How To Start a Podcast: A Practical Guide To Podcasting

Podcasts—both audio and visual—are more popular than ever. In 2025, 73% of Americans aged 12 and up have consumed a podcast in some format, and 55% listen monthly, according to Edison Research.

“There’s just much more appetite,” says Shuang Esther Shan, senior producer and host of Shopify Masters. “People want shows that they can listen to and follow along with.”

That growing appetite is good news if you’re thinking about starting a podcast. With the growth of the podcasting industry and today’s tools, you can launch your podcast as quickly—even on a budget. Here’s how.

Everything you need to start podcasting

• Microphone
• Transcription service
• Editing software
• Podcast hosting service
• A place to record

You don’t need expensive tools to start podcasting. “A lot of people don’t start podcasts because they’re so intimidated, and they think they need to have the perfect mic, the most ideal pair of headphones in order to start,” Shuang says. “Once you are comfortable [podcasting], then you can think about investing in different gear, but I think it’s important to get over all of that inertia and actually start recording, listening to yourself, and getting better.”

This section covers basic podcast equipment and tools you can start with—even on a tight budget.

Microphone

Microphones range widely in cost. “You can go from a hundred dollars to a thousand dollars very easily,” Shuang says. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need to buy the most expensive microphone. “Plugging in a better microphone will not make your show great overnight; doing more and more episodes will.”

If you have a smartphone with a built-in microphone and camera, that’s enough to get started. “I would urge [people] to literally record themselves on an iPhone with their friends,” Shuang says. “You can even try the video format and see how you want to edit, how you want to produce, and go from there.”

When you’re ready to upgrade, consider a dynamic mic. These are popular among professional radio announcers, broadcasters, musicians, and podcasters for their ability to reject background noise.

Transcription service

A transcript can simplify the editing process and improve accessibility. It provides a visual format to move sections and shape your episode’s flow. Plus, transcripts make your podcast more discoverable.

“The most useful tool for me is using transcription services like Descript,” Shuang says. “I remember the days where I had to type out my transcriptions … and those were really painful.” Other AI–powered transcription tools include Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai.

Editing software

Editing helps you refine audio and add personality to your content. Shuang recommends Audacity, a free, open-source app available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Audacity allows you to edit uncompressed WAV files and export podcasts as compressed MP3s when you’re ready to broadcast.

Podcast hosting service

Your episodes don’t live on podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Instead, you’ll need a separate podcast hosting platform that stores your audio files and distributes them via RSS. Some popular options include:

• Buzzsprout. Offers podcast marketing tools and a free plan with two hours of audio each month. Paid plans start at $12 a month.

• Transistor. Includes analytics, a website builder, and embeddable players. Pricing starts at $19 a month.

• PodBean. Offers audio enhancement and the ability to transform blogs into podcasts. Podbean has a free plan, which includes five total hours of content; paid plans start at $14 a month.

A place to record

You can record your podcast right from your home. “I literally just go into a closet, close the door and leave the clothes hanging,” Shuang says. “You want fabric to dampen the sound. It makes a rich and pure sound. There’s no room noise interfering with that sound.”

Wherever you record, take note of any background noise like fans, refrigerator hums, text alerts, or pets. A cleaner recording makes editing easier later.

If you have hardwood floors or rooms with a lot of windows, minimize echoes using movers’ blankets or add soft furniture. While professionals use formal sound treatments, you don’t need to start there.

How to start a podcast in 12 steps

1. Decide what your podcast is about
2. Define your goals and purpose
3. Select a format
4. Create your podcast brand
5. Outline your first episode
6. Record your podcast
7. Record an intro and outro
8. Edit your podcast
9. Choose a title, description, and artwork
10. Distribute and market your podcast
11. Monetize your podcast
12. Keep creating

Starting a podcast can seem intimidating. Breaking it up into steps can make it more manageable:

1. Decide what your podcast is about

Most podcast listeners browse for new shows by interest—comedy, culture, news, true crime, sports, education, or business—so choose a category that accurately represents your podcast.

