How to Record a Podcast

This is it: time to record a podcast. Planning is great, publishing is a given, but recording, that's where the magic happens.

In this article I'm going to cover every step. Here's a quick summary on how to record a podcast:

1. Planning: what prep do you need to do so that the recording goes smoothly?
2. Equipment: what gear do you need to be able to record a great quality show?
3. Software: what tools do you need to be able to capture your audio?

By the end of this article, you'll know everything you need to record a podcast. All that's left is to hit that big red button, and get your voice out into the world!

Planning to Record a Podcast

It's tempting to miss this bit out... You know the subject, after all, and you're raring to go! Why not just wing it?

Well, as much as I'm a fan of the seat-of-the-pants approach, an episode plan can make a huge difference to the quality of your show. Don't worry, this doesn't need to take up your whole day. A small plan can make a big difference.
Plan the Topic

First thing, what are you going to talk about? This is the gold. If you choose the wrong episode topic, then your $500 Heil mic and your pro-level Zoom H6 recorder don't matter a whit. Listeners won't care about the show, perfect audio quality or not.

So, do your research. Figure out your ideal listener, and particularly what they care about. Then, for each episode, think:

• What questions are your listeners asking?
• What problems are they experiencing?
• What are they struggling with, right now?

Every episode, you should tackle one of them.

How do you figure that out? Good old fashioned keyword research, tailored for podcasting. Check out that article for a full rundown of tools that can help you find a bunch of questions that you can answer.

Script the Episode

Scripting is an oft-debated topic. Should you go super-detailed, or might you go quite light and off-the-cuff? I answered that in a full article on how to script a podcast with a few examples. But, let's cover it in brief.

On the one hand, a detailed script can make for a really tight, value-packed episode. It cuts the rambling and ensures you cover every single thing you need to.

The only trouble is, a detailed script can cut the spontaneity and drain your personality from an episode. It does take quite a bit of skill to read a detailed script and still sound natural, conversational. But, it's possible.

Plus, of course, it takes quite a lot of time to put together something so detailed.

On the other hand, a light script – just a collection of bullet points really – can provide enough guidance, but not tie you down. You can be more engaging, more free-flowing, more personable, and it takes much less time to prepare.

But, again, the downsides... with a light-touch script, you can much more easily lose your way, forget things and repeat yourself. The waffle factor increases dramatically and your episodes will tend to be longer. That's not necessarily a good thing...

It often comes down to personality and practice. Start with a detailed script, until you get more comfortable on the mic. Then, reduce the detail, bit by bit, until you find that balance between time spent, benefits gained and recording style.

What Equipment Do I Need to Record a Podcast?

You Need a Microphone

First, let's capture that voice. That's what the humble microphone is designed to do. You can find a collection of the best microphones here, so have a browse through and pick something that fits your space and budget.

If you want to keep things simple, go for a USB microphone. You'll plug that right into your computer, and record there. No other equipment needed, just software. I'll cover the recording software below.

A USB mic is ideal for anyone that'll be recording a solo show, or if you'll be recording with others o...