Start your podcast on any budget

By Jo Milmine

It’s one of the most common questions when deciding to start a podcast: what sort of budget do I need to get going? With so many options for equipment, hosting, editing software, and so many opinions on which is best, it can be pretty overwhelming! And that’s before you’ve started reading the microphone reviews or watching the YouTube videos of various set-ups.

There are a few different items and types of software you need to produce your podcast, but the good news is it can be as simple as recording into an app on your phone (Hello, Anchor.fm). Whilst there are trade-offs, particularly with cost-free options, it’s absolutely fine to go with these, so long as you’re happy with the constraints (more on that below). In general terms, you’ll need a microphone, something to record into, something to edit with, and some way to host and distribute your podcast.

If you’re keen to get going with your podcast and want to avoid hours of research, I have you covered. With recommendations from free to pricey, there’s a solution for every budget. Remember, you can always upgrade your set-up at a later date, so don’t let ‘I don’t have the right kit’ be the reason you avoid getting started. Likewise, the best microphone for you is the one that makes your voice and audio sound the best, and this varies from person to person. Have a play around with different types and test them out to find the one that works for you.

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With the caveat that ‘free’ in this case means using equipment you already have, it’s totally possible to start your podcast with no extra cost involved except time. However, you need to be aware of issues such as who owns your content and how your data is being used by the host platform. It doesn’t need to be a showstopper, but as the old adage goes, if there is no product, you are the product, so check the terms carefully and ensure you’re happy before committing.

Microphone: the onboard one in your phone or, ideally, the built-in one in your headphones that came with your phone.

Record into: phone, tablet, or computer

Edit with: Audacity (free on MacOS, Windows, Linux) or Garageband (MacOS)

Host and distribute with: Podbean (you’ll get 5 hours for free on its free plan)

Alternative: Anchor.fm is owned by Spotify and offers a free all-in-one solution from an app on your phone. Be aware, the big trade-off is that Anchor owns your podcast feed on Apple podcasts, has limits on the size of files you can upload, and the options for editing within the app are pretty limited.

It’s totally possible to start your podcast with no extra cost involved except time.

UNDER £100

If you’ve £100 to spend, you can get a pretty decent set-up that will give you more control over the quality of your audio and the amount of content you can store before needing to move to a higher storage plan. It’s a big step-change in quality from in-line microphones in headphones, and it’s worth doing to improve your home/office video set-up, just for those ever-present Zoom meetings if nothing else. It will eliminate swishing noises from the headphones moving whilst you speak and your recording will sound clearer..

Microphone: Samson Q2U (£72.80) or dynamic USB and XLR mic, with Sennheiser HD206 headphone (£20.83)

Record into: Computer or tablet (you may need a USB adaptor for tablet)

Edit with: Audacity (free on MacOS, Windows, Linux) or Garageband (MacOS) Host and distribute with: Libsyn ($5 + $2 stats add-on) with 162Mb per month storage (of new uploads – previous months’ uploads don’t contribute to this storage limit)

Alternative: Audio Technica 2100 ATR2100x-USB mic (£79); Buzzsprout for hosting ($12 per month)

UNDER £350

Now we’re getting into the realms of really decent kit whilst still being affordable enough to get started, especially if you look to the second-hand market to pick up some of these pieces. You can definitely wait and build up to this sort of set-up over time by adding some of these bits, such as the audio interface, into the £100 set-up.

Microphone: Rode Procaster (£135), Rode PSM1 Shock Mount (£31), Rode NT1 microphone stand with pop filter (£30.99), Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface (£134.99) with Audio Technica Mx20 headphone (£40)

Record into: Computer or tablet – consider adding a digital recorder such as the Zoom H4N (£208), which can be used instead of a computer to capture the audio, both in studio, as an on-the-road recorder using the built-in mic, and as a backup recorder if you are recording interviews remotely.

Edit with: Hindenburg Pro (£9.46 per month)

Host and distribute with: Libsyn ($5 + $2 stats addon) with 162Mb per month storage (of new uploads – previous months’ uploads don’t contribute to this storage limit)

Alternative: Blue Yeti (£95–£119). Be aware this is a condenser mic, so whilst it does record rich sound, it’s pretty fragile and also reasonably unforgiving in a non-studio environment, so expect to have to edit out background noise. ABOVE £350

The sky is the limit when it comes to setting up your ideal podcast studio and fitting it out with equipment. For this recommendation, we won’t go too stratospheric with the budget – if you have more money, I would spend it on marketing your show. That said, if you find that a higherpriced microphone is the one that really makes your voice sound great, then go for it.

Microphone: Shure SM7B Dynamic microphone (£389), Cloud microphones Cloudlifter CL-1 microphone amplifier (£145), Gator Frameworks 3000 series microphone boom arm (£129), Mackie 402 4 Channel Compact Mixer (£128), JBL Tune 660 headphones (£59.99)

Record into: Computer or Zoom H6 6-track portable recorder (£279)

Rode DS1 Desktop Mic Stand Rode shock Mount Rode Procaster

Edit with: Adobe Audition (£19.97 per month)

Host and distribute with: Libsyn ($5 + $2 stats add-on) with 162Mb per month storage (of new uploads – previous months’ uploads don’t contribute to this storage limit)

Alternative: Rode NT1-A Microphone (£135)

Dive in, test with what you have around the house, and upgrade as you go

So there you have some suggestions for getting started. These are all personal preferences from my own experience – there are lots of other options out there at all kinds of price points. Dive in, test with what you have around the house, and upgrade as you go.

Prices correct at time of writing (March 2022).

About the author Jo Milmine, Multi-award winning podcast host Founder of Podcasting Unpacked

jo@podcastingunpacked.com www.podcastingunpacked.com podcastingunpacked

LINKS: www.adobe.com/uk/products/audition.html anchor.fm www.audacityteam.org www.buzzsprout.com/pricing www.hindenburg.com www.libsyn.com/plans-and-pricing www.podbean.com

Shure SM7B Samson Q2U Mic Rode Boom Arm