Podcasting Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• A computer or laptop
• A USB microphone
• Free recording software
• A quiet room to record in

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Decide what your show is about and who it is for. Pick a simple format, solo talking, interviews, or a mix, and choose a name. Watch the starting and planning videos, and jot down ideas for your first ten episodes.
• Week 2: Order a USB microphone and a pop filter, and set up in a quiet, soft-furnished room. Download free recording software like Audacity. Practice speaking into the mic until you feel comfortable hearing your own voice.
• Week 3: Record your first real episode, just ten to fifteen minutes introducing yourself and your topic. Do a simple edit to trim the start and end and remove long pauses. Do not aim for perfect, aim for finished.
• Week 4: Design simple cover art, write short show notes, and set up a hosting account to publish your episode to Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Share the link with a few friends and family, and start planning episode two.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Buying too much expensive gear before you have recorded a single episode. A simple USB microphone is all you need to start.
• Recording in a room with hard, bare walls, which makes your voice echo. Add a rug, curtains, and soft furnishings to soften the sound.
• Starting without a plan, so episodes wander with no clear point. Jot down a few talking points or questions before you hit record.
• Publishing on no fixed schedule, so listeners forget about you. Pick a realistic rhythm, weekly or every two weeks, and stick to it.
• Rambling on for too long. Keep early episodes short and focused, and edit out the long pauses and tangents.
• Waiting for everything to be perfect before you launch. Done and published always beats perfect and never finished.