Stuff - UK (2020-05)

(Antfer) #1

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PODCASTING


QDo some research
Find out what’s already out
there. If you’re keen on a
particular subject, check out
what people are already doing
in that space. A great way
to build a following is to cover
something interesting and
different; failing that, you’ll
at least need a unique angle.
Me-too podcasts tend to
vanish without a trace.

QBuild a structure
You’re doing this for fun,
so you don’t want to be
hemmed in. We get it. But
recorded chaos isn’t nearly
as entertaining to listen to
as it might be to make – so
figure out a basic structure
for your podcast. It needn’t
be too rigid, nor fully scripted,
but you should define key
beats to hit, and invent a few

MAKE YOUR OWN


TRY THE BIG NAMES


QGo all-in-one
Although known for music,
Spotify is getting serious
about podcasts. Its player
is a bit basic but works well,
and in-app discovery is solid.

QEat some Apple
The word ‘podcast’ is a fusion
of iPod and broadcast, so it
shouldn’t be a big surprise
that Apple’s first-party app
is popular. Even if you don’t
use it as your primary player,
it’s good for discovering and
trialling new shows.

Got time on your soapy hands and something to say? In this


feature of two halves, Craig Grannell details how to create a
podcast... and also how to make the most of other people’s

sections that you can repeat
across multiple episodes.

QRecord everyone
One error that’s surprisingly
common among hobbyist
podcasts (and even some
professional ones) is terrible
audio quality. In some cases,
the host will have a flashy
studio setup but record other
people over Skype or the
phone. Wherever possible,

get every contributor to record
clean audio at their end then
combine it all in the edit.

QLearn to cut
People don’t want to waste
time, so be ruthless. Got an
hour-long edit? Cut it down
by half and focus on the really
good bits. Be mindful of rights
as well: only add music and
sound effects that won’t later
result in a lawyer punching you
in the bank account.

QSet it free
Assuming you want others
to hear your music/wittering,
you’ll need some hosting.
Buzzsprout, Podbean and
Podomatic all offer free tiers
to get you started (you’ll need
to pay when you get serious).
Once you have a feed set up,
submitting your podcast to
the likes of iTunes and Google
Play is just a matter of filling in
some forms.

BETA YOURSELF


Ferrite it out
On iPhone/iPad, Ferrite
is superb for creating
podcasts with its
full-featured multitrack
smarts. On Android? Try
Spreaker Studio.

GET MORE FROM
PODCAST APPS
Free download pdf