Podcast Episode Titles Be?

Just like your episodes themselves, shoot for “as long as it needs to be, and no longer”.

Consumption takes place on a vast number of different podcast listening apps. These apps vary with how many characters in your title they’ll show before cutting it short.

If your title exceeds around 60 characters, then you’ll start to find it cut short on certain apps, so that’s a good ballpark length to shoot for.

3 Podcast Title Best Practices

60-70 characters (avoids cutting off in apps)
6-10 words (sweet spot)
Front-load value (important words first)

Laying Out Your Podcast Episode Titles

Some things are worth avoiding when typing out your title in your podcast hosting account.

First up – leave your podcast’s name out of your episode titles. This is redundant and wastes valuable space.

Also, avoid pre-loading your episode titles with numbers or codes. If you want to put these in, put them at the end.

Here are some examples (good and bad) of how we could lay out the title of an episode of our own show, Podcraft.

Let’s say the episode topic is our top 10 USB mics for podcasting.

Good Examples of Podcast Episode Title Layouts

Top 10 USB Mics for Podcasting
What Are the 10 BEST USB Mics for Podcasts?
10 of the Best USB Mics for Podcasting
Our Top 10 USB Mics for Podcasters in 2025

Not-So-Good Examples of Podcast Episode Title Layouts

Episode 25
Episode 25 | Top 10 USB Mics for Podcasting
Podcraft Episode 25 | Top 10 USB Mics for Podcasting
PC025 – Top 10 USB Mics for Podcasting

Case Study: Pocket-Sized Podcasting

Another show of ours, Pocket-Sized Podcasting, gives listeners one short sharp tip every single day of the week. The episode titles don’t leave anyone guessing what’s being covered.

AI-Generated Podcast Headlines

Unsurprisingly, many AI tools for podcasters can offer a helping hand when writing podcast episode titles or even when coming up with new content ideas.

You’ll find a deeper dive into this in our Best ChatGPT Prompts for Podcasters guide. But, Katie observed there, that:

What’s really interesting about ChatGPT’s response to this prompt is that it didn’t just produce title ideas, but also gave me some inspiration about the direction I’d want to take the episode in.

Summary: Podcast Episode Titles

So naming your episodes really shouldn’t be complicated. Here are the key takeaways to keep in mind:

Create content your target audience will find valuable.
Title it so it shows up clearly in search.
Don’t waste space – be as succinct as possible.
Avoid putting episode numbers, your podcast series name, or the word “Episode” in there. Unless it’s at the end.
Monitor your stats over time to see how various titles are performing.
And if you’re a non-industry podcast, you can be much more creative with your titles. If your show is good, people will discover it in other ways.

Need More Help With Your Podcast?

If you’re looking for more direct support or guidance, remember to check out the Podcraft Academy, where you’ll find courses, podcast feedback tools, and a bunch of downloadable checklists and resources to keep you moving forward. We’d love to work with you in there!

Hire a Podcast Producer: Here Are Our Favourites

Colin Gray — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:48:00 +0000

Are you at the stage where you’re looking to hire a podcast producer or podcast production company? Whether you’re after podcast production, mentorship, show note writing, or any number of other podcasting services, we’ve got you covered. Here, we list some of the best podcast production companies around to help you make the right choice. Let’s take a look!

A quick heads up, this article includes affiliate links to some of the services mentioned to help support the free content we produce.

TLDR – Just Find Me a Podcast Producer!

Quick answer, eh? Well, here are four of the best options for you:

1. Full-service production ($1000+):

Castos Productions

Post-production of your audio podcast episodes can be frustrating and time-consuming. The good news is – it doesn’t have to be that way! Outsource your whole podcast production to expert audio producers – with full training in producing professional shows – all you will have to do is record each episode and send the unedited files to Castos for further production.

2. Detailed editing in your Creation Platform (from $295): Alitu

Alitu Productions

Podcast-maker tool Alitu is designed to make DIY editing & publishing as easy as clicking a few buttons, no technical knowledge needed. But now, the Alitu Productions tier offers an editing service, too, so you can record in the app, have it edited for you, review it, and publish, all in one place.

3. Limited budget pick: Fiverr (Sub-$100)

Go with freelance sound engineer and podcast editor adamglider on Fiverr. We’ve tried him, and he’s great. You’ll get podcast production packages there for as little as $64, depending on what you need.

4. Got very specific needs?

Work with us!

At The Podcast Host, we don’t just teach podcasting – we’ve been editing and producing them for more than fifteen years. If you’d like us in your corner when it comes to making your content shine, get in touch and tell us more about your needs, plans, and ambitions.

Why Hire a Podcast Producer?

Most people get into podcasting because they have something to say. They have a message, and they want to share it with the world.

And, though there’s more to podcasting than just getting behind the mic and hitting record, all of these other tasks are often seen as necessary rather than enjoyable.

Of all the jobs involved, there are two that seem to cause the most grief among podcasters of all levels of experience.

Fed Up Editing?

Whether you call it editing, mixing, or post-production, there are a few reasons why you might dread this stage of making an episode.

Some find it difficult, time-consuming, or just flat-out boring.

Even taking a minimum effective editing approach involves opening up a DAW or editing software program, and just the thought of that can lead some podcasters to procrastination and even “podfading”.

Bored Writing Shownotes?

You probably didn’t get into an audio medium like podcasting for the thought of sitting down and knocking out 400-500-word blog posts every other week.

And whilst some podcasters love to write, others could really do without it.

Even in a world where AI can generate show notes for you, some podcasters still want that human touch, or don’t have the time or confidence to edit generated text into something they’re happy to put their name to.

Like editing, there’s a range of options available to you when choosing your preferred style of shownotes.

But whether you’re writing bullet points or something more akin to a small ebook, they’re still going to require your time and attention.

Outsourcing: Hire a Podcast Producer

So you might now be tempted to quote the immortal words of Homer Simpson – “Can’t someone else do it?”

The good news is that there’s a plethora of services and freelancers out there who’ll edit, produce, write shownotes, and offer a whole range of other podcasting services on top of that.

But, sometimes having too much choice is hard work in itself, so if you’re in the mood to delegate everything, let us point out some options for you.

Podcast Production on Fiverr

If you’re looking to hire a podcast producer, then Fiverr is a freelancer marketplace where you can get all sorts of help with your content. It’s a really easy platform to navigate and use, though not without its risks, as there are a lot of questionable services on there, too.

With that in mind, we’ve hand-picked a few services for you below. These are all freelancers we’ve used in the past and have been very impressed with.

Hire a Podcast Producer

adamglinder – from $64
radioorg – from $106

Hire a Shownotes Writer

mabendroth15 – from $57

Hire a Podcast Art Designer

c7productions – from $172

Hiring Podcast Production Companies

Hiring a freelancer is a great option for many. But some prefer to have the weight of a full podcast production company behind them. This means that inevitable real-life stuff like illness and holidays are much less likely to interrupt your release schedule. So, what are your options here?

Lower Street

Want to produce a next-level podcast that stands out from your competitors? Want to create a differentiated show and be sure you find the audience you’re trying to grow?

Want expert guidance from research, planning and scripting through guest booking and recording to post-production and distribution?

Skip the awkward years & launch a great show right away with Lower Street‘s podcast production services. Lower Street handles every step of podcasting for enterprises, high-ticket agencies, and consultants to nail your podcast strategy, content, and promotion from the very first episode.

