You don‘t want quite a lot of gear or costly month-to-month subscriptions to file a podcast. However, the suitable instruments can enhance the standard of your present and assist streamline your workflow.
We compiled an inventory of the highest 19 podcasting instruments we advocate that will help you launch your present, market it successfully, and keep organized alongside the way in which!
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The necessities: What you want to get began
Podcast internet hosting: Buzzsprout
Value: $12 per thirty days
Each podcaster wants a podcast host to retailer their audio information and distribute them to listeners by way of your RSS feed.
Buzzsprout is the simplest solution to get your podcast on-line and into podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many others.
Each Buzzsprout account comes with built-in promotional instruments, superior podcast statistics, a podcast participant in your web site, and tons of sources that will help you alongside the way in which.
You possibly can attempt Buzzsprout free for 90 days. Improve to a paid plan for $12 a month if it appears like an excellent match.
Alternate options:
Microphone: SamsonQ2U
Value: $59.99 on Amazon
The Samson Q2U is a high-quality entry-level mic and our prime advice for brand new podcasters.
And whereas the mic is commonly really helpful to rookies, its audio high quality and performance rivals higher-priced choices.
The Q2U is a dynamic mic, so it minimizes background noise and doesn’t require phantom energy supply.
This mic additionally has USB and XLR connections which helps you to file with a pc, audio interface, or mixer.
Various:
Group and scheduling
Collaboration: Google Drive
Value: Free or $12.99 per thirty days
In the event you file a podcast with a number of folks, you’ll want a solution to simply share audio and video information in addition to different paperwork.
Google Drive helps you to collaborate with a number of staff members so you’ll be able to keep on the identical web page.
If the free model isn’t sufficient for you, you’ll be able to improve to a Enterprise Normal plan which provides every consumer 2 TB of storage.
You should utilize Google Drive on a Mac or PC, pill, iPhone, or Android, so you’ll be able to entry your information anyplace.
Various: Notion
Scheduling: Savvy Cal
Value: Begins at $12 a month
It may be onerous to schedule a time to file a podcast episode in case you work with three or extra hosts and making an attempt to plan a time that works in your visitor. On this case, a scheduling software could be a lifesaver.
Savvy Cal has an intuitive interface that enables for collective scheduling together with your staff. You possibly can suggest a time to fulfill, and see everybody’s availability on one web page, as an alternative of toggling between a number of calendars.
It’s a superb software to check availability and make sure you’re on the identical web page together with your cohosts.
Various: Calendly
Reserving company: PodMatch
Value: Begins at $6 a month
PodMatch is a guest-matching service that matches podcast hosts with superb company for interviews (like a relationship app however for reserving podcast interviews).
As a bunch, you create a public profile with every part your visitor must learn about your present. PodMatch then makes use of its algorithm to search out matches for you primarily based on availability, matter, compatibility, and many others.
If you discover a match, you’ll be able to message your visitor by way of the dashboard to coordinate the main points. There’s even a built-in calendar integration so you’ll be able to schedule every part with out leaving the location.
Various:
Recording and enhancing
Recording software program: Descript
Value: Begins at $12 a month
Compatibility: macOS and Home windows (not Linux)
Descript helps you to file, transcribe, combine, and edit all inside one workspace. This audio editor is a wonderful different to a digital audio workstation (DAW) and presents plenty of options that simplify your post-production workflow.
Descript is nice for each audio enhancing and enhancing video. The most effective half is that you simply edit your transcript the identical approach you’ll a textual content doc.
You possibly can take out sections with the press of your backspace key and dub over your audio utilizing the Overdub text-to-voice function. Descript additionally has Multitrack recording and Zoom integration.
Descript additionally presents filler phrase removing, distant recording, and extra options that simplify your post-production workflow.
Alternate options:
LEARN MORE: Our Descript tutorial walks you thru the workspace and highlights the software’s greatest options.
Distant recording: Riverside.fm
Value: Begins at $15 a month
Compatibility: macOS and Home windows (not Linux)
If you file distant interviews typically, It’s necessary to have a software that will provide you with constant and dependable video and sound high quality. Instruments like Zoom and Skype can work nicely, however are topic to glitches and dropped indicators.
Riverside.fm is a straightforward solution to file audio and video remotely out of your browser. Customers get 4K video decision, uncompressed audio, and steady importing to the cloud so that you by no means lose your work.
You too can use the software to stay stream to Twitter, YouTube, and Fb.
Riverside.fm exports your video as an MP4 and audio-only information as WAV. In the event you want an MP3 file, you need to use their WAV to MP3 converter.
Alternate options:
Stay streaming: StreamYard
Value: Begins at $20 a month
Compatibility: macOS and Home windows (not Linux)
StreamYard helps you to join with company from world wide after which broadcasts your name to YouTube, Fb, Twitter, LinkedIn, and different platforms.
Utilizing a stay streaming software helps you to work together together with your viewers in real-time. You possibly can stay stream your podcast episode, or go stay throughout platforms to advertise a brand new episode, interview a visitor, make an announcement, and many others.
Various: Riverside.fm
Audio enhancement
Mixing and mastering: Magic Mastering
Value: $6 a month
Magic Mastering is like an Instagram filter in your audio recording and makes it crisp, clear, and degree.
If you apply this function, your episodes will robotically meet trade greatest practices for loudness and true peak. Magic Mastering additionally consists of:
- Good Adaptive Leveling
- Audio Sweetening (Filtering + Noise discount, Hiss, and Hum Discount)
- Optimization for Spoken Phrase or Music
Strive Magic Mastering free of charge by yourself podcast and see what you assume!
