How to start your own
Podcast in Australia

Last Updated: July 20, 2022

Start your own Podcast with our complete step by step guide by

Matt Ascough

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Podcasting has certainly taken over in recent years and for good reason.

People love podcasts and they are here to stay.

There is a podcast for just about everything these days, and with so much competition it is hard to make it in this business.

There are some simple things that you can do to make sure you have a successful podcast.

In this guide we will talk about the things you will need to know and also the equipment required to start your own podcast.

Top Tips when starting a Podcast

Do your research: Understand your audience.
Planning: Have a well planned out schedule.
Be consistent: Having regular uploads will mean your podcast stays relevant.
Offer value: What can you expect to gain from your content?
Practice: Make sure you are a good enough audio & video editor.
Get Feedback: Know what you’re doing wrong to improve.
Create a community: Create a community around your podcast.
Network: Create strong partnerships with other brands.
Think of your future: It may seem like it’s a long way off, but when you do hit 1 million subscribers,

Why start a Podcast?

There are many reasons as to why you might want to start your own Podcast.

Podcasts are a fantastic way to grow a personal brand or business.

They can work as a lead generator and they can also be a great source of passive revenue.

But starting your own podcast is a challenge. It’s not something that you can just jump into and expect to succeed. You need a plan and you need a strategy.

Here are the top reasons why you should start a podcast:

Podcasts are on the rise. A few years ago, podcasts were a niche thing, but now they are big business. They are the #1 way that people consume information, and they are only growing.
A great way to promote your business or brand
If you are an expert in a subject, then you should definitely start a podcast on that subject
Simply because you love what you are doing. If you love your subject matter and you love to talk about it, then you will have a great podcast.
If you are doing everything you can to be a public speaker, then a podcast is a great way to get your name out there.

Podcasting is something that is extremely powerful and is a lot more difficult than it might seem. It takes a ton of work and it takes a long time to create a great podcast.

Making money from a podcast

Your podcast can be monetised in a variety of ways. Successful podcasts employ a variety of monetisation techniques to generate income from a variety of sources.

It is wise to diversify your sources of income. Imagine that the only source of your revenue is the YouTube distribution of your content. Then, though, YouTube blocks your channel. This would be a disaster! Multiple revenue streams are preferable.

There are many successful podcasts making good money from their podcasts. More recently, the Joe Rogan Experience received wide media coverage when it was purchased by Spotify for a rumoured $200 million contract.

There are a number of different methods that your podcast might generate income.

Top ways to monetise your podcast

Sponsorships
Listener funded
Affiliate sales
Products or Courses

Click here to learn more about making money from your podcast

Where to host your podcast

Before you have created any episodes, you will need to decide where you are going to host them.

There are many dedicated podcast hosting platforms that make it easy to upload your episodes and then publish to podcast networks such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and others so that you can reach a wider audience.

Your podcasting experience will be greatly impacted by the platform you choose because the correct one will not only help you manage your audio files but will also enable you to expand your listenership.

Another distinguishing characteristic is price. A decent podcast hosting firm will charge you a subscription fee for hosting the podcast, despite the fact that there are some free providers. Almost all reputable suppliers provide monthly subscriptions as well as a discount for loyal customers.

5 Podcasting Hosting services to consider

BuzzSprout
Podbean
Libsyn
Captivate
Transistor

Click here to learn more about the best podcast hosting platforms.

Where to promote your podcast

Once you have created your podcast you will need to publish to podcast networks. If you use a hosting platform like mentioned above, these platforms can publish automatically to popular networks.

Popular Podcast Networks

If you want to reach more people then check out the following popular podcast networks.

Spotify
Apple Podcasts
IHeartRadio
Google Podcasts
Tunein

Choosing a niche for your Podcast

One of the most common questions asked by beginners is “What niche should I choose for my podcast?”.

The answer is not as simple as it might seem.

It’s not just about what you like and what you know, but also about your audience and your future plans for the podcast.

Before you start creating podcast episodes, you need to answer these questions:

Who is your audience?

If your audience is not clear to you, it’s impossible to make a video that will appeal to them.

What do you want to discuss on your podcast

Do you want to be a producer of educational content?

Or perhaps you’re more of a hobbyist and will create podcast episodes just for fun.

What are you going to do with your podcasts?

If you’re creating podcasts as a side project, it’s different from creating podcasts to make money or build a business.

Deciding what kind of Podcast episodes you will make

Let’s be honest, starting a podcast is a daunting task. If you have never had any experience interviewing or have never used a video camera before then you will find that the idea of starting a podcast can be quite frightening.

But don’t worry, because regardless of your level of experience, you can always make great podcast episodes. But you will need to put some thought into what episodes you are creating, because this will help you to establish a brand for your podcast.

It is important to remember that making podcast episodes is more than simply pressing record and then sharing your episodes on the popular podcast networks so that people can stream them.

In 2021, comedy podcasts were the most popular podcast genre in Australia with a share of 22% of total genres. As of June, 2022, the top podcasts were both comedy and crime.