Alitu Productions

Podcast maker tool Alitu is designed to make DIY editing as easy as humanly possible. But if you still just don’t have the time or the confidence, Alitu Productions is a fully managed tier where the editing is done for you.

It means you can still use Alitu for recording and publishing your show, but right in the middle, the Alitu team will edit the show for you. The cool thing here is that there’s no sending of files, or downloading and review. It’s all done inside the Alitu dashboard – you can preview and review it there, send over your comments, and finally publish, all in the same place.

Apply for the Alitu Productions service here

If you didn’t know already, Alitu’s our sister app, originally started by Colin to help you and all readers of The Podcast Host. So the Alitu service, just like this blog, is designed by podcasters for podcasters!

Castos Productions

Castos Productions takes the hard work of post-production off of your hands, leaving you free to grow your show and connect with your audience.

Their podcast editing service is staffed by their own team of seasoned audio engineers, talented show note writers, and producers, who’ll take care of every aspect of your podcast after you record an episode.

We Edit Podcasts

We Edit Podcasts are another company that can take care of almost all aspects of your show. They offer everything from transcription to video editing. WEP have a nice Podcast Pricing Estimator feature on their site, too, so you can get an idea of your own bespoke costs.

The Podcast Host

Yep, us!

Ask us about Podcast Production

Podcast production is one of the foundations of our business here at The Podcast Host. We’ve been editing shows for over fifteen years and know this type of work inside out.

We can teach you how to edit your own show, OR, we have a tool that’ll practically do it for you. But if you’re still looking to work with a dedicated podcast producer, then please tell us a bit more about your unique needs and wants. We look forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Hiring a Podcast Producer or Podcast Production Company

Just to summarise, then. Here are your options.

Work With Us

If you’re interested in working with us to help bring your show to life (or, take it to the next level) then we’d love to hear from you.

Limited Budget Podcast Production

Looking for regular episodes edited and need to keep costs down to a minimum?

Fiverr Freelancer: adamglinder
Fiverr Freelancer: radioorg

Full-Service Podcast Production Companies

Need a comprehensive production service that includes shownotes, publishing, social media promotion, and transcriptions?

Creation App Podcast Production

Finally, Alitu has all the tools you need to record, edit, and publish your show, even if you don’t know a single thing about audio production.

What’s more, if you like the idea, look, or sound of Alitu but still want help with the editing, then Alitu Productions gives you the best of both worlds. With Alitu Productions, Alitu will be your recording and publishing workspace, and your very own producer will work in there alongside you to help bring your show to life!

Best Podcast Call Recording App? 8 Tools Tested & Compared!

Colin Gray — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Summary: Best Podcast Call Recording App

These days, there are plenty of software options for recording remotely. The right program, combined with good setups and etiquette at either end, can make podcasters sound like they are recording in the same room. “Double-ender” technology protects remote recordings from sketchy internet connections, and video podcasters are well-served with these tools, too. You can expect to pay around $20 a month for a tool like Squadcast, Riverside, or Zencastr. With Alitu, $38 per month will get you call recording, editing, production, hosting, distribution and more.

It truly is the halcyon days for creators looking to record a podcast remotely. There have never been so many brilliant online call recording options out there, and many go beyond simple recording.

All eight call recording apps were tested on this episode of Podcraft, the show that teaches you everything you need to know about podcasting. Subscribe or follow on your listening app of choice!

In this roundup, you’ll find options for every use case, need, and budget. So, let’s explore the best platforms for remote podcast recording.

A quick heads up that we use affiliate links for some of the tools mentioned here. This means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself. Affiliates help to support all the free content we put out. On top of that, we only set up partnerships with services we’ve used and liked ourselves.

Record a Podcast Remotely With SquadCast

SquadCast is one of the big popular call recorder platforms. It has some cool AI tools, too, including filler word removal, overdub, and “AI-eye contact”, which means you’ll never look away from the camera again.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment. You can save on all of these tiers by paying yearly.
- Free (an hour of recordings per month)
- $19 (10 hours of recordings a month)
- $35 (30 hours of recordings a month)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – No

Try SquadCast

Record a Podcast Remotely With Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm is another one of the biggest and most popular call recorder platforms on the planet, offering an impressive range of features for podcasters.

Cost
- Free (Record up to 2 hours total of watermarked files)
- $19 (Record up to 5 hours per month)
- $29 (Record up to 15 hours per month)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – No

Try Riverside

Record a Podcast Remotely With Alitu

Alitu is a podcast maker app with a built-in call recorder. It has all the features needed to run a podcast, including intuitive editing and production tools, auto-generated transcription, and hosting.

Cost – $38 per month gives you access to ALL of Alitu’s editing, production, and publishing tools, as well as unlimited call recording.
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – Yes

Try Alitu

Record a Podcast Remotely With Iris.fm

Iris is an up-and-coming call recorder with some great offerings for podcasters looking to record multi-channel audio and video. With Iris, you’re not encouraged to use Chrome or any specific browser, either – it works on them all.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- $9 (2 hours of recording time)
- $19 (5 hours of recording time)
- $29 (10 hours of recording time)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – No

Try Iris

Record a Podcast Remotely With Cleanfeed

Cleanfeed is a web-based tool for high-quality live audio recording, often used in radio and broadcasting. It allows multitrack recording and real-time collaboration. It’s one of the best options out there for folks looking to record calls for free.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- Free (unlimited recording, up to two guests)
- $34 (unlimited recording, up to 32 guests)
- Annual payment savings available
- Discount available for charities, schools, etc.
Video – Yes, for $2500 per year
Podcast Hosting – No

Try Cleanfeed

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zoom

Zoom is the conference call app that helped the world run during the pandemic. One of Zoom’s big pluses is that almost everyone has used it. The trade-off, however, is that the audio quality can sometimes be poor. There’s also a time limitation of 40 minutes with recordings on their free tier.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- Free (40min max)
- $14.99 per month (up to 100 participants)
- $19.99 per month (up to 300 participants)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – No

Try Zoom

Record a Podcast Remotely With Streamyard

Streamyard is a live streaming and recording tool that enables professional-looking broadcasts with overlays and branding. It supports multistreaming to different platforms and easy guest participation. Streamyard is ideal for live shows, interviews, and social media streaming.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment
- Free (with Streamyard branded logo and 2 hours per month limit)
- $44.99 per month (10 on-screen participants. Unlimited streaming and recording.)
- $88.99 per month (multistream to eight destinations simultaneously)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – No

Try Streamyard

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zencastr

Zencastr was the first multitrack call recording tool I ever used, and it’s still going strong to this day. They have an iOS app, a handy AI clip highlights tool for video podcasters, and you can host your podcast there, too.

Cost – Tiered monthly payment with annual savings available
- $20 per month (Unlimited recording hours, uploads, and hosting)
- $30 per month (4k video, direct publish to YouTube)
- $30 per month (Two shows, two teams seats)
- Annual payment savings available
Video – Yes
Podcast Hosting – Yes

Try Zencastr

Use coupon code THEPODCASTHOST for 20% off the first three months of a monthly pro subscription with Zencastr.

Okay, So What’s the BEST Podcast Call Recording App?

The good news is that there are many quality podcast call recording options. The bad news is that it can be hard to choose one. In podcasting, there’s rarely a single “best” option for anything. But here’s a quick rundown of some factors that might help you decide.

Remember, you’ll get a free trial with any of the call recorder apps mentioned here, too!

