Top 5 Things You Need to Start & Run a Solo Podcast

how to start a podcast for beginners

So, you want to start a podcast? AMAZING! Podcasting is a growing industry and, especially if you’re a fellow WOC, I want to help you get your voice out there. Although podcasting is booming, diverse representation in the space is definitely not worth bragging about as it currently stands. Part of the reason is that many people are still learning where and how to even listen to podcasts, and the current majority audience demographics reflect the current majority podcaster demographics. The more we get our own voices out there, the more we’ll help diversify podcast listenership. The more diverse listenership becomes, the more need and interest there will be for diversity among podcasters. It’s a win-win cycle, I’d say. 

But you’re not here to talk about the podcasting industry as a whole. You’re here because you or someone close to you is thinking about starting a podcast to tell your stories, share your truths and lessons, address the pain points you’ve uncovered for your prospective audience. And that is a beautiful thing. 

 

I started my podcast in June 2020 — mid-pandemic and almost exactly six months post-divorce. As a solo podcaster (I alternate between solo episodes and guest interviews) and a 1-person team I figured everything out on my own. I source and coordinate guests + sponsors on my own, record on my own, edit my own episodes, created my own intro and trailer, set up my own website and hosting site, create and manage my own social channels…whew! It’s a lot but it’s worth it and this isn’t my first side hustle or passion project. I’m a self starter and I’m used to finding my own way. I’m also not ready to pay a team to help me out yet (though I’d love to get there someday!). 

If you’re like me, you’re inspired by your idea and just want to get it out into the world so you can test it out. Will people like it and listen? Will I actually even enjoy it? Is it sustainable for me? How will it evolve? If you’re like me, you want to answer some of these questions before investing heavily of your hard-earned $$$ in a team of people to do the work for you. If you’re like me, you want to learn the ins and outs of your own podcast before putting blind faith in anyone else to tackle pieces of it. 

Are you a fellow DIY podcaster? Then you’re in the right place. I’m here to offer you TWO OPTIONS, to start:

Option 1: Read through this blog post of the top 5, bare minimum things you need to get started with your podcast and then continue to figure it out as you go. This should give you a great starting point, including the equipment and tools I use myself on a regular basis!

Option 2: Read through this blog post and then, if you want more support sign up for a pick my brain session. Sometimes, especially when we’re a 1-person team, we need someone to bounce ideas off of and to help us get clarity around next steps. If you want to get more specific questions answered, want me to talk you out of your imposter syndrome and fear, then click here to learn more about everything we could discuss + how to sign up for a 1:1 live Zoom call with me. 

I’m here for you, here we go. 

 

Top 5 Things You Need to Start a Solo Podcast

1. The Concept: Topic, Format, Name

What is your podcast all about? Who is your target audience? What format will you follow — solo, cohost, guest interviews? Will it be informative, inspirational, entertaining, storytelling? 

And, of course, what will you name your podcast? This last bit can trip a lot of people up, and I even changed my podcast name to what it is currently — The Self Worth Edit — right before launch from something else. I had a whole list of potential names. 

Spend time with your potential podcast names. Say them aloud, which one flows? Search for them online and on social platforms — would a website and social media handles be available for you? Is it too similar to any other names out there? Shop them around, are people in your target audience drawn to certain names over others? Is it clear to them. from the name, what the podcast will be about? 

 

2. Podcast Equipment for Beginners 

Best Mic for Podcasting

Regardless of how frugal you’re feeling when testing out a new project or business idea, there are some areas where you can’t afford to skimp. You certainly don’t need the most expensive mic out there, but you do need something more than the microphone that’s built into your phone or laptop. Please. Your listeners’ ears will thank you. Podcasting is all about sound — your voice, into other people’s ears. It doesn’t matter how great your content is if your sound quality is rough, especially when you’re just starting out. First impressions matter. 

