How to start an online radio/Podcast
Do you want to start an online radio/podcast? Read on and let’s find out together how to start an online radio/podcast without paying anything. YES, it’s completely free.
Unlike starting a physical radio or podcast where you need to look for a studio, high-end microphone, find a frequency, mixer, and other expensive materials, starting an online radio/podcast does not involve any of these expensive gadgets.
I began my online podcast with my headphones and my mobile phone and I could reach over 5 different countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas within two months.
Although starting an online radio/podcast is very easy and free there are some important things you need to take note; and this article is going to guide you through the entire process of starting an online radio/podcast.
How to start an online radio/podcast
There are different ways of starting an online radio/podcast. But the methods that are used in this article are the ones that have been tried and tested by successful persons.
Select a title and a cover art
The first thing you need to do when starting an online radio/podcast is to select a title for your show. This is what is going to get your podcast recognized by many people around the world who are looking for content similar to yours.
After selecting a title for your podcast, you then need to create cover art for your show. According to research, over 60% of podcast listeners select a show based on the cover art. Therefore cover arts are very important when starting a podcast.
If you are a designer, you can create the cover art yourself. Otherwise, you can give it to a professional designer to create it for you at a small token. The smallest side of the image shouldn’t be less than 500 pixels.
Choose your podcast format
Secondly, you need to choose the format for your podcast. The format of your podcast is what will determine how often you will post episodes and what you will record about. To do this, you need to ask yourself some questions.
What is the format of your podcast?
The available options you can choose from include: Interview, solo commentary, scripted storytelling, fiction, non-fiction, etc.
How long will each episode last?
The duration you select for your podcast mainly depends on the format of your podcast. The most common ones are 10 – 15 minutes, 15 – 30 minutes, 30 – 60 minutes, more than an hour.
How often will you publish a new episode?
You can choose to post daily, 2 episodes per week, 1 episode per week, 1 episode each week, etc.
Choose a hosting site
This is the most important thing when starting an online radio/podcast because this is going to determine how many people you show will reach and platforms you show will be on.
The most common hosting platform is Anchor; this is what I will recommend if you are getting started. You can always switch to new hosting platforms if you wish to. The reason why I prefer Anchor is that it shares your podcast with all the major platforms for you.
Also, the interesting thing is that it is completely free and you get free analytics (this is not available on other platforms). You can download the free Anchor app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Choose the best microphone
The best microphone is what is going to get your listeners to get stuck when they first listen to your show. No one is going to waste 10 – 15 minutes of their time to listen to “garbage” audio.
To prevent this, you need to select a good microphone for your podcast. The most used and recommend microphone for your podcast is the Audio Technica 2100. This microphone costs less than $50 when you shop online.
In case you don’t have the resources to buy the microphone, do not worry, you can find a quiet place in your room and then record with your earpiece or headphones.
Record and edit your first episode
After acquiring the microphone, earpiece, or headphone the next thing to do is to record your first episode. To do this, you can create an account on Anchor or use audio recording apps like Audacity, Audio Audition, or Garage Band.
Once you’re done recording your audio, you can edit using the applications stated above. Additionally, there are websites where you can upload your audio and pay something small for editors to edit for you.
Publish your first episode on your hosting platform
Finally, after your audio goes through a thorough editing and pre-hearing the next thing to do is to publish your audio on your hosting platform.
The entire process of publishing is very simple, all you need to do is to upload your audio and then fill the details after that click on Publish and watch your podcast go live.
Conclusion
There you have it, you can now start your online radio/podcast at the comfort of your home without paying anything. After publishing, you can then market your podcast on your social media handles to reach more listeners and subscribers.
Stay tuned to know how to earn money from your podcast in my subsequent posts.
Was this helpful? Feel free to write your suggestions in the comments section and I will try my best to update my article with your suggestion.
