Day 18: Four Things You Need (At a Minimum) To Start a Podcast - Ship30for30
In June 2005, released iTunes 4.9, which added support for podcasts. It was a major milestone & podcasters owe a debt of gratitude to Apple for giving podcasts a big boost in visibility. Fast forward to April of 2014, and the launch of Podcast Junkies. At that time getting your show to appear in Apple Podcasts New and Noteworthy list was the goal of every host.
A lot has changed since then, and you can now find podcasts on a wide variety of directories, including Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Podcast Index and dozens of other destinations. Nowadays we advise clients to include a call to action that reminds listeners to "subscribe and follow wherever you listen to podcasts".
That said, the first place we still submit new shows to is the Apple Podcasts directory. When explaining to new podcasters what to consider when starting a new show, I like to remind them of the 4 things Apple needs at a minimum:
Your Show Needs These 4 Things Prior To Launch
- Name - Make this as descriptive as possible and avoid the need to be witty if you can help it. It's one of the first things people will see in the directory. Can you guess what the Vertical Farming Podcast is about?
- Description - Be clear and concise. Explain your show’s value. Avoid repetition
- Cover Art - New to design? Start with a Canva template. Easy to read fonts and high-contrast colors work best.
- First Audio - This is your episode trailer (Episode Zero). Introduce yourself. Provide background. Show why you're qualified to host this show.
Once Apple has approved your show, it's official, you're a podcaster! Naturally, there's lots more that goes into getting these right, but if you put the time & effort into these 4 steps, you've started on the right foot. Don't give up!
Learn more about the Ship30for30 Program: https://fullcast.co/ship30for30/
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Conversations with my fellow podcasting community since 2014
Interviews with fascinating CEOs & Founders of the leading vertical farming companies from around the world.