STEP-BY-STEP

GUIDE
FOR SETTING-UP YOUR
PODCAST

WWW.CONTENT10X.COM
 PODCAST SET-UP GUIDE
Congratulations! You’re launching your podcast.

The process may seem daunting, but don’t worry.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
TSACDOP RUOY PU GNITTES ROF

In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you

need to know to get started. I’ll talk you through a
process very similar to the one we go through with our
clients.

The whole process will take you between 1-3 weeks

to complete (depending on how much time you have
to devote to it) – and this guide will make sure that the
whole process runs smoothly.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO SETTING UP YOUR

PODCAST

In this guide, you’ll learn:

How to set up your podcast
How to create your podcast artwork
How to record an intro / outro
What recording equipment you’ll need
How you set up a podcast host
How to record your first introductory episode
Tips on recording
How to publish your first episode
WWW.CONTENT10X.COM
 W hether you're starting a brand new podcast or
repurposing video content into a podcast, this
guide takes you through everything you need to
know, from concept, to recording your very first
episode and launching!
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
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I’ve tried to keep this as simple as possible…here goes!

1 DECIDE ON YOUR PODCAST DETAILS

Have all of the below planned and written out – you will need to copy
and paste this later

TITLE OF THE PODCAST

Keep it simple and don't try to 'stuff' it with specific keywords
that you’d like to rank for in Apple Podcasts/search engines.
Apple will actually remove your podcast for doing that!
E.g. mine used to be: Content 10x: Repurpose Your Content,
Maximize Your Reach, Grow Your Audience but it's now The
Content 10x Podcast

HOST NAME
You! Again, keep it simple and don't try to fill with keywords. For
example, mine used to be keyword heavy - Amy Woods: Content
Repurposing Specialist, Founder of Content 10x. Now it's just
Amy Woods, and that means Apple will not remove the show

PODCAST SUBTITLE
A short description of your podcast. One sentence is ideal

PODCAST DESCRIPTION
The main description of your podcast.

Look at other podcasts for examples of all of this. Spend a little

time in Apple Podcasts looking at podcasts in your niche.
 2 PODCAST ARTWORK
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GET YOUR PODCAST ARTWORK DESIGNED &

CREATED
Podcast artwork is a square image that represents your show. You want
to keep it simple but try and make sure it’ll stand out too. In Apple
Podcasts and all of the apps, it will sit next to lots of other shows.

If you have the skills and time consider creating it yourself. Otherwise,
consider outsourcing to a graphic designer (recommended – your
artwork is really important).

Whichever option you decide the things that you need to know are:

The image must be square

The current maximum size is 3000 x 3000 pixels and the

minimum is 1400 x 1400

This image should be in .jpg or .png file format and in the

RGB color space

Apple Podcasts won’t allow your artwork if it doesn’t meet the above
criteria.

Look at your artwork in a much smaller size, 300 x 300, and check
it looks good and that any text is nice and readable.
 3 INTRO/OUTRO
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
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It is not compulsory but highly recommended that you get some

intro/outro music. If you don’t want music, then it’s good to have at the
very least an intro/outro voiceover e.g. “Welcome to the XX podcast…”

You may want the voiceover to be recorded by you, or you may want it
to be recorded by someone else.

Decide your voiceover script

Decide whether it will be recorded by you or someone else

Decide if you want to include music

Get your intro/outro created

When launching my podcast, I found this step more complicated than I

had first thought it would be. If you want a voiceover to be recorded by a
voiceover artist, then you need to find the right person.

You will also need to find the right music. You cannot use any music to
which you do not have the rights. There are many sites that offer royalty
free music – again a quick Google search will bring back many results.
You then need your music and voiceover to be professionally edited
together.

Music Radio Creative are a great option. They provide a fully-done-for-

you service and are amazing. Check out content10x.com/musicradio
They created the intro for The Content 10x Podcast.
 4 EQUIPMENT
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Get a suitable microphone

Don't worry, you don't need to spend a fortune! You need to ensure that the audio you
capture is of a high-enough quality to turn into a podcast episode. You can hire
professional audio editors to do this for you - but even they can't work miracles if the
sound recording is really poor! To ensure a good sound quality we highly recommend
that you use a microphone.

If you are on camera, a good option is to buy a lavalier microphone (lapel microphone) –
a nice and discreet microphone that you can wear as close to your mouth as possible.

