It seems like everyone has a podcast these days. If you’re looking for tips on how to start a podcast, this article is for you. There are literally millions of podcasts out there now, so the market is obviously saturated.

As you probably know, if you’re a regular on my blog, I’m a radio host at WRIF in Detroit, Michigan. I also host a podcast called the Audio Ink Radio Show. Radio and podcasting are closely tied, and people often ask me for advice on starting a podcast.

Here are a handful of tips on how to start a podcast to help make your new show soar. By the way, a few of my favorite podcasts right now are Kid L’s video podcast, Izzy Presley’s podcast, Joel Osteen’s podcast and, shameless plug, my Audio Ink Radio podcast.

1. Pick a topic you’re passionate about

When you start a podcast, unless it’s for just a season or two, chances are you’re going to live with it for a long time. So, pick a topic that you’re passionate about and will want to talk about for a long time. Do you love college football, or perhaps technology? Pick a topic. I would also advise to pick a topic within a topic, so your podcast isn’t too broad. Going with a niche should be more successful in the long run.

2. Figure out your target audience

After you figure out your subject, try to determine who is excited about that particular topic. Figure out the demographics for your podcast, because it won’t appeal to everyone. There’s no use in marketing a podcast that will resonate with 25-55 year old men to 18-25 women. As yourself a few questions. How old is your average listener? What are their hobbies and passions? Where do they live?

3. Get the gear

I wouldn’t get too bogged down with the perfect gear for your show, but you do want to sound good. There are plenty of attachments you can get for your smart phone and computer that will help you record good audio. You’ll need a mic, headphones and mixers, if it’s an audio podcast. If it’s video, you’ll also need a good video camera and lighting. For more on that, I find this article helpful. Once you get your gear set up, do some test runs and make sure the audio sounds good.

4. Determine how long your show episodes should be

This was a big one when starting my podcast. I actually started with very short episodes- like, less than 10 minutes. That was fine at first, but I kept getting requests to have longer episodes. So, I upped the time to around 30 minutes. I still post shorter, and longer, episodes at times. For example, my 2022 birthday show is about 20 minutes. But, I try to keep the shows around 30 minutes.

5. Have fun with your podcast

Have fun! That’s really the No. 1 rule with podcasting. Podcasts are supposed to be fun to listen to, and if you’re enjoying doing the shows, your audience will enjoy listening to them. That goes back to the tip to be passionate about your subject. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via the social media links on this website!