There are a lot of things to think about before starting a podcast, and it can get overwhelming quickly. After launching three podcasts for myself and 25 for clients in the past 5 years, I’ve learned a thing or two about what to know before you launch. I’m behind the mic this week sharing what I think are some of the most important things to consider before you release your show to the world. This week, episode 116 of Listeners to Leads is about the ten things I wish I knew before starting a podcast!
In this episode of Listeners to Leads, I’m sharing the importance of launching your podcast with purpose and actionable steps you can take right now to make recording easier by batching your episodes.
I also chat about the following:
The importance of goals and why you shouldn’t be afraid to change them.
Your audience doesn’t care until they do – make them care!
You cannot market the same way as Taylor Swift (sorry).
Allowing yourself to use the podcasting style that works best for you.
Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on turning your podcast listeners into leads and to hear even more about the points outlined above. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
We also encourage you to subscribe to Listeners to Leads, a podcast for podcasters looking to grow their business through podcasting. On the show, we provide you with tons of resources and episodes specifically focused on launching and starting your podcast, so you have the tools you need to make it a success.
Step-by-Step: How to Start a Podcast
This blog will break down step by step of how to start a podcast and guide you towards helpful resources every leg of the journey! Consider this blog your official checklist to getting started and on your way.
1. Pick a Name for Your Podcast
The name of your podcast will be the first thing potential listeners see and hear and it’s important to make it easy for them to find. When choosing a podcast name, pick one that’s catchy, memorable, and relevant to your topic and area of expertise.
We recommend keeping it simple, clear, and descriptive and avoiding words that are hard to spell or difficult to pronounce.
Look to see if your podcast’s name is already taken or trademarked by someone, and look into podcast directories to see what else comes up when you type in the name. Getting feedback on the name can be helpful (from people you trust) but ultimately, it’s your show and you have to feel good about what the name is and why you’ve chosen it.
Be creative and be YOU to make your name stand out!
Choose a Hosting Platform
How on earth is one to choose from the many many many podcast hosting platforms that are out there? Before you just choose the cheapest podcast host or the one your friend told you they use, read our blog on the Eight Top Podcast Hosting Platforms and why we chose them!
Your podcast hosting platform is what will be pushing your show out to podcast players (think Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, etc.) as well as where you’ll upload audio, show notes, and get data and analytics to help you in the creation of your show.
We often refer people to Buzzsprout, thanks to it’s ease of use, great user interface, reasonable pricing, and dynamic ad insertion options.
What we think makes Buzzsprout the Best Podcast Hosting Platform:
You can customize your podcast site with a unique domain name and your branding
Buzzsprout automatically uploads your podcast to podcast directories
They offer a transcription service (for an additional fee) and can help ensure better audio quality as well!
They provide advanced analytics
They have affordable pricing tiers
One of our favorite features of Buzzsprout is the ability to promote your business and offerings with dynamic ad insertions, which are ads anywhere in the show (pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll).
Buzzsprout is very easy to use and allows you to pay monthly without commitment, so it’s a great way to get started and still have access to in-depth analytics.
If you’re not a graphic designer, or a super Canva genius, we recommend hiring someone to design the artwork for your show. Your artwork is really important and not to be overlooked! Like the name of the show, it’s the first thing people will see when they discover your show (usually before even pressing PLAY to listen!).
Unless it’s a hobby podcast, your branding and artwork for your podcast should align with your current business branding. Your podcast is an extension of your brand, so it’s important for the two to be cohesive and work together.
In addition to your cover art, your podcast may also need individual episode graphics, graphics for your podcast website, and other social media graphics for things like quotes and audiograms.
A podcast description (also called a show description) summarizes the who, what, and why of your podcast to potential audience members. It explains the topic of your show, and a simple but concise description that lets them know if they’re in the right spot as a listener.
Example of the Listeners to Leads podcast description.
5. Choose Your Music
It’s the little things that make a huge difference in setting your show apart from all the noise from other podcasts. It’s also the little things – like your music – that help you to welcome your listeners in with the vibe they can expect from the show and show off your personality too!
Choose music that’s a reflection of you, your brand, will appeal to your listeners and that you plan to consistently use each and every episode.
Our top two recommendations for affordable, royalty-free, and unique music you can purchase for your intro, outro, or transition podcast music:
You can also have someone record your music for you, such as a friend or family member who’s a musician which will also help to prevent copyright issues (as long as they’ve given you proper licenses and permission to use it)!
It’s also optional to look for free music, but remember that it won’t be nearly as unique as buying your music from the sites noted above. You’ll also need to make sure that you are following the requirements for the free licenses.
Choose music that’s catchy and helps your listeners remember your podcast and recommend it to others.
6) Record Your Intro / Outro
Things should start to be feeling much more real to you by this point! You have the podcast art, the music, you’ve chosen a name, and a content theme, and now you’re ready to hit RECORD for the first time and create the introduction and “See ya’ next time!” for each show.
The intro does exactly that – it introduces your show, you, and any co-hosts, acknowledges your audience however you like (Welcome, friends!, etc.) and sets the tone for the show by briefly (we do mean briefly) sharing who the show is for and what it’s about.
The outro is where you thank listeners for enjoying your content, and often invite them to take next steps, whether that be:
Working with you or visiting your website
Finding you on social media
Sharing the episode with someone else
Writing a review
Subscribing to the show to make sure they don’t miss an episode
Signing up for your freebie
Just remember not to give them too many things to do at the end. One or two options to connect with you further is plenty!
7) Plan Your Content Strategy
Current stats show that 50% of podcasters don’t make it past the first seven episodes. After they hit that point, they do what we call in our industry “podfade”.
We don’t want you to podfade! It’s important to remember that podcasting is a long game and your topic should, ideally, be something you can keep on talking about for as long as you intend to play it! One way to avoid the podfade is to map out your content strategy.
What does your audience need to know first?
How can each episode build off of the other to give them everything they need?
We recommend mapping out at least your first 10 episodes before getting started.
Here are our four top Listeners to Leads Episodes on planning your podcast content and how to make it easier:
We don’t recommend you go this alone! We repeat: we don’t recommend you go this alone! A strategic podcast launch is key to helping you attract maximum listeners right away with your show and share it with the world when it airs. With a whole lot of launches under our belt, we know what goes into a successful podcast launch and can guide you every step of the way.
We offer full-service podcast launch management, which takes the pressure off you to know exactly what is involved in launching a successful podcast. We’re the experts in podcast launching so you don’t have to be. All you need to do is play an active role in making crucial decisions along the way, and show up with your unique brilliance and expertise!
If you do decide to do it by yourself or you’re on a budget and DIY-ing while starting your podcast, we recommend listening to Episode 23 of Listeners to Leads: How to Create a Podcast Launch Plan
The more intentional you are at the beginning, the better. When you launch in a thoughtful, strategic way, it can help your show be more successful from the start, and save you a lot of frustration!
9) Record and Upload Your Episodes
And you thought the intro/outro was exciting! Now, it’s time to sit down and record your first episodes and upload them to your podcast hosting platform.
You need to do this with your trailer/welcome episode (some call it Episode 0) PRIOR to launch day because it takes time for podcast hosting platforms to get your show in podcast directories so people can listen on their app of choice.
We recommend giving yourself two weeks (minimum) from date of launch to date of uploading your first episode to ensure that everything goes smoothly in getting them into all the podcast directories and everyone can find your podcast on launch day.
Your first official episode (Episode #1) will be scheduled for launch day (we’ll get to that in a minute) and ideally, you’ll have two more behind it for people to listen to and discover!
10) Launch Your Podcast!
You want to start telling people about your podcast weeks prior to launch day!
Don’t keep it a secret! We recommend you assemble a launch team, people who will support you by listening to your show, as well as help you market and share when the episodes go live! This launch team will be by your side, helping you get your initial first downloads and writing ratings and review that will help podcast directories recommend your show to like-minded listeners.
On launch day, your first official episode drops and you’ll want to market it far and wide, letting your community know that your episodes are LIVE and guiding them to listen and share. You can do a Facebook LIVE or Instagram LIVE to promote it on social media and in your newsletter.
Recommended Listeners to Leads episodes on launching strategy:
Important reminder: Don’t stop talking about your podcast after launch day. (Louder for the ones in the back!)
You need to continue marketing and promoting your show with regular social media posts for about a solid week after launch.
Launching can feel overwhelming and daunting, and it’s crucial to take a strategic approach in this step to ensure the most successful podcast possible right out of the gate.
Using this step-by-step guide in starting your podcast, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying all the many benefits of podcasting and sharing your content and thought leadership with your listeners!