Alternate options:
Music and sound results: Pixabay
Value: Free
Podcast intros typically have some form of music of their intro or outro, however you’ve gotten receive the music legally.
Pixabay is a totally free podcast useful resource with among the greatest royalty-free music, photos, and even video.
The platform helps you to browse music primarily based on style and temper and presents all kinds of sound results excellent for audio dramas and narration.
All content material on the location is copyright-free and launched underneath Pixabay’s license, so you do not have to offer the artist credit score or pay a payment.
Alternate options:
Transcription: Otter.ai
Value: $13 a month
Transcriptions of your podcast make it extra accessible to hard-of-hearing listeners and enhance your website positioning making it simpler to folks to search out your podcast on Google.
Otter.ai is an automatic transcription service with excessive accuracy and a quick turnaround. In the event you host with Buzzsprout, you need to use our Otter.ai integration, and simply add your Otter transcripts into your dashboard after they’re prepared.
This service is a superb possibility in case you communicate English. In the event you communicate one other language or have a heavy accent, it gained’t render correct outcomes.
Alternate options:
Listener questions: PodInbox
Value: $9 a month
PodInbox makes it simple to interact together with your listeners and settle for donations multi functional place.
When you create a fan web page, publish the hyperlink in your present notes to make it simple for podcast listeners to entry.
The software lets listeners go away audio messages, give donations, and unlock rewards primarily based on their contributions.
PodInbox additionally collects your listener’s electronic mail addresses the place you’ll be able to obtain a CSV checklist of contacts to import to your electronic mail supplier or sync to your MailChimp account.
Various: SpeakPipe
Podcast advertising and social media
Create Audiograms: Headliner
Value: $7.99 a month
Audiograms are a good way to advertise your podcast on visible social media platforms like Instagram, Fb, Twitter, and TikTok.
Headliner turns your podcasts into shareable movies you’ll be able to simply publish to your social accounts.
You should utilize Headliner to create waveforms, add a full video episode to YouTube, add distinctive textual content animations, and transcribe your movies to extend accessibility and engagement.
Alternate options:
Schedule social posts: Buffer
Value: $5 a month per social channel
Buffer is a social media administration software that allows you to measure the efficiency of your social posts and schedule posts to publish throughout a number of platforms.
You possibly can maintain monitor of your social advertising with analytics and insights and simply see which posts have unanswered feedback.
Even the free plan offers you entry to a touchdown web page builder, and the flexibility to schedule posts for as much as three social channels.
Various: AgoraPulse (if it’s important to reply to a ton of inquiries)
Design: Canva
Value: Free or $12.99 a month
Canva is a design software that makes it simple to create partaking podcast art work or promotional supplies.
You possibly can select from hundreds of templates and hundreds of thousands of inventory images and graphics to search out the very best one in your podcast.
In the event you host with Buzzsprout, you’ll be able to create podcast cowl artwork utilizing our Canva integration and by no means even go away the dashboard.
Various: 99Designs
Podcast web site: PodPage
Value: $9 a month
It‘s necessary to have a house base in your podcast. It helps your website positioning, makes your podcast simpler to share, and is integral to a profitable podcast advertising plan.
PodPage is an intuitive, low-tech possibility made particularly for podcasting web sites. If you create a PodPage, you’ll get:
- search engine optimized pages for every particular person episode
- an embed participant in your web site (taken out of your podcast host)
- transcripts displayed alongside your present notes
- visitor profiles for every visitor you interview
Various: Buzzsprout web sites
E-mail administration: ConvertKit
Value: $9 a month
ConvertKit is an intuitive electronic mail advertising software that provides podcasters a solution to create electronic mail advertising campaigns, newsletters, and extra.
The software can also be a full-featured advertising hub. With ConvertKit, you’ll be able to create touchdown pages, gross sales funnels, and promote digital merchandise and subscriptions.
Various: Mailchimp
Group and studying
Group: Podcast Motion
Value: Begins at $434.00
Podcast conferences are a superb solution to meet and community with different creators and be taught from trade consultants.
Podcast Motion is likely one of the greatest and greatest podcast conferences you’ll be able to attend.
A Podcast Motion ticket will get you entry to 4 days and options workshops, panels, a commerce present, and day by day events open to all attendees.
Alternate options:
Keep up on the trade: Podnews
Value: Free
Podnews is a day by day publication written by James Cridland that reaches over 24,000 readers. You’d be hard-pressed to discover a extra thorough podcast information supply.
Join Podnews to get concise briefings on the worldwide podcast trade and updates on podcasting occasions.
Various: Scorching Pod Information (paid)
Closing ideas
The fitting instruments could make podcasting simpler, extra skilled, and provide help to develop your viewers base.
Choose the instruments that really feel probably the most useful for you, and attain out to us at assist@buzzsprout.com if you recognize of 1 we should always add!
Alban Brooke
Alban Brooke is the Head of Advertising and marketing at Buzzsprout and the co-host of Buzzcast. Have any questions on this information? Attain out on Twitter.
FAQ
What instruments do you want for a podcast?
The one important podcasting instruments are a podcast internet hosting service and enhancing software program. Most different podcast instruments are non-obligatory and serve principally to degree up your podcast or streamline your workflow.
Which software program is greatest for podcasts?
The most effective podcast recording and enhancing software program is Audacity or Garageband. They’re each appropriate with Mac and PC and are simple to be taught.
What tech do you want to begin a podcast?
Most podcasters want the next tech to get began:
