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CREATING A PODCAST IN FIVE EASY STEPS

Hey! Have you ever wanted to create a podcast easily for you and friends to enjoy? Here at Tag ‘21 we will help you to start making your very own podcast and explore the benefits of producing one. We will also be talking to Miles Rees who has successfully made podcasts, hearing his advice for getting started and sharing some useful tips.

Podcasts are in. Ofcom said that 7.1 million people listened to podcasts in each week of 2019. This was an increase of 24% from 2018. This rise shows that podcasts are rapidly becoming popular in the mainstream and audiences are interested in and engaged with them. Ofcom also researched the top genres among podcast listeners:

REASONS TO START A PODCAST

A benefit of starting a podcast is that they are very easy to make. This is because of the technology we have, such as mobile phones, tablets and iPads. They have audio recording apps so files are easy to archive, you can easily update the audio and remove old sound files and replace them with new ones. There are apps such as Anchor that distribute your podcast for free. This app is accessible and reliable as you can make and edit your podcast on it and distribute it to audio apps such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts amongst others.

POPULAR PODCAST GENRES

Ofcom’s results show that the two most popular genres in 2019 were Entertainment (57%) and Comedy. The two least popular genres of 2019 were TV & Film (35%) and Science & Technology (33%). The result for TV and Film is surprising as films and television are hugely popular. Here at Tag ‘21 we recommend you choose whichever genre of podcast you want and be happy with what you create, because it is your show and this is your self-expression. Another benefit of creating a podcast is it removes the cost of studio hire. Instead, you can record from home during a Facetime or Zoom call and record it from there. The app reduces the cost and need for studio equipment including printing scripts. It is free on the app and there is no fuss. It also gives a sense of normality if you do it in your house as it feels just like a normal conversation between you and a friend, but with a microphone recording what you’re saying. Also with the use of conference calls, you can easily plan the podcast with your friend, again reducing the costs and time of meeting each other in person. This means you can even make a podcast with a long distance or social media friend. Using remote meetings, you can plan your aims and your longterm ambition for the podcast, as well as planning individual shows and series. You can discuss how to grow your audience. You can decide what you want to do using social media and how you’re going to spread the word about your podcast. Using Instagram and TikTok marketing reduces the costs of printing posters as you can access all of it from your phone. You can spread awareness of your podcast using Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat too.

INTERVIEW WITH A PODCASTER

We spoke to Miles Rees (18) from Bexhill, who has experience of creating amateur podcasts. With a friend, he started and produced The Talking Football Podcast in early 2020. Tag ‘21 asked Miles what he enjoyed about making the podcast and his advice for anyone who wants to start doing them in the future. What is the best thing about making a podcast? Miles said, “My favourite part of doing the podcast was debating topics and trying to convince the other person and the audience [certain views] about a certain opinion or topic.” We also asked what was the most challenging aspect? “The hardest part of creating the podcast was planning what I was going to say for each section and also to consistently speak without stuttering or forgetting what to say.” The final question we asked him was what his advice was for anyone who wants to start a podcast in the future? “My advice is to do it about something you enjoy and make sure that having fun is more of a priority than getting views.” Good luck, have fun and thanks for listening!

To get started, you will need a phone, tablet/iPad or PC/Mac to record and edit your podcast. These are essential.

STEP TWO

Download the Anchor app on android or IOS. From this, you can record, edit and distribute your podcast to other platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

STEP THREE

On Anchor there are other functions such as recording with your friends on a call, receiving voice messages from the audience, transition sounds for editing plus importing pre-edited audio onto the app.

STEP FOUR

You can now start the recording process of your podcast.

STEP FIVE

Once you have finished recording and editing your podcast, you can now upload it to Anchor and distribute it to other

streaming services.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED YOUR FIRST EPISODE OF YOUR PODCAST AND IT IS AVAILABLE FOR LISTENERS ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Jacob Cullip Design: Luke Hearne-Brown, Declan Knevett Photography: Oscar Tarbox