Launch Your Podcast With Support
If you’re looking for support, book a chat with us. We handle these steps (and more) soup-to-nuts and take it entirely off you’re plate! We’re able to get some incredible launch results for our clients and we’d love to do the same for you!
This blog post contains affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you!
Welcome to your beginner’s guide to podcast editing in Audacity! This guide is designed to walk you through step-by-step everything you need to know to start editing podcasts using Audacity. We’ll take you through importing your audio, cleaning up, cutting and repairing your audio tracks, and exporting your finished product.
If you’re new to podcast editing and looking for a free, user-friendly software to get started, Audacity might be for you. Audacity is a popular audio editing software that you can download on your Mac or PC.
With the increasing popularity of podcasting, the expectations of a quality, well-produced show is on the rise. The podcast content itself is undoubtedly the most important aspect but poor editing and audio quality will not only lead leaders to click off the episode but may also lessen the host’s professionalism and trustworthiness. While we can expect overall quality to improve over the course of a show’s lifetime, it is important to get the hang of it quickly to increase potential listenership. A well-produced podcast is a sign that the host takes their content seriously and wants to provide a well-rounded experience for their listeners.
Like anything, you’ll need to find your groove when it comes to editing your podcast. We’ll walk you through what you need to know to familiarize yourself with the platform, tools, and settings so that you can feel comfortable getting started. Refer back to our post: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Podcast Editing for more insight on editing your podcast for context, clarity, and cleanliness.
If you try editing out for yourself and find that it just isn’t for you, get in touch and see how we can help! Our team of professionals can handle everything from editing your content, podcast monetization, and marketing strategy to the implementation of the entire podcast strategy. So if you want to sit back and record your episodes and let someone handle the rest, we’re the team for you.
A Beginner’s Guide for Podcast Editing in Audacity
Since we’ve tried to capture as much information as possible in this beginner’s guide to podcast editing in Audacity, there’s a lot of info to digest. In this guide, we will walk through the following details:
Getting Familiar with Audacity
Importing and Managing Your Files
Editing Tools and Techniques
Enhancing Audio Quality
Adding Final Touches
Exporting Your Final Product
Getting Familiar with Audacity
Once you’ve downloaded Audacity onto your computer, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the program. You can both record and edit within Audacity so if you’re looking for an all-in-one tool, this might just be the one for you.
Upon opening Audacity, you’re met with a blank canvas. At the top of the page, you’ll find the menu and toolbar. This is where you’ll find a lot of the tools and settings we’ll talk further about in this blog post that you will use to edit your podcast in Audacity.
The middle gray area is your timeline. This is where your tracks will appear once they are imported. Not pictured in the above photo is each track’s control panel that will appear on the left-hand side. Each track you import will have its own controls giving you options to adjust volume, mute track, move track, etc.
On the bottom, you will see both the transport toolbar and the status bar. The transport toolbar allows you to navigate the full length of your audio tracks and the status bar provides information including the current time during playback or the length of the selection.
Keep in mind that Audacity’s layout may evolve with new updates and some tools and settings may shift. If you’re having trouble finding something, please refer to Audacity’s official website for up-to-date information.
The 3 Common Tools You’ll Use Most Often When Podcast Editing in Audacity
Now that you’re familiar with the layout, let’s dive deeper into 3 of the most commonly used tools when editing a podcast in Audacity.
Selection Tool
The selection tool is one that you will undoubtedly use the most in editing. This tool allows you to select segments of the audio by clicking and dragging within the track.
This tool also allows you to pinpoint a specific playback point making it easy to move around to different parts of the track. Simply select a timestamp on the track and press the play button in the toolbar (or the spacebar on your keyboard) to begin the playback.
Envelope Tool
The envelope tool is helpful when it comes to controlling audio levels within the track. You can use this tool to adjust the audio levels on the entire track or pinpoint specific points on the track to adjust apart from the rest.
I find myself using this tool most often when adding in background music and transition effects. I can lower the volume to my desired levels and create custom fade-in and fade-out effects.
Zoom
The zoom tool allows you to zoom in and out on the track. It is helpful when you’re editing a track and want to select and remove a specific part of the waveform. By zooming in, you are able to see the waveform at a very granular level and see exactly where the portion you wish to remove begins and ends. This tool is equally as helpful to zoom out and view your project as a whole. This can help you visualize where the different elements of your podcast overlap and ensuring you don’t have any unwanted dead space in the project.
Importing and Managing Your Files
Now that you’re familiar with the layout, it’s time to begin editing. If you didn’t record your track in Audacity or want to add in your intro and outro or background music, you’ll need to know how to import.
Go to the Menu Bar.
Under File, select Import.
Select Audio.
When the window appears, locate the audio file on your computer and click Open.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I to quickly import files without going into the Menu Bar.
PRO TIP: You always want to make sure you’re editing in WAV format to achieve better results. MP3 is great for storing and delivering files as it compresses the audio and keeps it small.
Once you’ve imported the files you are working with, you can arrange them in whatever way you work best. To move tracks up or down on the timeline, click the dropdown arrow in the track’s control panel on the left-hand side. A menu will pop up with options to move track up, down, or to the top or bottom.
Audacity automatically creates a separate track for each new piece of audio you import. If you wish to combine files onto one track, you can click and drag the clip you wish to move. Alternatively, if you wish to split a clip and move a portion of it onto a new track, you can do this as well.
In the Menu Bar, click Tracks.
Click Add New.
Select the type of track you wish to add to your project.
Keep in mind, only like tracks can be combined together. If you wish to combine a section of audio from a stereo track with a mono track, you’ll have to split the track before moving it.
To slide audio files across the timeline, hover your mouse over the top of the track where a hand shows. You can then click and drag the track into your desired location.
Editing Tools and Techniques
Now that your tracks are imported and organized, it’s time to start editing. How you edit your podcast is going to go hand in hand with your content to establish how you show up as a professional in the space.
When it comes to editing, there are several tools and techniques you’ll commonly use that are important to know.
Splitting Tracks
There are quite a few reasons you may want to split a track. In podcast editing specifically, I find myself using this tool most often to endcap sections of audio I want to move or delete as a whole. I also use it to mark sections from the episode I plan to pull out to repurpose for social media content.
Use your selection tool to pinpoint the exact location on the track you wish to split.
Right-click on that section and click Split Clip (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + I) to split the track.
Copying and Pasting
While editing, you may want to move around and reorder certain sections of audio. One easy way to do this is to copy and paste the content you wish to move. In Audacity, copying and pasting content is as simple as it is on any other platform.
Select the portion of audio you wish to move.
Right-click on the audio and click Copy (you use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C) to copy the content.
Use the selection tool to select where you wish to paste the content on the track.
Right-click on this area of the track and click Paste (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V) to paste the audio to your desired location.
Removing Unwanted Sections
Every piece of content you work with will need some work to clean up things like long pauses, heavy breaths, filler words, misspeaks, etc. You can easily remove these sections of audio by:
Using the selection tool to highlight the portion of audio you wish to remove.
Right-click on that section and click Cut (Ctrl + X) or use either the Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard to remove the section.
Generating Silence
There may be instances in editing where you come across a heavy breath or filler words you wish to remove without completely deleting that section of audio. This is where the silence tool comes into play. You can obviously use this tool for a variety of other reasons, these are just examples of where I tend to use it most often.
Using the selection tool, highlight the track or section of audio you wish to silence.
In the Menu Bar, select Generate.
Click Silence (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + L).
Fade In and Fade Out
The Fade In and Fade Out tool is incredibly useful for creating transitions between different audio tracks. I use these tools most often when creating a seamless transition between the podcast’s intro and outro tracks and the episode content itself as well as when I am adding in transition sounds.
The fade tools can also be used to clean up harsh cuts when removing words that may be connected. You may notice after cutting out unwanted sections that the audio no longer sounds as smooth as you would like. To fix this you can use the fade tool to smooth out any of these areas for a seamless transition into the speaker’s next set of words.
Using the selection tool, highlight the portion of audio you wish to apply the effect to.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Fading.
Choose either Fade In or Fade Out.
There are some situations you instead will use the crossfade tool. With this tool, you can select two tracks (usually that overlap) and have one fade out as the other fades in, simultaneously. I may use this in instances where the ending of the intro music overlaps with the opening of the episode content.
Enhancing Audio Quality
When it comes to audio quality, it is first and foremost important that you record in a quiet and controlled environment. This will ensure you achieve the best audio quality possible. In the technology-forward environment we live in, you can absolutely achieve a professional-sounding podcast from home. But unless you have built an at home studio, there are always going to be noises and distractions that come up that are out of our control.
