Podcasts: why you should create one and how to start

Since Serial’s first season came out in fall 2014, podcasts achieved more exposure and recognition. Currently, they show no signs of slowing down.

But what is a podcast? And, is it worth creating your own podcast? How?

Today we're going to explain everything you need to know about Podcasts. And after that, we guarantee you'll be able to tell for sure if your content may or may not benefit from it.

WHAT IS A PODCAST

The concept of Podcast is easy to understand, but hard to describe. So first things first: what does the word “Podcast” mean?

Ben Hammersley, a British internet technologist, introduced the word in 2004, in a Guardian newspaper article. He borrowed "pod" from Apple's iPod, and the "cast" part is taken from "broadcast". Like "Radio broadcast".

So there you go, "Podcast".

Now that we're done with the etymology let's got back to the concept.

You can think of a podcast as an "internet Radio on-demand" since the format works similar to radio shows. Only it’s distributed differently.

The AM and FM radio band only have so many channels. Consequently, radio stations attempt to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible. After all, they do need to attract sponsors and advertisers. But podcasting does not necessarily depend that much on advertising revenue. Also, since it's distributed based on the internet, there is no technological limit. Podcasts are also on demand, which means the audience controls the schedule. They can hear the program anytime they want.

The creator of a podcast can host her episodes maintaining a central list of the files on a server as a web feed. Listeners can access this web feed to stream or download episodes using a client application software known as podcatchers. It seems hard to understand, right? But practically, it means you have to download an app from your phones app store and search for podcasts with the app. There, you can listen, download and subscribe to podcast shows feeds and you're good to go.

Podcasts are usually free of charge to listeners, and you can often create them with no cost at all. Anyone with a computer and a recording device (or even a cheap headset) can produce a podcast. And that's the beauty of it.

PODCAST, A MEDIA WITH A STRONG FEMALE PRESENCE

Podcast’s awareness is still on the rise, on a path to ubiquity. According to an annual report called "The Infinite Dial", published by Edison Research, in 2017 the number of Americans who listen to at least one podcast per month reached its peak: 24%. If you're not impressed by this number, try considering that according to the same report in the same year, 23% of Americans use Twitter.

But it isn't only the popularity Serial gave to the platform that's interesting here. It's also women’s representativeness in the Podcast industry.

Serial is an investigative podcast presented and produced by Sarah Koenig, the journalist who tells a nonfiction story about a murder.

And Serial is far from being an exception. NPR's (the National Public Radio in the United States) Invisibilia blends narrative storytelling with science to make us think about the life that surrounds us. Or, as they would describe it themselves, "Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions.". It's also hosted and produced by women: Alix Spiegel, Hanna Rosin, and Lulu Miller. In 2015, The Guardian considered it one of the 10 best new podcasts.

There are a bunch of other podcasts made by women - and for women too. Here are some examples:

#LikeAGirl is hosted and produced by Alesha Dixon and Hannah Witton. They discuss confidence issues and fear of failure, on a mission to empower young women to embrace frustration as fuel and keep going #LikeAGirl.

Radio Cherry Bombe is hosted and produced by Kerry Diamond. She interviews women in the food business - from food stylists to big, huge names in the industry about their careers.

Democracy Now!, hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman, provides daily global news headlines, in-depth interviews and investigative reports without any advertisements or government funding.

Black Girl in Omis hosted and produced by Lauren Ash. It promotes conversations on wellness, self-care, and self-love for women of color.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT PODCASTS... WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU WANT TO CREATE ONE?

Creating a podcast is quite simple. The hardest thing is to keep it going. Podcasts need dedication, perseverance, responsibility and most important, consistency.

That means if you tell your audience you're going to put new episodes every new week, you'll have to follow that schedule. And, at the start, consistency is necessary because that's how people will make listening to your podcast a habit.

Are you ready to commit yourself to it? Good, good. Let's look at what you must have to create your podcast.

Microphone(s): any will do the job, but the audio quality is quite important. People will be listening and paying attention to your voice most of the time, after all. But you can start your way from the bottom with a headset or simple microphone and upgrade it after you’ve acquired some experience as to what works for you and what you feel your needs are.

A computer: most of the modern hardware will perform well in audio editing. Windows or Mac, both should work fine to record, edit and upload your podcast. If you're going for the professional microphones, make sure to check if your hardware can handle it.

Audio editing software: for beginners, we highly recommend Audacity. It's an open source software, totally free, and will do the job. After getting used to that, if you want to upgrade your editing possibilities (and performance), you can consider upgrading to software such as Reaper (a fully loaded audio production app for only $60) or Adobe's Audition CC (available with a $19.99 monthly subscription).

Find your niche: as you read earlier, there are already a ton of podcasts about almost everything. But you shouldn't get discouraged. It's a matter of finding your way of making an old idea into something new. And like any other media, you'll have to try and test things out.

Host your podcast:

After planning, creating and executing your podcast, you also need to host it somewhere. Here are some popular services that you should check out:

Soundcloud offers free podcast hosting (in addition to two competitive paid options for when you get a little more serious) and lets you already distribute your podcast via RSS feed.

Blubrry lets you host a podcast (including professional podcast statistics) and also offers an optional website that you can create for your podcast if you don't have one.

Podbean provides multiple tiers of hosting, even a free option that, although good, is relatively limited. The service has an iOS and Android app for listening, but you'll have to pay to get their best features.

Podomatic offers free hosting with enough bandwidth and storage for beginners, and you can also sign up for their pro option if you ever need more bandwidth.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STARTERS

We just scratched the surface here. There's still a lot to learn and see. It's a broad topic. So, if you're eager to learn more, here is our last recommendation:

Out on the Wire, by Jessica Abel, is a nonfiction graphic narrative that puts you behind the scenes of seven of today's most popular narrative radio shows and podcasts, like This American Life and Radiolab.

Also, be sure to check out these other podcasts: The American Life, Conversations With People Who Hate Me, Song Exploder, S Town and Welcome To Night Vale.