5 Pro Tips on Starting a Podcast for free (or cheap!)

It's no secret that podcasts are super trendy, super fun and super easy to consume.

And if you haven't already added podcasting to your marketing strategy, it's definitely something worth considering.

I mean, depending on how you go about it, a podcast can be a great way to position yourself as an expert, show your audience your personality or even dive deep into something you're passionate about!

And it doesn't have to cost the world.

There are plenty of ways that you can podcast for free (or cheap!) right out of your own home.

Here are my 5 top tips on how to start a podcast on a low budget.

Getting the environment right

If you're going to record from home, it's important to get the environment right. Your best bet is going to be a small room that you can fill up with soft furniture. If your room is too big, you're on your way to having unwanted echoes and a duller sounding voice.

If you've got a small room with lots of soft furnishings - like IDK, a bedroom? -, you're well on the way to creating a great recording environment.

Stuff like pillows, blankets, rugs and soft furniture can absorb unwanted sounds and echoes. A bedroom is actually the perfect recording location if you can't get access to a studio.

The more soft stuff you can have in the room, the better.

If you're like me and have hardwood floors and metal blinds in your bedroom, it might not be the best recording space. It can end up sounding all echo-y like you're recording in the bathroom.

Trust me, you don't want people to think you're sitting on the loo!

Soundproofing

If this is the case in your house, you have a few options.

A. Egg Cartons

They're cheap, easy and you've probably already got a bunch lying around the house. They're not gonna make your room completely soundproof, despite the common myth, but they can be used to reduce echoes if combined with pillows and blankets.

B. Soundproof Curtains

You can pick up soundproof curtains online relatively cheaply. If you have the budget, get them and drape them over walls and windows. Again, this may not make your room completely soundproof, but it'll certainly help unwanted noise.

C. Record in Your Car

Your car is actually a great space to record. It's small, it's got soft upholstery, and the car doors are relatively soundproof. I actually got away with doing quite a few voiceovers in my car back in my uni days - worked a treat!

The other thing is, your recording probably doesn't really need to be completely soundproof anyway.

As long as you make sure you ALWAYS record an atmos track, you'll be sweet. An atmos track is a track of nothing. No speaking, just environmental sounds. Layer this track under your voiceover to make transitions more seamless in editing.

Recording on your phone

Depending on what kind of phone you have, you can actually use it to do amazing things!

Most new smartphones have a pretty good mic set up already, and if you've got the recording environment right, you can get away with using a good quality phone to record most of your stuff.

What's more important, is how you position it.

Because phone mics aren't as good as a professional microphone, how you hold it can make all the difference. You want to position your mic really close to what you're recording. The closer you are, the less likely you are to pick up unwanted surround sounds.

If you're recording a voiceover, place your phone mic right under your mouth, tilted towards your mouth.

You do, however, need to monitor how loud you're talking. You want to sound friendly and casual, but you don't want to be too loud or too quiet.

It can take a couple of tries to get the volume just right, but it's definitely worth doing. Do a practice round and listen back to hear if there are any distorted parts or parts that are too quiet.

Pro Tip: Smile!

I'm not just saying this to sound cheesy - smiling actually makes you sound more friendly. It literally changes your voice! Try it, it'll be worth it.

SFX and music

You do sometimes have to be careful about what music and sound effects (SFX) you're using in your podcast. Depending on where you live, what you're using and what platform your podcast is on - you could be up for a nasty fine.

Safer just to use the royalty-free stuff.

I know, I know, royalty-free music can be very cringe-y! But it's not the end of the world and is certainly better than getting caught out.

YouTube has a hidden gem: The Audio Library. You can find royalty-free music and SFX here that are actually not too bad.

FreeSound is another goodie - although it can be a bit hit and miss.

If you want to have a little fun with it - why not make your own SFX and music? Garageband is pretty easy to make music through, and there are plenty of YouTube videos that'll show you how you can record SFX.

Editing Tip: With your music, make sure if you're using a song with lyrics under a voiceover - it needs to be quieter than you would usually have your music. The human voice is a super recognisable thing, and if you've got two voices going at once - it can be very confusing for your listener's ears!

Getting the edit down

There's heaps of great free editing software out there.

My personal fave is Garageband. I used it throughout my whole degree and use it now on Copy Talk.

You can fiddle with EQ, edit the volumes, crossfade, cut and loop audio. It's great. Although, there aren't too many plug-ins.

It really does depend on what you're wanting to do edit-wise. If you're wanting plug-ins, you're probably going to need to spend a bit more money on something like Pro-Tools or Logic Pro.

But if you're just wanting to do the basics, Garageband will do just fine.

There are other programs like Audacity and Adobe Audition. Frankly, I don't really like those. But it's just personal preference. Just find out what works for you.