Going Free

If you need to go free, it’s hard to see past Cleanfeed. You might also consider the alternative “double-ender” option discussed below.

Multi-Track Options With Video

Zencastr, Riverside, and SquadCast are the current big three Zoom alternatives for video and multi-track recording, though you can save money using Iris if you record less than two hours a month.

These platforms record audio and video locally and upload separate speaker files to the cloud. This allows you to manually edit and clean up each speaker and avoids any potential call connection issues.

All-In-One Package at One Flat Rate

If you’re after pure simplicity and more of an “all-in-one” solution, then opt for Alitu. In addition to remote recording, it’ll allow you to do audio cleanup, volume levelling, editing (including text-based editing), add music, produce your final episode, and create transcriptions, all in one user-friendly interface.

Alitu’s automatic Noise Reduction in action!

Alitu also includes podcast hosting, so you don’t need to sign up for a separate account to upload and distribute your show to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

With Alitu, you can easily clean up, edit, and sync calls recorded with any other tool mentioned here, too!

What Call Recording Apps CAN’T Do

As you’ve no doubt learned by now, these tools can do A LOT. From cloud recording, backup, and storage to HD video, editing and production tools. Some can even host your podcast for you.

But, remote recording tools alone can’t make you sound good. The quality of any recording depends largely on equipment, environment, and mic technique.

You could use state-of-the-art call online recorder software, and it would still sound terrible if your guest were recording on a laptop mic in their bathroom.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master audio producer to get this right. Or, to coach your guests to get optimal sound quality from them.

Check out some of the best entry-level recording kit for podcasters, our guide to mic technique, how to optimise your recording space, and our free online microphone test resource. That’ll help get you set up on those fronts!

An Alternative – “The Double Ender” – No Call Recorder App Needed!

If you’d like to know how to record a podcast without extra software, then let’s look at the ‘double-ender’.

In this method, each guest or co-host takes responsibility for recording their own audio at the source.

That might be opening up their recording/editing software and running that to record their voice as they talk to their fellow participants.

Or it might be using a completely separate mic and digital recorder to eliminate the risk of loss of audio due to computer issues.

In any case, with all being well, the producer will have quality recordings of each participant on independent tracks to work with in post-production.

This is a good way to record if one (or both) of you struggle to maintain a stable internet connection.

If you’re doing this, just remember to run a backup recording on something like Zoom. That way, if someone forgets to hit record, all isn’t lost!

Hardware Vs Software for Remote Calls

If you prefer physical equipment to software, there are a few great options for recording podcasts remotely. Check out the Zoom PodTrak P4 , Focusrite Vocaster, and Rode Rodecaster Pro II.

Other audio interface and digital recorder options are available, but those two have built-in call recorder features, so you don’t need to knock up some elaborate setup to make them work in this way.

What Next?

Hopefully you found a tool that works for you. Or, maybe you decided that remote call recording platforms aren’t a good fit for your podcast. If that’s the case, fear not. We have some more handy guides to help you on your way.

If you’re still at an early stage, we also have a full guide on how to start a podcast, which walks you through everything you need to know. And, if you’d like the help, support, and friendship of those in a similar boat, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community.

How Much Does Podcast Equipment Cost in 2025?

Colin Gray — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Summary: Podcast Equipment Cost

Assuming you already have a computer, you probably won’t need to spend more than $100 on podcast equipment. A USB mic and a set of earbuds will let you record solo shows, as well as online/remote conversations. You can get good audio out of your smartphone for as little as $45, or you might choose to invest $150-$300 on a digital recorder or audio interface setup.

There’s a lot of brilliant podcast gear on the market these days. But too much choice can be overwhelming, and often, people will spend a lot more than they need to.

Listen, follow, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice!

Nobody likes to feel ripped off, so let’s look at the cost of podcast equipment based on your unique needs, wants, and budget.

What Podcast Equipment Will I Need?

The type of show you want to run will determine the equipment you need. Here, I’ll look at the different pieces of kit required to record the most common types of podcasts.

A quick heads up, too, that we sometimes use affiliate links when recommending certain products. This means we may earn a small commission if you were to buy through them, though never at any extra cost to you.

With that all said, what podcast equipment do you need, and how much does it cost?

A USB Microphone: $50-$100

A USB mic setup comes with the assumption that you’ve already got a PC/laptop/Mac, and that you’ve installed the audio-editing software Audacity, which is free. Audacity is great if you’re recording a solo show. However, if you’d like to do online/remote interviews or conversations, check out our best call recorder tools roundup.

The quality of USB mics has come on leaps and bounds these past few years. In my opinion, the best overall option remains the Samson Q2U or the ATR2100 because you can also use them with digital recorders and audio interfaces further down the line.

In our 2024 Podcast Gear Survey, the Q2U was found to be the second most popular mic. You might naturally wonder about the most popular—the Blue Yeti—but I don’t think it’s worth paying $90-$110 when you can get the (much better) Q2U for cheaper.

Aside from the mic itself, you just need to plug in some headphones. Yes, you can buy yourself a high-end pair of studio headphones, but you can just as easily use the trusty set of earbuds you have lying around. The Q2U is often found in bundle deals with headphones included.

For the vast majority of people, this is all you need to make a podcast. You can be up and running with an excellent kit for less than $100.

Naturally, there are more high-end USB mic options out there too. The Shure MV7+ or the Rode Procaster will give you top-of-the-range sound quality, but you’ll pay anywhere between $150 and $280 for the privilege. Find out more about them in our Best USB Mics roundup.

But what if you don’t own a computer, or don’t want to be tied to one for recording your podcast? Then, a smartphone setup might be more suited to your needs.

Smartphone Podcast Equipment ($45-$135)

The average smartphone offers many options for recording audio and video. In the short term, you can get away with using it without any additional equipment. Still, if you’re serious about growing an audience, you’ll want to upgrade your audio sooner or later.

We’re well-catered to for affordable smartphone audio now with the BOYA Mini and Rode Wireless Micro. Both setups are pretty similar—you plug a wireless receiver into your phone and connect a wireless transmitter (mic) to your jersey and another to that of your guest or co-host, if you have one.

But if you don’t want to use a computer or a phone, what next?

A Digital Recorder ($100-$400+)

Some podcasters naturally prefer dedicated single-use technology. If you’d rather keep your computer for work and your phone for doom-scrolling, then a digital recorder could be right up your alley.

Lower Cost Digital Recorder Setups

The Tascam DR-05X ($80) and Zoom H1n ($90) are two great entry-level digital recorders, perfect for on-the-go podcasters.

Both have built-in mics, and you can record directly into them, either solo recordings or chats with guests and co-hosts.

Sound quality will always be limited when sharing a mic, and you can optimise this setup by plugging Lavalier mics into the H1 via a splitter, though this can triple your podcast equipment cost.

Higher Cost Digital Recorder Setups

The H1’s bigger cousins, the Zoom H5 and Zoom H6 come in at between $200 and $300 respectively. These recorders are chunkier, more powerful, and can record XLR mics on multitrack. Bear in mind that you won’t pay much less than $100 for each XLR mic you use. Again, you can simply record into the recorder’s built-in mics but this will limit your overall audio quality.

An alternative to the H5 and H6 is the Zoom PodTrak P4. At only $150, the P4 is a cheaper option, and comes with call recording capabilities. On the flip side, it doesn’t have built-in mics, so you’d need to buy at least one XLR mic to make use of it.

