So You Want To Start A Podcast At Home? Here’s The Secret

There are plenty of misconceptions about podcasting, foremost among which is that it is difficult to do. The mere thought of the technicality behind producing a podcast that people want to listen to intimidates many that they don’t even bother to try. Some also think that coming up with one requires a significant expense, not just with training but also with the type of equipment needed. Sadly, some also think podcasting does not require any training or research (but that’s another story).

Are you one of these people who assume that podcasting is expensive and hard? Melon is to turn that thought around. It is very much possible to produce a powerful podcast even if you don’t have thousands of dollars and the fancy equipment to back you up. We’re not saying it will be easy, because you do still have to offer the due research to create quality content, but money is not really an issue.

What Equipment Do You Need?

Most people think that a good podcast can only be produced with sound mixing board and fancy microphone. While both are nice things to have, they are not absolutely necessary to create a file. You can produce a great sounding audio with just a good USB microphone. There are plenty of brands in the market and they don’t require knowledge of fancy gadgets to operate. You can just plug them into your PC or laptop’s USB port and you’re ready to begin. No need to spend hundreds of dollars for a mic as there high quality ones for less than $100.

When it comes audio editing software, you don’t have to drop $500 on systems with those complicated buttons. You can actually make sure of cheap or even free audio software like Audacity or Garage Band to do it. Both apps can already help you product awesome sound. You can also invest in podcasting mixers because eventually you will want to have these on your arsenal, but be mindful of the balance between features and price.

Do You Need The Formal Training?

Learning how to produce a podcast is necessary, yes, but you don’t have to splurge thousands of dollars on those “boot camps” being advertised everywhere. Contrary to what these ads say, there is no get-rich-quick formula to podcasting and attending their expensive seminars and crash courses certainly does not guarantee immediate success. While attending these boot camps will give you access to insider knowledge (based on their experience), much of what is being taught in these venues is free.

A simple Google search on podcasting will produce thousands of free resources on you how to start your own. You can also listen to existing podcasters and industry veterans who give free advice online. These pros do still charge for their services, but their podcasts are free and those often are sufficient to get you started.

What Matters Most

In producing a successful podcast, more than the fancy gadgets, you will need to produce quality content that people will want to listen to. Start with topics that you are most passionate about because the information will come out of you naturally. Of course, with the many podcasts all over, yours should have added value that will make it stand out. Podcasting requires work, so even if you have all the equipment in place, without the right content, all of it won’t really matter.

If you already have that big podcasting idea but are still unsure about how to start in terms of gadgets, you can start with basic podcast equipment packages to help you get your feet wet. There are plenty of packages that are designed for different types of podcasters, from the beginners to the veterans, and for different budget ranges. Podcasting is part creativity and part science. You can experiment with your equipment to find out which ones work best for you.