My 2024 Beginner Podcast Launch Checklist
I’ve been helping people launch podcasts. I’ve done dozens of these for companies and creators of all sizes since 2016.
People hire me for consultations where I help them set up their microphones and equipment and help them launch the show.
In my experience, it’d be cheaper if I just record a video for you here at once and document as much as possible so that you can get going on a lot of those steps without my assistance or anybody else’s assistance and get this thing out the door.
I’ve seen that the clients that are most successful when they’re starting from scratch are the ones who can get launched as fast as possible because now you have a living, breathing thing out there.
And it forces you to tighten up your workflow, and your post-production system versus just staying in the planning stages forever.
I know people who have been in there for years.
So I want to help you by breaking this down in an organized way and trying to treat it just like we would be maybe on a phone call or consultation and me helping you out.
What is the Podcast Launch Checklist?
So one of the things that I’m going to use as kind of a guiding light here is going to be a Podcast Launch Checklist.
This is something that I made a few years ago back in 2020.
I’ve edited and evolved it since, but it’s a checklist.
You can download it for free if you want. It’s on podmahal.com but, it’ll help you launch an audio-only and a video podcast if you want to.
If you’re doing an audio-only show, you’re going to eliminate some of these steps that have a video here, but it takes you from scratch inception coming up with a show idea of what you’re going to talk about who’s it for to how do you promote this thing after you know once your podcast is out.
I’m gonna try to fill in some of those gaps in what you might be wondering about before you start a show so you can be informed if you do it, what can you expect in the first few months, the first year, the first 100 or 200 episodes.
Choose your Podcast Format
The very first thing you’re going to want to decide is the format for your show. This dictates a lot of things, the equipment that you’re going to be using, the software you’re going to be using, the complexity of post-production, the people that you might need to help support you, or the skills that you might need to learn or acquire.
So I always recommend starting with an audio-only podcast.
You can always add video later, but doing audio only preserves the nature of the medium.
It allows you to show up in sweatpants and record and get content out in a casual way. Versus I’ve just found the second you add a video to it, it does change the dynamic of the show.
You are aware that you’re being observed. You have to think about where you’re going to film, and what’s in your surroundings. People feel more self-conscious sometimes.
If you know that is you, and the adding video is going to put up a barrier, and just one more barrier, to actually recording, then you might want to hold off on that.
I will be sharing how you can add the video element to your podcast later on, but I’m going to start with audio only. Since it’s the most simple. So we decided, let’s say we’re going to go audio-only just in the beginning. So we can get some reps and episodes out there.
Solo vs. Guest Podcast
The next thing you’re going to want to consider about the format of your podcast is whether will you be having guests on, or will be a steady co-host.
Will you be doing solo episodes or maybe it’s a combination of all of it?
I’ll give you my recommendation. I think doing solo episodes and having a mixture of guest ones is a very strong way to go. You have more control of your production process.
You’re not relying on just other guests to give you content.
You are using it similar to how maybe somebody like Dr. Andrew Huberman or Cal Newport, both professors and scientists and engineers, people like that, who are kind of delivering a lecture in a way through this format of a video podcast, it’s solo, they’re talking straight to the camera, the audio is recorded as well, but it was a while before they both started adding guests to their shows and they will both develop their audiences.
So Theovan is another example. He has a podcast called This Past Weekend. The solo episodes that he has get fewer views than obviously the big comedians and guests that he might bring on but it has its fan base where he talks a little differently.
He’s more himself when other people aren’t around. And as a fan, as a listener, it is a therapeutic thing to listen to.
You feel like you’re just talking to him in a room while he’s reflecting on stuff.
It grows slower, but solo episodes are something where you have a much stronger and more dedicated following over time.
The guests help you grow a lot quicker because if you’re having interesting guests with followings already, there’s a little bit of that draw that’s coming to your show.
But I want you to consider this, you don’t just want other people’s audiences that are coming just for that guest.
You want people who are coming to listen to your podcast for you.
The way to develop that is to have a mixture of solo episodes where you get to put out your point of view and give value.
And then have guest episodes where you can use it to build trust, expertise, and authority, in your domain.
But at the same time, it’s focused on, when you have guest episodes, you’re focused on the other person.
You’re not trying to take all the limelight for yourself.
So I always recommend having a balance of both. It gives you less pressure to start with just guests only, and then anytime you do solo episodes, it’s like, “Oh, they don’t have any guests this week, and they’re running out of content ideas or something.”
It keeps it a very, like, hey, “no, we’re solo primarily, but we’re gonna do guests to help add variety and bring more value for you guys.”
So that’s just my take on maybe the structure of your show there.
In-Person Recording Vs. Remote Recording
The next question with formatting is going to be, will you be recording this in person or will you be recording this show remotely?
I work with plenty of shows where they rent out a studio or they’ve built a space in their house where it’s made for that. And they have four-person podcasts that are done there.
That production process is way more complicated than doing four people remotely on Riverside.
So I always recommend starting with remote if you can, just because you have more control of your frame versus when you step out into in-person.
If you don’t have somebody helping you set up all the equipment is very anxiety-provoking the first few times because you are now setting up everything while you’re maintaining convo with the guests and then you’re also gonna take them through the whole episode.
Especially for some of my clients that I’m thinking of that are a little bit technologically averse, it’s just way easier to do remotely.
It’s a little bit more scalable, you can do it more frequently.