As a general rule of thumb when cleaning up your audio quality, you want to make sure you don’t overdo it. You can use the following tools to help improve your audio quality for a more professional-sounding podcast episode.
Noise Reduction
Were you sitting too close to an HVAC system during recording and there’s fan noise on your track? Was your neighbor cutting their lawn and you didn’t think it would appear in your recording but it did? Sometimes there is background noise that is difficult to avoid. Audacity makes removing some of this background noise simple using the following steps:
Use the Selection Tool to highlight a portion of the audio where the background noise exists. Try highlighting a section without any other noise or speaking over it.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Noise Removal and Repair.
Click Noise Reduction.
Click Get Noise Profile.
Select the full track or portion of the track where the background noise appears.
Go back into the Noise Reduction tool and click OK (or adjust the settings and click OK).
PRO TIP: Always edit wearing headphones. This allows you to pick up on minuscule background noises that you otherwise may have missed.
Equalization (EQ)
EQ allows you to adjust the balance of different sound frequencies on your audio track. This tool helps enhance your audio by correcting frequency imbalances, managing plosives and sibilance, and enhancing overall voice clarity.
Audacity currently has 2 EQ options: Filter Curve EQ and Graphic EQ. The Filter Curve EQ option provides more control as you can manually adjust the settings and target specific frequencies. Graphic EQ is more of a fixed set of frequency bands, providing less precise control but more of a straightforward approach. If you’re new to this setting, Graphic EQ may be the better option to start with. To use this setting:
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click EQ and Filters.
Select either Filter Curve EQ or Graphic EQ.
Filter Curve EQ:
Graphic EQ:
Compressor
You may be working with a piece of audio that has spikes where the volume is either too high or too low. The compressor tool helps even out the volume minimizing these spikes and making for a smoother listen.
Select the track or section of audio you wish to compress.
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Compressor.
Adjust the settings (or leave them as default until you are more familiar) and click OK.
Normalization
Similar to the EQ tool, there are 2 different normalization settings you should know about.
Normalize: Adjusts the overall volume level of a track so the loudest peak reaches a specified level.
Loudness normalization: Adjusts the volume to a target industry standard. (The standard LUFS, or loudness units relative to full scale for podcasts is between -16 LUFS and -20 LUFS).
To apply normalization settings:
In the Menu Bar, select Effect.
Click Volume and Compression.
Select Normalize/ Loudness Normalization.
With any of the audio-enhancing tools, Audacity has the option to create custom pre-sets so you can save time in the future by using the settings you know work best for you.
Adding Final Touches
Adding final touches may not be Audacity specific but definitely important when it comes to editing a podcast on any platform. Depending on the genre of the podcast you’re creating, some final touches may include adding transitions, sound effects, or background music. If you don’t have a hosting platform that includes dynamic ads, this may be the time to add in any baked-in ads.
After all of the initial edits are made, it is best practice to listen through your podcast episode one more time to review and tweak your edits as needed. When you’re editing on a granular level, you may find yourself cutting down the speaker’s natural speaking cadence and wish to add in more silence between words OR maybe now that you’re listening back you notice unwanted filler words you missed or choppy transitions. This may also be the time you take to write the episode’s show notes and pull out audio clips or quotes that can be repurposed for additional content.
Exporting Your Final Product
Once you have taken the time to review and make any necessary revisions to your episode, it is time to export your final product! Before doing so, be sure to check into which format your hosting platform requires. If you use a hosting platform like Buzzprout, export your episode as a .WAV file as Buzzsprout will automatically convert the file into the correct format. Hosting platforms like Spotify for Podcasters (formally known as Anchor) require your file to be exported as an MP3.
To export:
In the Menu Bar, select File.
Click Export.
Choose the format you wish to export in (WAV or MP3).
Keep in mind, Audacity is a very comprehensive editing software that we only scratched the surface of today. Once you get the hang of the basics, you can take your time exploring all of the other features Audacity has to offer.
As you get into the groove of editing, you may be able to do all of your editing in one session. If you’re just starting out, I suggest taking a few passes on the episode focusing on different areas each time. While Audacity is a fairly user-friendly software, podcast editing in general takes practice. If podcast editing in Audacity feels overwhelming, take it step-by-step and learn as you go. You will grow and evolve your skill over time and with some practice, you’ll be a pro in no time.
Be sure to check back in on our resources page for additional tutorials and information to improve upon your skills.
Whether your listeners stumble across your podcast on Google, hear about it from a friend, or discover it on their favorite podcast app, chances are they’ll see your podcast description and use it as a quick way to identify whether or not your show is for them!
You can use your podcast description as a place to more about you as the host, what type of content your show delivers, and who specifically it’s for!
In this blog, we’ll show you how to write a description for a podcast with examples and an easy template you can adapt for your show and unique audience. You’ll get our best podcast description tips so yours can stand out amongst the noise.
What’s the difference between a podcast description and show notes?
So glad you asked! We get asked this question a lot, so we’re not surprised you did.
A podcast description (also called a show description) summarizes the who, what, why of your podcast to potential audience members. It explains the topic of your show, and a simple but concise description that lets them know if they’re in the right spot as a listener.
It can also be helpful if your show and another has a similar or same name to distinguish between the two. Done right, a great podcast description can attract new listeners.
Podcast show notes give an overview of the individual episodes. They contain information specific to what’s in a show such as guests, topics covered, and takeaways. Show notes are written unique to every episode you produce, while a podcast description is written once and doesn’t need to be change unless something about the content or audience changes.
When you’re done reading this one, be sure to check out our blog How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast here (don’t worry, we’ll remind you of the link again at the end).
How to Write a Description for a Podcast
Give a headline
Start with a headline that conveys the main topic or theme of your podcast clearly and concisely while grabbing attention of your ideal audience.
Examples:
Listeners to Leads, hosted by Alesia Galati, teaches new and aspiring podcasters how to use their podcasts to grow their business.
In The Binge Factor podcast for aspiring podcasters and seasoned podcasters, podcast strategist Tracy Hazzard explores whether your podcast has what it takes to create and grow a bingeable podcast – where listeners binge on your every word and get to know, like, and trust you in an accelerated way.
The Positively Living podcast is a self-improvement podcast with specially curated content to support multi-passionate creatives and entrepreneurs.
Summarize the Episode
Write a summary that gives listeners a brief overview of what your podcast is about. Make sure to include topics or themes that are covered in your podcast, and your unique spin or perspective that sets your podcast apart and makes it stand out! This is also the portion of the podcast description in which many hosts will share who they are and what they do to bring the content to you in their own way.
Examples:
Astrologer and cosmic consultant, Madi Murphy, combines her spiritual teachings with practical, actionable steps– and usually with a dash of pop culture and high-vibe humor thrown in to keep it real. Weekly episodes will give our listeners their astro weather aka “energy report” for the week ahead and digestible doses of no-BS advice to fuel their personal evolution… and revolution!
We aspire to share what is possible and encourage more women to leap, striving for these board and c-suite positions themselves to change the path towards a more inclusive future. This podcast will share stories on how women lead and how their leadership opens the doors for the greater value of opportunities for others.
Go Over the Format
Speak to the format of the show to give your listeners and potential audience members an idea of what they’re in for with the show. Will you be doing guest interviews? Bringing in expert insights? Releasing only solo episodes? Do you share in short bite-size episodes or is it longer form? Or perhaps a combination?
Examples:
Hi, I’m Barb! I share my experience, strength and hope from 12 step recovery in each episode. They’re all 20 minutes or less. Unlike most recovery podcasts where you hear a person’s whole story, in this one, each episode is about a specific topic.
Sam and Karyn focus on the mindset, challenges, triumphs, and intentional strategies of running an aligned web design & development business. Each week, you’ll hear about everything from refining your business vision, crafting relevant packages & services, intentional networking & marketing, and creating a magical client experience.
Call to Action
Wrap up with a call to action to listen now, visit your website to learn more (or both!). Some also use the conclusion to offer up a reminder to review, subscribe, and share as well as speak to when new episodes air. We recommend focusing on one call to action that’s in line with the goals of your specific show. Remember, this is the last impression a potential listener will have before they hit play and start listening.
Examples:
Casey provides tools, advice, resources, support, and encouragement for extra passionate women entrepreneurs who want to leave their legacy in this world. Learn more about Casey and Female Founders Breaking Boundaries at https://c-suiteboutique.com/podcast
Check out thebingefactor.com for even more FREE infographics, tips, downloads, and masterclasses for podcasters.
Learn more about Alesia and Listeners to Leads at www.listenerstoleads.com
Tune in every other week to hear episodes that will help you be mindful in the present & open to the future. Learn more about Sarah and Poised Powerful Parenting at https://poisedpowerfulparenthood.com/interviews.
