Starting my own Podcast

These days, it really does feel like everyone has a podcast. According to the Pew Research Center, “Just over half of U.S. adults (54%) say they’ve listened to a podcast in the past 12 months, a slight increase since we first asked this in 2022 (49%).” With this booming industry afoot, it’s important when creating my own podcast, to do as much research and planning as possible before hitting the record button. I would argue, pre-production planning is almost as important as the production phase. Without a proper gameplan in place, it can be difficult to create a refined product. 

Reading and Writing

The first place I turned to brush up on my Podcast knowledge was on Chapter 8 of The Bare Bones Camera Course For Film and Video. In this chapter, I learned the overall basics of sound such as how sound waves even work, different microphone wave pickup patterns, and the best way to sectionalize/edit sound. The fact I found most interesting in this chapter was about the various types of microphones available and how they all have different best case purposes. For example, The chapter went through the overall basics of film and audio production which helped refresh my knowledge of this space. 

In addition to the chapter, I also read several articles from ThePodcastHost this week to further enhance my upcoming podcast recording. Some of the most fascinating tips I received from the articles included writing an “invisible” script, the various methods to writing one, the power of hooks, the various tools available to making a podcast as well as the importance of presentation. This was my first time hearing the term “invisible script”  and it makes a lot of sense! Writing a script for a podcast doesn’t mean it has to be word-for-word, there are methods to still make it sound authentic and natural. It’s important to point out that depending on what the topic is, it could determine what kind of script is needed. For example, a PSA podcast could utilize a script that is word for word while a conversation with a guest could have a more flexible plan. I also learned that with every great podcast comes a great hook or tagline. It’s crucial to find a unique way to attract an audience. In one of the articles, I learned the two-step – which is a common variation of the introductory podcast tagline involving the combination of two individual tagline elements to create a podcast slogan. Although I haven’t made my own podcast episode before, I have used tools such as Audacity in the past but it was interesting to see that there are even more “all-in-one” tools (Podpage, Alitu) out there that make podcasting quick and easy. One of the final articles I read was all about presenting a perfectly scripted podcast which I found to be a great reminder for not just podcasting, but overall presentation skills. Engage, Educate, Entertain. 

Research 

After brushing up on my podcast knowledge, it was time to do some research! Luckily there are three podcasts that instantly jumped to mind: The Colin and Samir Show, the “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” podcast, and Two Hot Takes. 

The Colin and Samir Show is a podcast started by two YouTube creators (Colin and Samir). A majority of their content focuses on the business side of YouTube and the creator’s economy. 

I first found out about their podcast through one of their videos where they were interviewing another creator that I was fond of. An element that I appreciate about their content is that it’s available on both YouTube and Spotify. Also, they approach interviewing in a very calm but productive way. I always feel like I’ve learned something new towards the end of each episode. 

Another podcast that I have been recently listening to is the “I Will Teach You To Be Rich Podcast” by Ramit Sethi. I first found out about Ramit’s podcast through his NYT Best Selling Book “I Will Teach You To Be Rich”. In this book, Ramit shares his financial tips that will help lead people to living a version of their rich life. His podcast adds on to his book by interviewing readers, each with their own unique financial struggles and figuring out the root of the issue and discussing ways to combat that. I like this podcast because Ramit is very good at making the conversation flow. Although the audio quality might not be the best in some cases due to the guests having to Zoom in, the series still does a great job in making it sound professional.

The last podcast I researched was Two Hot Takes by Morgan Absher. In this podcast, the main host Morgan takes their co-hosts as well as the audience on a journey through wild reddit stories that she curates and then reserves time for reactions and discussion about the morality of each story afterwards. This podcast does a great job in making it feel personable. Morgan shares personal stories along with the reddit stories she reads so we know more about the content but the creator behind it as well. 

CREATING MY OWN PODCAST

When I first began brainstorming potential topic ideas for my first podcast, I thought about some topics that had recently come to mind. As someone who is recently planning on getting an engagement ring, I thought of the many many questions I had when I first began my search for the “perfect” ring. What are the different kinds of cuts? What’s the difference between 18 karat vs 24 karat? How do I choose the right jeweler? These are all questions I struggled with when I first began my ring purchasing process. After processing it a bit, I thought this idea would be the most helpful and could attract a niche audience of people looking for information about how to purchase an engagement ring for their partner. 

After brainstorming, I created a Mindmap using a platform called Coggle. Mindmaps are useful for organizing your thoughts into an actual outline. With the mindmap, I was able to categorize my ring buying topics into various categories such as Customization & Design, Metals, Budgeting, the Buying Process and much more! 

Once my mindmap was completed, it was time to create a rough script/outline! The primary topic I found most interesting to start out with was the difference between karats for gold. Depending on your preference, picking a specific karat of gold can be confusing due to the different strengths, colors, and variations that jewelers provide. I thought this topic would be a great place to start as it is an easier concept to grasp and fit for the allotted time of 2-10 minutes.

CONCLUSION

Creating a podcast is certainly easier than it has ever been before. However, creating a great podcast is not. There is a significant amount of time and planning that happens behind the scenes, even before you hit the record button.  

I look forward to beginning my production phase next week and finally getting to press record. Click below to view my entire pre-production planning document for this podcast!