Starting Your Podcast with Sound Rebel

By Tom Anderson - Sound Rebel Podcast Producer

The world of podcasts is booming, offering people a time and cost effective way to build their audience. But before you dive into recording your first episode, it's crucial to lay a foundation for long term success. Let's take a step-by-step approach to get you started on the right track.

Step 1: Finding Your Rhythm – The Release Schedule

The first step is establishing a realistic release schedule. Consistency is vital in building a loyal audience. Ask yourself: how often can I realistically produce high-quality episodes? Weekly, fortnightly, or monthly? Choose a frequency you can consistently maintain. Remember, listeners develop routines, so sticking to your schedule will keep them coming back for more.

Step 2: Develop Your Niche – Define Your Topic and Audience

Next, identify your podcast's niche. What topic are you passionate about? What knowledge or perspective can you offer? Think about who your ideal listener is: their interests, needs, and problems. Your goal is to entertain, inform, and help them solve these problems. It’s not to directly sell them something. Focussing on your audience’s needs will ensure that you keep them engaged and loyal to your podcast. Once your audience has invested in you and your podcast, they will be more inclined to buy what it is you’re looking to sell.

Step 3: Structuring Your Content – Keeping Listeners Hooked

Next it is time to think about shaping your content. Structure provides a backbone for your podcast, making it easy for listeners to follow. Consider including segments like interviews, discussions, Q&A sessions, or even listener feedback sections. Whatever you decide to do, break down information into clearly defined and digestible chunks to avoid overwhelming your audience.

Step 4: Setting Up Your Studio – Gearing Up for Production

Whether you choose a professional studio or record remotely, quality audio is crucial. If you would like to be face-to-face with your co-hosts and guests, then research the costs per episode to record in a studio. If you would like to work with us and you are based in the UK, we would be happy to help you with finding the best studio based on your location. The alternative is to record remotely, which requires investing in a microphone and a pair of headphones (wired is best). You can then use a laptop, phone or tablet to connect to a website such as Riverside.fm to record the podcast. This platform offers Zoom-like functionality with added features specifically designed for podcasters.

Step 5: Enhancing Your Sound – Adding the Polish

To elevate your podcast's production value, consider incorporating theme music and audio identifiers (idents). You have two options: royalty-free music sites where you license a track, or collaborating with a music producer to create a bespoke production package which will be created with you and only ever licensed to you. Here at Sound Rebel, our in-house music producer can create unique, custom audio elements that perfectly represent your podcast. Be mindful of the limitations of royalty-free music: anyone can purchase the same license, potentially diluting the association with your podcast.

Step 6: Test, Trailer, and Take Off – Pre-Launch Preparation

Before releasing your first episode, do a test run! Recording a trailer is a fantastic way to generate pre-launch buzz. Plus, it lets you experience recording before doing it for real. Another useful reason to do a trailer episode is that podcast distributors have varying publication wait times, ranging from hours to days. A trailer ensures your show is available when you announce its launch.

Step 7: Edit and Refine – The Finishing Touches

At Sound Rebel, we take care of the post-production process. We edit your recording, removing unnecessary pauses and maintaining a smooth pace. We also add the music you've chosen and ensure the audio meets industry-standard levels.

Step 8: Distribution – Getting Your Voice Out There

Finally, you need a platform to distribute your podcast. We recommend Audioboom, a service we can help you set up with. Once your podcast is uploaded, it's officially out there in the world!

We hope that this demystifies the podcasting process for you and if you would like to chat with us further about it, drop us an e-mail.