Want to learn how to write a podcast show description using our template?
You can use this easy podcast description template to tailor a podcast description that’s right for your show and listeners.
[PODCAST TITLE], hosted by [FULL NAME OF HOST], (shows, teaches, helps, etc.) [IDEAL LISTENER] to [WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO GET FROM THE SHOW]. [ABOUT THE HOST AND WHY THIS PERSON SHOULD SPEAK ON THESE THINGS]. [WHEN EPISODES GO LIVE IE. EVERY WEEK OR EVERY OTHER WEEK], you’ll (learn, hear, get) episodes that talk about [GENERAL TOPICS BEING DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW]. Learn more about [HOST AND PODCAST TITLE] at [PODCAST WEBSITE].
Here’s a full example so you can see the template in action:
Listeners to Leads, hosted by Alesia Galati, teaches new and aspiring podcasters how to use their podcasts to grow their business. Alesia uses her experience as the owner of Galati Media, a full-service podcast management company, to help business owners get leads, land speaking gigs, and create deeper connections with their audiences through their podcasts. Alesia and her guests will discuss everything from launching a podcast to marketing a podcast. Learn more about Alesia and Listeners to Leads at www.listenerstoleads.com
A Few More Podcast Description Tips and Best Practices:
Remember to be concise and to the point. Avoid long paragraphs and run on text and stick to short, easy-to-read sentences. Anything else can be distracting.
Include relevant search terms and keywords to help new listeners discover your podcast when they’re searching the internet or their podcast player for a specific topic or resource.
Update your description when content, hosts, or target audience changes. Be sure to keep this description up to date and accurate.
Don’t be afraid to use your personalityand language in your podcast description to give your listeners and potential audience members the flavor and style of your show.
Writing a description for your podcast can feel overwhelming at first. You want to make a great first impression and make sure you’re describing your listeners with accuracy while capturing their attention.
When it comes to how to write a podcast description, it’s about showing your audience who you are and what you stand for in a way that allows them to clearly understand whether or not your show is a good fit for them. With this small step done well, it also gives you the podcast host an anchor point to keep your podcast focused on delivering what you promised. That’s what’s going to keep them coming back for more each and every week, and attract new listeners to your unique thought leadership.
At Galati Media, writing your podcast description is one of the many pieces we handle and take off your plate entirely with our full service podcast management service.
You don’t have to be an expert in podcasting (or writing podcast descriptions for that matter) to captivate the attention of your listeners, gain leads and speaking gigs, and change the lives of your audience.
When you first set out to measure your podcast success, the mere idea of it might keep you up at night. You compare yourself to other people on social media and get caught in a cycle of shame. My one podcast friend recently hit a million downloads. Why aren’t I there yet? Am I missing some magic secret success ingredient? What does podcast success even look like? Is it a multi-million dollar deal with Spotify?
Chances are, there’s no one “thing” your friend is doing that you aren’t. It’s more likely they have a different audience than you, and they likely have different podcast goals.
I recently chatted with a business friend on her podcast, She Built This, about this exact topic, and I knew I had to make sure you could access it. So in this post, I’m going to help you shake off that pesky comparisonitis and start feeling excited about the podcast success you’ve had so far.
Listen to me talk through all these and more on the She Built This Podcast.
I’m breaking down 3 strategies to measure podcast success without feeling stressed out or overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start.
Make sure you read to the end because I’ve got a bonus strategy that is essential for measuring your podcast success!
3 Surprisingly Powerful Ways to Measure Podcast Success
One question that comes up for our clients regularly is this: how can I measure podcast success?
If you do a quick google on the topic, you’ll find everything from looking at your downloads to seeing your social media engagement. Those numbers can help sometimes, but there is so much more you have to take into account when you are trying to measure your own podcast success.
#1. Forget about the Podcast Downloads
If you want to have a better understanding of measuring your podcast success, you have to get past the arbitrary download numbers.
This is #1 on the list because it’s the thing almost all podcasters get caught up on. They see the downloads and decide that those are the numbers that only matter.
While it’s essential to have a pulse on the download numbers, that only tells us part of the story. As podcasters (and business owners), there’s more that we should be tracking.
When you are trying to measure your podcast success by looking only at the downloads, it can lead to giving up on your podcast before you’ve really had a chance to get it off the ground.
Did you know 90% of podcasters don’t make it to 25 episodes? My goal with all the content I create and the services we offer at Galati Media is to support you so that you don’t just become another statistic.
Instead, let’s look at the numbers for what they can actually tell us. Your downloads tells you how many people have streamed or downloaded your show.
Note: Depending on the podcast listening app, it might actually consider someone following your show as downloading ALL your episodes. That’s why the more episodes you create, the easier it is to get more significant download numbers.
So when you look at your download numbers, all you see is that someone decided to take a 2-second chance on your show.
Instead of looking at just the downloads, we should be looking at all the possible information available to us.
For example, we were looking over a client’s statistics during our monthly strategy session (every client gets them) and saw that her guest episodes were getting about half the downloads as her solo episodes. She asked if it was worth it to stop doing guest episodes entirely.
My response was this: well, is your goal in having that guest about connecting with the guest or about giving your audience content they want?
This gave the client another perspective and she realized that her goal was actually about the connection, not about the download numbers.
Regardless of what your goals are, reviewing your podcast statistics is always smart. If you take the time to get clear on your goal first, though, it helps you decide which information is actually important.
So let’s break down a few popular podcast goals and how we can actually measure the podcast success based on the specific goal.
Potential Goal #1 – Get more leads from your podcast
This is one of my favorite goals and is something I specialize in. You can hear all my thoughts about the topic on my podcast, Listeners to Leads.
If your goal is to get more leads from your podcast, you’ll want to have a few key things to track this. Add a How did you find me section to your contact form so you can see how many leads are coming from your show.
Another thing you’ll want to track is your links. You can use a bit.ly to easily show how many podcast listeners are clicking on certain links. That tells you which services listed in your show notes are getting traction.
You’ll also want to ensure that the content on your show is directing people to actually work with you. Seems like a no-brainer, but a lot of podcasters forget to let their audience know how they can buy from them.
Potential Goal #2 – Interview potential leads or collaborators
This goal is something that doesn’t take a ton of effort to track. You’ll simply note how many podcast guests turned into leads or collaborators.
If you do go this route, you’ll want to ensure you are following ethical strategies and not hounding guests to become clients. That never feels good. If they can use your support, you can offer it; but I don’t think your podcast should turn into an end-to-end funnel.
Potential Goal #3 – Show up as an expert or thought leader
With the goal of showing up as a thought leader, you’ll want to dive deep into your download numbers. And I’m not just talking about how many people listened to each episode.
Here you want to know how much of an episode do people listen to. On Spotify, this is called the listener retention and on Apple Podcast, it’s call your average consumption. It doesn’t matter what it’s called. Put simply, it’s how much of an episode is consumed by listeners, on average.
This is important for the thought leadership goal because it can easily show you where most of your audience drops off.
Spotify Episode Performance
Apple Podcast Average Consumption
Both of these graphics above show the listener behavior on both Apple Podcast and Spotify for the same episode.
Looking this over, I can tell this solo episode was very popular. You might think that most listeners only listening to about 69% – 75% is terrible. But what you probably don’t know is that from the information I’ve gathered with our clients, most podcast episodes get about 50%-60% completion.
That means that, on average, your listener will only listen to about half of your episode. But don’t let that discourage you! If you are using your podcast to be a thought leader, you’ll want your solo episode to do better than 60%, and you’ll want to get some interactions from your audience that they are taking action on the things talked about.
Potential Goal #4 – Make an impact with your content
If your goal is to make an impact, then the download numbers may or may not be important to you. It depends on what you believe is impact.
Your impact could be toward your guests. Then the downloads don’t matter.
Your impact could be that you want to have a certain number of people listening to your message. Then your downloads are definitely going to matter to you.
Or your impact could potentially be that you want to turn those listeners into leads and make an impact on clients that way. Then you will need to look at more than just your download numbers.
These are only a few of the goals you can have around your podcast. So go ahead and take a few moments to decide what your podcast goals actually are so you can see if your show is successful or if you need to make tweaks.
Pro tip: You don’t have to pick just one goal. You can decide that you have two or three goals tied to your podcast.
#3. Get Support When You Need It
It’s easy to get stuck.
Maybe you’re putting the time in but still unable to reach your podcast goals. Maybe you’re struggling to make your podcast work the way you want it to.
