When I started my podcast, I had NO IDEA what I was doing, like NONE, so I had no podcasting skills! I literally Googled “How to start a podcast” and was overwhelmed with all the results. And no one around me was podcasting that I could ask. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to put this podcast together. Once I picked a launch date, I set a plan and reached out to my friends and family members I wanted to interview first, and next thing you know, I’m podcasting.
Whenever we are starting anything new, there is a learning curve. We will make mistakes because we don’t know what we don’t know. But we learn from those mistakes, and it will be better the next time. Let me give you an example. When interviewing my neighbor, I recorded from my laptop directly into the Anchor website (Anchor is now Spotify for Podcasters, the site I use to host my podcast). After 29 minutes of recording, it stopped. I didn’t know that it had a time limit when you recorded from the website. Luckily, we were at the end of the episode, but now I knew, so going forward, I recorded from the Anchor app.
Now that I’m two years into podcasting, I can look back and see the skills I’ve learned since starting my podcast. And here are three of them.
1. Podcast Interviewing Skill
From the first time I got that tug in my heart to start a podcast in 2019 until I launched it in 2022, I knew I wanted to have an interview-style podcast. But I had never interviewed anyone before. This was entirely new for me, and I quickly learned that it’s not just about asking questions – it is about actively listening and asking the right questions. While also making your guests feel comfortable to answer them.
To prepare for my podcast, I had an active vlogging YouTube channel then, so I started adding interviews to my channel. I contacted friends and family to see if they could be on my show. Luckily, they said yes! I started with my friend, who is a singer and songwriter. And I wrote about five questions, and after she answered them, I struggled to come up with more questions to fill the time left.
I felt so unprepared and unprofessional and realized this interviewing thing wasn’t as easy as I thought it was. But now I knew that I needed to come up with more questions. So, for my next guest, I thought about three topics I wanted to discuss and came up with about three to four questions about each topic.
With each interview, I was getting better; however, after listening to some while editing, my husband suggested asking follow-up questions in regard to what they answered. By doing this, I’d have my guest elaborate on certain topics. And now, all of this comes naturally as I’m speaking to my guests.
2. Audio Editing Skill
My podcast was audio only at the beginning. And this was because, as I mentioned above, I was also juggling a YouTube channel. I already knew how time-consuming video editing is, and I was trying to figure out the podcast thing. However, I had not edited audio-only content before.
Since I was recording my episodes directly on the Anchor app, I edited the episodes there, too. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. I learned how to remove the sections I didn’t want, where there was a long pause, and how to add music.
Now I’ve added videos to my podcast, I’m back to editing videos and not just the audio. I’m sharpening those editing skills for my podcast!
3. Technical Podcast Skill
At first, I recorded my podcast with my phone or iPad and my husband’s work headset. It’s not the ideal podcast setup, but it did the job. And my main focus at the time was just to start! Which is why I’m an advocate and teach my clients to start with what you have. You can always upgrade later, which is exactly what I did.
A few months after launching, I took a podcasting course. One of the modules was about equipment for podcasting. And there, I learned what a dynamic microphone is, which was my first investment for the podcast. A dynamic microphone doesn’t pick up background noise.
I bought one on Amazon for about $60 – you can see my list of equipment at my Stan Store. My second investment was my Sony Camera, once I started adding video.
As I continue to podcast, I learn more about the industry and how it’s changing. Also being in this podcast industry has helped with the skills I’ve gained. From all my trial and error, I coach my clients into the exact equipment they need to start. But, if they can’t invest in the equipment, they can always start with their phone. Lots of podcasters have started this way; there is nothing wrong with that.
In conclusion
Podcasting has provided different skills than just these three, and I’m still learning because this industry is constantly changing. AI is also changing how people do certain things, like editing. But my biggest advice when you’re starting a podcast is to make a plan and be patient with yourself. You will make mistakes; things will go wrong, but be flexible. Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know, but as time goes on, you’ll learn!
Do you have any questions in regards to podcasting? Leave them in the comments!
With Love, Heidy
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