Podcasting 101: Microphone options and how to get listeners

Podcasts come in all types, from soothing words to help you meditate to political discussions to serialized stories. You can catch a podcast via many services, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

You can even listen to Kim Komando podcasts on your own time. You’ll find great topics on Kim Komando Today, Tech Refresh and the Daily Tech Update. Tap or click here to get started.

Maybe you haven’t found that perfect podcast. Perhaps you sense there’s an area or topic that’s lacking. In that case, there’s only one thing to do. Start your own podcast! It’s not as difficult as you may think. We’ll show you where to begin.

Planning

The first thing you should do is listen. Just listen to as many podcasts as you can so you get an idea of how they work. There’s nothing wrong with taking influence from one you enjoy to inspire your own.

Now you’ll need a topic. There’s plenty of podcast competition out there. How will yours be different from the rest? How will it stand out?

Start with something you know. Will your content interest others? Find a similar podcast and listen for ways to make yours unique and even better. If you can’t think of a topic, you might encounter one that piques your interest while listening to others.

Next, think about your audience. Who is the podcast for? It could be the general population or a smaller group of hardcore fans. Think of the demographics. This is determined by the topic you choose. Think about yourself as a listener. What do you want to hear? Work that into your podcast.

Next, come up with a format. You can listen to three podcasts centered around the same topic, and they’ll all sound different from each other. One might consist of one person doing most of the talking while another always features a guest. The third could feature many guests at a time. Find the format that works best for you.

You may also like: Have trouble sleeping? Our list of 10 ways to get better sleep includes apps, podcasts, gadgets and more.

What you’ll need

You won’t have to break the bank to start a podcast, but you do need to get some equipment. At the very least you’ll need a microphone, headphones and editing software. A mixer can come in handy if you have multiple guests. You can get this stuff piecemeal or as a kit.

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How to make money in podcasting

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We talk with Rob Walch from Libsyn about the current state of podcasting and get his top tips for starting your own podcast. Plus, X makes your ‘likes’ private, SoftBank uses AI to make angry customers sound calm, and nobody likes being called a bot.

Making money in podcasting: It’s not easy. Spotify wants to lure creators away from YouTube. Their plan? Pay hosts of popular shows and let premium subscribers watch ad-free (paywall link). YouTube pays creators 55% of ad revenue; Spotify estimates a show pulling in between 1 million and 2 million views a month would earn about $50,000 with them. That’s not a bad return, btw.