How to Start A Podcast
Podcasting is now evidently one of the most preferred sources of knowledge and entertainment globally. It is an excellent medium for creators to share their ideas with their niche audience. If you wish to start podcasting in India and aspire for your podcast to trend on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts within your niche, you will need a combination of things to execute well. Right from figuring out the podcast topics to buying your first podcast equipment, recording, and monetizing your podcast, we will cover everything in detail in this article. This article is a one-stop solution to all your queries if you wish to know how to start podcasting in India.
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Select a Podcast Topic
- Shop Your Podcasting Setup
- Start Recording
- Editing and Mastering
- Distribution
- Where Should I Publish my Podcast?
Select A Podcast Topic
If you are an aspiring podcast creator, the first baby step is to finalize the podcast topic or genre, along with the corresponding audience. We recommend that beginner creators pick topics they are truly passionate about—something that wakes them up every morning to jot down ideas and transform them into content ready to be published. We also recommend choosing specific topics with a niche audience and creating content that makes them fall in love with it, so they keep coming back. You can then gradually expand into new areas. For the name, pick one that is creative yet simple, allowing the audience to immediately grasp the essence of the podcast. Choose a podcasting format that best suits your content and makes your delivery more engaging. Common formats include Solo (Monologue), Interview, Co-Host, Panel Discussion, and more.
Shop Your Podcasting Setup
Whether you want a vanilla podcasting setup or a professional recording setup, the general equipment remains the same.
Beginner podcasters need to figure out the following: an audio and video setup, a computer with an internet connection, and a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to record and edit the podcast.
For the video part, a phone with a decent camera works well. Having a dedicated camera is the cherry on top.
The audio setup depends entirely on your budget. Nevertheless, a typical audio podcast setup includes a podcasting microphone, monitoring headphones, an audio interface (if the budget permits), and accessories such as cables, a desktop stand/boom arm, and a windscreen.
The number of each item depends on the podcast format—a solo podcast demands one, while a co-host format would need two of each. This would be sufficient to create a basic podcast studio setup.
Once the podcast has been recorded and edited, it is ready to be published to a podcast web hosting platform and then distributed to podcast directories like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Podcasting Microphone
A general rule for all budget ranges is to choose a good-quality dynamic broadcast-style microphone, as it is less sensitive to background noise than a condenser microphone. It is also more rugged and durable than the latter. Plug the microphone into an audio interface, which in turn connects to a computer or a field recorder, and your setup is ready.
However, in the lower budget range, decent condenser microphones offer greater presence than dynamic microphones—particularly a usb condenser microphone*, which is a direct plug-and-play solution and does not require an external audio interface, helping reduce costs. If you are working with a tight budget, you may opt for a quality condenser microphone with effective noise cancellation and basic room acoustics. Since treating a room can also be expensive, you may need to rely on simple DIY acoustic treatment and record in an isolated environment.
Below are some of the popular podcast microphones for different budget ranges:
Monitoring Headphones
Monitoring your podcast while recording lets you hear your own voice without the influence of room acoustics. It helps you catch mistakes such as clipping, distortion, pops, plosives, crackles, and background noise in real time.
Monitoring while recording prevents unnecessary over-editing or having to re-record the entire podcast, which can be very frustrating—especially for beginners, who would definitely not want to re-record an episode if the audio does not meet their expectations.
Monitoring also helps develop good recording habits. Beginners learn what good audio should sound like, improving their technique over time.
The headphones best suited for podcast monitoring are closed-back studio monitoring headphones with a flat frequency response, so they do not color the sound and reproduce audio as accurately as possible. The closed-back design provides sound isolation and prevents audio from leaking back into the microphone. Moreover, a flat frequency response helps you judge the sound naturally, without coloration. The headphones should also be comfortable enough for long recording sessions.
Additionally, we recommend using only wired headphones, as wireless ones may introduce latency.
Audio Interface
If you have an XLR microphone, it cannot be plugged directly into a computer or a podcast recorder. You need an audio interface for this purpose.
An audio interface converts the microphone's analog output signal into digital signals, which can then be stored and processed by a computer or a podcast recorder. Plug your microphone into an audio interface, which in turn connects to a computer or a recorder, and you are ready to record.
Beginners with a tight budget may simply choose a USB microphone. However, an external audio interface provides better sound quality and more flexible equalization options than the one built into a USB microphone.
The choice of an audio interface depends entirely on the podcast format. Solo podcasts may work well with a single microphone input, while a co-host podcast requires at least two microphone input channels.
Accessories
The following accessories complement the overall setup:
Boom Arm - Reduces desktop thump noise and provides greater flexibility in microphone positioning. It also does not obstruct the view, especially in solo or co-host podcast formats. For beginners, a metal boom arm with 3/8" and 5/8" adapters and a load capacity of at least 1 kg works best.
