Podcraft | How To Run A Great Podcast

Video conferencing and online calls have rocketed in the past couple of months, for obvious reasons!For many this new way of working is yet another steep learning curve in amongst all the other craziness that has happened since the start of 2020….. moving from face to face to remote working and virtual meetings.Life is stressful enough for many people at the moment, without needing to figure the best ways of working online, whilst broadband is being shared amongst a household and you’re working from the kitchen table!So, I got together with Maryanne Johnstone from the Agile Speaker podcast to do a joint series on how to communicate online, whether it's for work - your own team or clients - or for home - family and friends. In this short series we'll cover the logistics, including software, gear and setups. We'll cover how to prepare for these calls, so they go well. And we'll cover how to deliver them - how to make sure they run smoothly. This time around it's the logistics. So, let's find out what's the best

We recently ran a listener survey, exploring the discovery and listening habits of 780 podcast consumers. 41% of participants have never run their own show before. Read the full reportSome of the key takeaways were40% prefer to search their listening app's directory to discover new podcastsPodcasts are judged mostly on the description, and then their episode titlesPeople don't care if they've never heard of the podcaster, or their guest28.9% of listeners will give a show up to 15 minutes to “hook” them27.5%, on the other hand, will only give it 5 minutesThe vast majority of listeners are fine with ads in podcasts, within reasonGoing too long can lose you more listeners than going too shortSupport the show

This week, we're bringing you a final bonus episode, coming from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.Support the show

This week, and for 1 more week, we're bringing you episodes from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.Support the show (https://pod.academy)

This week, and for the next 2 weeks, we're bringing you episodes from a new show that Colin's just released, called the Podcasting Tools show. It's a podcast all about gear, gadgets, resources and tools for podcasters, something that Colin's super geeky about, and something that's always gone down well with readers of thePodcastHost.com. The aim is short reviews, comparisons and tutorials that'll help you improve your show in just 10 minutes each week. Listen to this episode to see if you like it and subscribe over at:https://www.ThePodcastHost.com/podcastingtools.Support the show

Podchaser is often referred to as “the IMDb of podcasting”.The company was founded in 2016 with the goal of creating the “ultimate, platform-agnostic podcast database.” On this episode of Podcraft, Colin is joined by founder Cole Raven to talk about the various ways podcasters can utilise Podchaser.The platform enables you to create your own profile. Then, you can link that profile it to all the shows and episodes you've ever been involved in.Podchaser lets other users “follow” your show, so they'll never miss an update from you in their feed. They have a great ‘lists' feature too, so you can create themed lists of your favourite podcasts or podcast episodes. There's also a rating and review system. Cole points out that many podcasters ask for iTunes/Apple reviews on their shows, which excludes the huge number of folks listening on non iOS devices. With Podchaser, anyone with an account can leave your show a rating and review.Users can even review individual episodes. You could start to leverage this by askin

New mics turn up on our doorstep all the time here at The Podcast Host. Which is handy, because our ‘best podcast microphones' article is one of the most popular on the entire site.Many podcasters love equipment and gear. And, though it's far from the most important factor in making a great podcast, who doesn't like to try out some brand new kit?So what exactly did we try out mic-wise in 2019? I thought I'd put together the sound samples recorded for each individual review, so you could listen through and compare them in one easy-to-listen place.What You'll HearHere's what we'll be listening to, along with links to their full reviews on the site.AKG Lyra USB – $150Electro Voice RE20 – $400Aston Stealth – $400Zoom SSH-6 Shotgun Attachment – $150Rode Wireless Go – $210AntLion ModMic USB – $70Rode Procaster – $200Rode Rodecaster – $600It's worth saying up front, that if you don't listen to this episode with over-ear headphones on, the subtle differences between each one might be lost on you.That said, listening

On the episode, I talk to David Bain, a long time and very prolific podcaster, the one I remember most being Digital Marketing Radio. David is also the author of Marketing Now (available very soon on Amazon!), which is a book which had it's genesis in a podcast. David is in good company with this type of repurposing, one of the biggest examples being Tim Ferriss and the Tools of Titans book. Tim created that book based on the hundreds of hours of content he's produced as part of his interview-based podcast. So, I thought I'd get David on the show, incase you want to follow in the footsteps of David and Tim. Here he talks about the 6-step process he used to create Marketing Now, and how you can create your own book. You'll find out:How David came up with the idea for the book, and how he created previous ones using the same method.How to think about book structure, and how that boils down into planning the audio content to base it onHow a live broadcast is a natural extension of a podcastHow he turned a live b

