Are you looking to start a podcast? Want to know what does a perfect podcasting setup look like? In this guide, we will show you how to start your own podcast with WordPress – step by step. You will learn about how podcasts work, the best podcast equipments, the podcast WordPress plugin that you absolutely need, and more.
No matter your age or technical skill set, you can easily start your own podcast by following the step by step process outlined in this article.
Here is an outline of everything that we will cover:
- What is podcasting & how podcasts work?
- Things you need to setup your podcast
- Choosing the best web hosting and domain name
- Setting up a media hosting service
- Choosing the proper podcasting equipment
- Recording your first podcast
- Publishing your podcast with WordPress
- Uploading your media files to Blubrry
- Setting up Smart Podcast Player Plugin
- Adding your first podcast in WordPress
- Previewing your podcast with iTunes
- Submitting your podcast to iTunes
- Podcasting resources to help you grow
Ready? Let’s get started.
What is Podcasting & How Podcasts Work?
A podcast is an episodic series of audio files which users can subscribe to download and listen.
In order for your podcast to work, you need to have an audio file and a RSS Feed that users can subscribe to stay updated and download new episodes when they come out.
Because WordPress comes with a built-in RSS feed system for blogs, many podcasters choose to use WordPress as their podcast website platform.
You can connect your podcast website with podcasting apps like iTunes to make it easier for millions of users to listen and subscribe. We will cover this later in the article.
Now that you know what is a podcast and how it works, let’s take a look at how to setup a podcast.
Things You Need to Setup Your Podcast
For a professional podcasting setup there are few things that you will need to get started.
The first thing is a website or blog where people can find more about you and your podcast.
The second thing is the equipments to record your podcast.
Lastly, you need to have the right tools to publish your podcast on the internet, so you can get maximum subscribers and reach.
We will walk you through the whole process step-by-step.
Step 1. Website Setup: WordPress Hosting and Domain Name
The most important step in building a website is to choose the right platform. Thankfully you’re here, so you won’t be making any rookie mistakes.
We recommend using WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress for setting up your podcasting website.
WordPress is free to use, you can install plugins, customize your site design, and most importantly make money from your site without any restrictions (see the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
We have already explained why WordPress is free? in our previous article.
There’s no catch. It’s free because you have to do the setup and host it yourself.
In other words, you need a domain name and web hosting.
A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. This is what people type to get to your website. For example: google.com or wpbeginner.com.
Web hosting is your website’s house on the internet. This is where all your files and images are stored. Every website needs web hosting.
The typical cost of web hosting is $7.99 per month and a domain name usually cost around $14.99 per year.
This is a lot for someone just starting out. Thankfully, Bluehost, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name and over 60% off on web hosting.
In real numbers, this mean you can start your podcasting website for $2.95 per month.
We recommend using Bluehost because they are one of the official WordPress recommended hosting providers, and one of the largest web hosting service in the world.
After signing up with Bluehost, please refer to our step by step guide on how to start a WordPress blog. You will be up and running in no time.
For more hosting recommendations, see our guide on how to choose the best WordPress hosting.
If you choose a different hosting company than Bluehost, then you can follow the instructions in our complete step by step WordPress installation tutorial to get started.
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