What Are Podcasts? How To Launch Yours In Step-By-Step

Podcasts were first mentioned by Ben Hammersley back in 2004. Whereby, the story was even covered by The Guardian Newspaper in an article that he had possible names for this new booming medium.

Later on, the word “pod” which was borrowed from Apple’s “iPod” digital media player began taking roots. The other portion of the Podcast word “cast” was lifted from the radio’s “broadcast” term. That’s how the two words intermarried to form one popular word “Podcast.”

Even though one of the words was borrowed from Apple’s iPod, it doesn’t mean you need an iPod for that matter. You can listen to your favorite podcast online through your browser. And if you know how to get started, then you need a Podcast Hosting Partner (in this case Blubrry).

Blubrry is a podcasting community and directory that gives creators the power to do amazing and endless missions. Allowing the users to; make money, get detailed audience measurements, and host their audios and videos online.

Whether you are a media creator, advertiser, blogger, or even just a media consumer, Blubrry is your next digital media interface. Not to mention, RawVoice, the Blubrry parent company, is a member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB.net). You can read more about the Blubrry platform features here.

What Are Podcasts?

Podcasts are an exemplary on-demand online internet radio. And with new technology advancement, their elements have even been further simplified. Especially, now that through blubrry you’ll be able to integrate them into your website. Allowing your subscribers to listen to you live, download, and even share the ones they love.

The generator of a podcast maintains a central list of the files on a server as a web feed that can be accessed through the Internet. Not forgetting, well conveyed, and delivered Podcast contents are on high demand. This means the narrator is often busy doing research work in order to be as interactive as possible.

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Notably, most topics routed through podcasts address real-life issues. Not to mention that some offer either further guidelines, teachings, training, answers, or even personal life interview talks.

Ever listened to a podcast and thought, “Hey, I could do that.”? Or maybe you’ve heard of others making six figures every month from podcasting. The good news is that the barrier to entry for starting a podcast is low.

Are Podcasts outing the AM and FM Radio?

First of all, the answer to this question is Yes. Even though time is a witness of change, Podcast is still in their momentum stage. Therefore, we expect to see more increase in demand for the online podcast as it is to the online display adverts.

Furthermore, radio stations broadcast their content in an attempt to appeal to a broad audience. The only luck the AM and FM Radio have been that they have a variety of internal channels. As an example, before the YouTube foundation, Televisions were more popular and were part of life in the majority of abodes.

Stitcher – Podcast Player – Apps on Google Play

However, with the online audiovisual game-changer, you’ll need only your phone to follow watch the videos you love online. Without you even lifting you’re remote to switch on that Telly. As a result, TVs are still popular especially through live news coverage, public events streaming and breaking in announcements.

Of course, Yes! It’s of greater good if you can simply get started and engage with your online listeners right now. For one thing, have you ever dreamed of having your own radio show online? Or rather, are you a recording artist hoping to have your songs heard by the masses? There are more to that.

What are the Benefits of Podcasts?

Basically, creative Podcasts are an effective, portable, convenient, and intimate way to deliver and produce content. While on the other hand, podcasts allow you to build an ongoing relationship with your clients, employees, and partners.

Considering, these are some of the people you might have personally met, transacted business together, or had an online interaction. For example, if you are a movie lover—like the one I follow closely — “God Friended Me,” then you’ll even understand more.

What are Podcasts?

In this particular TV series, the main character — by the name Miles mainly utilizes the use of his podcast alongside each episode. You can catch a glimpse of this TV series here.

That in mind, there are several ways to start your own online radio podcast. But, why or how are they beneficial?

1. A podcast is more Personal

As can be seen, you can streamline your radio podcast publishing workflow through the help of the Blubrry radio hosting platform. Especially, within the reach of its most flexible tools for all your online podcasts, it has to offer. In a Podcast, the narrator addresses directly to you.

And also, the content if recorded, is directly subjective to you as the listener. In addition to interacting with you as the listener verbally or through video. People would also easily communicate with the Podcast owner and other subscribers. Through live chats and comments making it a community of individuals sharing a common interest.

2. Convenient content that is easy to consume

The easiest way to grasp podcasting is to think of it as audio blogging. Each episode is like a blog post, covering a specific topic. Podcasting has been a mainstream content channel for years now but is still growing.

Once you subscribe to the feed, newly created podcasts are automatically downloaded to your computer as soon as they are available. And as an illustration, Podcast is open to just anyone who demands to share views and communicate to the world. It is not as exclusive as the big-name media.

3. Reduced pre and post-production costs 

Since Podcasts are delivered digitally, they eliminate additional costs incurred through other forms of communication. Including postage, printing, and paperwork. As long as the subscriber gets interested, for most, entry is free through a simple process of RSS icon or the Subscription Button.

Unlike other medium platforms, the Subscriber is provided with all useful guides, especially registration directly on the screen. The download is automatically provided the settings are correct without hidden settings and program broadcast features.

4. Podcast broadcasting is time-efficient

A podcast is one of the most time-efficient forms of digital communication. Which means you can listen while driving, while in the office or when back at home. Owing to that some families don’t have in-house internet. They’re able to save the newly downloaded podcasts into your external memory.

Also writing a whole topic easy on your blog site is in no comparison to audio voice over. Especially if you’re not a prowess typesetter or even the computer keyboard master. This means within a day you can have a summarized version of any typically standard blog post.

5. It is an on-demand technology best for online/social media

As an example, listeners make their own decisions on what to hear, and when they want to hear it. By a majority vote, it is easy to timely plan your delivery time. This means you are competing for their ears and eyes. Also, your podcast subscribers are the core of your online community.