Interviews are a big part of podcasting, and for good reason.They break up the potential monotony of one voice talking for too long, they add expertise and gravitas to your episode, and it's a chance to tap into your interviewee's own following – a tale of two audiences!You'll want to get the most out of your interviewee and maximise their contribution to your cause. That boils down to the conversation you have, and the questions you ask. No pressure.We've covered how to record an interview extensively, so now it's down to what you should be asking them! That's what we cover on this episode.Read the full articleThere are two parts to this.First, we'll go into how to formulate interview questions focused on your own topic, and on the interviewee themselves. Every good interview should be mostly tailored to the person you're interviewing after all.But, second, we'll look at the types of more general questions you can use to dig deep and get some interesting, unexpected responses.  Bear in mind, of these, some q

Every successful podcast has to be unique in some way. If there's no uniqueness, then there's no draw. There's no reason to listen.And with over 700,000 podcasts in Apple Podcasts, you have to give people a reason to listen.Read the full articleTaking on a new podcast, as a listener, is a commitment. Don't underestimate that. It's giving up 20 minute of your time, at a minimum, to find out: is this any good? Is this going to make my life better?Dramatic? Yea. But true? Undoubtedly.They want a problem solved. Anything from the deep three – health, wealth and happiness – to the surface one – fighting boredom. They pick their problem, and they search a topic based on that. So, when they find your category, the question becomes: “Why should I listen to this particular show, and not one of the other squillion shows on video games?”That's where your uniqueness comes in. It's what makes you stand out from the crowd. It's what attracts listeners to you like a moth to the flame.Do you know what your uniqueness is? Or

We've run our annual Grand Gear Survey to find out what podcasters are using to record their shows in 2019? We also found out a bit about how they're recording. Read the full article - complete with graphs and chartsIn this episode, we talk through the results in full. You'll hear stats from our sample of 330 podcasters on the following;Top Microphone BrandsTop Microphone ModelsMicrophone TypesMic StandsPop FiltersMonitoring HeadphonesPost-ProductionRecording DevicesRecording MethodsVideo RecordingLive RecordingA big thanks to NameSilo for sponsoring this episode. Use our coupon code podcraft to get $1 off your first order. Support the show

In a world of YouTube views and Twitter followers, we've become accustomed to figures in the hundreds of thousands, and even millions.Read the full articleIt's important to realise though, these numbers are completely irrelevant to podcasting. The time and effort it takes for someone to click ‘Follow' on Twitter, or watch a few seconds of a Youtube video, should never be compared to podcast listening.Podcast listening is a commitment, and an investment. It's long form content that isn't immediately accessible via shiny sidebars and viral social media clickbait.So comparing your downloads to someone else's Instagram followers is like comparing the number of rooms in your house, to the number of trees in the Amazon. It's completely irrelevant and utterly pointless.Does it (as usual) Just Depend?Of course it does.Could a podcast about breeding Russian white dwarf hamsters realistically expect to see the same downloads as a podcast about Game of Thrones? Absolutely not.Does this mean that the podcast with more do

Podcast advertising is just one of many ways to grow your show's audience.Growing an audience, ultimately, starts with creating good content on a consistent basis though. Then, if you make it easy to find and share, you'll struggle not to grow your audience.However, many early-stage and aspiring podcasters don't like to hear that it can take months, or even years, to build an established listener-base.Podcasting is a long game though, and “overnight success” is a myth in this medium.Getting More PlaysThere's no getting away from the above facts. But, for those willing to spend some money, it is possible to get more ears on your podcast in a short period of time.Of course, your content will still need to do its job in making these listeners stick around to hit subscribe. But, you're listening to this podcast, so naturally, you've already got that part nailed down!So, where can you actually run some podcast advertising? And which options are the most suited to you and your target audience?What are the Paid Podc

In this episode I'm talking to Kennedy and Rob Temple from Responsesuite. Their speciality is using surveys to get your know your audience, and particularly to in using them to create great products or services that suit exactly what your listeners need. So, if you've been looking to grow your listeners, and start using your podcast to sell a product or a service, this episode is right up your street. You'll learn how Rob and Kennedy think about listener avatars, how that helps you create better content and grow awareness around your show, how that then leads to great products and services, and how surveys can be used throughout this to get the real detail that makes a difference.Support the show