Mixers & Audio Interfaces ($85-$700+)

Audio interfaces are the bridge between using XLR mics and podcasting on your computer.

I’ve owned a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for about 15 years, and it remains the most popular audio interface among podcasters. Now in its 4th Generation, you’d be looking at about $200 to buy one brand new, or $140 to get the solo (one mic) version.

Focusrite has since released the podcast-focused Vocaster, too. You can get a two-mic version for $110 and a solo version for $85. I really like the Vocaster, and switched to using it after my 2i2 started to die of old age.

Mixers are an alternative to audio interfaces, but they are much less common in podcasting these days. This is because they’re overly complicated tools designed for musicians, and much of their capability can be achieved with much simpler tools (like the PodTrak P4) or software.

The Rode Rodecaster Pro 2 is as close to a traditional mixer as I’d recommend for podcasters these days. It’s the ultimate “all-in-one” podcast recorder, though it doesn’t come cheap—around $690—and that’s before you buy any XLR mics to run into it!

On the other end of the pricing scale, the PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 is a great sub-$100 option. But again, we still need to get some mics…

XLR Mics ($50-$400)

I’ve mentioned XLR mics a lot so far. You might want one (or more) to plug into your digital recorder or audio interface.

Our Best Podcasting Microphones roundup is a deep dive into the top choices on the market right now. Here’s a summary of some options, though.

Samson Q2U/ATR2100 – sub-$100 and also works as a USB mic
MXL 990 – sub-$100, great sound, at a low cost
Shure MV7+ – $280 – one of the best podcasting mics around

Other Bits & Pieces: Podcast Equipment Cost FAQ

You might have some additional outgoings on top of the gear you plan to buy. Don’t worry though, you can keep these additional podcast equipment costs pretty low.

Q: Do I need headphones?

Yes, but you can get away with using the earbuds you already own. If you want to buy a decent set of studio-quality headphones you’d be talking $30-$40, at least.

Q: Do I need a mic stand?

Most USB mics come with desk stands, so you can get set up to record right out of the box. However, you might want to upgrade to a boom arm later on. You can pay as little as $15 for a boom arm, but a word of warning—the really cheap ones tend to be false economy.

Q: Do I need a pop-filter?

Some mics come with a foam windshield, which might see you through in the short term, especially if you’re using a desk stand (which means you’ve nowhere to mount a pop filter). If you’re buying a boom arm or mic stand, it’s worth chucking in a pop filter, too. You can get one for around $10.

Q: What about cables?

If you’re using a USB mic, it’ll come with a cable that plugs directly into your computer. If you want to run XLR mics into a digital recorder or interface, then you’ll need an XLR cable for each one. You can pick one up for less than $15 if money is tight, but it’s worth spending a little more if you’re able.

Summary: How Much Does Podcast Equipment Cost?

Most people don’t need to spend more than $100 on their podcasting equipment. If you’re recording solo or online/remote conversations, a USB mic will suit you.

For the other bits and pieces, if you need them, you can be anywhere from $20 to $100+.

A digital recorder setup can cost $100 (bare basics) to $300+. Running a couple of XLR mics into your computer via a USB audio interface will cost around $300.

Nobody wants to spend more than they need on podcast equipment, so make sure you’re not getting something overkill for your podcasting requirements.

If you’re spending more than $300 on your gear, make sure you’ve got a very good reason for it. Are you certain that you need everything in your shopping cart?

Check out these additional resources as you continue to plan your ideal podcasting setup;

Putting together the perfect and most cost-effective podcasting kit is something we can help you with in the Podcraft Academy, too. In there, you’ll find video courses, feedback tools, downloadable resources, and a community of like-minded creators. It’s a brilliant place to plan and launch a growth-optimised podcast!

Podcast Sponsorship: Pros, Cons, Costs, & Where to Start

Colin Gray — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Summary: Podcast Sponsorship

When you think of making money with a podcast, sponsorship is usually the first method that springs to mind. Sponsorship is by no means the only way to monetise a podcast, and it tends to work better for shows with numerically larger audiences. Typically, a podcaster will earn $20 for every 1000 listens, but deals can be struck to make them more lucrative for niche topics and audiences.

Before Patreon and other such platforms existed, podcast sponsorship was how most creators monetised their content. It’s still a popular method to this day, and often how the bigger shows earn a crust.

Podcast sponsorship is an option for shows with numerically smaller audiences, too, providing their topic and niche is a good fit. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the various ways podcast sponsorship can work. We’ll also cover how to reach out to potential sponsors – should you decide that it sounds like the right path for you and your show.

Find me a podcast sponsor right now.

And, if you run a business and have been approached about potentially doing podcast sponsorship, check out How to Sponsor a Podcast. That’s our guide for all the info you’ll need on that front!

Why Podcast Sponsorship?

Just like people have different motivations for podcasting, they also have different motivations for monetising their content.

For one podcaster, the thought of covering their web and hosting costs is enough. Maybe even to have enough left over to treat their other half to a nice meal every couple of months.

For another, it could be an essential income stream in their business, where they’re actually paying a team of freelancers and assistants to work on their show.

Ultimately, podcast sponsorship is a form of the age-old marketing tactic where someone has assembled a crowd, and someone else would like to advertise a product or service to that crowd.

The Strength of Podcasting

Most podcasts that “succeed” focus on a certain topic or niche. That means the audiences they build around them generally share a common interest. This could be anything, from losing weight to breeding gerbils to collecting stamps or brewing coffee.

Straight away, this gives podcasting the strength of targeting. Advertising on a podcast isn’t like putting up a billboard at the side of a road, where 90% of the folks who see it aren’t a company’s target audience.

Granted, targeting isn’t exclusive to podcasts. Things like trade magazines and blogs can be very niche and targeted, for example. But the other big strength of podcast sponsorship is in the delivery method.

Long-form audio content means listeners can spend lots of time listening to a presenter in a very intimate and regular way.

This builds a layer of trust and authority. It’s much harder to do this in the written word, where blog posts are Googled and skimmed for the one piece of info the reader wants.

Well, firstly, The Podcast Host and Alitu are always looking for shows to sponsor. If you’re interested in applying, just fill out this very short form to get the ball rolling.

Aside from that, some media ad agencies and podcast hosting platforms can help you set up a sponsorship agreement for your show. This is the “middleman” approach, which can be easier to get off the ground but less fruitful in the long run.

Typically, these services look for a certain number of downloads. Commonly, this is 5000 US-based downloads per new episode within the first month of its release.

Most podcasts have significantly lower numbers than this, though. Having a smaller audience doesn’t necessarily make it any less valuable. But if your audience is in the low hundreds, you’ll likely be better off seeking out your ideal sponsor and attempting to negotiate a deal with them directly.

To identify potential sponsors, think of products or services you use that would also improve the lives of your listeners. This is totally topic-dependent, but a few examples might be

A running podcast where the presenter uses a particular piece of tech to measure her performance.
A gardening podcast where the presenter uses a particular type of feed on his lawn.
A show about miniature wargaming where the presenter uses a particular company to buy paints and models.

Each of these podcasters could reach out to the companies behind the products they use and make a pitch.

Our How to Sponsor a Podcast article was designed as a guide for business owners who’ve been approached about advertising on podcasts. You can use this resource either as a template for your own pitch or just link them to it directly. It’ll answer all the questions they’ll ask about how sponsoring your podcast will not only work but also benefit them.

Creating a Media Kit

If you want to find a podcast sponsor, creating a media kit is good practice.

Podcast Media Kit Examples, Tips, & Resources: Amplify & Attract

A media kit is the essential information about sponsoring your show, packaged up in an easy-to-read manner. You might create it as a designed and illustrated PDF, either available on request, or via direct download from your site.

In a media kit, you’ll want to include things like:

Information about your audience. Their needs, wants, and pain points
The role your podcast plays in your niche or topic
Download and/or engagement statistics
Episode pricing & slot availability
Links to samples of your audio – make it easy for them to hear you
Some examples of listener reviews you’ve had

Also, make sure it’s easy for potential sponsors to contact you. Create a ‘Contact’ page on your website, and in there, list and link to every way someone can interact with you.

How Podcast Sponsorship Works

Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of podcast sponsorship, then. At the most basic level, the advertiser pays to promote their product or service on one or more podcast episodes.

Commonly, podcasts deliver ads in one of two ways.

‘Host Read’ Ads

The most effective way is for the host to talk about the product or service. They’ll tend to mention why they recommend it, some examples about how they themselves use it, how they benefit from it, and why the listener would, too.

Done well (and legitimately!), a host-read ad can act as another part of the episode content, instead of sounding like an interruption.

‘Radio Style’ Ads

An alternative is for a third party to create adverts. This way, the podcaster simply has to play them on their episodes. This is a lot less effective because the audience listens to hear the presenter’s thoughts and opinions. Having a random Voice-Over interrupt the content to quickly give you a sales pitch can be jarring and even annoying. Listeners can fast-forward or tune out as soon as they hear the change in cadence or background sound.

Placing of Ads

An advert might appear at the very beginning of an episode, the very end, or somewhere in between. These slots are known as:

Pre-Roll – Before the content starts
Mid-Roll – during the main content of the episode
Post-Roll – After the content has finished

Mid-roll is the most desired spot (and, thus, the most expensive). Listeners are less likely to skip this content. Post-roll is the least optimal position for an ad, but it’s also the cheapest.

Doing the ads yourself will make them more effective. After all, your audience turns up to hear you.

You can do the ad during your recording, or you can record and mix one separately and stitch it into the finished episode. Let’s talk a bit about both approaches.

Sponsorship Slots as Part of Your Content

Here, you’ll talk about a product or service while recording your episode.

Pros

Minimal interruption to your content. When done well, these are really just another aspect of your content offering and can blend in seamlessly.
Minimal editing and production – you don’t need to add any segments in the editing phase.

Cons

Can be difficult to transition to during a podcast interview.
Can be more difficult for the inexperienced presenter to “get right” first time.

Pre-Producing Your Podcast Ad

The alternative is that you script up your ad, record it as its own segment, and edit it into the episode. Or, use a dynamic ad insertion tool to place it there.

Pros

You don’t need to think or worry about doing your ad reads during the recording session. This lets you focus entirely on your episode topic.
You can take a bit more time to craft your ad and feel like the finished product sounds just right.
Pre-recorded ads are easier to run a ‘Mid-Roll’ ad during a podcast interview.

Cons

This type of ad – although delivered by you – can still be seen as an interruption by some of your listeners.
If you’re playing the same one on every episode, it can train your listeners to hit the skip button.
It can begin to grate on those bingeing through your back catalogue.

Podcast Sponsorship Best Practices

If you plan on using podcast sponsorship in your content, there are a few things to be aware of, either to optimise your efforts or to keep you out of trouble.

Declare Them

If you’re taking money to advertise anything, you must make that clear to your listeners. A quick “thanks to Jim’s Underpants Emporium for sponsoring this content” will do the trick. Adverts need to be clearly marked as such, and not sound like you just so happen to be waxing lyrical about Jim’s Y-fronts as part of your episode.

Create Special Links

A tool like Pretty Links is a great way to send your listeners to your sponsors. Here, you can make memorable links that are easy to read and remember. You can also track the clicks to measure the effectiveness of your ads, too.

Some sponsors will even create discount coupon codes, which also help track effectiveness.

Create a Space

Another good practice is to send your listeners to a bespoke landing page. This page would contain all the info about your Call to Action, as well as any discounts or special offers. Having a page like this makes it easier to track engagement, and encourage more conversions and sales, too.

Sponsoring Fiction Podcasts

What if you run a fiction podcast or audio drama? You might think this would make it harder to run podcast sponsorship. But some of the best sponsor collaborations I’ve heard have come via storytelling shows.

In Wooden Overcoats (a sitcom following the antics of two rival funeral directors) you’ll hear some outstanding examples of their Bruno Mattress commercials. Check out the opening few minutes in Season 2, episodes 2, 3, and 4.

How Much Does Podcast Sponsorship Pay?

There’s certainly no one-size-fits-all answer here and lots of variables to consider.

There’s the “CPM model” (or cost per thousand listeners), a method of measuring advertising based on audience numbers.

Typically, podcasters stand to earn around $20 per ad, per 1000 downloads, within 30 days of an episode’s release.

CPM can work well for podcasts with thousands of downloads, but many have much smaller audiences.

A smaller audience doesn’t make it any less valuable, though. In fact, the opposite can be true, the more hyper-targeted it is.

Imagine you ran a podcast about building rockets capable of flying humans to Mars, and you only had one listener – but that listener was the director of NASA. How much could you charge for an ad slot on that show? Basically, you could name your price.

A very niche show with around 200 listeners might charge $150 per episode, whilst a podcast with 5000 listeners based around a much more general topic might struggle to get a better deal than $20 CPM.

The good news is that if you own your podcast – as most do – then it’s entirely up to you what you charge. That doesn’t necessarily mean someone will be willing to pay it. However, it does mean that there’s no need to run ads if you’re unhappy with the amount they offer.

Affiliate “Sponsorship”

Another model of podcast sponsorship is the affiliate commission route. Here, you run ads in the same manner as above. Instead of being paid per episode or 1000 downloads, payment is based on how many people actually buy the product or service.

Many early-stage podcasters take this route because it can be difficult to negotiate a good deal with a brand-new show and a fledgling audience.

The downside is that there’s no guarantee of any commission at all. On the flip side, there’s no cap on what you could potentially earn if your ads resonate with your audience.

You usually don’t need permission to sign up for affiliate schemes either, so you can run ads on your podcast from episode one if you want to. Check out our post on affiliates for podcasters where you can choose “sponsors” based on your content, your audience, and which ones are a good fit for both.

Dynamic Ads

Some media hosts and agencies can set you up to run ‘dynamic’ ads on your podcast. This means you can earn from running ever-updating radio-style ads on all your episodes.

An argument for this could be that any ‘baked-in’ ads you ran 100 episodes ago or five years ago are still being played in your back catalogue, but you’re no longer earning from them.

Whilst this is true, the rates in dynamic advertising are pretty low. I’ve seen examples of podcasters earning a whopping two cents (literally, two cents) for an entire month of running dynamic ads.

On top of that, the ads risk being irrelevant to your audience, breaking up your content in a jarring manner, and generally annoying your listeners.

As a side note, the fact that non-dynamic, ‘baked-in’ ads continue to play in your back catalogue “forever” can be sold as a benefit to potential sponsors.

Some hosting providers have dynamic ad tools that enable you to create your own, so you don’t need a third-party agency to run and play them for you, either.

