Have you got an amazing idea for a podcast? Then, you’ll need the proper tech to get you started. The good news is you can read all about that tech and why you’ll need it to become a podcasting success, as shown below.
Reasons to start a podcast
Podcasts are taking off in a way that no one expected, with people listening to their favourite shows and podcasters working out in the gym, doing chores at home, and even right before they go to sleep.
There are plenty of reasons you may want to start a podcast, too, including cashing in on the type of listenership mentioned above. After all, if you have enough listeners, companies will pay you to advertise their products, which can be very lucrative. Podcasts are also a great tool when it comes to marketing, as they allow you to establish authority and trust in your field and reach as many people as possible. Lastly, you may want to begin podcasting because you have a passion for a particular subject, such as a burning desire to solve a cold case or to spread your love for a specific franchise to others.
Indeed, many people successfully use a combination of the reasons above to get into podcasting. Now that you know more about the reasons people start a podcast, let’s look at the essential items of technology, hardware, and software you’ll need to be successful.
An awesome microphone
First of all, if you are going to put out a professional podcast that you want others to listen to, you will need a good microphone. That means just recording your audio on your iPhone or PC isn’t quite going to cut it. Indeed, if your audio quality is poor, it doesn’t matter how good your content is because it will take too much work for people to listen, and they will inevitably end up going somewhere else for their audio entertainment.
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Instead, you will need a good microphone that will pick up everything you say and help filter out background noise. The most basic of these, and usually the cheapest, are the USB versions that range from around £20-£30. However, if you want an even better sound quality than an XLR microphone with a mixer, which tends to range from £50-£100 plus, is a better choice.
Decent headphones
If you want to get into podcasting, you’ll also want to invest in a pair of decent headphones. This means good ones, but they don’t have to be the best, especially in the beginning.
Cans or on-ear headphones, as they are also known, are usually ideal as they provide excellent noise cancelling (for background noise) and sound quality. However, if you are concerned that you can get distracted by other noises in your space when doing video/audio interviews, then a pair of noise-isolating headphones may be a better choice.
A boom for your mic
Now for a real professional piece of equipment, a mic boom. A mic boom is an articulated arm that holds your mic for you. There are several benefits to this, including improved sound quality and convenience.
A mic boom will improve sound quality because it removes the necessity to manually hold your mic in the same spot throughout the recording. It is way harder to do when you are concentrating on other things like interviewing guests or having a discussion.
A boom can also be very convenient because it frees up your hands as you record. This means you can easily do other things such as control your recording software, search for things online, and even just relax as you record.
Having said all that, while a boom is a nice-to-have item, it’s not a must-have item, especially when you are first starting as a podcaster. Instead, it may be something that you invest in as your podcast grows.
A clever bit of tech known as a pop filter
Unless you have experience in audio recording, it’s very unlikely that you will know what a pop filter is. A pop filter is a filter that sits over your microphone and tones down all the P and B sounds you make. A pop filter is often needed because when we talk, our P and B sounds are often exaggerated, making almost popping sounds.
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Of course, this can get very irritating for anyone listening, which means they are more likely to navigate away and seek out alternative content. That is why it makes sense to invest in a pop filter. However, if you can’t afford one when you first start, you can reduce the popping effects of Ps and Bs by only speaking into the side of your microphone rather than the front.
Recording and editing software
Few people record their podcast in a single take that requires zero editing before it’s released to the public. Indeed, even if you are happy with all the content, you may want to play around with the sound quality and effects before publishing. That is why you will need the proper recording and editing software.
The good news is that there are plenty of software options you can use to make the podcast recording and editing process as easy as possible. Many people used Garageband for this process as it’s included on most Macs, making it free. Another free alternative is Adobe Audition, which offers non-destructive mixing, so you won’t run the risk of losing any content during the editing process.
Other pieces of software that are useful for this stage of your podcast process include tools that allow you to extract audio from video with ease. These are especially useful if you make YouTube videos and want to publish the same content in an audio format, as it means you can do so quickly and easily, and you don’t have to do a second recording.
Another piece of editing software you might need is an ID3 Editor. This is because ID3 tags are the industry standard for podcasts and allow creators to tag titles, tracks, and the creators involved, as well as link the album artwork so it appears once downloaded. Some editing software has ID3 built-in, but if yours does not, you can use separate software for this process.
Video conferencing account
Lastly, many podcasts include guest interviews as a way to make things more interesting and get diverse opinions to discuss. However, to have good-quality sound, you’ll want to make sure you and your guest have a video conferencing account so you can connect. The platform you choose is up to you, and some options include Apple video chat, Zoom and Skype.