“Ideally, you personally have an interest in this niche,” Shuang says. “You can kind of pulse-check these things with social listening, with keyword research, or with Google Trends to see if the community of people interested in the niche is actually growing.”

You’ll also want to consider the cadence of your show. “Say you’re publishing once a week: Do you have enough things that you can talk about for half an hour, for an hour every single week? Would you be able to get guests to appear on your show every single week for the foreseeable future?” Shuang says. Great podcasts themes have longevity. For example, Lewis Howes’ The School of Greatness, a business and self-development podcast, has more than 1,600 episodes.

Before committing, stress-test your idea. Try outlining at least 20 episode topics, including what you want to discuss in each episode and who (if anyone) you want to interview. (According to Pew Research, most top-ranked podcasts bring on guests.) If you’re stuck before 20, your idea may need refining.

2. Define your goals and purpose

Once you decide on a theme, define the purpose behind your podcast. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s the goal of your podcast? Do you want to generate leads for a business, build authority on a topic, or earn passive income?

• What’s the “why” behind your podcast? Marry your practical reason with an intrinsic purpose to stay motivated. What is the message or mission you want to share with the world?

• Who is your audience? Create a persona representing your target audience. What are their pain points, lifestyles, beliefs, interests, and where do they spend their time? This will help you create content that resonates.

Defining your goal and purpose will shape how you approach your podcast. For example, if you want to use your podcast as a way to become a thought leader in your field, discuss less-explored topics.

3. Select a format

Your podcast format will determine how you structure your show. Here are a few types:

Interviews

These podcasts feature hosts who interview individuals who fit within a particular theme. Think: The School of Greatness, where host Lewis Howes interviews influential figures like Michelle Obama and Venus Williams on topics like success and manifestation.

Scripted nonfiction

Typically, these podcasts follow a single story or theme for the entire season. Serial, for example, focused on the history of Guantánamo in Season 4 and a felony courthouse in Ohio in Season 3.

News

News podcasts summarize current events in a quick, digestible format. For example, NPR’s Up First rounds up the top news in about 30 minutes per episode.

Educational

These scripted, nonfiction podcasts primarily seek to teach something. Stuff You Should Know is an educational podcast that explains different concepts like plant-based diets, climate migration, and doulas.

Scripted fiction

Often scripted and highly produced, these podcasts are similar to radio dramas. For example, Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast documenting the spooky happenings in Night Vale.

As you consider which format makes the most sense for your podcast, keep video in mind. Interview podcasts lend themselves particularly well to the increasingly popular video podcast format. “Right now, being on YouTube offers more discoverability than the audio channels,” Shuang says.

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4. Create your podcast brand

Developing your podcast brand requires care. Your branding can shape listeners’ perception of your podcast. Here’s how to build your brand:

Determine your values

Brand values are the nonnegotiable principles that guide your podcast. They help you stay true to your mission as your podcast grows and evolves.

Your values can also help you build brand affinity and loyalty by centering on what your audience cares about. For example, a commitment to inclusivity can appeal to Gen Z.

Name your podcast

Don’t underestimate the power of a name. Your podcast title should encapsulate your podcast and speak to your audience. Listeners should have an idea what the podcast is about from just the name alone.

Here are a few guidelines for choosing a podcast name:

• Keep it succinct and intriguing.

• Make it easy to spell and pronounce.

• Decide on a name you enjoy saying out loud.

• Make sure another show isn’t already using the name.

Develop your visual identity

Your visual identity—like your logo, cover art, thumbnail art, and podcast homepage—should reflect how you want listeners to feel. Aim to create consistency across all channels.

Try creating a mood board or a word list to guide your choices. For example, calming brands might use soft colors like blue.

