Last Updated January 2022 by Crystallace

Hey Girl! If you’re reading this, then you’re probably considering starting a podcast in 2022. That’s amazing! If you think that podcasting is an incredible opportunity to scale your blogging business, or you just want your podcast as a stand-alone online business, this one is for you.

Because today, we’re going to dive into the basics of how to start a podcast in 2022. We will talk about the 5 main stages of starting a podcast. These are: 

Stage 1: Planning

Stage 2: Episode formatting

Stage 3: Podcast equipment

Stage 4: Podcast editing software

Stage 5: Publishing 

Let’s get started. 

How to Start a Podcast in 5 Easy Stages

Stage 1: Planning

First, let’s talk about your “why”. 

What is your “why”?

Are you a service-based business that wants to get more leads? 

Are you a YouTube content creator who wants to expand your audience reach through podcasting?

Or, are you someone who just loves talking to other people and provide educational or entertaining content like Joe Rogan or Jonathan Van Ness?

If you’re saying yes to any of these questions, or you have other reasons, keep in mind that your why will always be the reason to start a podcast and keep it running. 

Having the motivation to start a business like this can be nerve-wracking. But, if you are 100% certain with your why, that is enough to help you get started. 

A good starting point is to create a mission statement for your podcast. 

What is your mission?

What would your listeners benefit from your podcast?

What are your short term and long term goals for your podcast?

Knowing these will help you achieve clarity in terms of where your podcast is headed in the long run. 

Next, let’s talk about your audience. 

Who are they? 

Why would they listen? 

For example, you are a health and fitness coach and you want to start a podcast in 2021. Your ideal podcast listeners would probably be those who are interested in weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and lifestyle change. 

Another example would be if you love to teach about finance, saving, and budgeting, you’re listeners would be those who are struggling with debt, improving their credit scores, or have no idea on what investments to make this year. 

The more you know about your audience, the easier for you to come up with a strong mission statement. Plus, it will be a lot easier for you to curate content for them since you already know what they need from you. 

Lastly, let’s talk about naming your podcast.

3 of the most common options are:

1. Using a clever name – something that’s unique, easy to remember, and shows your personality
2. SEO friendly – a little straightforward, but very transparent
3. Your name – unless you’re thinking about getting a co-host 

But before we proceed to the second stage, let’s pause for a little bit and talk about legal matters. You see, just like any other online business, a podcast needs to be protected legally. For this, I highly recommend my Lite Podcast Legal Bundle. This bundle has 3 essential legal templates, namely:

• Podcast Sponsorship Agreement 
• Podcast Guest Agreement
• and the Podcast Co-Host Agreement

Having this Podcast Legal Bundle will give you peace of mind, knowing that your podcast is protected legally from the get-go. 

Stage 2: Episode formatting

Now, let’s talk about your podcast episodes. Here are some of the things you need to consider

1. The format – Is your podcast a solo show, with a co-host, or in interview format?
2. How long should your podcast episodes be? Do you prefer a 15-minute episode, half-hour, or one-hour episodes?
3. How often should you release your podcast episodes? How many episodes are there in one season?
4. Podcast episode titles  –  Just like choosing your podcast name, your podcast titles should be searchable, descriptive, and easy to remember.

Stage 3: Podcast equipment

Basically, you will need:

1. Computer/laptop
2. Microphone/s
3. Audio interface
4. Pop filter
5. Headphones
6. Mic stand
7. Shock mount

If you are looking for recommendations, I found this YouTube video about the best (and affordable) podcast setups for beginners that you may find helpful. 

Stage 4: Podcast editing software

There are many free and paid podcast editing software out there. But here are some of the best I found. 

1. Audacity – Compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS (free)
2. GarageBand – Compatible with iOS and macOS (free)
3. Fission – Compatible with macOS (free trial available, price starts at $29) 
4. Reaper – Compatible with macOS, Linux, Windows ($225)
5. Adobe Audition – Compatible with Windows, macOS (free trial available, $20.99/month)

Stage 5: Publishing

We’ve reached the most exciting part. And that is, to put your podcast out in the world. 

For this, you need a reliable podcast hosting platform. Just like a self-hosted WordPress blog, a podcast hosting platform is where you will upload your media files. If you have a blog already, you can repurpose your podcast episodes into blog post transcripts. 

But for podcast hosting, check out some of the best platforms below

1. Podbean – Free Plan with limited storage, paid plans starting from $9 / month with unlimited storage.
2. BuzzSprout – Limited free plan for 90 days. Paid plans start at $12 / month for 3 hours of upload.
3. Blubrry – Starting from $12 per month with 100 MB storage each month.
4. Transistor – Starting from $19 per month for up to 10,000 downloads each month
5. SoundCloud – Free plan with 3 hours of upload limit. Paid plans start from $6 per month.

Then, you if want to put your podcast on Spotify, here’s the link to find out the steps on how to add and claim your podcast. 

Conclusion

Starting a podcast in 2021 can be one of the most exciting things you can do this year. But remember, it’s easy to get started. How to start a podcast and keep it running is a different story. 

Moreover, in the grand scheme of things, while having a professional podcast setup is important, having an authentic voice is key to running a successful podcast. 

Lastly, I’d highly recommend you get my Lite Podcast Legal Bundle to protect your blog legally.  

Why do you want to start a podcast? 

Who or what inspired you to start one this year?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Good luck.