It’s one thing to get stuck temporarily and feel confused about what you should be doing. But when it goes on too long, you can fall into a rut and lose your motivation to even keep the show going.
That’s what happened with my friend, Emily. She was struggling with how her show of over 200 episodes. While hitting that podcast milestone is a big deal, she wanted to focus her efforts on using her podcast to bring in more leads to her business.
After working through her statistics, listener feedback, and more, my recommendation was to start a new podcast that would have content that her potential clients would be attracted to. Her first podcast was focused too much on all the business owners, not the ones who would want her copywriting services.
So she put in the work…and in less than ten episodes, she got her first client from her new podcast!
If you’re struggling to understand your statistics or measure your podcast success, it may be time to reach out to a podcast strategist like me for guidance and clarity.
There are many ways that a podcast strategist can help:
Creating clarity around your podcast goals
Giving you tips, tricks, and strategies to achieve those goals
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the work you’ve done for you podcast and understanding your numbers, so I have some resources to make it easier.
Over on the Listeners to Leads podcast, I have plenty of episodes where my guests and I talk about understanding your numbers and which numbers you should actually be tracking. Here are a few of my favorites:
Fun fact: Less than 2% of all podcasters with more than 5,000 listeners per episode are making money from their podcast!
We know, we know, that fact wasn’t fun at all… because as you can see, only a very small percentage of podcasters make money from podcasting.
Here’s a sunnier statistic: Of the podcasters we work with at Galati Media, over 90% are monetizing their podcasts and bringing money back into their own businesses.
It’s really important to us as a podcast production company to ensure that the podcasters we work with are getting the results they need and a return on their investment with us.
How Can I Make Money from My Podcast?
How to Monetize a Podcast Right Away!
In this blog, we share eight ways to monetize a podcast by choosing the best method for you and your listenership.
It’s important to remember that making money (we like to say cash money dollars) with your podcast is often a long game and takes a long-term strategy and approach. Buyers are often at different stages in the journey and could be symptom-aware, problem-aware, or solution aware and it’s important to speak to them in each of these phases. You also have to understand that there are different types of buyers: early adopters, late adopters, laggards, and every stage in between! Some people take time to make a decision to spend money with you and others sign on the line right away.
Podcasting is a great way to show up for the different types of buyers and speak to them where they are in the buying journey.
Podcast episodes we recommend that go hand in hand with this blog:
Your Answer to, “How Can I Make Money from My Podcast?”
8 Ways to Consider Monetizing Your Show
How to Monetize a Podcast with Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is something we often use in our show Listeners to Leads and it makes a lot of sense for business owners who use apps, services, programs, and other resources to grow their businesses that they can stand behind.
For example, we regularly guide people to Buzzsprout as a podcast hosting platform. We love Buzzsprout because of its user experience, customer service, and intuitive back end. Because we recommend Buzzsprout so often, we’ve become affiliate marketers and promote it in our podcast episodes with an affiliate link in the show notes.
Two reminders with affiliate marketing:
You have to inform your audience up front that you’re an affiliate for whatever you’re promoting and disclose that you get a kickback from sharing this resource or tool.
It’s best not to rely on affiliate marketing as the sole way of monetizing your podcast, as it’s best as a supplemental monetization tool
How to Monetize a Podcast with Sponsors and Advertisers
You’ve probably seen (and heard) this a lot in the podcasting space. We discuss this method with a few of our clients looking to monetize their show beyond just promoting their own servies and products. One thing to keep in mind is that with sponsors and affiliates, is that many require a substantial amount of downloads (usually about 10,000 per month) to be considered.
You also need to evaluate whether or not it’s a good fit for your audience. If you’re doing a podcast on baking, does it make sense to run ads on mattresses?
Look at what’s in alignment with your listeners and a best fit for your brand when choosing sponsors and advertisers.
One way to monetize your podcast is through donations. This could be anything from having your listeners contribute through Venmo or PayPal. Some people will invite their listeners to “buy them a coffee”. This method is a good choice for community-building podcasts who have a solid listenership of people who love them and want to support them by sending them something nice.
How to Monetize a Podcast with Premium Content
This method of monetization has been increasing in popularity over the past several years, and there are a few ways to go about it. You could offer exclusive bonus episodes or early releases that live behind a paywall or create supplementary resources for episodes such as downloads, PDF’s, checklists, and worksheets. There’s even an opportunity here to create a membership around the podcast where they get access to exclusive, more in-depth content with a monthly membership.
What can you add onto your podcast as a bonus that comes at a cost to access?
How to Monetize a Podcast with Products and Merch
Who doesn’t love a good piece of merch!? T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and notebooks can all be customized to have your show logo or a catchphrase on them for purchase to create community around your show and to help promote your show.
Think of what might make sense for your listeners and related to your topic and consider how you can create a tangible product around it.
How to Monetize a Podcast with Your Book
If you’re an author, you can use your podcast to have people buy your book. Maybe you even offer listeners a free code through your show and they only have to pay shipping and handling. Or they get the first chapter FREE and then a promo code to buy the whole book through your show.
Authors have a lot of opportunities to make money through podcasting by offering content they’ve already created!
How to Monetize a Podcast by Landing Speaking Gigs
Another way to make money with your podcast is by using your show to land speaking gigs. If you want to be a speaker and get on more virtual and live stages, a podcast is a great way to express your thought leadership to show up as the expert in your industry.
You can use your show to express your unique ideas and stories that you can then turn into speaking opportunities.
How to Monetize a Podcast by Selling Your Own Services and Products
This is obviously our favorite way to monetize your show. Whether you’re offering 1:1 services, products, courses, or consulting, you can make money with your podcast by selling what you provide!
If you have something to sell and you want to monetize your podcast in this way, you have to make sure you’re talking about it! Make sure you’re clearly reminding people and letting them know how they can work on you 1:1 or in a group setting. Give them consistent and clear next steps.
You have to continuously remind them of what you offer and how they can take action to working with you.
One-size doesn’t fit all when it comes to how to monetize your podcast!
There are so many ways to make money from your podcast, the key is to find one that works for you and get confident in your strategy so you can turn your podcast into a sales funnel that brings you in leads, and cash money dollars.
At Galati Media, we know the internet is riddled with podcast strategies. We also know how to focus on the one that’s right and most effective for YOU. We provide you with realistic, straightforward recommendations that will help you to increase listener engagement and maximize the results with your podcast based on your goals for your business and audience.
We offer podcast strategy without the fluff, so your content can make a difference in the lives of your listeners!
Our 60-minute podcast audits include a deep dive into your podcasting goals and how effectively you’re achieving them. We provide recommendations around discoverability, artwork, descriptions, episode titles, marketing, your podcast website, and more! You receive a fully prepared report of our findings, including recommendations to increase the success of your podcast.
We help to answer any podcast-related questions you may have and give you clear steps forward!
Whether you’re producing an audio or video podcast (or both), it’s important to ensure that in addition to providing great content and quality, you also take time to focus on the show notes for your podcast for several reasons. This blog will show you the value of well-thought podcast show notes and how to write show notes for a podcast by providing you with clear examples and templates of show notes for your podcast.
Why Do Your Podcast Show Notes Matter?
Podcast show notes serve multiple purposes! They help your audience find and connect with you, your guest, and the books, products, materials, and resources shared in the episode. They also help new listeners discover your content, and improve your ranking on search engines and podcast listening platforms.
Show notes help show a listener understand what’s in store for them in a particular episode and what topics you’re covering in the conversation. They can help pique listener’s interest and keep them excited for what’s coming next!
Show notes are also a great way to recap or highlight any points in the conversation you want to be sure your listeners remember including data or stats, audio highlights, quotes, and more!
When we’re talking about podcast show notes, we’re not talking about transcriptions of your episodes or a blog post of your episode (Yet! But we’ll get to that). We’re going to start by giving you podcast show note examples for the podcast platform itself and then we’ll touch back on blogs and transcriptions because those have a seat at the table in this conversation too!
Podcast show notes are what you see in your podcast player when you expand into an episode and look like this:
Example A
Example B
They are a summary of your episode, detailing the main takeaways, sharing your guest bio and any relevant links, and anything else you need to pull from the episode for listeners to access with a single click.
Step-by-Step How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast with Our Simple Template (and examples):
{Intro Sentence} This week, episode XX of {PODCAST NAME} Podcast is about {Main Topic}!
Example: This week, Episode 97 of the Listeners to Leads podcast is about SEO and Your Podcast
{INSERT FREEBIE OR LOW PRODUCT OFFER}
Example: Download our Simple Template for Podcast Show Notes!
In this episode of {PODCAST NAME}Podcast, {GUEST NAME} shares the importance of {TOPIC 1} and actionable steps you can take right now to {TOPIC 2}.
