How to Start a Podcast in 2025
Published: January 15, 2025
In 2023, my sister and I launched a podcast, Culture In Between, where we explore the unique experiences of people who have grown up in a culture outside their parents' culture. We were new to the whole process and had to do a lot of research to discover what was needed to successfully launch a new podcast. In this blog post, I’ll share the tools and information you’ll need in order to launch a podcast of your own.
RSS Feeds
An RSS feed plays a crucial role in the distribution and accessibility of your podcast episodes. An RSS feed is essentially an XML file generated by your podcast hosting platform. This file contains important metadata about your podcast that services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts rely on to display your podcast accurately on their platforms. The RSS feed ensures that whenever you publish a new episode, it automatically updates across all platforms, making it easily accessible to your audience.
Hosting
In order to obtain an RSS feed for your show, you need to sign up with a podcast hosting platform. Hosting platforms provide analytics services and manage your RSS feeds, allowing you to input and edit information about your show.
There are many podcast hosting platforms available, but here are a few options to consider:
Music
Music and sound design can set the tone of your podcast, but it's important to ensure the music is properly licensed. The key is to find royalty-free music, which means you don't have to pay royalties to the rights holders each time the song is used.
Here are some services offering royalty-free music:
- Epidemic Sound
- Pixabay
- Artlist
- Premium Beat
Remote Interviews
Remote interviews are important in the world of podcasting, allowing you to connect with guests from around the world. To ensure high-quality audio and video recordings, it's essential to use reliable remote recording tools. These platforms offer features like separate audio tracks for each participant, automatic backups, and basic editing capabilities.
Check out these services for conducting your remote interviews:
- Riverside
- Descript
- Simplecast
- Zencaster
Branding & Design
Branding and design are essential components in establishing the identity of your podcast. A strong brand helps your podcast stand out and resonate with your target audience. This involves creating a custom logo, selecting a consistent color palette, and designing cover art that reflects the theme and tone of your show.
To effectively create and manage your podcast's branding, consider utilizing the following design tools:
- Figma
- Adobe Express
- Canva
Scheduling
Scheduling softwares is important for coordinating interviews with your guests and offer features like calendar integration, automated reminders, and customizable booking pages. This makes organizing your podcast activities easier, helping you save time and make sure everything is scheduled promptly.
Here are some options to consider for scheduling your podcast interviews:
Conclusion
Starting a podcast can be an exciting and rewarding journey, especially with the right tools and resources at your disposal. From planning and production to branding and scheduling, each aspect of your podcast contributes to its success. Hopefully this article helps you out as you embark on your podcast journey!