Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults listen to podcasts at least occasionally.
Here’s a sample outline to consider for content
Show intro (who you are, what you’re going to talk about): 30-60 seconds
Intro music (repeat for each show so listeners identify the jingle with your show): 30-60 seconds
Topic 1: 3 minutes
Topic 2: 3 minutes
Interlude (music or break): 30 seconds
Topic 3: 3 minutes
Topic 4: 3 minutes
Closing remarks (thank audience, thank guests, talk about the next show): 2 minutes
Closing music (suggest same as Intro music jingle): 2 minutes
When it comes time to do the actual recording, the easiest solution might be a simple recorded Skype call. You can call up your co-host or guests via Skype, and record the call with special Skype recording software. When you’re finished, an editing application can help with the clean up, processing, music, and publication.
For Mac users, here is what you could use:
Record calls with Call Recorder for Skype ($15 to $30)
For PC users:
Record calls with Pamela ($0)
Edit with Audacity ($0)
After you’ve finished recording, editing, and producing your podcast, you can upload it to hosting sites like Libsyn, Soundcloud, and TuneIn, or you can aim to get your podcast live on iTunes. Here’s what’s involved in taking your podcast onto iTunes.
Here’s what’s involved in taking your podcast onto iTunes.
Step 1: Create an RSS feed for your podcasts. If you upload your files to a site like Libsyn, the feed creation is done automatically for you.
Step 2: Click on “Submit a Podcast” in the iTunes Store. Open iTunes, navigate to the store, click on Podcasts from the top menu, and the “Submit a Podcast” link will be in the right column under Quick Links.
Step 3: Enter your feed URL and fill out the other information required (Name, Author, Description, etc.)
Step 4: Click submit.
iTunes will give you a confirmation message, letting you know that there may be a review process for your podcast. Typically within 24 to 48 hours, you will receive an email letting you know if you’re approved. Three to five days after that, people can begin searching and finding your podcast in the iTunes store.
For promotion and sharing of your podcast, a lot will depend on the site where you upload. Places like Soundcloud, for instance, offer a robust set of sharing options built in. You can share directly to Twitter, Facebook, and more, and you can embed the audio directly into your blog posts.
Ideal length of a podcast: 22 minutes
Stitcher, an online radio and podcast site, says that the average listener stays connected for 22 minutes. The science of attention spans supports this number, too. TED Talks have an 18-minute maximum because scientists believe we can’t hold our attention on a single presenter for any longer before we check out.
Best day to post a podcast: Tuesday
To find this conclusion, I pulled the numbers for the Top 25 podcasts in the iTunes store and noted their publishing schedule and the frequency with which they published new podcasts. There was a large variety of posting schedule among the Top 25, but a small trend did begin to develop. Sixty percent of podcasts with a regular schedule posted early in the week, before Wednesday. The most common single day was Tuesday (which just so happens to be the day when new music hits the iTunes store, presumably meaning more visits who might see a new podcast).
Best frequency to post a podcast: Weekly
Forty percent of the Top 25 podcasts with a regular posting schedule publish once per week. The next most common frequency is twice per week. Of the Top 25, only three podcasts did not have a discernible schedule to their posting. It seems that some publishing rhythm is preferred over no rhythm.