Downsides of Podcast Sponsorship

Things change the minute there’s money involved. And your podcast is no exception.

If you’re taking payment from anyone, you have an obligation to them. They’re paying you for a service, and you need to deliver and try to keep them happy.

Up until now, if your podcast has been a hobby, you might’ve been able to miss the odd week if you were too busy, or just didn’t feel like hitting record.

That changes when someone has paid to advertise on your show, though, especially if those ads are time-sensitive.

Additionally, you have a duty to your audience. You’ve slowly built up a level of trust with them. What if they begin to question whether your latest episode was only released because you were getting paid to run an ad?

Take this all into consideration before deciding for sure that you want to go down the podcast sponsorship route. Remember, too, that if you’re looking to earn from your content but don’t like the idea of running ads, then other podcast monetisation avenues are available.

Podcast Sponsorship: Next Steps

Planning to approach a business about sponsoring your podcast? Use our How to Sponsor a Podcast guide to create your pitch.
Create a Media Kit for your show. Consider creating an audio trailer to present your work succinctly.
Not fully bought into the sponsorship route, but want to explore monetisation? There are other options available.

Finally, if you’d like to find a podcast sponsor right now, then fill out this short form to get the ball rolling!

Best Podcast Starter Kit for All Budgets & Formats

Colin Gray — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Summary: Podcast Starter Kits

There isn’t any one-size-fits-all podcast starter kit on the market. Types of podcasts vary, as do things like budget, environment, and ambitions, which makes it difficult to cover every base in one box. A few good bundle options would work for most beginners, but if they don’t fit your needs, I’ll help you build your own!

So, you really want to start a podcast. You’ve got something of value to say, and you can think of countless topics in your niche that you’d like to cover. There’s just one problem: how do you figure out the best podcast starter kit to fit your budget and context?

It’s easy to be intimidated by pictures of recording studios, mixing desks, and cables running everywhere. But you don’t need any of that to start or run a podcast.

In this post, I’m going to review three common podcast setups covering every potential use case. No matter your budget, space limitations, or intended recording methods, you’ll find something here that fits.

A quick heads up before diving in. We sometimes use affiliate links in our content, which means we may earn a commission should you decide to buy through them (though at no extra cost to yourself!).

And with that all said, let’s take a look at these podcast starter kit options.

Podcast Starter Kit Setups

Here are the three podcast setups we’ll take a look at:

The Smartphone Starter Kit

A simple and lower-cost option for recording solo shows, or local (on-location) co-hosts and interviewees. Jump to smartphone section.

The USB Mic Starter Kit

The most common way of recording solo shows, or remote (online) co-hosts and interviewees. Jump to USB section.

The All-Rounder Podcast Starter Kit

Finally, we’ll talk about a setup that covers all bases. It might cost a little more, but your options, flexibility, and sound quality will be taken to the next level. Jump to ‘All-Rounder’ section.

And remember, if you need help with the rest, check out our full guide on How to Start a Podcast!

The Smartphone Podcast Starter Kit

Your phone is probably the most expensive audio recorder you own, and it can double up as your podcast microphone, too. Sure, it might not sound as good as a studio condenser mic, but most phones have pretty decent mics built into them nowadays.

To record a podcast with your phone, it’s simply a case of finding your ‘voice memo’ or ‘voice recorder’ app, and you’re ready to start your first episode. There are a few free voice recording apps for Android and iOS that will give you a better level of audio quality, too.

Accessorising Your Smartphone

If you’re looking to stick with your phone but want better sound quality and a bit more recording flexibility, there are a couple of great options out there.

Rode Wireless Micro

Plug a receiver into your phone, stick a cableless lav mic transmitter onto your jersey (and your co-host or guest’s jersey!) and recording top-quality mobile audio has never been better or more straightforward. The Rode Wireless Micro is our most recommended smartphone recording kit.

BOYA Mini

The Rode Wireless Micro isn’t expensive for what it does and how it performs, but you can save a fair chunk and still get good quality with the BOYA Mini. It works in exactly the same way as the Wireless Micro.

Rode Wireless Pro

A premium option here is the Rode Wireless Pro, which works with any recording device, not just smartphones. This kit also features “unclippable” 32-bit float technology, meaning an overly loud guest or recording environment won’t ruin your audio quality.

Shure MV5

If you’d prefer a mic that sits on the desk, then the Shure MV5 is a nice option. Priced around $100, this mic works as a USB, iPad, or mobile (iPhone) mic, and it has an excellent level of sound quality.

The USB Mic Podcast Starter Kit

The beauty of USB mics is that they are virtually ‘plug and play’ (or, plug and record, as our case might be) if you’re using a computer, laptop, or Mac.

Connecting a USB mic is no harder than connecting a flash drive. So, let’s look at the best entry-level USB mics out there right now.

Samson Q2U/ATR2100

The Samson Q2U is my personal favourite ‘starter’ mic. At around $70, it’s very affordable and offers a good level of sound quality, too. It also has an XLR connection, so if you ever want to upgrade to a digital recorder or mixer, you won’t need to buy a new mic.

Depending on what part of the world you live in, it can be hard to pick up a Q2U. If this is the case, you might need to look at the Q2U’s “twin”, the ATR2100.

From our 2024 podcast equipment survey

The Samson Q2U is also available in a great podcast equipment bundle deal that’s as good a complete podcast starter kit on the market as I’ve seen.

What About the Blue Yeti or Blue Snowball?

The Blue Yeti and Blue Snowball are popular mics in the podcasting space. If you already own one, it’ll be more than good enough to podcast with. However, if you’re still considering buying a mic, I don’t think they’re necessarily the best value for money. My advice—opt for a Samson Q2U instead. Remember to check out the Q2U podcast starter kit, too.

Other USB Microphone Options

There are many excellent USB mic options on the market these days. If you reckon this route is going to be the best fit for you, and would still like to do some shopping around, then check out our Best USB Mics for Podcasters roundup.

The All-Rounder Podcast Starter Kit

If I were just starting out and had a decent budget behind me, then I’d buy myself a Zoom PodTrak P4. This little device comes in at less than $150, and there isn’t much it can’t do.

You can record multiple guests/interviewees locally, or run remote (online or phone) call recordings. You can also play music, effects, and pre-recorded clips during your episodes. It’ll even act as a USB interface if you want to use it with your computer.

However, to get set up with the PodTrak P4, you’d need to spend more than $150. You’d need at least one XLR mic to plug into it. Each local participant would need a mic; you can plug in up to four. I mentioned the Samson Q2U already as an excellent option, though you might also consider the Shure SM58.

Check out our review of the Zoom PodTrak P4 to get the full lowdown.

Other Podcast Starter Kit Gear

There are a few other bits and pieces potentially worth looking into.

Studio Headphones

For starters, you should definitely use headphones when recording and editing your podcast. The good news is that you can get away with using the trusty set of earbuds you already own, but you might want to upgrade to pro-level podcasting headphones later.

Cables, Stands, & Pop Filters

You may also need kit like XLR cables, mic stands, shock mounts, and pop filters. Take a look at our guide on the cost of podcast equipment to see the best options on that front.

Sound Treatment

The best podcast kit in the world will still sound bad in a poorly-treated environment. Fortunately, doing some basic acoustic therapy doesn’t need to cost very much at all. Here’s how to create a great-sounding podcast studio.

