Podcasting has quickly become one of the most exciting ways to share your voice and creativity with the world. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own podcast, you’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process, using my personal experience from Creative Space, now in its third season, to show how easy (and rewarding) it can be!
Why Start a Podcast?
There’s a magic to podcasting that goes beyond just building an audience. When I started Creative Space, my goal was to connect with fellow artists and makers of all kinds. What I didn’t expect was the incredible personal growth that came with it. Podcasting helped me find my voice, become more disciplined, and even gain confidence in my interviewing skills.
Whether you want to explore your passions, build your communication skills, or simply share stories, starting a podcast can help you grow in ways you might not expect. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to connect with people who share your interests.
The Benefits of Podcasting: More Than Just Growing an Audience
While growing an audience is one benefit of podcasting, there are others that matter just as much—if not more. Here are a few personal growth benefits I’ve discovered through Creative Space:
- Finding Your Voice: Over time, you develop a clearer sense of who you are and what you stand for.
- Building Self-Discipline: Sticking to a release schedule helped me stay consistent in my creative work.
- Boosting Confidence: With each episode, I became more comfortable sharing my thoughts and ideas.
- Connecting with Others: I’ve had the chance to interview so many inspiring people, and those connections have enriched my creative journey.
5 Simple Steps to Start Your Own Podcast
So, how do you start a podcast? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown based on my journey with Creative Space:
1. Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About
Your podcast should revolve around something that excites you. When I started Creative Space, I knew I wanted to talk about creativity, but I made sure to focus on what would resonate most with my audience: interviews with artists, writers, and creatives.
Think about what you love. Are you into Philly sports? Local music? Pop culture? A niche topic helps build a dedicated following.
2. Plan Your Show
Before you record, it’s important to plan the structure of your show. This includes deciding on:
- Format: Will it be solo, interviews, or co-hosted?
- Length: I started with hour-long episodes, given the podcast was initially only interviews, but you can experiment with different lengths.
- Structure: A clear intro, main content section, and outro to keep listeners engaged.
For Creative Space, I focused on interviews with creatives, and each episode started off with a brief intro before diving into the conversation. I also created podcast intro and outro music to brand the podcast from a sonic perspective.
3. Record Your Episode
Good news: you don’t need expensive equipment to start. My first episodes of Creative Space were recorded on a smartphone! As I progressed, I invested in a microphone, but the key is to get started. Recording in a quiet space will make a big difference in sound quality. All the mixing and mastering in the world can’t edit out loud background noise.
4. Edit Your Podcast
Editing can seem intimidating, but tools like Audacity (free) or GarageBand (for Mac users) make it easy. I learned to cut out long pauses and add intro music to Creative Space. Start with the basics—over time, you’ll get more comforta