The 7 Questions About Starting a Podcast Everyone Asks
When we first meet with a prospective client, they often pepper us with questions about starting a podcast. Most are about the time commitment needed; others are related to production. In this article, we’ll cover the seven questions we get asked the most.
How long should my podcast be?
We recommend starting in the 20- to 25-minute range for a few reasons. Shorter episodes require less time on your part to prepare and record. In turn, this makes it easier to fill the time with interesting and relevant content.
We also encourage you to take your audience into consideration. Many people listen to podcasts during their work commute, while working out, or while making dinner. Episodes that are less than 30 minutes are probably a better fit for your audience’s daily routine.
I’d like to do an interview format. What’s the ideal number of guests per episode?
Four participants total per episode is the max we recommend. One host with three guests or two hosts with two guests is plenty. More than that, and it could get noisy – literally.
Capping the number of participants also ensures everyone has a chance to join in on the conversation. If your episodes are around 20 minutes with a 30-second intro and ending, four people will have less than five minutes each to contribute.
If you discover a handful of people who would be ideal guests on one topic, consider creating two or three episodes so everyone can fully share their ideas and expertise.
Do I really need to record a professional intro/ending when starting a podcast?
Yes, it is highly recommended. Every time your listeners hear your custom intro and ending sequence, they will immediately recognize your podcast. Plus, it’ll give your podcast a more polished touch.
If you listen to a lot of podcasts, you’ll know that most begin and end with a professional, pre-recorded voiceover that’s accompanied by music. They are typically short – 15 to 30 seconds – and only need to be recorded once (or until you want to change things up).
And even for our shows that create a custom intro for every episode, we will direct the show host or voiceover talent to drive the most engagement for your episode. And of course, we always marry the intro with music we hand-select for memorable branding.
How often should I publish a new episode?
This is totally up to you. How much time do you have for podcasting? If you’re like most of our clients, not a lot. Therefore, a monthly episode is perfectly fine.
Of course, if you start podcasting, fall in the love with the medium, and see a lot of engagement and audience growth, you can always record new episodes more often.
How do I choose a podcast hosting platform?
When there are so many, it can be confusing! All podcast hosting platforms ultimately do the same thing, which is distribute your podcasts to end-user hubs like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, etc.
Choosing one comes down to your preference. Do you want to spend a little bit of money for better audience analytics and other bells and whistles, or is a free platform that gets the job done perfectly fine? Based on your answer, we’re happy to lead you toward one of our favorite platforms.
Can I just record my podcast and then have your production team edit it?
Yes, but you probably won’t be happy with the result – or the cost. It takes us far longer to fix bad audio than to help you record it properly the first time. Even with our decades of experience in audio production, it’s impossible to turn distorted, muddy, or glitchy audio into crystal clear audio.
Rough audio might not bother you, but your audience will notice it. If your podcast doesn’t sound right, negative reviews will quickly build up, and you’ll have trouble building a subscriber base. There are far too many professionally produced podcasts out there. No one will subject their ears to a podcast filled with echoes, dropped audio, or uneven volume levels.
My nephew is a musician with a small studio in his home. I was thinking of working with him to DIY our company’s podcast, but I’m wondering if that’s a good idea.
This is not quite a question, but we do hear many versions of “I have access to a studio – can’t I just DIY it?”
You always have the option to produce your own podcast, but even with access to a professional studio, podcast production is more complex than you may realize.
You’ll also need:
The right podcasting equipment, like robust audio software, quality third-party audio plugins, and remote recording software (for guests who can’t just drop by your nephew’s house).
Deep knowledge of editing podcasts
Guidance on which hosting platform is right for your podcast
A distribution / promotion strategy for your podcast to ensure you reach your target audience
Access to someone who can answer your questions and make podcast production as easy as possible
The time to do or research all of the above
We have had countless clients turn to us after trying to DIY their podcast. They quickly learned how hard it is! Working with a professional will save you time, money, and aggravation. Give us a couple of hours, and we can accomplish what it would take you days or weeks to do yourself.
We can help you with all the above – and more!
Starting a podcast is a big branding and marketing decision. Our experienced team of audio production experts will help ensure you make the most of your podcast. We support our clients’ success every step of the way and use professional equipment and our years of production know-how to ensure your podcast always sounds top-notch. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