And with time, they’ll be your best prospects for deepening the relationship through cross-selling and loyalty tactics. Truly, a podcast is unique too. Since it can immediately deliver itself to multiple Podcast distribution points. Such as iTunes and Stitcher Radio or Podcatcher applications. Through a process of syndication known as RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

How do I start a Podcast?

By all means, creative podcasts are an effective, portable, convenient, and intimate way to deliver and produce content. While on the other hand, a podcast allows you to build an ongoing relationship with your clients, employees, and partners.

Thanks to the Internet and its instantaneous connection to millions of people, your dreams can become reality. Even without technical skills, almost anyone can start a podcast. When you start a new project, it’s a good idea to know where you’re going.

Before you start a podcast you should:
  1. Choose a topic you can commit to.
  2. Define your show description and artwork.
  3. Set up and thoroughly test your equipment.
  4. Create a plan for your episodes.
  5. Record your episodes.
  6. Edit and publish your episodes.
  7. Launch your podcast to your audience.

That’s the 30,000-foot view of starting yours —the rest is easy. And unlike internet radio, users don’t have to ‘tune in’ to a particular broadcast.

Instead, they download the podcast on-demand or subscribe through a process called Really Simple Syndication (in short RSS Feed). And in return, which automatically downloads the podcast to their computers.

You should also commit yourself!

You must internally commit to podcasting, as you have to do with anything that is potentially beneficial but takes some time and effort. And you have to say to yourself: “This is something I’m going to do, and this is something I’m going to keep doing.”

It’s easy to get excited about the potential of podcasting and what it can do for you and your brand. The possibilities are endless, but only if you keep at it. My best advice is to enjoy every single part of it. And once you start thinking, “Ugh, I have to record another episode soon,” that’s when you should remember why you started podcasting in the first place.

Results take time, so you might as well enjoy it. After all, you can monetize your podcasts and earn a living from doing what you love. That said, let’s look at ways to start your own podcasts below.

Step One: Choose your Website Host

The first step to building a website for your podcast is to set up hosting. A web host like Bluehost is basically where your website will be stored on the internet so that users can access it.

It’s important to realize, setting up a site for a WordPress podcast website is the same as setting up a basic website. The only difference is the additional features & customization that you add to it.

The basic steps to follow includes:
  1. Choosing & setting up hosting
  2. Picking a domain name & checking availability
  3. Installing WordPress (Bluehost offers WordPress Hosting)
  4. Setting up a user-friendly navigation menu & pages
  5. Picking the right theme design for your website
  6. Customizing your website for podcasting

If you don’t have a web host yet, I recommend you set up an account with Bluehost.

Why is Bluehost the best choice?

You can get shared web hosting with Bluehost for as little as $2.95 per month. Including a free domain name, which is perfect if you’re just starting out in the world of podcasting.

Just choose the plan that’s right for you. And then, thereafter, enter your details, and voila! You’ve got a web hosting for your website. Plus, it includes WordPress, as one of the best web hosting solutions for WordPress sites.

Not only that, but Bluehost has premium customer service and reliability. As well as an easy-to-use control panel, expert, in-house technical support 24/7, and more. Once you’ve purchased your web hosting, you’re ready to start building a website that satisfies the fans of your podcast and attracts new listeners.

If you’re interested, you can see the step-by-step guide for how to create a WordPress site with Bluehost — one-click installation. You can also read and learn more about How to Build a Podcast Website for Your Podcast.

Step Two: Choose your Podcast Website Theme 

If you already have a running website like jmexclusives, one easy way to go about enabling a podcast on your site by integrating it with WordPress PowerPress Podcasting Plugin by Blubrry.

According to ThemeIsle, there are plenty of services available that offer amateurs and professionals the opportunity to share their podcasts with the rest of the web. The very best podcasters also run their own websites, keeping their content in-house.

If you’re not at this stage, now is the right time to consider building a podcast website in WordPress! Keeping in mind, creating WordPress sites is really not that complicated, and if you’re truly serious about your podcast, you should give it a shot.

WordPress often gets typecast as being a blog-only platform, but it can do a lot more. Getting to know the platform is remarkably simple too. Anyone can learn its basics in a day or two, then move on to building their own projects.

After fully developing your site, it’s time to incorporate your theme with Blubrry. And with this mind, you can read and learn more about What is Blubrry? Only then will you learn how to engage your web listeners with podcasts.

Takeaway,

Although podcasting first found popularity within the techie set, it has since caught on with the general public. Log on to one of several podcast sites on the Web, and you can download any content. Ranging from music to philosophy to sports.

Podcasting combines the freedom of blogging with digital audio technology to create an almost endless supply of content. Some say this new technology is democratizing the once corporate-run world of radio. ­The easiest way to grasp podcasting is to think of it as an audio blog.

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Each episode is like a blog post, covering a specific topic. Moreover, podcasting has been a mainstream content channel for years now but is still growing. The technology is similar to that used by TiVo. A ­personal video recorder that lets users set which programs they’d like to record. And then automatically records those programs for later viewing.

In Infinite Dial 2017 research, they found that 67 million Americans listen to at least one podcast per month. Additionally, podcast listening rate has been consistently growing 10 to 20% per year. And with new technology like Amazon Alexa and Google Home becoming more popular, it seems reasonable to expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.

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Podcasting is extremely fun and exciting. But, there is one thing you must do before you start podcasting. As mentioned earlier, you must commit yourself. Then, learn all the basic skills required while doing thorough research. As well as, have a variety of options to choose from.

Finally, I hope the above-revised guide was helpful towards your online podcasts publication. But, if you’ll have additional contributions, suggestions, supportive guidelines, personal experiences, or even further questions, please Contact Us.

You can even share your thoughts in the comments section. Furthermore, your generous donations to support our research project will be highly appreciated here.


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