Finding people to interview

While it is possible and perfectly fine to produce podcast episodes solo, the common practice however is to interview a special guest who is often an expert on a specific topic.

Finding guests for your podcast can be difficult, especially when starting out and your audience is small. Some guests may be discouraged by your limited audience and will be unwilling to sacrifice their time for your podcast episode.

Once you gain more subscribers to your podcast sourcing guests will become easier.

In saying that, their will be guests that are trying to break into the podcast circuit and will be happy to share their insights on your podcast.

Ways to find podcast guests

Reach out to your existing network of family and friends
Make a post on your personal or business Facebook or LinkedIn page
Send a formal invitation
Ask experts from recent publications
Go to networking events
Use dedicate websites such as Matchmaker.fm

Recording podcast episodes

When starting out, it’s best to keep the recording process as simple as possible. It’s no point investing thousands of dollars in expensive equipment for episode 1.

Here are some of the best ways to get started, and some of the most important things to remember.

Having clear, quality audio will make your podcast easy to listen to and encourage repeat listeners
Make sure you have a really good microphone. You don’t have to buy something really expensive, but a lot of your viewers will be able to tell the difference.
Having video with your podcast is not a requirement, so don’t stress about having fancy video equipment.
You don’t need to have the best editing software in the world. There are many free programs available.
Make sure you have a really good microphone. You don’t have to buy something really expensive, but a lot of your viewers will be able to tell the difference.

Equipment required to create a podcast

There are a lot of things that you need to consider when creating podcast episodes.

After all, it’s not as simple as recording some audio and posting it.

You need to make sure that it’s not only something that you enjoy doing and that you’re good at, but that it’s something people want to listen to as well.

To start creating content for podcast we recommend the following:

External Microphones
Camera, or semi-decent iPhone/Camera Phone (if filming)
Recording Device
Headphones
Audio Editing Software

External Microphone

Keep in mind that the audio quality must match the video. If the audio is subpar, it won’t matter how well-produced your 4K cinematic footage is if your viewers lose interest. The next most critical item to have for making YouTube videos is a good microphone because built-in laptop or camera microphones typically have poor audio quality because they can’t efficiently record or reduce surrounding sounds.

Common microphones used for recording videos include:

USB Headset
Condenser Microphone
Shotgun Microphone
Lapel Microphone
Camera Phone

Audio Editing Software

Once you have all the necessary tools, you will also need to pick a reliable audio editing program for post-production.

Common software used for podcast editing include:

Free Editing Software

Alitu
Garageband
SpreakerStudio
Stitcher
Audacity

Paid Editing Software

Restream.io
Adobe Audition
Hindenberg Journalist

Camera / Recording Equipment

If you wish to record your podcast and publish it to your website or YouTube channel then you will need a camera setup.

However, be aware that you don’t have to buy the most costly DSLR before you go to the camera shop. Almost anything that can record high-quality (1080p) video can be used.

If you’re just starting out, good camcorders or webcams will do. For when you’re ready to upgrade, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras make fantastic investments. Keep in mind that the sort of video material you want to produce has a big impact on the type of camera you should buy.

Common cameras used for making videos include:

Camcorders
DSLR
Webcam
Action Cam / GoPro
Camera Phone

Tripod

Unsteady footage should never be used in a professional video production since it could distract or dizziness your viewers. Your images and movies can be stabilised with the use of tripods and gimbal stabilisers. You can select either of these to raise the production value of your YouTube videos depending on how you will be recording your video.

Common tripods used for recording podcast videos include:

Standard 3 leg tripod
Gimbal stabiliser

Lighting

If you plan to record your videos largely indoors and in low-light settings, you’ll need lighting equipment.

Lighting equipment can alter the atmosphere and balance out the brightness of your setup even if you are filming in an area with plenty of ambient light.

The sorts of lighting gear that you can utilise when filming your podcast videos are listed below.

Softbox
Ringlight
On Camera Lighting
Floodlights

How to get your first subscribers

If you are planning to do a lot of videos or a videos series, you need to think about how to attract your first viewers.

The first thing to think about is what is your niche or what topics you want to cover, this will help you with targeting the right audiences.

Here are some ways to get your first subscribers:

Post links on other websites
Be active in the comments section of other videos
Use Reddit-related subreddits to post links to your videos
Get known on twitter and share links to your videos
Use Facebook groups to share your videos

FAQ's

Q. Is it expensive to start a podcast?

It’s very easy to think about starting a podcast and make a couple of episodes and get a couple of hundred views but it’s a lot harder to make a profitable podcast channel.

Many people ask how much it costs to start a podcast. I think a better question is how much does it cost to start a successful podcast channel. The answer to that is simple, it costs time and effort. The question to that is, how much time and effort are you willing to put in to make your podcast channel a success?

There are definitely some fixed costs for equipment which you can spend as little as $100 and also free software you can start out with. If you want to go full pro, then expect to pay upwards of $5k.

How to start your own Podcast in Australia

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