I did a LOT of research when choosing a mic and my first choice (can’t even remember what it was now) was out of stock which I’d say worked out in my favor because I went with this Samson Q2U instead and I love it. It’s not too big or aggressive and it’s definitely a step up from no mic at all. I have received such kind compliments from listeners about how soothing my voice is and I can’t help but think I owe at least some credit to my mic! Fellow podcasters have asked me what mic I use as well, so here it is. This one has my personal stamp of approval and is the one I use for every episode. If you’re looking for a USB microphone for podcasting, this is it. It’s also a dynamic mic, which means it won’t pick up as much background room noise and this makes it an easier mic for beginners to work with.

microfone para podcast

Best Headphones for Podcasting 

Aside from your mic, the only other piece of actual equipment (assuming you already have a laptop) you need is a pair of headphones. Closed, over-the-ear headphones like the ones linked and shown below are best for podcasting because they don’t allow noise leakage the way smaller earbuds do. It’s important, if you’re interviewing someone, to have your headphones so your mic doesn’t capture the other person’s voice. If you’re recording solo episodes, or when you’re editing a good pair of headphones helps you better monitor sound quality and adjust your mic technique as needed. I bought these for less than $30 and they’ve been serving me well. 

3. Podcasting Software & Apps 

Aside from physical equipment, you also need your laptop to be equipped with a few tools. If you’ll be interviewing guests virtually you’ll need either Zoom, Zencastr or SquadCast. I use Zoom because it’s free (and I also have a paid membership through my grad school at the moment) and it’s important for me to be able to connect visually with my guests. I know podcasters who use and prefer Zencastr. Squadcast is one I’ve heard good things about but don’t feel the need to pay for at the moment. 

You’ll also need editing software. I use GarageBand which came built in on my Mac. Podcasters with a PC tend to use Audacity, which you can download for free. 

editing a podcast

Finally, you’ll need a podcast hosting site. If you’ve ever owned a blog, the concept is similar. For example, I own this website and run it through Bluehost. There are several podcast hosting sites out there and I would say the most commonly known ones are: Libsyn, Buzzsprout and Anchor. I ruled Libsyn out because of pricing and because it seemed like the most premium option which I didn’t need to dive into when just starting out. I ruled Anchor out for a few reasons. Anchor is completely free, so it’s a good entry point for many people. I know some great podcasts hosted on Anchor. Personally, I read not-so-great reviews about it on various podcasting Facebook groups. There also seemed to be some confusion around whether you own your content or if Anchor does, and I didn’t want to risk the latter. And, I didn’t love the impersonal ads that they could potentially add to my show. 

Personally, the best option for me and the one I would recommend to anyone else is Buzzsprout. They offer a 90-day free trial which gave me the opportunity to get started and get a feel for the platform before committing to buy their paid monthly plan (I pay $12/month now). Had I wanted to, I could have transferred my episodes over to Anchor before my free trial was up but I chose to stay with Buzzsprout. The customer support is great, they offer so many learning resources, the platform is so intuitive and easy to navigate, and it’s been a worthwhile investment all around. I highly recommend signing up with Buzzsprout, here. If you use this link, you’ll even get a $20 Amazon gift card after your second payment (if you decide to sign up for a paid account after their 90-day free trial). 

Quick reminder — this blog post has some affiliate links in it. If you purchase through any of the links above I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you! You pay exactly what you’d normally pay, and the companies give me a small thank you for referring you. 

If you’re finding this information helpful and decide to purchase any of the above based on my recommendations, please support by purchasing through the above links!

4. A Website 

Wait, I need a podcast hosting site and a website? Look, I always recommend owning your internet real estate when possible. Having your own website to build traffic to and have more control over gives you room for growth and greater personalization. You could add shop pages over time, blog posts that are separate from your podcast episodes (like this one!) more information about yourself. Plus, it’s nice to be able to say ‘visit selfworthedit.com for more.’ People know where to find me and I can message it quickly. 