Alternatively, you might consider outdoor podcast recording. Noise doesn’t need to be a negative in podcasting, so long as your voice is crystal clear. The ambience of a park or street can bring an element of vibrancy and life to your content, so never think that you need to be locked in a cupboard trying to eliminate all background noises.

Is There a One-Size-Fits-All Podcast Starter Kit on the Market?

Many aspiring podcasters have asked us if there’s such a thing as a “podcast starter kit” on the market. A one-box solution that’ll equip them with all the gear they need to start and run their show.

This is tricky because there are so many different styles and formats of podcasts out there.

Samson Starter Bundles

So there may be no such thing as a “one size fits all” podcast starter kit, but the Samson Q2U Recording & Podcasting Pack is as close as they come.

This bundle gets you set up with headphones, a desk stand, and cables to use your mic in USB and XLR form. That’s not to mention, the Samson Q2U mic itself!

There’s even a little cloth in there to wipe away your tears of joy once you realise all of this is available for just over $100.

MOVO PodPro-T Bundle

A new podcast starter kit option I tested out recently is the MOVO PodPro-T podcast equipment bundle.

At $300, it’s a significant investment, but you get two quality dynamic mics on stands and a great audio interface that plugs into your computer, laptop, or smartphone.

This makes for an ideal mobile podcast studio for on-the-go podcasters who want microphones in front of them rather than pinned to their clothing.

Check out our full review of the MOVO PodPro-T Bundle for the ins and outs.

What Else Do I Need to Podcast?

I’ve covered many different options for building your own podcast starter kit. Now, we’ll need a few more things to get your podcast off the ground.

Editing Software

Firstly, the good news is that Audacity is completely free and allows you to record and edit your audio. You need audio software like this if you want to make any edits to your recording, or if you want to add intro or outro music. Learning to use Audacity can take a bit of time and patience, but it’s not hard once you grasp the basics.

Automate Production & Make Editing Easy

Thanks to our “podcast maker” tool Alitu, you don’t even need audio software like Audacity anymore, though. Alitu is really simple to use. You can record directly into it (either solo recordings or online calls), and it’ll take care of the processing, editing, and publishing of your podcast for you.

Alitu is ideal for complete beginners who don’t want to learn how to edit – or – experienced podcasters who don’t have time to edit. It even has a text-based editing feature, so if you can compose a text message to your best pal, you can edit a podcast episode!

Alitu doesn’t stop with recording and editing, either. You can upload and publish your podcast there; it has a free music library, and it’ll auto-generate episode transcriptions and show notes for you. It pretty much has everything you need to podcast under one login and subscription. Sign up for a free trial today.

Call Recording Software

This is only required IF you’re doing an interview show with remote guests. If that’s your aim, check out our roundup of the best tools for recording a podcast online. If you just want our top pick though, then you can start using SquadCast from $19 a month. But if you’re going to use Alitu for your editing and production, then you’ll already have access to a call recorder.

Music & Audio Branding

You don’t need music, but it can add an extra layer of professionalism and identity to your content. There are plenty of options out there for finding great music that’s safe and legal to play on your podcast. Here are three of our favourites;

Any music you use during the course of your active subscription on these platforms is yours to keep, forever.

You don’t need to spend money buying podcast music, either. If you’re on a tight budget, check out our Free Podcast Music Packs. And again, if you’re using Alitu, you’ll have access to its free music library.

Cover Art

You’ll need cover art to create your podcast and make it available in places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Your cover art should be in JPEG or PNG form, and either 1400 x 1400 or 3000 x 3000 pixels.

Here’s our full guide to creating your podcast logo. You can make your own for free using a tool like Canva, or, our designer can create bespoke cover art for you!

Podcast Hosting

Your podcast host is the place where you upload and publish your episode files. Once you’ve created your show on a podcast host, people can subscribe to it and start downloading your content.

Alitu has podcast hosting built-in, so that’s one single login for recording, editing, producing, and publishing your podcast (with many more features, on top of that).

Of course, there are many other great hosting options out there, too. Check out our full podcast hosting platform roundup, if you’d like to do a bit of shopping around. There’s something there for every level and budget.

Podcast Starter Kit: FAQ

In this section, we’ll answer some of the frequently asked questions about podcast setups and starter kits.

Will a Condenser Microphone Give Me Better Audio Quality?

Condenser mics differ from their dynamic microphone counterparts in the way they function and are built. A simplistic differentiation between the two is that condensers are better for recording voice in optimal environments, while dynamics will handle suboptimal conditions more appropriately.

To be honest, either type of mic is more than good enough for podcasting. It’s really how and where you use it that matters. I wouldn’t let whether a mic is condenser or dynamic be a deciding factor in whether you buy a certain mic or not.

Is an XLR Microphone Better Than a USB Mic?

XLR Vs USB is similar to the dynamic Vs condenser debate in that it’s how and where you use a mic that matters most. This time, we’re talking about how a mic is plugged in, and what it’s plugged into. Both of these routes have their advantages.

A USB mic gives you a quicker, simpler setup. An XLR mic, on the other hand, is much more flexible. You can plug it into a multitude of recording devices (even a computer, if you go via a USB audio interface).

Neither is “better” than the other; it’s only what works best for you. For what it’s worth, you find mics that do both. I’ve talked a lot about the budget-friendly Samson Q2U in this post, and that’s one of them!

What About Video Podcast Equipment?

If you’d like to add a video component to your podcast, then check out our video podcasting guide, where we run through some gear and kit options.

Best Podcast Starter Kit: Summary

As we’ve covered, there is no one-size-fits-all podcast starter kit because podcasts come in various styles and formats.

That said, the Samson Q2U Podcasting Pack & Accessory Bundle would be ideal for most folks starting out. Whether you’re doing a solo show, or online co-hosted or interview chats, then this is a great option.

And for folks who want to record guests or co-hosts with their smartphone, the Rode Wireless Micro and BOYA Mini kits are excellent options.

Best of luck getting set up. Remember to check out our full How to Start a Podcast Guide to get everything else nailed down, as well as our Podcast Equipment Kits Guide if you’d still like to do some shopping around.

On the software front, Podcast-Maker tool Alitu offers recording, editing, production, hosting, music, and transcription, all within one easy-to-use interface. Get a free trial with Alitu to see it all in action!

How to Create a Podcast Trailer (& Why You Should!)

Colin Gray — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Summary: Podcast Trailer Tips

A good podcast trailer can help you win over potential new listeners, giving them a flavour of your show. They can easily be played on other podcasts, which can also help you grow your audience. A podcast trailer should be between 30 seconds and 1 minute; the shorter, the better. Include the essentials, like what’s it called? Who is it for? And where can they find it?

It’s a good idea to create a short promo trailer for your podcast for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, you can embed it on the front page of your website. That way, everyone who lands on your site can get an immediate taster of your content without the need to jump through any hoops.

Secondly, your trailer can be featured and played on other shows. There are entire podcasts dedicated to playing trailers, but a more effective and targeted approach would be a ‘trailer swap’ agreement between yourself and another podcast to promote each other to your respective audiences.

Podcast trailer example: Hostile Worlds

Having your trailer easily accessible means you might get promotion without even being aware of it, too. If another podcaster likes your work, they can download the audio and play it on their show.

The only potential downside of having a promo trailer is if you have a bad one. But of course, after reading this guide, that isn’t going to happen.

Let’s kick things off with a few frequently asked questions about podcast trailers.