Example: In this episode of Listener’s to Leads, Erin Ollila shares the importance of having your podcast show notes on a blog and capturing visibility through keywords.
Some of the talking points {MY GUEST AND} I go over in this episode include:
TALKING POINT 1
TALKING POINT 2
TALKING POINT 3
TALKING POINT 4
Example: Some of the talking points Erin and I go over in this episode include:
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
* Actual Talking Point One
{Closing Statement}
Thank you for listening! Be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on {MAIN TOPIC ONE} and to hear even more about the points outlined above. If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me! And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!
CONNECT WITH {GUEST}:
Include links to each of these for your guest:
Facebook
Instagram
Freebie
Work with Guest!
CONNECT WITH {HOST}:
Include links to each of these for your guest:
Facebook
Instagram
Freebie
Work with Host!
How to Write Show Notes for a Podcast Beyond the Listening Platform:
Ideas to Expand Your Podcast Show Notes
When writing show notes for your podcast, you can follow our example and template above, and you can also think outside the box, especially if you share your podcast on as a blog or Linkedin article as well! Here are some more of our favorite ideas for expanding or adding to your podcast show notes.
Turn your podcast episode show notes into a blog!
Many podcast episodes can be turned into a blog for people who may not listen to enjoy, or for listeners who may want another way to digest and access the information. Here’s an example of a Listeners to Leads podcast episode, we turned into a blog -using our show notes as an outline!
The benefits of turning your podcast into a blog include SEO for your website (new listeners and leads anyone!?), increased visibility for those who may not be listeners, and a way for listeners to easily find and refer back to what was discussed in the episode.
Provide a full, downloadable transcript of the episode.
In addition to show notes, some podcasters like to make a transcript of episodes available for accessibility or those who might like to read along while they listen. Podcast show notes are usually limited to <4,000 characters, so it can be beneficial to include a link to download transcripts of the episode. You may also want to consider cleaning up the transcripts if you go this route, as many AI transcription services miss some of the human nuances in our language, which can confuse your reader.
Remember to keep your show notes clear, concise, and consistent, and follow a similar structure and layout with each episode. This is why it’s so helpful to have a podcast show notes template like the one above, which walks you through step-by-step how to write show notes for your podcast.
Do you have more questions about how to write show notes for your podcast?
Make sure to check out episode 97 of the Listeners to Leads podcast with Erin Ollila HERE on the importance of having your podcast show notes on a blog for increased visibility through keywords.
You don’t have to be an expert in podcasting (or writing show notes, for that matter) to captivate your listeners’ attention, gain leads and speaking gigs, and change the lives of your audience.
Learn the basics of podcast editing in this comprehensive guide. From choosing the right software to removing unwanted noise, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get started.
Since its start, podcasting has seen massive growth. Edison Research’s Spoken Word Audio Report shows that the U.S. population listens to spoken word audio daily. On average, podcast listeners will listen to around eight shows per week. This leaves room for everyone to be on their audience’s roster.
With the increasing popularity of podcasting, the expectations of a quality, well-produced show is on the rise. The podcast content itself is undoubtedly the most important aspect but poor audio quality will not only lead leaders to click off the episode but may also lessen the host’s professionalism and trustworthiness. While we can expect podcast quality to improve over the course of a show’s lifetime, it is important to get the hang of it quickly to increase potential listenership. A well-produced podcast is a sign that the host takes their content seriously and wants to provide a well-rounded experience for their listeners.
With anything, you can get incredibly granular when it comes to editing techniques and I’m sure we’ll expand on that in the future. Today my goal is to show you everything you need to know the basics of podcast editing from start to finish in a simple, tangible, and easy to understand framework.
In this guide, we will walk through the following steps:
Preparing for Editing
Basic Podcast Editing Techniques
Additional Editing Techniques
Finalizing Your Podcast Episode
Preparing for Editing
In culinary terms, ‘mise en place’, a French phrase meaning “putting in place” refers to the setup required before cooking. This may include familiarizing themselves with the recipe, collecting tools, gathering ingredients, and completing basic prep work. Now, you may be wondering what cooking has to do with editing a podcast but it is the preparation that we really want to focus on here. Ask any chef and they will stress the importance of mise en place for a successful recipe execution.
Simply put, just like a chef needs to know their recipe and organize their ingredients, you’ll want to organize your files and get familiar with the audio you’re working with. This pre-editing phase is just as important as the editing itself when we are looking at the basics of podcast editing.
Before you begin editing, it is important to have and maintain a well-organized folder structure. You’ll thank yourself later on when don’t have to backtrack and sort your increasing collection of files.
I find it works best to have separate folders for each of the clients I work with and subfolders within those for each new episode. This way, if there are multiple versions of the episode, you can quickly and easily find the most recent version.
PRO TIP: When labeling your files, it is best practice to label the file by podcast name (or abbreviation), episode number, and version number. Not only will this avoid confusion when searching for the most up-to-date version, the chances of you pulling and uploading an incorrect file drastically decrease.
To be extra safe, I’ve gotten into the habit of saving my files to an external hard drive and/or an online file hosting service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Understanding Your Recording
One of the first steps to editing is understanding the piece of content you’re working with. You’ll want to start by spot-checking your audio and making a note of any background noises, tech glitches, or other problematic areas so you know how best to repair and edit.
There is a handful of repair software at different price points including Izotope RX, SpectraLayers, Acoustica, and others that can help you repair the quality of the audio before getting into the nitty gritty of editing.
Remember, while there is a lot that can be repaired in post-production, the software is not magic and cannot fix everything. It’s important to first and foremost record (or have the host record) in an optimal environment.
Once you know what you’re working with, have prepared your mise en place, and are ready to edit, you’ll want to import your audio into your editing software of choice. I personally use Audacity as it is a free, user-friendly option, but feel free to use the software you like best.
As you get into the groove of editing, you may be able to do all (or most) of your editing in one session but if you’re just starting out, I suggest taking a few passes on the episode focusing on different areas each time. The two main areas you’ll want to focus on are editing for context and editing for clarity and cleanliness. It is totally up to you which order you decide to edit in. The most important thing is finding a workflow that works best for you.
Editing for Context
Editing for context is a matter of removing tangents that do not provide value to the overall topic, incorrect information that has since been fact-checked, and cutting any dialogue that may allude to past events that are no longer relevant to the time of posting.
Whether it be to educate or entertain the listener, each podcast episode has a purpose. While you’re editing it is best to always consider what information or bits of conversation are going to be valuable to the listener and feed into the overall storyline that the episode is trying to accomplish.
Editing for Clarity and Cleanliness
Once you’ve cut the episode down to the most valuable pieces of content, it’s time to clean up the episode to provide an overall positive listening experience.
Enhancing Audio Quality – Two of the basic tools you may use for every podcast episode you work with to enhance the overall quality of your audio is the noise reduction tool and the compression tool.
Compression– You’ll use the compression tool when your piece of audio is filled with peaks and dips in audio to achieve consistency in volume across the track. You may use this on the entirety of the track or just in select areas that need a little more help to even out the noise.
Noise Reduction – Noise reduction is exactly what it sounds like. This tool removes unwanted background noise that may be appearing on your track. Say there’s a lawn mower or a fan running in the background of your podcast episode, the noise reduction tool will let you select an area with the problematic noise and either remove it completely or lessen the harshness of the noise on your track.
Removing Unwanted Sections
Every piece of content you work with will need some work to clean up things like long pauses, heavy breaths, filler worlds, and misspeaks. While you may not notice these things when having a natural conversation with someone, I guarantee you notice when your favorite podcast host stumbles over their words or cannot stop saying ‘um’ between every thought. When in doubt ask yourself, “Will this be distracting to the listener?” If so, it is best to remove it.
There are a couple of techniques you can use to remove unwanted sections of audio. Either you can select and cut or delete the entire section or you can highlight the area you want to get rid of and silence it. What I choose depends on where and how long I want the pause in the dialogue to be.
PRO TIP: You may notice when you’re cutting out unwanted sections that the areas that you clipped are not as smooth as you would like. To fix this you can use the fade tool to smooth out any of these areas for a seamless transition.
While the fade in and fade out tools do exactly what you’d imagine, in some situations you may also use the crossfade tool. With this tool, you can select two clips and have one fade out as the other fades in, simultaneously.
Additional Editing Techniques
While the basic podcast editing techniques can be very supportive in editing your podcast, there are a few more elements that I believe are important to have a well-rounded and cohesive show.
