Your First
Podcast
A Beginner's Guide to Getting on Air
Be clear on what you're building
The strongest strategies are built around a specific goal. Before you think about microphones or software, know exactly what a podcast is going to do for you.
Build authority
Consistent, well-produced episodes position you as someone worth listening to in your field.
One piece, many outputs
A single recorded episode becomes a blog post, social clips, email newsletter and search-indexed transcript.
Direct audience access
Podcast listeners choose to spend 20–60 minutes with you. That builds trust other formats can't match.
Grow your network
Inviting guests onto your show is one of the most natural ways to build professional relationships.
Brand differentiation
A well-made podcast, consistently delivered, makes you distinct in a way a LinkedIn post rarely does.
What is your show actually about?
The biggest mistake beginners make is starting too broad. ‘Business tips’ is not a show concept. ‘Weekly conversations with founders who failed and what they learned’ is. The narrower the focus, the easier everything else becomes.
Ask yourself: If someone described your podcast in one sentence at a dinner party, what would that sentence be?
Format
Pick one format and stick with it for the first ten episodes: solo commentary, interview, co-hosted, narrative/documentary, or short-form audio briefing.
We can advise on format based on your goals. Our facilities range from the self-service Press 'n' Go studio up to Studio One with five Sony FX30 cameras and a 6m² UHD media wall for fully produced video podcasts.
Know your listener
The shows that grow are built for a specific listener. Who are they? What problem are they trying to solve? The clearer your picture of that person, the easier every content decision becomes.
Naming and frequency
A name that maps to something people search for will be found organically. Choose a frequency you can sustain — a 20-minute weekly episode beats a two-hour one whenever you feel like it. Claim the matching domain and social handles before you commit.
Episode research and pre-planning
The best podcasts seem like a free-flowing conversation — but they rarely just are. A little preparation goes a long way.
- Research your guest thoroughly — read their work, watch other podcasts they’ve been on, browse their YouTube channel.
- Prepare cue cards with the questions you want covered. The best conversations go off-script, but they’ll keep you anchored.
- Share a rough outline with your guest beforehand. It reduces nerves and produces better, more considered answers.
Our team can help you structure your episode before you arrive. If you're new to interviewing, we're happy to talk through your format and questions ahead of the session.
The room matters more than the microphone
Bad acoustics will make an expensive microphone sound terrible. A soft, well-furnished room will make a basic one sound great. Clap sharply in your space — if you hear an echo, use soft furnishings to treat it.
Our Podcast Studio is fully acoustically treated — audio-only sessions, multi-camera video setups, and full engineering support, all in a room that does the acoustic and visual work for you.
Microphone placement
- Boom arm over desk stand — brings the mic to you
- Shock mount fitted — prevents desk vibrations reaching the mic
- Mic at 45 degrees from your mouth, one handspan away — reduces plosives
- Pop filter or foam windshield always in place
Before you press record
- Correct mic input confirmed in your software — scratch the mic to check
- Headphones on and monitoring throughout the session
- Phone silent; close Dropbox, cloud drives, VPN clients and updaters
- 30-second test recording listened back before you start
Recording software
Audacity (free, any platform), GarageBand (free, Mac), Riverside.fm or Squadcast (remote guests with high-quality local recordings).
Why video is now the default
YouTube is now the second-largest podcast platform. Video generates clips, thumbnails and social moments that pure audio can’t. Plan for video from the start — even if you don’t use it immediately.
Our Podcast Studio offers multi-camera video with studio lighting. Studio One has five Sony FX30 cinema cameras and a 6m² UHD media wall for branded backdrops and graphics.
Camera, lighting and background
- Camera at eye level — not below (unflattering), not above (diminishing)
- Look at the lens, not at your own image on screen
- Light source in front of you — never with a window behind you
- Ring light or key light above and in front; avoid overhead ceiling lights
- Clean, consistent background — bookshelf, neutral wall or branded backdrop
- No virtual backgrounds — they flicker and erode trust
How to dress for video
- Avoid fine patterns, narrow stripes, herringbone — they moiré on camera
- Solid mid-tone colours; cream or pale grey over white near a light background
- Test the outfit on camera before the session, not during
Audio-first vs video-first
Audio-first: Record for audio quality; treat video as a secondary output. Lower pressure, right for most beginners.
Video-first: Treat the episode as a visual production — framing, b-roll, graphics from the start. More content, more planning, more post-production.
Record before you launch
Record two or three episodes before publishing. It gives you a buffer and lets you sense-check the format. Listeners will rarely engage with a podcast that has only one episode — having a back catalogue from day one signals that you’re serious and here to stay.
In the room
Each speaker needs their own microphone — never share. Everyone monitors through headphones. In-person gives you the best audio quality and the most natural conversation.
Recording remote guests — the double-ender method
Standard video call audio is rarely good enough to publish. The professional approach: each participant records locally at the same time as the call. You use Audacity; your guest uses QuickTime or Voice Memo. Combine both local recordings in the edit for broadcast-quality audio from both sides.
We handle remote session coordination and double-ender editing regularly. Our engineers can manage the technical side so you focus on the conversation.
During the session
- Mistakes: pause three seconds, restart — don’t stop the recording
- Speak with energy — audio loses ~20% perceived energy in playback
- Water nearby — dry mouth affects your voice over longer sessions
- No back-to-back sessions — interviews are more cognitively demanding than they appear
Our engineers advise on mic technique and monitor your levels live. Podcast Editing is also available as a standalone service.
What to cut, what to keep
Remove what slows the listener — long silences, repeated false starts, digressions — but keep the moments that feel human. Don’t over-edit. Ask yourself: does removing this serve the listener, or just make me feel better?
Mixing the audio
Most beginner recordings need the same basic processing applied in the same order. Use restraint — small changes always sound better than big boosts or cuts.
- Noise reduction — helps remove background noise if your recording environment wasn’t completely silent.
- EQ — cut below 80Hz to remove low-end rumble. Subtly cut 250–900Hz to reduce ‘boxy’ qualities. Subtly boost 2–5kHz for clarity. Too much creates excessive sibilance.
- Compression — balances loud and quiet moments. For spoken voice, 2:1 ratio is a good starting point.
- Limiting — bring your output to around -16 LUFS average for platform consistency.
Music and export
Intro under 30 seconds. Royalty-free music only: Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Musicbed. Export as MP3 at 128 kbps mono / 192 kbps stereo. Filename: show-name-ep001.mp3
Cover art
3000 × 3000 pixels, under 500KB, JPG or PNG. Clean and legible at small sizes — it renders as a tiny square on most devices.
Podcast host
Upload once; your host distributes everywhere via RSS. Buzzsprout (beginner-friendly), Spotify for Podcasters (free), or Transistor (brand/pro). Submit to Apple Podcasts and Spotify; YouTube Music follows automatically.
Show notes
Specific, searchable episode title. Include guest names, key topics and links mentioned. First Apple approval takes 24–72 hours; new episodes appear automatically after that.
Don't wait to start promoting
Build anticipation before you publish — tell people the show is coming, share behind-the-scenes moments, invite your network to be first listeners. Don’t go quiet during production.
Before every session
Use this before every recording session — whether it's your first episode or your fiftieth. Your progress is saved automatically.
West Digital Studios · West London
Ready to
Record?
Audio-only sessions, multi-camera video, full engineering support, Studio One with five Sony FX30 cameras and a 6m² UHD media wall, and the self-service Press 'n' Go studio. Whatever your starting point, we have a space that fits.
Book your sessionhello@westdigitalstudios.co.uk · 020 8743 5100 · 59 Goldhawk Road