Congratulations! You’ve finally decided to kick-start your dreams by creating a podcast series. But how do you start? And how do you ensure that your creative endeavor doesn’t end up breaking the bank, but still ends up successful? After all, don’t you need very high-end products and technical equipment to produce and edit a great podcast? Fortunately, that last part isn't true. It’s actually fairly easy to launch a podcast on a budget without sacrificing quality, if you know what to prioritize, how to get started, and where to purchase affordable podcasting equipment.
If you want to start a podcast, but have concerns about your budget, don’t worry—we have you covered. Here is the bare minimum you need to launch a podcast:
1. Figure out your podcast name, structure and concept
First things first, it’s important to figure out what your goal is for your podcast—do you want to become a thought leader in a particular field? Generate sales leads? Educate or entertain your audience? Knowing your underlying objective will help you make decisions when it comes to deciding on the topic, format, length, and structure of your podcast.
2. Create a brand kit that includes a logo, brand guidelines, and cover art
If you already have access to a following, you can also include your existing social media. Whatever you do, don’t neglect the artwork as it’s the first thing that potential consumers will see and will communicate the type of quality that listeners can expect from your show. At the end of the day, your artwork is your first impression, yet this step is often overlooked by many content creators.
3. Record, edit and produce your podcast
Recording and audio editing have one of the biggest impacts on the quality of your show and so you may be tempted to go all-out on the most expensive tech you can find. There’s no need for that! You can buy decent equipment to get you started for as little as $100–500 (check out our product recommendations here). As for audio editing, you can either do it yourself by taking advantage of free editing software or outsource this aspect of production to one of our expert freelancers on Quill.
4. Make hosting and distribution decisions
Signing up for a media hosting site is the easiest and simplest way to publish your podcast on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. We’ve recommended some of our favorite hosting sites at all price points in the guide below. 5. Set up your analytics. It’s important to keep track of analytics because each platform has unique data that can help you paint a fuller picture of who your listeners are, what content they prefer, any areas for improvement, and how well your podcast is doing. For instance, in addition to being distribution platforms, Apple Podcasts and Spotify provide analytic tools specific to their platforms.
While launching a podcast takes effort, commitment, time and resources, it doesn’t have to break the bank. The following step-by-step guide was designed as a resource for all content creators looking for advice on how to launch a podcast on a budget.