Other entry-level microphones include:

Audio-Technica ATR2100 - This is one of the most commonly used

microphones for recording. It offers a great, natural sound, and is very
easy to use with a simple USB output

Blue Yeti - Very similar to the ATR2100 but the Yeti has a slight edge in
that it has a range of recording patterns which you can select

If you're recording videos you will of course need to find a microphone that plugs into
the device that you are going to use to record your videos (e.g. a smartphone or laptop).
Make sure that you check before purchasing. Sound quality is really important - you
don’t have to spend a lot on a microphone but don’t go for the cheapest option either!

Consider getting a pop shield to protect your mic. These are readily available on
Amazon and are incredibly cheap. Any pop shield will do, so don’t spend too much.

As a last resort, if you have an issue with your microphone, many headphones for
smartphones often have a microphone on them, so you could use that as opposed to
no microphone at all.

The best microphone in the world won’t be able to overcome bad sound
quality caused by the environment. Always pay attention to any noises that
could interfere with sound quality and try to eradicate them. Try not be be in
a room with an echo either!
 4 EQUIPMENT (CONTINUED)
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Ensure you have software to record your audio

Now that you have something to record with, you need something to
record into.

A professional audio editor can take care of all of the complex editing and
production needed. All you need is something to click record, and click
stop when you’re done.

Here are two options for recording audio using your computer, and even
better, they’re FREE.

Audacity (Mac & PC) - Again, this is a simple tool which will
enable you to record using the microphone

GarageBand (Mac) - A surprisingly powerful piece of software

that comes free on all Macs. If you own a Mac, this should
already be installed.
 5 PODCAST HOSTING
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
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You have to set-up your podcast with a podcast host. This is entirely
separate to your website host. Your podcast host stores your podcast
media files and all of the information on your show. Your podcast host
creates your RSS feed which you can then submit to Apple Podcasts,
Spotify, and other podcast directories.

I personally use, and recommend, Captivate. It's really easy to set-up

and run a podcast on Captivate, they are a reputable company, have
lots of tutorials, and a readily available and easily contactable support
team.

Have your artwork and all of the podcast details ready (title, host,
subtitle, description).

Go to Content10x.com/captivate and sign-up for a

podcast hosting account - or sign-up using whatever
podcast host you have chosen

Follow your podcast host's tutorials and set-up your

podcast. If you are using Captivate they have a step-by-
step Getting Started tutorial
 REC
YOUR FIRST PODCAST EPISODE –
RECORDING
5
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

It is generally recommended that you record an introductory episode –

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most people label this as episode 0 and in Apple Podcasts this can be
labeled as a trailer. This episode only needs to be short (under 5
minutes is fine, but it must be over 1 minute). It’s your opportunity to
explain:

Who you are

What your podcast is about

Who your podcast is for

What to expect e.g. duration, frequency

If you need some inspiration, then check out some introductory

episodes from some of our clients:

Jay Baer - Talk Triggers

The Move iQ Podcast with

Phil Spencer

The Treasury Career

Podcast with Mike Richards

The Carrie Wilkerson Show

 REC TIPS FOR RECORDING
5
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SKYPE
When recording a podcast episode using Skype, make sure that you have adjusted
the settings.

From your Skype menu, go to your Audio and Video Settings. You will then see a box
come up. Make sure that your microphone is set to your external mic, e.g. Yeti Stereo
Microphone. Make sure that your speakers are set to your headphones.

Select your external

microphone here

Select your speakers

to your headphones
here
 REC TIPS FOR RECORDING
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ZOOM
When recording a podcast episode using Zoom, again make sure that you have
adjusted the settings. Simply go to the Zoom menu > Preferences > Audio. Change
your speaker to your headphones and your microphone to your external mic.

Select your
headphones here

Select your external

microphone here

N.B If you are using Squadcast, Zencastr or any other software, remember to check the
settings for your speaker and set these to your headphones and set your microphone to
your external mic.
 REC
TIPS FOR RECORDING

5 LOCATION
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It might not always be possible to record your podcast wherever you like.

Try to find the quietest place possible - this may sound obvious but if you are
recording amidst sounds of people talking, traffic, air conditioning, clocks, computer
fans etc., then the microphone will capture these sounds.

Before hitting record, stop and listen in complete silence and see if there is anything
you can hear which might affect your sound. Also try to reduce interruptions if
possible.