Some might call this a "Pet Peeves" episode, but you can also think of them as "Growth Opportunities". Are you doing some things that might be costing listeners to drop off and unsubscribe? Or is your show set up in the way that it's really hard to even find listeners in the first place? Then you might want to check yourself against our 10 Commandments of podcasting (of which there's actually 14. Thou shalt not be able to count to 10, and all that...) Thou shalt not have an extra long theme tuneThou shalt not spend 10 hours editing an episodeThou shalt not do a podcast that's "for everyone" about "all sorts of stuff" Thou shalt not cram too much into your cover artThou shalt not make your listener adjust volume levels more than once in an episode Thou shalt not ask an interviewee to introduce themselvesThou shalt not open your episode with an apologyThou shalt not over-complicate your gear too early (or ever!)Thou shalt not ask for reviews or Patreon support before delivering any contentThou shalt not use cop

A bit of a bonus episode to bring down the curtain on our Podcast Equipment Series. You put a lot of work into creating your episodes, so let's have a chat about where (and how) your end product is actually consumed. This episode starts with a discussion about why you should consider listening to less podcasts too. It was prompted by a great article by Greg Campion titled The Problem With Podcasts (thanks for the heads up, PodNews) and, for a deeper dive on this, check out the excellent Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. On to the listening apps, Colin uses BeyondPod (Android) whilst Matthew uses Overcast (iOS) and both were in agreement that things like playlist and playback-speed customisation, as well as individual show and download settings were key factors here. From a podcaster perspective, you'll be listed in these apps (and most other apps) simply by being listed in iTunes/Apple Podcasts. You'll still need to submit to Stitcher and Spotify independently though. For more on this, check out our Best Pod

There are a few good reasons why you might want to broadcast the recording of your episodes live - and maybe even film them too. Doing live episodes can help build and harness community, as your listeners can feel more directly involved with your content. And the content itself can benefit from that immediate feedback. The ability to answer questions and offer help and advice in real time can really enhance your podcast. You can also double up your content output without doubling up your workload, by uploading the video recording to Youtube afterwards. The live approach isn’t for everyone though. Especially if you’ve just started out in podcasting and don’t have an audience yet. Try to keep things as simple as possible in those early days. However, if you feel you’re ready to jump in and start doing live shows, then this episode is for you. Resources MentionedHow to turn live broadcasts into podcasts that don’t suckBest Podcast making appsThe Podcast Host AcademyAlitu – The Podcast MakerSoftwareSpreaker LiveM

Okay, granted, having a top-of-the-range mic doesn't necessarily mean you'll have top-of-the-range content. But the various bits of equipment different folks are using to create audio can become an obsession for some podcasters. We know this because the Equipment section of our site is by far the most viewed and visited. Combine that with your average podcaster's love of stats, and that's what led to us running our first podcasting gear stats survey back in 2017/18.Well, that survey is back, and we want to see what the podcast equipment landscape looks like now, in 2019. Has anything changed in this bold new era where you can launch a media hosting service one morning, and sell it an hour later for $400 million? Take a minute or two to fill out the survey and help us find out. But it's not just hard data that could be your reward here. We've put together some great prizes which will be drawn and distributed at random amongst six lucky entrants. Platinum PrizeRode Procaster (XLR) OR Rode Podcaster (USB) – your

As another year draws to a close, we sit down to chat through the last 12 months at The Podcast Host Towers. What went well? What didn't? And what do we have planned for the future?In terms of big milestones this year, we had the long-awaited launch of Alitu - The Podcast Making App, the switch up of The Podcast Host Academy to an annual membership, the launch of our Podcast Launch Service, and we brought down the curtain on this first season of our space-science audio drama documentary podcast Hostile Worlds.We put out an updated version of season 1 of this very podcast during 2018 too. Now known as season 10, it's all about how to launch your first episode, and focuses on everything you need to do to get it out there.We've also been keen to take on highly-produced projects as part of our Podcast Production Service. This year we had the pleasure of working on Inside Indie Games, on behalf of the UK Games Fund, and The Converge Challenge Podcast. If you'd like to work with us on a highly-produced podcasting p

Creating a 30 second promo trailer for your show is a great way to grow your audience. A trailer is a little "taster" for potential new listeners, and gives them an idea of the tone, feel, and content of the show. It's easy to consume, and easy to share too. On this episode we're going to listen to and offer feedback on some promo trailers that were created by members of The Podcast Host Academy as part of our monthly ($50 prize) competition. The shows are; The Postcard Academy - https://postcardacademy.co Tog & Thel - http://aducklingknits.com The Curious Parent - https://happyselfjournal.com/podcast High Heels & Heartache - http://highheelsandheartache.com Here, you'll learn more about the ways you can create a promo trailer that really works for you in promoting your show, and pulling in new listeners. Also mentioned; How to Make a Promo Trailer - http://thepodcasthost.com/promotrailer The Podcast Host Academy - https://www.thepodcasthost.com/academy Alitu: The Podcast Maker - https://alitu.com Hos