Podcasting FAQs
A: It depends on how much work you have time and energy to do things yourself. The more you do on your own, the cheaper your podcast will be. My hosting is about $5 a month.
A: You will need to pay for a host for your podcast. You may need to buy a microphone, but you can record it on your phone. Some podcast hosts have tools that allow you to record and edit on their website or app. Podcasts are easier to start than you think.
A: You can start it with a phone. I use a computer, microphone, and headset.
A: That is called an audiogram. You can make them yourself in Canva or Adobe After Effects or use a service to create them. You can also use templates from services like Adobe Stock or Envato Elements. Some services like Simplecast will make them for you after you have uploaded your podcast to their platform. We use After Effects and Premiere Pro to make ours. Click here to see what ours looks like.
A: Podcast length varies with the topic. Some podcasts are only 10 minutes, and others are 2 hours. There is no magic number for this. Shorter podcasts do well because listeners can fit at least one in during a short commute. Longer podcasts work best when your audience has a longer commute or more time to listen uninterrupted.
A: How often you publish depends on how much time you have to schedule guests if you have them, produce an episode, and promote the episode once it is complete. You should have a schedule that is consistent. Choose a day or days of the week and a time to publish, so that your audience knows when to expect a new episode.
A: Start with a short trailer. You can publish that by itself to let people know your podcast is coming. Introduce yourself and your area of expertise or interest, tell them what your podcast is about, and how often you will publish episodes. Encourage them to subscribe to your email list and like, or follow your social media pages. You can pre-record several episodes before your official launch to get the audience hooked, or you can launch with just your introduction and publish at whatever interval you choose. There is no standard answer.
A: Your podcast host usually can automatically submit your episode after you publish on their platform. Some will require you to apply independently of your host, but your host will provide instructions. After you are accepted, they will use the feed that your host provides to publish your episodes. There is no separate fee to submit your podcast to major platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
A: Yes. Most hosts allow for this.
A: No. However, YouTube is a great place to put video versions of your podcast.
Read these articles for additional information
A: Apple says it's Apple. Spotify says Spotify. Some say YouTube is the most popular. Your best bet is to get on at least Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. You don’t have to have “video” per se. You can have a static image along with your audio and upload it to YouTube. Here's how you add your podcast RSS feed to YouTube.
A: Several podcast hosts have free trials and free plans, but YouTube and Facebook Video are both free. You won’t have a traditional podcast feed, but YouTube does have an RSS feed. One free solution is Spotify for Podcasters.
A: To attract advertisers, you need to be able to tell them how many subscribers you have and how many downloads you get over a period of time. How much you charge is based on the size of your audience. When your audience reaches a certain size, advertisers may reach out to you. In the meantime, you can approach small businesses whose products align with your podcast topic and whose target customer matches your listener demographic.
A: Your host may have a service that allows people to purchase ad time, and it inserts the ads for you. You can also record the ads yourself or get the ads from the business and then edit them into the podcast.
A: Ask! If you never ask, the answer is always no. If there is a guest you are interested in having on your show, you can send them an email with information about your podcast, your listeners, a list of other guests that you’ve had if any, and why being on your podcast would be good for them.
A: Social media, email lists, personal emails, and personalized non-spammy DMs or texts are all good ways to share your podcast episodes. If you don't use social media, here are some ways to promote your podcast without it.
A: There are lots of ways to earn money from your podcast including advertisers and sponsors, referrals to your business, merch from your podcasts, books, live events, exclusive episodes on Patreon, YouTube ad revenue, superchat, memberships, and stickers, in-person appearances, speaking engagements, and other influencer-related revenue.
A: That depends on how many revenue-generating activities you are engaging in, and how quickly you are able to build your audience. If you already have an audience because you are a blogger, vlogger, author, or other customer-facing professional, it will take less time for people to adopt your podcast as part of their routine. If you are relatively unknown, it could take some time before your audience is large enough for your podcast to generate income independently.
A: You can put as many episodes in a season as you would like. Seasons can be dedicated to a certain topic or type of guest. Recording in seasons allows you to take breaks so that you don’t get burned out.
A: You can find royalty-free music from several services. You can also make music yourself if you are skilled in that way. Some podcast competitions require that you have original music, so if you can make your own or have someone make it for you to use exclusively.
A: In any professional endeavor, it is important to find community. Conferences are a great way to meet like-minded people and learn about the latest innovations in podcasting. Groups are a good opportunity to find other podcasters to collaborate with, to share ideas, and to find out what’s going on in the industry.
A: Most podcast episodes have a short introduction for new listeners that lets them know what to expect. After that, it’s up to you. If you have guests, you can introduce them and your topic for the episode. You can recap your last episode. How you set up your podcast is up to you. At the end of each episode, make sure you have a call to action - subscribe, share, and follow on social media.
A: No. You do not have to have a website. You can get a domain name that points to the website that your host has set up for you, but you do not have to maintain a separate website if you don’t want to. I recommend a separate website if you have books and other products or servicrs you plan to provide. Having a website and content that you control also helps with search engine optimization. You can still host your podcast elsewhere.
A: You can edit your podcast using software like Adobe Audition. Audition has podcast presets that help you set up your podcast and make a reusable template. You can hire someone to edit and produce your podcast for you. They can help you choose music, edit your audio, and prepare your episode for publishing.
A: Joining a podcast network can be helpful if you are new and need the marketing power of more established brands to help you get new listeners. Depending on the terms, you may have to share revenue, and you may not retain full ownership or control of your content. You will have to decide if joining a podcast network aligns with your goals and objectives for your podcast.
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