Desktop stand - Can be used if the microphone needs to remain stationary. The downside is that desktop vibrations may be slightly more noticeable compared to a boom arm. For beginners, a heavy circular metal base with rubber feet should be the standard. Avoid tripod stands, as they are generally less stable.
Pop Filter - Prevents plosives—sudden bursts of "P" and "B" sounds—from affecting the audio. Some creators skip it and use only a windscreen, which also works well, but a pop filter generally does a better job. A 6-inch dual-layer nylon filter is recommended for podcast microphones.
Shock Mount - Absorbs vibrations by suspending the microphone with elastic insulators. A spider-style shock mount that is compatible with your microphone is recommended.
Windscreen - A mic windscreen, usually made of foam for podcast microphones. It prevents airflow from sources such as air conditioners and room coolers from affecting the recording.
Podcast Recording Software and Hardware
Once you have assembled and connected your setup, you are ready to record. However, there is one more step—where do you record the audio?
The simplest answer is a computer, and that's correct. You need a podcast recording software on your computer and/or a podcast recorder if you are in a remote location with no access to your recording setup.
The software used to record, edit, mix, and master audio is called a Digital Audio Workstation, commonly abbreviated as DAW.
A Digital Audio Workstation is an application where you can:
- Record podcast conversations
- Edit audio and video
- Mix podcast audio tracks
- Apply audio effects
- Master podcast episodes
As a beginner, we suggest starting with Audacity, a free and open-source digital audio workstation with an extremely easy-to-use interface.
If you are looking to upgrade, Reaper is another DAW worth considering. It is low-cost, lightweight, stable, and widely used by professional podcasters around the world. Regarded as one of the best DAWs for podcasters looking to upgrade, Reaper offers an advanced workflow and most of the professional audio effects that experienced creators need. If you require additional features such as voice restoration, AI noise reduction, and more, there are plenty of plugins available.
If you are recording a podcast with remote guests, you may need remote recording platforms such as Riverside, StreamYard, and Zencastr. These applications record each guest's audio and video separately in high quality, which is not possible with online meeting platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet.
Start Recording
Once your setup is ready and connected to your computer with a DAW installed, or to a podcast recorder, you are ready to record.
Make sure your room has decent acoustic treatment, such as acoustic foam or other sound-absorbing materials. If that is not possible, you should at least record in a quiet room.
A very important aspect of recording is direct monitoring, especially for beginners. Direct monitoring is a low-latency process that allows podcasters to catch issues early and avoid unnecessary rework. Even seasoned podcasters wear monitoring headphones, as this helps them improve the recording quality while the podcast is being recorded.
Once you have finished recording, the next step is editing and post-production.
Editing and Mastering
Once the podcast is recorded, fixing the recording (editing) and polishing it (mixing and mastering) become extremely important.
If you are just starting out, you should understand the purpose and application of basic effects such as noise reduction, High Pass Filter, Equaliser (EQ), Compressor, Limiter, and Normalization. By applying most of these effects correctly, you can achieve a great-sounding podcast.
For professionals and creators who have already recorded and published content and are looking for an upgrade, additional plugins such as De-essing, AI Voice Restoration, Dynamic EQ, Multiband Compression, Saturation/Exciter, and Loudness Metering can further enhance the final output.
Distribution
After you have the final recording ready, the next step is to host it on podcast hosting platforms like Spotify for Creators, Buzzsprout, Transistor, RSS.com, and others.
What is an RSS Feed?
An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed is an XML file that contains the actual podcast recording along with its metadata, such as the cover art and other associated files.
To set up an RSS Feed, you can either do it yourself or let your podcast host generate it for you. Once you upload your recording to the hosting platform, it automatically generates the RSS Feed.
Submit the RSS Feed link to podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, allowing them to fetch your podcast information automatically without requiring manual re-uploads. This lets you publish your podcast on multiple platforms with ease.
Where Should I Publish my Podcast?
We suggest publishing your podcast on as many platforms as possible to maximize its distribution. Optimize the podcast title, description, and cover art, making them relevant to your content and compelling for your audience.
To help you avoid the hassle of selecting the right gear within your budget, recording, processing, distribution, or any other step involved in podcasting, we are with you every step of the way.
Our podcast bundles are carefully crafted by sound engineers, with every component selected to work seamlessly together. Whether you're just starting out or looking to upgrade your existing setup, there's a bundle to suit your needs.
The next step is to grow your podcast. Stay tuned for our next blog. 7th Chord is with you at every step of your podcasting journey.
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