Make a Podcast
Start with these Books!
NPR's Podcast Start up Guide
From NPR comes the definitive guide to podcasting--featuring step-by-step advice on how to find a unique topic, tell the best stories, and engage the most listeners, as well as the secrets that will take your podcast to the next level.
Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You)
From the McElroy Brothers, creators of the podcasts My Brother, My Brother and Me and The Adventure Zone, comes a how-to podcast guide covering everything you need to know to make, produce, edit, and promote a podcast.
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How To Start A Podcast, According To The Pros At NPR
Audience and Format
Identify Your Audience
When you begin creating a podcast, you need to decide and identify your audience. It is important to meet your audience where they currently are. Start with asking yourself these questions:
- Where are they?
- What are they doing while listening to podcasts?
- What are they looking for?
- What do you want to accomplish?
- What makes this podcast different from similar podcasts?
- Do you have the people, time, and resources to dedicate to your project?
Example: Lucy wants to start a podcast about life as a community college student. She identifies her audience as other community college students and people that may be interested in attending a community college. These people might listen to her podcast while driving or studying.
Pick a Format
Deciding on your format can help you create structure as you begin the podcasting process and develop it over time. Here are some formats that you could start with:
- Solo/Monologue
- Single individual speaking alone.
- Interview
- Guests bring unique expertise and experience.
- Conversational/Co-host
- Two people having a conversation.
- Panel
- Multiple interview guests. Similar to an interview format, but with more people.
- Non-fictional Storytelling
- Discuss real-life events or informational topics that can be one episode or a series of episodes.
- Podcast Theater
- Fictional stories told across multiple episodes, similar to dramatic television
- Video Podcasting
- Podcast with a video component.
Write a Script
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Script GridMap out what you want to say, along with music, ambient, and sound effects.
Use Elements in Your Podcast
Using elements adds a new layer to your podcast for your listeners. These elements can help your listeners feel like they are a part of the story too. Podcast elements can include:
- Spoken word
- Usage of background or environmental sounds
- Music
- Sound effects