Podcasting tech – from your microphone to your editing software – can be an incredibly overwhelming space to navigate, especially if you’re doing it yourself.
Between deciding on what microphone to get, figuring out the intricacies of editing your podcast and then also trying to promote your episodes every week, there is a LOT to think about and do.
And if you’re just starting out, just getting your episodes out there and your voice heard, is your main priority (don’t let perfectionism get in the way of hitting ‘Publish’)
But if you are ready to take your podcast to the next level, this list of tools is all you need in your toolkit.
Recording your podcast
A professional microphone
Starting out recording on Zoom or even your phone is fine, but for your podcast to match your expert brand, the sound quality of your episodes is really important.
Editing and recording tools have come a long way but to minimize the editing effort required, a professional microphone is well worth the investment.
Recording software
Gone are the days of needing a recording in an in-person studio (although that’s nice when you get a chance!) But creating that same experience virtually and output for your podcast is possible with cloud recording studios, like Squadcast.
Instead of relying on amateur Zoom recordings, you can create studio-quality audio and video recordings of your solo and guest episodes. These will have a much more professional quality to create promotional content from.
An Audio interface
A secret weapon as far as I’m concerned, hooking up an audio interface, like the Vocaster One by Focusrite, while you record will make you feel like you’ve got your own broadcasting studio.
It means you won’t have to worry about how you’re sounding as it enhances your voice with full clarity with just one click and lets you set your levels quickly and easily.
Editing your podcast
Editing software
A painful but essential step, editing is the key differentiator between amateur and pro podcasts.
Even if you don’t have a highly produced approach to your podcast or you’re pretty good at recording your entire episode without mistakes; editing out background noise, fixing volume levels, removing your umms and aahs and softening your plosives (that can be grating for your listeners) makes a really big difference.
As you level up your podcast, you will want to consider editing in a dedicated intro and outro as well as music throughout your episode. Using editing software that is intuitive and easy, like Hindenburg, can take the stress out of this process.
Publishing your podcast
Hosting software
Your podcast needs a home and somewhere to be pushed out to the world from every time you drop a new episode.
With podcasts having such easy global reach, it’s hard to say where your most dedicated listeners may be, so you want a reliable hosting platform that will distribute your now beautifully recorded and edited episodes on every platform.
PodBean is a great option for single-show hosts and if you have more than one podcast, Captivate lets you host unlimited shows for the one account and price.
Promoting your podcast
Marketing copy software
Once you’ve recorded and edited your podcast episode, you need the words to tell other people about it! Because otherwise, what’s the point of it all if you’re the best kept secret?
This can take a ton of time so using a tool like Capsho, an AI-powered podcast copywriter, is a smart move.
In 10minutes, it will turn your episode audio file into your:
- episode title and description for your hosting platform
- show notes and a transcript to add to your podcast website
- marketing material like social media captions (for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok) and an email to send to your list
- long-form SEO-optimized blog post to increase your podcast discoverability
- YouTube description to post with your podcast video
Social media content creation software
We all know we need to meet our customers, and listeners, where they are. And most of them are on social media. Reminding your audience of your latest episode drops is important to stay top of mind and wallet.
Using a tool like Headliner lets you easily turn your podcast into shareable videos that you can share across all platforms on social media.
A way to actively engage your listeners beyond the show
Podcasting helps us create deep connections with our listeners through our storytelling and the content we are sharing with them. But a lot of it is one-way because the mode and medium doesn’t allow for them to interact back and keeps it quite passive on their end.
Trying to create a community on platforms like Facebook or Discord can be really time-consuming and difficult to sustain. But adding a tool like PodInbox to your toolkit will give you and your most loyal listeners and fans a mechanism to engage more directly with you.
Collaborating with other podcasters
Having podcast guests and being a guest on podcasts is one of the most effective ways to grow your podcast and business, as it allows you to share your message with your fellow podcaster’s audience and also add value to your own audience with
But with so many podcasts out there, it can be really difficult to find, vet and partner with the right podcaster either to be a guest on their show or to have them as a guest on yours. Services like The Podcast Collaborative and PodMatch make it simple and easy to grow your network and find the right fellow podcasters to partner with for your who and business.
Getting reviews for your podcast
There is no currency like a 5 star review in podcasting and multiple reviews (positive of course) is a key differentiator between the amateur and pros.
It’s important to make sure you regularly ask for and get reviews for your show from your listeners but doing reciprocal reviews with your fellow podcasters is also a great strategy.
You can systemize this with a tool like PodLottery, that incentivizes you to review other shows and earn more for your own!
Written by our friends at Capsho
Capsho is the fastest way to market and grow your podcast. It is an AI copywriting software that is created by marketers for podcasters so it not only saves you time, it also creates marketing copy that hooks more people in to listen to your show.
Try Capsho for free for your podcast at www.capsho.com (no credit card required)!
Zachariah Moreno is the co-founder, CEO, & CTO of SquadCast. He is also a podcaster, author, developer, and designer. He and his team are on a mission to amplify collaboration.
