CH 3 - What Equipment Do I Need to Start a Podcast? How Can I Get Started Cheaply?

0:01 What equipment do I need to start a podcast? How can I get started cheaply? In the beginning I said that making a podcast is a lot easier than other media.

0:11 That's not because you need fewer things, but because you already have a lot of what you need for a decent output.

0:17 Here are the basics you will need. Computer. You would think this doesn't need to be mentioned at all, but it does.

0:24 You want a good one, meaning not an ancient box, but make sure that it can handle the files you will dump into it.

0:31 but after a recording session. Internet connection. This is another obvious aspect of it or so you would think. The reason why I bring it up is because once you have your podcast ready, you will need to upload it onto the platform of your choice.

0:47 Podcasts are typically long and so the file size will often be large. So you wanna make sure that you have a strong and reliable broadband connection to get this done as quickly as possible and without glitches.

0:59 Headphones. A good pair of headphones is important because they will tell you how the sound is being recorded. You want to pick headphones that have a rubber or plastic cover on the outside because they are equipped to trap sound.

1:12 They are called, you guessed it, hard shell headphones. Basic mic. You should find a quiet place to record your audio.

1:21 But even in that case, you can't talk into the inbuilt microphone. You need a decent mic for a decent quality output.

1:28 But these are not very expensive, eventually you might want to upgrade it because you want your podcast to sound professional, also because that's the only thing your listeners are focused on technically speaking.

1:40 And if you bungalow it, you will lose listeners, even if your content is top notch. But for starters, you need something that qualifies as professional.

1:49 There are plenty of those for you to choose from. You can find some good USB mics that work well for most if not all computers.

1:56 These are also easy to use and are a good match for podcasts that involve only one person. High-end mics. Once you are ready for an upgrade, look for a mic with XLR, and then you will also need a mixer or audio interface so that you have more control.

2:14 But before you do that, check if your USB mic also has an XLR connection because some do. recording and mixing software.

2:23 And finally, there is the software. There are a lot of free tools online which makes this process quite easy. You can also get a pop filter which takes care of little things like not picking up the sound of your breathing and such.