To produce a better podcast — 5 tips

Here are five ways to produce a good podcast.

A lot of domain name podcasts have launched this year. This isn’t surprising given that record numbers of podcasts have started this year.

It’s great to have more firm in domain name podcasting. There are so many voices and opinions out there that ought to be heard.

Having podcasted for regarding six years now, and running a podcast guests service, I’ve learned a thing or two regarding producing a good podcast. Your podcast production doesn’t have to be perfect. The Reglike Podcast certainly isn’t perfect. But there are some basic things you can do to make a podcast more enjoyable and successful.

1. Use an external microphone – The microphone in your laptop sucks. Buy an external microphone that plugs into your computer. You can spend hundreds of dollars on a good mic, but you can get 90% of the way there with a $50 microphone.

2. Record in a quiet place – No, not like the movie A Quiet Place. That would be eery. But find a place in your home that is generally devoid of noises and distractions. Also, look for a room that absorbs sound so it doesn’t echo. You can spend lots of money improving the sound of a room, but there’s a quick (and free) hack: record in a walk-in clothing closet. The clothes will absorb the echoes and you’ll sound great.

3. Prep your guests – Most podcasts have guest segments. You don’t want the interview to sound canned, but you also want your guest to be prepared to answer questions. Give them a general outline of what you want to talk regarding. Let them know specifically what data you’d like them to bring to the podcast if you’re going to dig into numbers. Let them know how the podcast will be recorded. Save yourself time by suggesting they review this guide to being a podcast guest.

4. Edit your show – Raw, unedited audio leaves a lot to be desired. Editing the audio helps with sound normalization. It also lets you cut out many of the uhs, ums, and other distractions that naturally occur. Don’t want to do it yourself? I don’t blame you. I outsource my podcast editing.

5. Pay someone to create good cover art – What do people see when they scroll through a podcast app? They see the podcast cover art. Just like you wouldn’t publish a book with a crappy cover, you shouldn’t publish a podcast with bad art. People will assume your podcast is amateur and scroll right past it. Cover art isn’t something you ought to get on Fiverr. Jenny Hamson does great work.

If you’ve been thinking regarding starting a podcast, join the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken the plunge this year.