Define your audio branding

Your audio branding is your brand’s sonic identity. Your music, the host’s voice, ambient noise, and sound effects can all influence your audio branding. For example, Ecommerce Conversations, a podcast about the highs and lows of running an online store, features upbeat music to match the high energy of host and entrepreneur Eric Bandholz.

5. Outline your first episode

A clear outline gives your episode structure. You don’t need a full script—just note the moments you want to stand out to your audience.

A good exercise is to think about the purpose of that podcast episode and how you want it to end. Considering what takeaway you want your listeners to have can help you craft the direction of the rest of the episode.

Here is a sample episode structure you can use to fill out your outline:

• Hook (teaser)

• Intro

• Welcome/episode overview

• Ad spot

• Main segment (e.g., interview or discussion)

• Call to action

• Outro

6. Record your podcast

When setting up your podcast recording environment for the first time, make a test recording to identify any potential issues. Before your interview or scripted monologue, record 30 seconds of silence to capture the room’s noise print—it’ll be helpful with post-production cleanup.

Most importantly, just start recording. You don’t need a “radio voice” or perfect podcast setup to get people listening.

7. Record an intro and outro

A strong intro and outro give your podcast personality and structure. Typically accompanied by music, intros are short voice-overs that might include the episode number and tagline of the podcast.

For audio-only podcast episodes, Shopify Masters uses a cold open—a compelling quote from the guest to pique interest and hook listeners. “Then we do have a scripted introduction to give you a few teasers, what you will learn from the episode, and introduce the guest.”

The video version takes a different approach. “We do almost a sizzle reel, with quotes and the narration spliced between with different B-roll guest clips.”

Regardless of the format, the intro aims to capture the attention of listeners. “You want to grab people in the first 30 to 60 seconds,” Shuang adds. “For audio, it’s even shorter. I want to say the cold open should be 10, if not 15, seconds.”

An excellent podcast outro thanks listeners for tuning in, includes your tagline and ends with a call to action (an action you want them to take). Here are some example actions you might want your listener to take:

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Join our email newsletter.

• Support our show on Patreon.

• Follow us on social media.

8. Edit your podcast

Use your first editing pass to shape the content into a cohesive and engaging episode. Your second pass should clean up the audio. 

This is also the time to add music to your podcast. Unless you have permission from the artist and the recording label to use a track, you can’t use copyrighted music. However, there are plenty of royalty-free music options available from sites like YouTube Audio Library and Free Music Archive.

9. Choose a title, description, and artwork

Before you’re ready to release your new podcast, you need to put the final touches to your show:

Episode titles

Generally, podcasts stick to a title formula. For example, Darknet Diaries, which documents the internet’s dark side, uses short titles that hint at people or places. Others simply use episode numbers or summarize key themes. Regardless of the direction you choose, aim for consistency.

Episode descriptions

Podcast descriptions can help listeners decide whether to tune in, so aim to make it engaging. Stick to about 150 words and provide details like what the episode is about, when new episodes drop, and relevant keywords.

If you need help coming up with a concise summary, feed your transcription to an AI tool like ChatGPT. Edit the text to ensure it sounds like your podcast’s voice.

Podcast covert art

Cover art should be visually interesting and able to communicate your subject. A few best practices include:

• Your cover art should be a minimum of 1,400 pixels by 1,400 pixels and maximum of 3,000 pixels by 3,000 pixels.

• Compress files to optimize for mobile use.

• Avoid a lot of text in your podcast artwork.

You can create cover art for free using a Canva template. If you need a more involved cover art but aren’t artistic, try AI tools like Midjourney and Dall-E.

10. Distribute and market your podcast

Your hosting service stores your audio files and creates an RSS feed, which syndicates your episodes to podcast directories and platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

But distribution is only the beginning. To get people listening to your content, you need to spend some effort marketing your podcast. Here are a few ideas:

Create short social media clips

You can entice people to listen to your podcast with a good soundbite—like a stunning revelation, a funny one-liner, or even a blooper. To make the process easier, you can use an AI tool. “I use an AI tool called Choppity that takes a long-form video and automatically cuts down to 30-, 60-, 90-second clips for you,” Shuang says.