It’s also an easier way for new podcast listeners to start tuning in if they’re not familiar with where else to go for podcasts. I built this website using WordPress and Bluehost. If you’ve never built your own website there are elements that can feel tricky, but I’m self taught and there’s nothing I haven’t been able to figure out through a solid Google search. 

The basic pages you should set up for your podcast website include: About Me, Listen (where you can embed a podcast player using code from your hosting site) and Contact. Over time, you might also add Shop, Resources and Work With Me pages. 

Every episode you publish can be its own blog post when you embed the single episode, add a title, your show notes and a transcript if you have one. All of this is good for SEO, which means it helps your show get found on the internet. Having individual posts this way also allows you to create Pinterest graphics and use that platform to grow traffic. Pinterest is a huge search engine and Pinterest marketing is a whole other topic. 

All you need to worry about early on is getting your basic pages set up, as mentioned above. 

5. Accountability & A Plan for Consistency 

Podfade is a real thing. Many podcasts don’t make it past 7-10 episodes. I knew that wasn’t an option for me. If I’m going to put all this time and effort in, and if I care about my mission (which I do!) I needed to set myself up for success and longevity. 

So, I made a content plan. I mapped out a bunch of different content ideas. Made a list of all the potential guests I’d like to have on. Planned out topics for solo episodes and started drafting them to make sure I knew what I was talking about and had enough useful advice to offer for each. I created a calendar and started planning out which episode topics would air on which dates. 

how to start a podcast for beginners solo self love podcast

I determined my cadence — every other week to start with the idea of maybe moving to weekly if things were running smoothly enough once I got started. 

My goal for myself? Keep up the consistency for 1 year, at minimum. Thanks to this planning, I was able to launch and be a step ahead of my schedule. I have interviews recorded and ready to take me through the next several months, and I’m currently working on staying ahead on my solo episodes pulling from my pre-brainstormed pool of topics while also adapting based on listener feedback. 

For accountability, I am part of the Women of Color Podcasters Community. I love it there, come join! We get access to expert-led courses, monthly accountability group calls, a live community for daily support and more. Highly recommend. 

*Bonus!* 6. Courage 

If you haven’t yet listened to my episode on What it’s Really Like to Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, go listen. It was directly inspired by how I felt when starting my podcast. I was terrified! So much imposter syndrome, it would often stop me in my tracks. I was regularly texting and calling my sister to help me out of my fear. I’d have great, productive days working on the podcast only to have a whirlwind of fearful thoughts take over my mind as soon as my head hit my pillow every night. 

It takes guts to put yourself out there, to learn and try something brand new. A lot of people don’t make it through the fear. There are podcasting Facebook groups filled with people talking about this fear. Talking, but failing to push through. Talking about how they’ve been sitting on their idea for a year or more because fear is holding them back. 

You can have all the tools and know-how you need but if you’re not ready to face, acknowledge and push past your fears you won’t get very far. 

And guess what, the fear does subside! Not completely. I still have moments of it. But it’s WAY quieter and less frequent than when I was in the idea, prep and pre-launch phase. 

So, there you have it! The top 5 things you need to start and run a podcast as a team of one. But of course, we’re really only scratching the surface. There’s so much more to it once you get going and so much more I want to share with you, like: 

  • How to create your intro and trailer 
  • What kind of launch plan is right for you 
  • Securing the right guests for interviews
  • Naming your podcast 
  • Refining your podcast idea, topic and audience
  • When and how to begin sponsor outreach 
  • Planning out and recording solo episodes 
  • Creating audiograms and graphics for social media promotion
  • Tips for growing your Instagram following
  • Using Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog 
  • Best practices for editing your podcast
  • How to be a good interviewer
  • How to stay organized
     

If you’re interested in live one-on-one support, email me to set up a 45-min video call ($75). Email me: hello [at] selfworthedit [dot] com

Top 5 Things You Need to Start a Podcast, for Beginners

5 Things You Absolutely Need to Start a Podcast On Your Own