If you’re looking to create a podcast for free, then you will look not just at the equipment, but also at software, marketing, distribution, and other elements that go into a podcast production. In this article, we’ll examine how to start a podcast for free, and whether it is the best option for results.
Equipment
It is easy to start a podcast at home for free. You can use almost any room in your home, as long as it is quiet and you’re not going to be disturbed by guests or others in the home. A home office or study might be a good location.
But you will also need to have the equipment available in your room. The best podcasts use a professional setup checked by podcast experts. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t start recording and publishing episodes with your current laptop.
You can use free software to record video and audio on your computer with ease. These can then be edited using a range of free podcast editing software options.
Despite the options available, they might not be the best for your audience. Laptop microphones and video can sometimes have lower-quality output than other professional equipment. A reduction in the output’s quality can harm the listener’s feedback and audience retention. While some people might stick around the entire episode, they might not return.
And once you’ve pushed audiences away, it can be hard to return. So instead of cutting back on the equipment, it is often best to invest in good quality equipment to give your show the best chance of success.
Editing
Editing is a task that some podcast hosts undertake themselves. There are free software options, or they buy a software package and learn how to create a show using the tools.
Doing it yourself can be a great way to ensure you’re leaving out the clips that you don’t want to have. It can be a challenging skill to learn, and along the way, there might be mistakes.
You might also want to consider the time investment. If you’re new to editing, the length of time to edit the podcast will likely be longer than an experienced editor will take. Think about what else you could be doing during that time. Could you be marketing your podcast? Recording more audio, running your business, or servicing your clients?
It is likely that while you can do the editing for free, the hidden costs might not be worth the time investment when someone else can do it much cheaper.
Media
There are many different media elements you need to have for your podcast. Everything from the episode thumbnails to your logo needs to be crafted to maximize attention. There are plenty of options for creating a logo and thumbnails online. You can use graphic studios such as Paint.net and Canva. The latter does have premium options, but you don’t need to use these.
For stock art, you have sites like Pixabay, which can offer you attractive and professional images to use in promotional work.
Therefore, you can create a lot of media content without needing to spend a lot or even anything at all.
The quality of this media work will depend on your skills. Many podcasters do learn this basic skill, because it is so useful for other activities as well, such as social media, blogging, etc. But if you’re not artistic, the quality might hurt your potential promotional efforts.
Website
Nearly two-thirds of consumers expect businesses to have a website, and your podcast listeners will likely expect the same. A website adds credibility to your brand, helps you market your content, and allows you to make sales from the business.
Small podcasters might not want a fancy website with lots of unnecessary features. Rather, they want a small website that is just a platform to help them reach a wider audience. This can be done for free. Many website platforms such as Wix and Weebly offer free websites. But there are catches.
One of the catches is that ads are added to your website. Google has announced it will penalize websites that host ads on them. And they might take audiences away from your brand forever.
Another issue is with the number of features included. You are often limited to a simple image and text website, which doesn’t allow for the hosting of audio content. Therefore, you are adding another barrier to getting your podcasts heard online.
Free website options also have limited bandwidth, limiting the download times, which can reduce ranking and audience engagement.
Finally, you won’t get your branding. Your website URL will be complicated and not branded to your name. This can be harmful to your long-term success. If you were to upgrade later on to a better website, all links to that old URL would also be useless, hurting your brand more.
Hosting doesn’t have to be expensive. Building a website can be done easily using WordPress with theme editors.
Podcast Marketing
You can’t just expect your audience to know you’ve published new content for your podcast. You have to market your podcast. Luckily, unlike with a lot already mentioned on the list, marketing can be something that you can do for free.
There are numerous options to use such as appearing on other podcasts, social media, and email marketing that can be done for free. For instance, using some email marketing services allows you to have a small email marketing list for free.
You can always upgrade as you start to see a return on your podcast investment.
One of the most successful ways to market a podcast is to rely on word of mouth. Getting your audience to share news about your podcast with their friends/family/colleagues can be an excellent way to attract new audiences.
Finally, there is blogging, which can improve your website’s performance. Using a variety of keywords, you can attract audiences to your website when they’re doing relevant searches on Google and other networks. If you optimize your pages correctly, you can bring dozens of people per day, who might take the time to listen to your podcast.
If you use video podcasts, adding those videos to the website’s blog can be very effective as it can increase the time on a website by 40%.
However, you can be limited in your reach with free marketing. You might need to invest at some point to ensure that you reach a wider audience and the right people. But with marketing, you can take your time, select the right channels, and budget for you. Just a small spend can yield big results that can help you achieve more with your podcast.
FAQs: Can You Create a Podcast for Free?
What is the best way to market a podcast for free?
Numerous podcast marketing options can be done for free. However, these might have limited results, especially if you don’t have an engaged audience already in place.
Can I use my current laptop to help produce a podcast?
There are ways that many laptops, desktops, and even mobile devices can be used to record, edit, and publish a podcast. However, the quality of the content might not be as professional as other options.
Can you publish a podcast for free?
Many podcast distribution sites allow for free submission of podcasts as they earn their money through premium placements, adverts, and other revenue streams.
Final Word: Can You Create a Podcast for Free?
While it is possible to produce a podcast for free, it is not always the best option. Instead, you should create a podcast with a professional podcast production company, that can help you get the most from a smaller budget. Or they might allow you to recoup investment quicker, allowing you to spend the right amount and achieve everything you want with a podcast.
Produce Your Podcast is a premier podcast consulting, production & marketing agency. Our team of experts provides comprehensive, full-service quality solutions for B2B clients to incorporate podcasting into their overall marketing strategy. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help launch or grow your business-branded podcast and boost your sales and marketing goals, we’re here to help.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today. Let’s work together to create a high-quality podcast that takes your business to new heights!