Here’s an example of a Shopify Masters YouTube Short:

Launch a podcast website

A podcast website is another channel where you can share your podcast. For example, you might create a blog post and embed the show along with the episode transcription, which can help you with organic traffic. Your podcast website lets you connect with your listeners directly. You can share future plans and episode notes, promote upcoming guests, and grow your mailing list.

An easy way to build a podcast website is with a no-code, drag-and-drop website builder like Shopify. You can also connect your Shopify website to apps, like a print-on-demand service, to sell merchandise without needing to keep any stock.

Leverage your guests’ social media following

Your podcast’s guests can help you reach new listeners, especially if they are someone who is in your field. Their audience is more likely to have common interests in your show’s content. To encourage sharing, create pre-made social assets like audiograms, quote cards, or pull quotes they can easily post on social media platforms.

11. Monetize your podcast

Podcasting can be a powerful way to grow your brand—and generate revenue. While ad sales are a common path to monetize a podcast they're usually reserved for shows with large audiences. “From my perspective, monetization is building up your audience and building up your presence so that sponsors and advertisers want to invest in you,” Shuang says.

Here a few other ways to monetize your podcast:

Sell merch

Merch is a common way to monetize your podcast. Through a print-on-demand service, you can sell shirts, tote bags, and hats with your logo or a recurring theme in your episodes. Scared to Death, which documents spooky situations, sells shirts and accessories featuring some of the otherworldly figures it covers on the show.

Sell digital products

You can also sell digital products that complement your show. For example, a knitter can release new podcast episodes to show off their new projects. They can then sell the pattern they’re using so others can knit their own creations.

Ask for donations

Not ready to offer extras? You can add a Buy Me a Coffee donation button or Ko-fi link to your webpage and encourage people to help you keep the podcast running. You can also thank supporters in your intro or outro.

Offer memberships

Platforms like Patreon help you build a community through memberships. For a monthly fee, they might receive bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes content, bloopers, and more.

Affiliate marketing

Podcasters can also earn money from affiliate marketing, where they promote products from different companies and receive a percentage of the sales.

12. Keep creating

Starting a podcast means putting yourself out there, and that can be scary and uncomfortable. Shuang grappled with imposter syndrome at the beginning. “I didn’t go to journalism school,” she says. “But what I liked was just getting to know people and having conversations. That was much stronger than my imposter syndrome.”

Creating more content and making mistakes along the way will help you improve. “From the outsider’s perspective, it looks easy because you’re assuming you just show up and talk. It’s not just a half-hour conversation. It’s research, it’s prep, it’s practicing, it’s narrating, it’s also post-production, editing, producing. Those are elements you can improve over time.”

Benefits of starting your own podcast

Podcasts are a popular content platform because they’re easy to consume. People can listen to podcasts on the go, in the car, at the gym, and even at work. Here are a few advantages of creating a podcast:

• Reach new audiences. Some people prefer to listen rather than read or scroll. Creating a podcast helps you connect with a new target market: People who might otherwise never find or consume your writing, videos, or social content.

• Anyone can do it. You don’t need to be an established content creator, fancy equipment, or have a blog to become a successful podcaster.

• Develop your voice and expertise. A podcast gives you the opportunity to explore topics in depth, share your insights, and position yourself as someone worth listening to—whether you’re sharing personal stories or expert insights.

Create the best podcast for your brand today

You can create a successful podcast today. Start by looking on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for podcasts that are doing what you want to do. Take note of what stands out and what you’d do differently.

If you already have an external microphone, record a short episode introducing yourself and your podcast idea.

As you dive in, get comfortable talking into a microphone and listening to yourself afterward. You don’t have to upload your episode, but getting that first recording done is the first step to launching a podcast and getting familiar with the process.