6 months podcasting - Episode 26
Starting a podcast has been such a rewarding journey for me! As I look back over the past six months, I wanted to share some reflections, challenges, and goals as well as offer insights into my current podcasting setup.
I hope this provides some inspiration if you’re considering starting a podcast of your own or just enjoy following along with my journey.
Create & consume
What Austen is creating this week: 20 minute Sunday reset challenge reels
What Austen is consuming this week: Only Murders in the Building! What a great fall show. I have two episodes left in season 4.
In this episode:
Embracing Podcasting as a Creative Outlet
I’m so glad I started this podcast—it’s been a creative outlet in the best way. I’ve found myself worrying less about competition and focusing more on sharing topics I care about.
Of course, it’s early days, and podcast growth can be a slow burn (a very slow burn), but I love that it’s allowed me to dive deep into content I’m passionate about each week.
If you’re someone who tunes in regularly, it would mean a lot if you could take a moment to leave me a review. Every bit of feedback helps support the growth of the podcast!
The learning curve
Podcasting has definitely challenged me as a creator and pushed me out of my comfort zone! Here are a few learning moments:
Editing challenges: I started off using one software but had to switch after realizing how clunky it was for my needs.
Upload mishaps: I’ve had a few rough uploads where mistakes slipped through and made it live on Spotify! It’s all part of the process.
Managing extra socials: Keeping up with additional social media accounts for the podcast has been another layer to the content creation workload, but I’m learning as I go.
My podcast setup: equipment and workflow
I’ve fine-tuned my setup to make podcasting as smooth as possible. Here’s what I’m using right now:
Laptop: My main hub for recording and editing.
Notion: This is where I outline every episode. I created a template that makes planning new episodes a breeze.
Riverside: My go-to for recording. It’s reliable and works well with my setup.
Phone as Camera: Surprisingly, my phone camera is much better than my laptop’s built-in camera for video, so I use a phone mount to keep it stable during recordings.
Microphone: I found an affordable yet solid microphone on Amazon.
Editing Software: I use iMovie to edit both audio and video, adding intro and outro music afterward.
Intro/Outro Music Clip: Purchased from Pond5 for a one-time fee. I love how it adds a little something extra to each episode.
Costs of launching a podcast
One question I often get is: how much does it cost to launch a podcast? Here’s a breakdown of my expenses:
Necessities:
Microphone: $57
Phone Mount: $10
Recording Software (Riverside): $180/year
Editing Software (iMovie): Free
Episode tracker and outline software (Notion): Free
Intro Song (Pond5): $3.20 (one-time)
Optional Investments:
Website (Squarespace): $192/year
Trademarking: Cost varies, but I used a lawyer to handle the process
Time: Building up the podcast and recording episodes takes a good amount of time and energy!
Top 5 episodes so far
I’ve covered a range of topics over the past six months, but here are five episodes I’m particularly proud of:
Episode 1 – Why I started a podcast
Episode 7 – Summer bucket list
Episode 3 – Trader Joe’s hit list
Episode 6 – Social media state of the union
Episode 2 – From print to digital media
Each of these episodes highlights something special about the podcast journey, and they’ve resonated well with listeners!
Goals for the future
Looking ahead, I have some exciting plans and goals for the podcast:
Hiring a VA: This would be a game-changer in helping manage episode releases, social media, and overall logistics.
Community building: I’d love to get better at creating spaces where listeners can connect and engage with the podcast.
Expanding the website: Once there’s a solid archive of episodes, I’ll create categories and perhaps add more resources.
Studio recordings: Eventually, I’d love to record in a studio setting to level up the quality.
Guest interviews: What do you all think about this? Guests could be a fun addition, though I want to keep the episode format consistent.
Thank you again for all of your support so far and for listening! 💖
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