Adding in the intro and outro clips
Most, if not all podcasts will have an intro and outro that sets the tone for the podcast’s overall brand. The intro tells your listeners what you’re about and hooks them into sticking around to listen to the content of the episode while the outro likely has a call to action (join the community, review the podcast, find the host on social media, etc.) and thanks the listener for tuning in.
If you don’t already have an intro or outro you are currently working with, you can find great free or low-cost royalty-free music at sites like Neosounds, Soundstripe, Audio Jungle, etc. You want your intro, outro, and music to be a reflection of your brand and how you want your listeners to feel when tuning in.
For Example, If you have a true crime podcast, you might consider a serious, tense, and somewhat spooky music clip while if you have a health and wellness-based podcast, you might look for something more playful, joyful, and inspiring.
When you import your intro or outro segments, you’ll want to work with them on a separate audio track. While most software automatically imports the audio onto a new track, you may have to manually add an additional track on others. When you’re working on separate tracks, you can easily overlap the end of the music from the intro into the beginning of the podcast episode for a smooth transition into the content.
Incorporating Transition Sounds & Sound Effects
While transition sounds and sound effects are not as common as some other audio elements and really depend on the genre of your podcast, I felt it was important and worth noting. Adding clips of music or sound effects to your episode can help add to the atmosphere of the storyline or break up the episode into different segments.
Similar to selecting the intro and outro music, when selecting audio clips to add to your podcast episode, you’ll want to make sure the sound you select is royalty-free. You can find a variety of stingers (short pieces of music, often lasting no more than 5 seconds) to use as transition sounds.
To add a transition effect, import the file onto a separate track and drag it into its placement. You may need to adjust the volume of the audio and use the fade tool for a smooth transition. Be sure to overlap the transition sound with your spoken content for a seamless flow.
Finalizing Your Podcast Episode
Review & Revisions
After your editing is complete, it is time to review and proof-listen to the episode. Listen through one more time to be sure you made all of the necessary edits and didn’t leave anything undone. This may be the time you write the episode’s show notes and pull out audio clips or quotes that can be repurposed.
PRO TIP: Repurposing your podcast content is an incredibly valuable way to ensure the time and effort you put into your content stretches further and reaches more people in different ways.
Check out these podcast episodes on repurposing your content:
Once you’ve reviewed and made the necessary revisions to the episode, it is time to export! Be sure to check into which format your hosting platform requires. If you use a hosting platform like Buzzprout, export your episode as a .WAV file as Buzzsprout will automatically convert the file into the correct format. Hosting platforms like Anchor require your file to be exported as an MP3.
*The difference between a .WAV and MP3 is the file size. MP3 files are compressed into a smaller sized audio file while WAV files are uncompressed and much larger.
Final Touches
The last step to finalizing your podcast episode is adjusting the loudness of your episode. This is important because, as mentioned at the top of this blog, listeners are constantly switching between shows and shouldn’t have to adjust their volume every time they play a new episode or switch to a different podcast. By adjusting your loudness to the podcast standard, you are also proving consistency which is incredibly important to listeners.
The standard LUFS (loudness units relative to full scale) for podcasts is between -16 LUFS and -20 LUFS
*You can either adjust this in your editing software or use a tool like Auphonic for post-production finishing touches.
Like anything, there is a learning curve that comes with the basics of podcast editing. Use this article as your starting point and begin applying new techniques as you grow and get more comfortable. What feels like a step-by-step procedural process now will become second nature over time.
The future of podcasting is now! So whether you have a podcast of your own or edit for someone else, there is so much opportunity for growth in this industry.
Check back in on our resources page for additional tutorials and information to improve upon your skills.
At Galati Media, we see a lot of podcasters get overwhelmed with all the options out there and love helping clients choose the best podcast hosting platform for their individual needs and podcast goals.
If you’re scratching your head wondering what a podcast hosting platform IS and why you need one, make sure to go back and read our blog “How to Start a Podcast in 2023 (step-by-step)” which walks you through what a podcast hosting platform is and why you need one.
In a nutshell, a podcast hosting platform/site is your podcast’s homebase. It’s where you upload and store episodes, and it magically (it’s not actually magic, but sometimes it feels like it) pushes out your new episodes to podcast listening apps right into your listener’s ears.
Before you just select the cheapest podcast host, check out our recommendations for the eight best podcast hosting platforms and why we chose them.
Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing the Best Podcast Hosting Platform for You:
Consider what’s important to you for your podcast.
What will be the average length of your episodes and the frequency at which you produce a show?
How are you at navigating tech and how important is ease of user experience to you?
What platforms do you want to ensure your show is distributed to?
Will your podcast be a private, paid feed or free for public consumption?
As we compiled this list, we paid attention to each of these areas to show you the pros and cons of various podcast hosting platforms so you can decide on the best podcast hosting platform for your needs. One of our criteria was also that the platform needed to be aligned with Podcasts 2.0, an initiative to ensure the right of free speech is maintained and allows everyday people to create podcasts.
As a woman of color owned company, accessibility for all people to create and listen to podcasts is one of our driving values.
#1) Buzzsprout: Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Beginners, Hobbyists, and Thought Leaders
We refer people to Buzzsprout often thanks to its ease of use, great user interface, reasonable pricing, and multiple dynamic ad insertion options.
What we think makes Buzzsprout the Best Podcast Hosting Platform:
Customize your podcast site with a unique domain name and your branding
Buzzsprout automatically uploads your podcast to some podcast directories with a few simple clicks.
They allow you to upload a transcript for your show
For an additional fee, there are features to help provide better audio quality for your listeners
Free visual soundbite generation
Includes a website optimized for hearing-disabled folks.
Advanced analytics
Affordable pricing tiers
One of our favorite features of Buzzsprout is the ability to promote your business and offerings with dynamic ad insertions, which are ads anywhere in the show (pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll).
Buzzsprout is very easy to use and allows you to pay monthly, without commitment so it’s a great way to get started and still have access to in-depth analytics.
Blubrry is well-known for its superior, trusted analytics as one of the first podcasting companies, now serving 150,000+ podcasters with hosting, distribution, stats, and helpful listener insights. It integrates well with the backend of your website, which can be a major benefit for business owners and agencies looking to publish podcast episodes right from their website. Blubrry offers data and statistics that help you make important decisions for your show.
Make sure to check out this episode of Listeners to Leads Episode 79 with the founder, Todd Cochrane as he shares his wealth of knowledge into the landscape of podcast and his perspective on The Future of Podcasting!
#3) Podbean: Best for Podcasters Looking for a Range of Features
What Podbean does well is offer various plans and price points so that whether you’re just getting started or a seasoned podcast pro, you can access their platform. Features and benefits vary as you move through the tiers, and the free plan does not offer many features.
They do allow for dynamic ad insertion as well as a customizable podcast website and themes. Some clients we’ve spoken with have said that customer service is not ideal and statistics aren’t as detailed as they’d like.
Our main beef with Podbean is that they don’t make it easy or intuitive to maximize and customize your podcast website and direct people to your website and social links.
#4) Red Circle: Best for Growing Brands
If you’re a podcaster who’s getting thousands of downloads a month and looking to monetize with ads that extend beyond just your own, Red Circle could be the podcast hosting site for you. Red Circle offers a myriad of features including powerful analytics, cross-promotion, and fast support, but one of its highlights is their commitment to helping podcasters monetize their podcasts through:
Brand-to-brand connection
Dynamic ad insertions
Cross-promotion
Red Circle isn’t for you if you’re looking to use your podcast to promote your own products or services and want your ads to lead to YOU. They also do not have as many tools to provide accessibility and aren’t optimized with all of your audience’s needs in mind.
Transistor is a newer podcast hosting platform that’s beneficial for podcasters who want to produce multiple shows and host them on the same site. With Transistor, you can host both public and private podcasts, and include dynamic ads.
While you can host multiple podcasts on all of the price plans, they offer limited downloads in each tier of their pricing and payments can increase when downloads increase. If you plan to maximize the use of hosting multiple podcasts, and bring in collaborators to your team, Transistor could be a great choice.
If you’re the everyday average podcaster looking to host just one show, it’s an expensive choice with more features than you might need.
#6) Libsyn: Best for a Wide Range of Budgets
You can get started with Libsyn for just $5 a month and upgrade from there to include more features. Libsyn’s been around a long time and is the go-to for many established podcasters; however, despise being budget-friendly, the lower-level tiers have limited features. Overall, the platform isn’t great for beginners who tend to struggle navigating new tech. The user experience makes it challenging to navigate their platform and setting up the analytics properly can require multiple steps.
If you want to use your podcast to make some cash money dollars, you might enjoy this relatively new podcast hosting platform. Captivate helps podcasters make money from their show by offering a private podcast option on every plan, a podcast sponsorship kit PDF, built in calls to action, and tools that help you get sponsors.
