Don't start a video podcast

Video is having its moment right now, but I think that most new podcasters should start with an audio podcast.

In the beginning, a new podcaster needs to find their voice, practice, and learn what makes an episode compelling. Video adds a whole layer of production complexity that distracts from that aim.

Plus, appearing on video adds a lot of pressure to worry about your appearance. With audio, you can just hit record and focus on your content.

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Justin Jackson: If you're
starting a podcast in 2024,

don't start with a video
podcast. Start with an audio

podcast. Why? This microphone
and a device like your iPhone is

all you need to get started with
an audio podcast. To get started

with a video podcast, you need a
camera, you need lights,

you need a fancy microphone, you
need a mixer, you need a

computer, You need all sorts of
background lighting. It's a lot

of work.

It's a lot of money. And all of
that equipment and all of that

setup is a distraction from what
you should be focusing on when

you're starting a podcast, which
is: "Can I create compelling

content that attracts an
audience week after week or

episode after episode?" So
before you run out and buy a

bunch of equipment, just go out
and buy a $100 microphone. When

I got started podcasting in
2012, I used this microphone

plugged into an iPhone, opened
up the voice memos app and just

started practicing. And I
recorded dozens of episodes that

have never seen the light of day
Because I was practicing.

I was trying to find my voice. I
was trying to create compelling

narratives, and I would play my
audio for different people. And

I just kept improving and
improving until I felt like I

had something that was worth
releasing. And I released

episodes with this microphone
for years before I upgraded to

the fancier Shure SM 7 B and
then all of this video

equipment. This is still a great
sounding microphone.

You don't need anything fancy.
What you need is practice, and

you can start doing that right
away. Voice memos, this

microphone. It's all you need.
Oh, one more thing.

If you're recording your
episodes on your iPhone with

something like voice memos, you
can distribute them to Spotify,

Apple Podcasts, etcetera, using
a podcast hosting platform like

Transistor. Let me show you how
it works. So here in voice

memos, I have my recording. All
I have to do is save it to the

file system here. I'm gonna head
over to transistor, I'm going to

click new episode, and now I can
upload my recording just by

clicking choose file, choosing
that recording that I have

saved.

Click Save and Publish Now. And
now my episode is published.

It's available. It's being
distributed to Apple Podcasts

and Spotify and all the places
where your listeners might

listen. If you wanna try
Transistor, go to transistor.fm

and click on that "start 14 day
free trial" button. Thanks!