I will say if you have an opportunity to do it in person, whether it’s every once in a while or you decide to do a lot of them that way, there is a higher production quality feel to those shows, I think than there is to remote.
So that’s an advantage that you have there.
The dynamic with your guests is also a little different. You can interrupt them and it doesn’t feel like, “Oh no, you talk first.” It just feels like a normal conversation.
Considerations for In-Person Podcast Recording
Lighting
What if you are recording your podcast in person? How does that change the equipment that you’re gonna need? It does add some complexity, but the two main pieces that you’ll need is going to be lighting.
But we already established that artificial lighting you should have even if you’re doing a solos thing remotely.
So that should already be there. But you’re gonna have to think about wherever you’re recording this in person, you’re gonna need to bring a lighting setup. Something that’s maybe portable or whatever.
2. High-quality camera
Number two is going to be a high-quality camera. So you’re not going to use the webcam that you were using before.
You’re likely going to use your iPhone or whatever your mobile device is. Typically, if you have the storage available, has the highest quality that you can record without having to make another purchase.
Because if you get into buying a new DSLR camera, like I have one I’m recording on a Sony A7R III. I have a separate Sigma lens. that I put on it, and you have to learn how to use the settings.
There’s a lot of big learning curve that some of my clients have gone this route and got it, and it just took so many episodes where, like, we messed up the video because there’s nobody there to help in actually helping record it.
It’s like you’re they’re remembering what you told them, and when it comes down to it, you feel too frazzled, and it’s just more complicated to offload and do all that, versus record it onto your phone, share it through AirDrop, or upload it to Google Drive or Dropbox, and you should be pretty good to go.
You could also record in 4k with an iPhone if you wanted.
It’s also the type of thing where if you’ve got multiple iPhones or an older one lying around, you could have multiple camera angles that way as well.
It’s a little bit more efficient to do that.
Battery life is also something you have to think about with digital cameras.
So after 27-30 minutes, most of them shut down. because of preserving energy, and it’s just to prevent overheating and things like that.
There are some firmware and things that you can do to break past the limit and record longer.
But again, that’s something you have to think about and do with a DSLR camera.
And some people that I know are willing to do that but a majority of them are like, “No, this is just going to be one more barrier that allows you to not do the video podcast. You’re going to give up on it.”
So use the phone. It’s headache-free. It saves you money and clears up some of your storage. And that is probably the best option for video.
3. Audio Interface
The third thing that you are going to need for an in-person recording setup is going to be an audio interface.
So you’ve probably seen a lot of podcasts that got that big square box thing with like a dozen knobs on it. And it looks super complicated like you’re at a radio station.
That’s cool. That works too. It’s great. It’s high quality.
I am a fan of the Zoom H6. Zoom H6 is something that I’ve been using for over seven years now and it fits in the palm of my hand.
It can fit in a backpack, and it’s got four inputs.
An XLR cable is going to get plugged into here. And then one for your guest or co-host. And then you can have up to two more if you want it.
You’ve got the gain control for the microphone on each of these it’s fairly straightforward for you to like to turn on hit record you get to monitor your audio levels and see, how they look and if it’s balanced from the start.
And then typically this has an sd card right that you would pull out and you can upload it onto your computer or you can do it through USB there’s right here, that you would upload onto your computer now this they have new versions of this.
Like this was bought seven years ago. They’re updating their models and stuff but essentially you want something that can record at least two inputs.
I like to have four just because in case you ever have a third person on the show if you’re getting this thing, it’s just nice to be able to have that option.
So this is typically like when I bought this, it was about $350. But again, I’ve had it for over seven years now and it works like brand new. I still use it to this day and I don’t even use it for just when I’m traveling and stuff like that.
I might use it when I don’t feel like recording into the computer.
If you just want to record directly into something headache-free stop and start your recordings real quick and easy.
This is a brilliant option for that.
So if you’re like me, you like to have something that kind of fits in the pocket, fits in your backpack, but still performs well, then this is going to be your choice.
If you want to go with the mixers and things like that, that look a little bit more complicated or professional, whatever you want to call it, that works too.
And I will link that in the description below.
But, those are the three main differences in terms of your recording setup when you’re doing an in-person show.
Of course, you’re gonna have to have multiple microphones.
So, that is a given. S choosing a stand, do you have a boom arm, where are you kind of latching this stuff onto? That’s kind of important.
Handheld mics are really good. I’ve done a review on that. The Shure SM48. It’s like 40-50 bucks for that handheld microphone.
But you can plug it right into here. Everybody’s kind of holding on to their mic, no need for a stand, feels kind a little bit more, and it can feel conversational.
Some people that I’ve talked to client consults have said that it makes them feel like they’re singing in church and things like that.
So they’re like, “Oh, I don’t like it, it gives me a karaoke vibe.”
I know comedians who love holding on to that microphone because it gives them the feel of being on stage and talking on a mic.
So it just depends on what your style and preference is, but the mic is already a given.
You’re going to need multiple of those that have an XLR input.
So the end of it can go into this instead of just a USB input, which goes into your computer. So that’s the main difference. Lighting. A nice camera, something to record with if you’re doing video, and then an audio interface that captures all of your audio, so that in post-production, you or your editor can sync it up and capture the best of the best.
There are other tiny complexities based on your studio and things that you might have, but, with most people, it comes down to these three.
