Will it be just you, or will there be guests? Will you have a co-host or do you prefer to fly solo?

Questions like these are to do with time and money. If you are involving other people in your show, consider what will they get out of it. Whenever I collaborate I like to share ownership 50:50. It's my personal preference, but it means that we share the highs, the lows, the deadlines, the everything. And it's way more fun having that shared experience than inflicting your 'vision' on someone else every week. It encourages both parties to come up with ideas and more importantly to let good ideas in wherever they come from.

Next on the agenda is the question of guests. Because you put the time in and decided what your podcast is going to be about (you did that didn't you?), you can start researching potential guests in that field. It's likely your podcast will be based on a subject you are passionate about, so don't be afraid to write a dream wish list of people you would love to have as guests. It's a bit like if you could have anyone round for dinner sort of thing, except it's entirely possible some of the people on that list will say yes. It's happened to me a few times and I've finished recording still pinching myself. Keep in mind though how being on your podcast will benefit your guests, dream wish list or not.

Finally, if you want someone to edit your dialogue, or come up with bespoke music, or book guests on your behalf, be prepared to pay them. If this is a hobby for you, it doesn't mean it is for the people you want to be involved.
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For now, have a very happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Gareth

p.s. if you still haven't figured out what your podcast is going to be about, try our Podcast Format Starter form, it might help you gather your thoughts.

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Dr Neil Bruce's podcast 'There Is Another Way', which explores the world, life and creativity. We talk freelancing, creativity, rejection, networking and so much more.

​You can hear the episode by searching for 'There Is Another Way podcast' in your podcast app, or click in the artwork in this post.

Whatever you're doing, have a happy and productive day.

Gareth
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I ended the last blog post with the mantra: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CONTENT. The podcast itself exists to deliver that content, so if you haven't decided what you want to talk about then it's time to stop and think about it.

If you don't know yet, you might want to decide before you start (unless it's a podcast about improv 🤔). Even if you want to produce something that involves externalising thoughts that come into your head when you hit the record button, it's useful to know that ahead of time so you can figure out who your audience will be, potential guests, artwork and so on.

Choose something that you are passionate about and keep it simple. Most successful podcasts have a really simple idea behind them, with all of the content feeding into that idea. If you can describe your idea in a short sentence you might just be on to something.

If you do know what you want your podcast to be about but aren't sure how to go about it, listen to some podcast episodes relating to your topic. If you open your podcast app and search using the topic keyword, e.g. 'fashion' or 'photography' you'll see what's already out there. Put the time in and listen to some shows.

Finally, in the podcast section of this website there's a form that might help you. Feel free to use it (but please don't hit submit if you don't want us to respond!). It's designed to help you get your thoughts organised, and may give you a spark of inspiration. Of course, if you have a budget and would like us to help you, hit that submit button.

Until next time, have a very happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Gareth

With over a million now in existence, it's a good time to consider starting a podcast. There are loads of resources online to help, and in the next few weeks I'll point you towards some of them. 

You might want to start a podcast to extend your brand, or talk about something that is close to your heart, or simply HAVE FUN. Whatever the reason, there's never been a better time to get going. It really doesn't take much to record something and publish it online to start building your audience.

There's a lot to consider before you get going, however. The 'tip of the iceberg' questions I think that are important are:
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Last year co-producer Dan Watts and I started our first podcast via The Sound Boutique's audio brand 'screenless'. We learnt a lot about podcast production in that first series: how to properly plan a format; how to set up a work flow for production; what equipment works best; what to expect from guests and how to plan an interview; how to edit dialogue while keeping conversations sounding natural (and not like they're edited). We also wrote the audio ident and other incidental music, and mixed and mastered each episode ourselves.

There's so much more involved, but you get the picture. Producing a podcast is made up of lots of little jobs, and we've covered them all. The whole process from strategising about making a podcast to publishing finished episodes...we've done that, and we're still doing it. Making A Soundtrack season 2 is now in production, and we can't wait to share it with you. The new podcast, Creative Cuppa, is going from strength to strength.

We also realised that we now have a new skillset: podcast production services.

Producing and editing your podcast can be tricky and time consuming. We can help with that. There are two main ways we are offering podcast production services. These are:

• to work with anyone who wants to set up a podcast but doesn't have the time / know-how / resources to do it themselves.
• to work with organisations to create branded content.
  
  

To celebrate the beginning of this new service, we have a special offer: if you book six or more podcast episodes you will get the first standard episode for free.

If you are thinking about starting a podcast or know someone who is, feel free to reach out and say hello via the 'Podcasts' section of this website.

Have a great weekend.

​Gareth