So the infamous podcasting “it depends” answer isn’t just as wide open here.

I’d say that having two versions of your trailer, one at 30 seconds and one at 60 seconds, will cover most bases.

If you submit a trailer to a particular podcast, they will likely have their criteria. For example, Libsyn’s The Feed asks for no longer than 30 seconds.

The bottom line is that trailers are pretty short, and the seconds tick by quickly. So, how do you make the most of the short amount of time you have to grab the attention of potential listeners?

What Goes in My Podcast Trailer?

You’ve always got creative license in podcasting, but there are some bare essentials here. These may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many trailers leave some of this stuff out.

The Name of Your Podcast

Yeah, you’ll want to include that…

If you don’t have one yet, check out our ultimate guide to podcast names.

What’s It About, & Who’s It For?

Don’t rely on the name of your show to tell people this valuable info. Tell them yourself. You can nail this down to a sentence or two.

A popular approach is to open with a question, like, “Are you a ___ who struggles with ___? Then join us on the ___ podcast where we help you ___.”

Or “Have you ever wondered about ___?, or what about ___? Well, these are just two of the topics you’ll find us discussing each week on the ___ podcast.”

Make sure your target audience knows this is the show for them, and that people who aren’t your target audience know that it isn’t for them.

For a deeper dive, check out Who is your podcast for?

Your Website

Like any good call to action, send them to one single easy-to-remember place – preferably your own website. Don’t say things like “Look us up on Facebook” or “Find us in Apple Podcasts” and run through a list of podcast directories. This is totally redundant and a waste of valuable space.

It’s good practice on your website to have a “Subscribe and Follow” page with links to everywhere your show can be found.

If you don’t have a podcast website yet, then check out Podpage, which can get you up and running with a great site in a few minutes (with no technical knowledge necessary).

The Creative Bit: Tone & Personality

So, providing you’ve got the essential details, we don’t want this to be a rigid formula that leaves every promo trailer sounding the same.

You want yours to sound unique, and that means getting creative. That’s a challenge with such a short amount of time available, but you wouldn’t be podcasting at all if you didn’t have a creative streak in you. You’ll manage!

Your promo trailer will be the first impression of your show for most of the folks who hear it, so you want to set the mood right up front. For example, if you cover your topic in a lighthearted or comedic way, how can you succinctly convey that?

Your audio quality (as well as any music or sound effects you use) will all filter into this just as much as what you actually say, too. If you run a highly-produced series, or pride yourself on your production values, then be sure to demonstrate that in your trailer.

Publishing Your Podcast Trailer

When uploading your promo trailer to your podcast feed, it’s a good idea to backdate it to a date before the release of your first episode. That way, it’ll keep your feed tidy and can be easily found.

With that said, many hosting providers now provide dedicated “trailer” tags to help identify them from standard episodes, and some directories and apps recognise these, too.

Once you’ve uploaded your trailer, embed it onto your website’s home or “about” page. You can also embed it anywhere else on the site you think might be useful.

If you’re looking for podcasts to run a trailer swap with, check out Rephonic’s Podcast Audience Graph to find shows with an overlapping target audience.

How to Add Your Podcast Trailer to Spotify

A large chunk of podcast consumption (around 37%, in fact) takes place on Spotify. And, Spotify has a quick and easy way to set your podcast trailer on the platform.

Log in to your Spotify for Creators account and go to settings; then, you’ll find a ‘select your trailer’ button. This means that any new listeners who find your show on Spotify will spot your trailer right away. Hopefully, that will win them over to try a full episode afterwards!

How to Create a Podcast Trailer: Anything to Avoid?

I’ve already mentioned the “find us in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Overcast…” thing as a no-no. So, are there any other things you might want to leave out?

Explicit Language

Alright, I’m not saying don’t have explicit language if it’s integral to your show’s mood or tone. But do consider that it might limit where your trailer will get played.

If you absolutely do need an explicit trailer, you might consider making an alternative clean version, too.

Asking For Stuff

The only thing you want to ask people to do here is to listen to your podcast.

I’ve heard a couple of promo trailers over the years that have managed to squeeze in requests for iTunes reviews and Patreon support. That’s something you can talk to your actual listeners about, not your potential listeners.

Your trailer should be all about them, and what they’ll get from listening.

Podcast Trailer Resources & Next Steps

Still feel like you need a helping hand getting started? Our free Alitu Showplanner will generate a first draft of a podcast trailer script for you. You don’t even need to log in to use it.

And, once you’ve created something you’re happy with, be sure to share it with us in the IndiePod community. There, you can get feedback and suggestions, and you might even find another podcaster to run a trailer swap with, too!

Colin Gray, Author at The Podcast Host

Podcast Statistics & Industry Trends 2025: Listens, Gear, & More

Podcast Industry Statistics

How Many Podcasts Are There, Right Now?

How Many Podcast Episodes Are There?

How Many Active Podcasts Are There?

Podcast Promotion: From 100 Listeners to Your Next 100K – Let’s SCALE

The SCALE Podcast Promotion & Audience Growth Framework

Syndication

Submit Your Show Everywhere You Can

Optimise Your Website for Podcast Growth

SEO & Google Search for Podcast Promotion

Create Clear & Compelling Episode Titles

Build Great Blog Podcasts Around Your Episodes

Communities & Collaboration

Run Regular Audience Surveys

Sell Podcast Merch

Collaborate & Cross-Promote

Swap Trailers

Create Content Together

Build a Montage Episode

Create Content for (Or About) Others

Guest Posting

Reviews

Guesting on Another Podcast

Advertising (Paid Promotion)

Pay to Advertise Your Show

Gain Visibility Through Financial Support

Live & In-Person

Real World Podcast Promotion

Email & Engagement

Embrace Email Marketing

Optimise Your Calls to Action (CTAs)

Podcast Promotion on Social Media

Create Shareable Videos

Text-Message Marketing

Use Podcast Reviews As Marketing Material

Ready to SCALE Your Podcast Growth?

How to Start a Podcast: Launch to Growth Made Simple for 2025

1. Your PATH: a Podcast Framework for Success

Purpose: Why Are You Making a Podcast?

Your Tasks

Watch a Full Guide to the PATH Framework:

Audience: Who is your Podcast For?

Your Tasks

Topic: What am I Talking About?

Your Tasks

Hallmark: Why Should They Listen to YOUR Show?

Your Tasks

Want this FULL Guide to Take Away?

Some Podcast Plan Examples

FAQ: Do I Need an Audience to Start a Podcast?

FAQ: How Many People Consume Podcasts in 2025?

2. Define Your Show Structure & Format

What Podcast Format Should I Choose?

The Solo Podcast

The Co-Hosted Podcast

The Interview Podcast

Other Formats

How Long Should a Podcast Episode Be?

How Often Should I Release New Episodes?

Should I Make a Daily Podcast?

Should I Podcast In Seasons?

How to Create Great Episode Titles

Video or Audio? Or Both?!

3. Establish Your Podcast’s Brand

How Do I Choose a Good Podcast Name?

Option 1: The Clever Name

Option 2: The Descriptive Name

Option 3: Using Your Own Name

Finding Music for Your Podcast

How to Create Your Podcast Cover Art

4. Set Up Your Podcasting Equipment

How to Choose Your Audio Equipment

Top USB Microphones

Microphone Stands

Portable Setup for In-Person Interviews

Other Gear

5. Pick your Recording & Editing Tools

Online Call Recording Software