PodSchool

So, you’re getting sponsors interested in your podcast but you want to make sure you keep your audience and your advertisers happy? To get the most out of your podcast ads you need to consider them as important as the content that’s around them. Monetising your podcast shouldn’t come at the expense of your show so in this episode I take you through how to make sure your podcast ads aren’t the bit...

Creating a website for your podcast might seem like a lot of extra effort when you're already putting together so much content for your show but it's really important if you want a truly professional podcast. A podcast website is also a way to communicate with your audience, monetise your show and bring new listeners. So in this episode I take you through why you definitely need one and what kind...

Ever since podcasts began they’ve been public and the idea has been to get your show into as many ears and podcast apps as possible. But what if you want to communicate with an audience privately but you still want them to have the same podcast listening experience they’re used to? Well, now you can with private podcasts and in this episode I take you through what private podcasts are and how they...

If you want to grow your podcast audience, you have to promote your podcast to get it in front of more eyes and ears. So how do you do it in a way that's interesting and engaging and that encourages more people to listen? In this episode I take you through the different ways to promote your podcast so you can get your show in front of more listeners and grow your audience. Check out the full episo...

Listeners access podcasts via directories like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. And since growing your audience and getting more listeners is high on the list of priorities as a podcaster, you want to make sure your show is available in as many places as possible. You don't need to submit your show to every podcast app that's ever been created but you do need to make sure you...

Not sure whether you should start a podcast? Podcasting is something a lot of people are interested in but there’s no guarantee of success so you want to do everything you can to make sure your show doesn’t fade out like thousands of others. In this episode I take you through a few questions you should ask yourself before you jump in the podcasting deep end. They’re designed to help you work out w...

If you're recording a podcast with people in different locations and you’re not careful about how you record, your show can sound really bad. And a podcast with poor audio quality isn’t a podcast that grows a big audience. So, if you’re planning to remote record your podcast using programs like Skype, Zencastr or Ringr, in this episode, I share my tips for how to get the best quality podcast audio...

Not sure whether to rate your podcast clean, explicit or no rating? Or whether you have to bother rating your podcast at all? The ratings in the back end of your podcast host were actually created for iTunes music, not podcasts so at the moment there aren’t any clear regulations around rating podcasts. Essentially you want to make sure you always have your listeners in mind, but not just listeners...

Unless your great dream is to podcast to no one you’ll want to do everything in your power to get your show in front of new listeners. And this includes making sure your podcast SEO is on point. SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimisation and if you get it right it can be a powerful way to grow your podcast audience organically because it increases the chances of your show turning up in searc...

Have you tried to record a podcast with multiple USB microphones and it hasn’t worked? Don’t worry, you don’t need to hand in your podcasting licence. If you want to record more than one person on your show and you want to do it via your computer you’ll need to do some configuring to make sure your editing software registers more than one USB microphone. It’s a lot easier than it sounds and in thi...

Starting a podcast can be daunting. Especially when the only thing you've pressed record on is your VCR (hello to anyone who remembers what they are). It's understandable if you're worried that no one will listen, or that you don't have the right voice to host a podcast, or that you don't have to time to fit it into your life. Doing anything new is daunting so in this episode I take you through a...

Most podcast hosts are just that... podcast hosts . They’re a place to upload your MP3’s, look at your stats and fill in your show details but apart from that, there aren't many bells and whistles. Anchor is different because it’s designed to be a podcast host but also a place to edit and create your show. Inside Anchor, you can drag and drop audio elements directly into your episode and if you've...

Buying the right equipment when you're starting a podcast can be confusing and it's easy to get stuff you don't need. Like a mixer. In this episode I explain what a mixer does and go through some of the common reasons people think they need one. So, if you haven't bought your podcasting gear yet and you think you might need a mixer let's make sure you're buying one for the right reasons. Check out...

A podcast trailer can help you drum up interest in your show before you've dropped an episode because it gives potential listeners a taste of what they can expect. Just like a trailer for a movie, a podcast trailer includes highlights of what's on the way and gives people a reason to get excited about what's to come. In this episode I share my tips on how to create a kick-arse podcast trailer so y...

Getting more podcast listeners is important if you want your show to last but you also want those listeners to subscribe. This is because the more subscribers you have the more chance you've got of ranking in podcast charts. It also makes it much easier for people to listen because they'll get a new episode delivered straight to their podcast app. So how do you get more podcast listeners and in tu...

You should think about your podcast episode title like the headline of an article. It's the thing that makes people click, so you need to pack as much information as possible into a small number of words. But you also want to be truthful. The rules of click-baiting apply here just as they do on blogs and websites...don't do it, unless you want to suffer the consequences. If you want listeners to k...

After your podcast name and logo, the next thing potential listeners look at is your podcast description. So you've got to make it good. While you don't want to write an essay, you're not as restricted in your word count as you are with your podcast name. That means you've got more real estate to tell listeners exactly what they can expect from your show. So how do you write a podcast description...

I know we're all told not to judge a book by its cover but the truth is, we do. When people find your show in their podcast directory it's often the combination of your podcast name and podcast logo that will entice them to give it a try. You haven't got a lot of words to make an impact so this isn't an easy task. But ideally, you want to give your podcast a name that's going to stop people scroll...

If you're thinking "I want to do a podcast but I'm not sure what it should be about," you're not alone. Coming up with an idea for your podcast can be really difficult. So in this episode, I'm going to take you through a few exercises to help you refine your podcast idea. Or come up with one if you've got nothing. Check out the full episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/podcast-ideas/ A...

When you're kick-starting your podcast it can be hard to know what equipment to buy because there's so much out there. Particularly when it comes to one of the most important items in your kit, your podcast microphone. Some articles give 700 recommendations and if you've got no idea about recording you can end up more confused than when you started. So in this episode I'm going to keep things simp...

Are you at the beginning of the podcasting journey and know nothing about how to get your idea into people's ears? In this episode we go right back to basics and I take you through how to record a podcast. Check out the full episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/record-podcast/ About me... My name is Rachel Corbett and I've worked professionally for almost two decades in radio and podca...

Coming up with content for your podcast can be one of the more challenging and time-consuming parts of the podcasting process, especially if you're releasing a weekly show. So how do you find enough ideas to make sure you're not lying awake on the eve of an episode going live thinking "What am I going to talk about?" Check out the full episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/podcast-conte...

Co-hosting a podcast with other people can be great. But if one or more members of the team aren't pulling their weight it can be exhausting. So how do you make sure you're bringing your A-game as a podcast co-host? In this episode I share my top tips for being the kind of co-host people want to podcast with. Check out the full episode show notes: https://rachelcorbett.com.au/podcast-co-host-tips/...

Covering up recording in different locations is possible but it depends on how different the locations are. If one recording was done in a library and the other at a Monster Truck rally it'll probably be impossible to make those sound like they were in the same place. But if you want to make it sound like you did everything in one sitting the key is to record some ambient sound. In this episode I...

Your podcast logo is the first thing people will see when they come across your show and it's often the reason they'll stop and take a second look. That means you have to put serious thought into how to design one that will make people want to listen. In this episode I share my tips on creating a podcast logo that fits with the brand of your show but also stops people from scrolling past. Check ou...