A Checklist For New Podcasters
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
By Jack Socha
Hi! I’m Jack Socha, a broadcaster, podcaster and author of several audiobooks for new tech users. The newest is I Want To Podcast! for audio podcasting because I’m told 83% of podcasts are audio.
Here are some tips to get you started.
The audiobook is about 2½ hours long and covers a lot more. I try to make it entertaining! You can see the table of contents at my site acpress.com.
#1. Podcasting is both fun and work.
Edit your own audio, which is not as hard as you think. That gives you complete control over the quality and impact of your podcast. Farming out editing is expensive! I give clear examples of editing in the audiobook. It is a skill you can pick up quickly and your results will be better than some AI effort.
#2. Don’t buy anything until you plan your podcast format. A solo podcast can be done with a laptop, headphones and a USB mic. Beyond that you need to plan ahead. Beware of $149 podcasting “kits” with 2 mics, a mixer, 2 headphones, etc. They are low quality and will not sound good. I cover buying the right gear at length in the audiobook. None of my recommendations are sponsored.
#3. A quiet “studio” beats a pretty one. Nobody listening can see you! Consider a walk-in closet or even your car! A pillow behind the mic and curtains or even towels placed in your area can help to reduce “room noise.” Bookshelves can help too. Computer noise reduction can help, but sometimes frequencies it knocks out are also found in your voice and can make you sound funny.
#4. Beware of AI miracle promises, especially expensive ones. Basic adjustments found in audio editors such as Audacity (free) or paid apps such as Adobe Audition and simply editing out mistakes are all you need. Audio editors use copy, cut and paste, very much like a word processor, only with bits of sound. You’ll be knocking out UMMM and AHHHH like a pro in no time.
#5. Don’t use copyrighted music as your theme. Free music can be found with a bit of searching on archive.org. The UK site Humble Bundle sells music cheap, as does Ovani Sound. Get on their mailing list for sales! The music for my audiobook and podcast were found in one music bundle I bought for under $50.
#6. You don’t need a “radio voice.” Be yourself, don’t try to have some on-air persona. First, it takes too much energy that you need for other things. Second, if you get identified that way, people will expect you to be like that all the time. Be genuine, and follow this tip: SMILE as you begin to talk, it does something nice to your voice.
#7. Don’t worry about SEO (search engine optimization). Most offers to tweak it are nonsense. Besides that, get some experience, make mistakes and get better before you get a ton of listeners!
#8. So important: REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE. What do they want to hear? This means not using “rage bait” but examining shows with high ratings and low. Check show lengths for the same reason.
#9. Have fun, use a bit of humor when appropriate.
Work on sounding like you are talking to just one person, not “all you out there.” Eventually you will relax into it, knowing that you can edit out the mistakes and that you will always end up sounding confident and great.
Now go knock out some great podcasts!
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