They give you advanced analytics, lots of podcasting resources, and quite a lot of features at every level. The plans are pricier than most (starting at $17/month) and have a cap for the number of downloads.
#8) Anchor.fm: Best for Beginners
We have so many thoughts on Anchor.fm, and “free” platforms in general. Here’s a quote from PodMatch’s Alex Sanfilippo from a recent post on LinkedIn:
“Fellow podcasters: If you don’t pay for a product, you are the product.”
When you’re using a free podcast hosting platform or just choosing the cheapest podcast host, they’re using you in some type of way to make money as a company.
A lot of people start out on Anchor because they want to use it and try it for free. Spotify owns Anchor and pressures podcasters to push their shows on Spotify. They also recommend ads that may or may not be aligned with your brand, heavily encouraging you to offer paid membership content or premium content that’s only available to your listeners on Spotify. Anytime you choose to focus on pushing your podcast out on one platform, you shut out a lot of your audience.
Trust us, we love a subscription model, but it’s not right for everyone and may not be right for you. Check out Listeners to Leads Episode 65 Adding a Subscription Model to Your Podcast to learn more.
In the case of Anchor.fm, free comes at the cost of pressure and the reminder that you are the product.
One final reminder: You can change podcast hosts down the road, if needed. It’s not difficult, but it’s also a hassle we try to save podcasters from by helping them choose the right platform the first time around.
To choose the best podcast hosting platform for you, take a look at your individual goals and needs for your podcast and start from there. This crucial first step will help you weigh the pros and cons of each host, so you don’t just hit “Get Started” with the podcast host that has the flashiest website or is the cheapest price.
Listeners to Leads episodes mentioned in this blog:
This blog post contains affiliate links. That means we may make a small commission on items purchased through links in this post at no extra cost to you!
Looking for personalized 1:1 support to launch your podcast?
Book a call with us and see if we’re the right fit for your needs!
There’s a lot of communication, especially in the online marketing world, that’ll have you convinced that starting a podcast is easy! And equally as much suggesting that “everyone” should have a podcast!
Starting a podcast doesn’t require a degree in physics or biochemistry (unless that’s what you plan to talk about in your show) but it’s not always as easy as people think to start a podcast. People often come to Galati Media with an idea for a podcast, but don’t know whether or not they should start a podcast, do something else entirely, and how to take action on starting a podcast.
Here are ten things you should think about and consider before you start your own podcast:
1. Determine whether or not launching a podcast is right for you!
Starting a podcast isn’t complicated, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not some quick fix or hack for more business and more clients. It’s a long game and requires time at the beginning to build, grow, and plan.
To determine whether or not starting a podcast is right for you, you first have to ask yourself whether or not you have the capacity to show up regularly for your audience, to engage in the topics you’ll be providing, and to market the show.
Ideally, your show will be produced on a regular basis with a steady stream of valuable content for listeners to learn from and enjoy. Are you able to set aside time and attention to be consistent and show up for your show?
Who are your ideal listeners and audience and is there a need or desire for your content? Is what you want to talk about going to fill a gap in what’s out there as far as resources and education around what you’re sharing?
Market research involves learning about your listeners and audience as well as looking at other podcasts talking about the same or similar topics.
If there are endless podcasts out there covering what you want to talk about, it might be an oversaturated topic and too broad. You might think of a different direction, or reconsider. There may be no gap to fill. Conversely, if there are NO podcasts out there talking about what you do, or there are just single episodes, there may not be enough to cover and it might be too niche of a topic.
If your topic is something you can cover in just one episode, or a single workshop, starting a podcast might not be right for you.
Another piece of market research is listening to other podcasts and learning what you like and don’t like, how you’ll do it differently or focus on a different niche, and really getting to understand if there’s an audience for your show.
As a podcaster, it’s important to set clear, achievable goals, and treat your podcast like you would any other part of your business so you don’t set yourself up for failure or podfade due to lack of results.
Your podcast could have goals around building your business through lead generation, supplementing your existing content for additional support, raising awareness, connecting with guests for networking or potential client opportunities, or something else entirely!
Looking to monetize and make money with your podcast? Make sure to check out our blog “How Can I Make Money from My Podcast” when you’re done with this one!
Whatever goals you set, you’ll want to make sure that they are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. You also want goals that are relevant to your unique business!
What do you want your podcast to do for you and your business? Ask yourself what your goals are for your show and get clear on that and it will make starting a podcast (and not getting frustrated) a whole lot easier!
We spoke to this a little in the market research paragraph above, but trust us, it bears repeating and needed its own section! Content (and you, of course) are the reason people are listening to your podcast in the first place!
Approximately 90% of podcasts stop producing before they hit seven episodes.
There are many reasons why this happened, but one of the most common reasons is because they run out of content.
Brainstorm your content ideas and be really honest with yourself about whether or not you have enough content within your topic area to keep you excited and engaged as you share consistently.
As you listen to other podcasts, you start to learn what you like and don’t like about how they do their shows in the content they offer, their perspectives and viewpoints, and the format as well.
There are so many different ways to format and structure your show and the only right way is the way you decide to do it.
Thinking about the format for your podcast is a crucial step to getting started. Ask yourself if you want:
Formal or informal show
Solo episodes (you by yourself)
Guests
Co-hosts
Scripted vs. not scripted
Choosing the format of the episodes will help guide you in how to move forward in starting with your show, plus help you understand better how much time you’ll need to commit to each episode.
We promise not to get too in the weeds and overwhelm you here. You will need to spend time, prior to starting your show looking at what equipment you need and how much you can afford to spend on what.
At the very minimum to get started you need, a set of headphones, a quality microphone, recording software or platform, editing software and a podcast host (which we’ll talk about more in a minute!).
How much you’re looking to spend on your show is unique and personal to you and depends where you are in your business, what goals you have for your show, and how much you want to invest initially.
Will you be outsourcing the many tasks and headaches of editing and producing to a podcast production company or will you be DIY-ing it?
If you’re planning to outsource, we’d love to help you get started considering these questions, and more!
7. Choose your hosting platform
Choosing a podcast hosting platform isn’t as simple as just picking the cheapest podcast host, there are a lot of factors to consider when looking at what you need in the short term and long term for your show.
Fortunately, we’re not going to leave you hanging here. Here’s our blog, What’s the Best Podcast Hosting Platform where we highlight eight top podcast hosting platforms to help you decide which is right for you!
8. Branding and Artwork
Finally, the fun part, right!? Making your podcast pretty and pop visually!
Unless it’s a hobby podcast, your branding and artwork for your podcast should align with your current business branding. Your podcast is an extension of your brand, so it’s important for the two to be cohesive and work together.
Plus, if you’re as OCD as us, you’re not going to want clashing colors next to each other on your Instagram feed.
The visuals you’ll need for your show depends on where you’re sharing episodes and how, but you’ll most likely need visuals for your podcast page/website, individual episodes, cover art (your show’s main graphic), and individual social media graphics for things like quotes and audiograms.
While podcasts are mainly an audio experience, graphics still play an important role. Graphics are definitely something to think about as it’s crucial to share bold, clear podcast graphics that catch attention and are a reflection of your brand.
9. Create your marketing plan, launch strategy, and assemble your launch team
The more intentional you are at the beginning, the better. When you start a podcast in a thoughtful, strategic way, it can help your show be more successful from the get go, and save you a lot of frustration!
You’ll want to think about how you plan to market your show, who to can help you share when it first comes out, and what steps you’ll need to take to share it with the world and get people listening!
It’s really important to take time now and think about your first few weeks of content so you’re not flying by the seat of your pants when getting started.
The number one piece podcasters tend to hire out is editing. In addition to editing, there are so many tasks that go into the management and production of a successful podcast.
Here are some of the things involved in producing a show:
Launching strategy
Marketing
Editing and audio quality
Guest booking and follow up
Publishing and syndication across podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and other podcast networks and directories
Cover art design, promotional graphics, and branding
Creation of show notes
Social media posts, blog posts, emails to promote the show
Creation of intros and outros
Generating episode transcriptions
Repurposing podcast content into video clips, audiograms, and other social media content
The good news is, you don’t need to do any of this alone. At Galati Media, we support you in managing your show from soup-to-nuts, even the stuff not on this list (yes, there’s more!)
We walk you through these questions prior to getting started, and help guide you in making pivotal decisions for your show.
When we’re asked, “Is starting a podcast easy?” our answer is a confident, “Yes, if you’ve taken time at the beginning to ask yourself these questions and make a plan! And it’s a whole lot easier with us by your side!”
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