TIPS FOR REMOTE INTERVIEWS

You may be recording interviews with guests from all around the world remotely. To
ensure the best sound quality and for ease of use, here are my top four
recommendations, in order of preference:

1. Squadcast - really easy to use and connects podcast hosts, co-hosts, & guests to
record studio quality audio from anywhere. Highly recommend
content10x.com/squadcast. This is the most reliable of the four

2. Zoom - Zoom is very simple to use, has good quality audio and a built in record
function. The guest has to download a small plugin before the call

3. Zencastr - Designed specifically for podcasting and fairly self-explanatory. If you

don’t have a strong internet connection this can be a bit less reliable than Zoom in
terms of sound quality but overall easy to use

4. Skype - Skype is good because so many people have heard of it and a lot will
already have it so there may be no need for them to download anything

Avoid recording using a phone whenever possible as

the quality will not be optimal.
 YOUR FIRST PODCAST EPISODE –
PUBLISHING
5
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When you have recorded your first podcast episode, it needs to be

uploaded to your chosen podcast directory, like Apple Podcasts.

Different apps/directories will have different processes for submission,

so make sure you check these before uploading and
pressing PUBLISH!

SUBMIT TO APPLE PODCASTS –

A ONE-OFF PROCESS
When your first episode has been published you need to submit your
podcast to Apple Podcasts.

Go to podcastsconnect.apple.com

Login with your Apple login and ID (you’ll need to obtain

one if you don’t have one)

Follow instructions in the Distribution section in Captivate

It can take up to a week for Apple Podcasts to approve your submission

and another week to appear in Apple Podcasts. Personally, it took 2
hours! However, it can vary and you can’t control this.

That is why a trailer or episode 0 is a good first submission to Apple

Podcasts, as it can be submitted prior to your official launch and
starting your regular publication schedule. E.g. your episode 0 could
be weeks before your launch.
 To increase your audience and reach new listeners, you should also
submit your podcast to the following podcast directories

SUBMIT YOUR
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PODCAST TO SPOTIFY &

RADIOPUBLIC
You can also submit your podcast to these popular app/directories
directly using a podcast host like Captivate. Whatever host you
choose, just follow the guidance for each one but you simply must
submit to Spotify!

SUBMIT YOUR PODCAST TO

STITCHER
Stitcher is another popular place to submit your podcast to. If you
want to do this here’s how:

Go to the Stitcher site and register for a content

provider account.

Log into your Stitcher account and click the

‘Add Shows’ link.

Enter information about your podcast including

the feed address.

Agree to the terms & conditions and click the

‘Continue’ button.

Confirm your submission

If you are hosting using Captivate, they have help and support on
doing this also, including tutorials.
 It's important to submit your podcast to as many different podcast
directories as possible. Each one will have different submission
guidelines. Here are a few additional ones you should consider.

5
OPTIONAL – SUBMIT YOUR
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PODCAST TO ACAST
Acast is an up and coming host site that is becoming the go to
marketplace for premium content. If you do choose to host
your podcast on Acast, you can get access to monetisation
options via ads and promos in the future.

Submit your podcast to Acast >

OPTIONAL – SUBMIT YOUR

PODCAST TO TUNE IN
TuneIn is best known as being a radio platform, but it’s also
gaining traction as being a definitive podcast directory. With
over 75 million listeners, it’s worth getting your podcast listed
here.
Submit your podcast to TuneIn >
You don’t need to submit your podcast to all of these
locations, but the more places you are, the more likely
you’ll be found!

CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU'RE A PODCASTER
If you followed all these steps then your podcast is launched and out there.
But if you need any help and support with launching your podcast, then get
in contact with us at www.content10x.com/podcast10x

Ask everyone you know to subscribe to your podcast and leave a

5 star review! You really have to go out there and ask for your first
set of subscribers and reviews so don't be shy!
 WHERE TO GO FOR SUPPORT
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

The Content 10x Podcast is a weekly show, new episodes

TSACDOP RUOY PU GNITTES ROF

are released every Thursday. Learn how you can maximize

your content and reach more people. Every episode is
accompanied with a blog post. Head to content10x.com or
find the podcast on the podcasting app of your choice.

Grab a copy of my book Content 10x: More Content, Less

Time, Maximum Results the ultimate guide to repurposing
content, with lots of support for podcasters. Available in
paperback, Kindle and audiobook.

At Content 10x we offer a fully done-for-you podcast repurposing service -

including audio editing and production, show notes, social media content,
blog post, YouTube video...and more. Head to content10x.com/podcast10x

If you need any help or guidance, and you chose Captivate as your host,
you can always log in to Captivate. In the Help Section you will find lots of
tutorials and FAQs that should answer any questions you may have.

They also have a messenger/intercom system where you can submit

questions and get responses very quickly.

We recommend joining the Podcast Success Academy for FREE. Here you
will find lots of support to help you become a successful podcaster and
audio influencer. There’s training, advice and support on ALL aspects of
podcasting. Click on their logo above to find out more.