Podcast: What you need to get started

Podcast
What you need to get started

Recording a podcast isn’t difficult.

© Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com

Podcasts are growing in popularity. If you want to become a podcaster yourself, you don’t need a lot of previous training.

Podcasts have been around for many years now, but the corona pandemic in particular has seen a real boom in audio and video content that is distributed regularly on the Internet. While in 2019 it was still 26 percent of consumers who at least occasionally watched podcasts, according to a survey by the industry association Bitkom from last summer in July 2020, it was already 33 percent. “Podcasts have become widely accepted,” explained Bitkom expert Dr. Sebastian Klöß back then. “The production effort is limited and a wide variety of content is now available on all common platforms – whether news, true crime or talk formats.”

Everything starts with an idea

Before you get the hardware and software for the recording, you should first define the concept. So it should be clear what it is all about. Should the format deal with popular series, fitness in the home office or mysterious phenomena? Any topic is conceivable, simple discussions about God and the world can be well received by the listener. Often, however, podcasts deal with specific topics. Because if you feel like following a discussion about video games, you will probably switch off very quickly when suddenly it comes to excessive football.

It is also advisable to introduce a certain structure into the recording in advance. For example, bullet points that should be dealt with can help. This way, no important aspects are forgotten and it will probably be easier for the listener to be able to follow what has been discussed later. You can also influence the recording time a little in this way. If you have a long list in front of you, you should first sift out a few bullet points so that the podcast episode becomes more streamlined, which is usually better for many listeners. However, there is no fixed rule, because there are successful podcasts whose episodes are only a few minutes long and similar formats whose episodes run for hours.

Which software and hardware?

Basically, it doesn’t take much to record a podcast. For simple productions, free programs and a decent microphone are usually sufficient. There are, for example, good entry-level microphones that users can easily connect to a computer or laptop via USB. Anyone who now buys a pop filter that is supposed to minimize background noise is actually already equipped for their first attempts. Many devices, for example from brands such as Audio-Technica, Marantz, t.bone or Rode, are usually available for between 50 and 130 euros. Even cheaper devices are available in stores. If you enjoy podcasting and are successful, you can always upgrade later.

An application is also required for the recording itself. Here, too, it is usually sufficient, especially at the beginning, to use cheap or even free programs. The audio recorder and editor, for example, is widely used “Audacity”which is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. The application does more than just record an audio source. The recorded can also be edited directly. Among other things, users can remove unwanted snippets, adjust the volume of the recording or reduce noise if this occurs. Conversations conducted online – for example via Skype or Zoom – can in many cases be recorded directly using a corresponding built-in function.

The right music

In order not to violate copyrights or rights of use, podcasters are not allowed to simply run current hits by Katy Perry (36), Justin Bieber (27, “Justice”) and Co. in the background. Instead, users have to fall back on license-free music or on songs from corresponding libraries that enable use for a low fee – including sites such as “Premium Beat” or that “Free Music Archive”. The respective terms of use for songs and jingles can be found with the provider.

Publish podcasts

Corresponding providers also help with the publication of a podcast, including “PodBean”, “buzzsprout” and “Podcaster.de”. These offer the advantage that one contact point combines a lot and usually no technical training is necessary. Podcasts can be published here and distributed on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Deezer. Often there are free offers or test phases, but only with restrictions such as time limits and the like. For a larger range of functions and the removal of the limitations, however, monthly amounts are due. How you can submit a podcast to Spotify and Co. yourself so that potential listeners can find it, the services explain on their support websites.

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