Idea and niche
Before buying a microphone, think about who you're going to talk to and why someone should listen to you rather than anyone else. A podcast with a clear idea, a memorable name and a pace you can keep up has more future than one with the best gear in the world.
Start with the listener, not the topic
“I want to make a movie podcast” isn't an idea; it's a topic. The idea appears when you answer three questions: who it's for, what you give them that they don't already have, and when they'll listen. A movie podcast for film students who want to understand how a scene was shot is not the same as one for people looking for something to watch on Friday.
Picture one specific person: their age, what they're into, what they're doing while they listen (driving, running, doing the dishes, commuting). That imaginary person will help you decide the length, the tone, the vocabulary and even the music.
Try summing up your podcast like this: “A podcast for [who] who want [what], where [how you do it].” If you can't get it into one line, the idea isn't clear yet. That sentence will also be the basis for your description on the platforms.
Your value proposition: why you
There are thousands of podcasts. What makes someone subscribe to yours is what only you bring. It can come from several places:
- Experience: you work in the field, you've lived through something unusual, or you know a lot about a specific topic.
- Angle: you cover the same ground as others, but from a different angle (the history of science told through its failures, for example).
- Access: you can interview people others can't reach, or you talk about your city or your community.
- Format: ten minutes when everyone else does two hours, or a narrated story when everyone else does a panel show.
- Personality: the chemistry between hosts or your way of telling things.
Niche or general
A niche podcast talks to a small but very interested group. A general one tries to appeal to lots of people. When you're starting without an existing audience, niche almost always wins: it's easier to be found, recommended and remembered.
| Niche | General | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | The history of 1980s home-computer games | News and pop culture |
| Competition | Little, sometimes none | Huge, including big media companies |
| Being found in search | Easier: specific searches | Hard: highly contested terms |
| Listener loyalty | High: you talk about their thing | Variable: depends on the episode |
| Risk | Running out of topics if it's too narrow | Not standing out from anyone |
The trick is to find a niche narrow enough to stand out and broad enough to sustain lots of episodes. Before you launch, write down 20 episode ideas. If you can't reach 20, the topic is too narrow; if they could all be on any other podcast, it's too broad.
Analyze the competition
Search Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Amazon Music for the terms you'd like to be found by. Listen to at least one episode of the five or six podcasts most similar to yours and note:
- What they do well and what you miss.
- How long they are and how often they publish.
- Whether they're still active: a topic with lots of abandoned podcasts may be a gap.
- What the comments and reviews say: that's where people ask for what they can't find.
Other podcasts on the topic prove there's interest. What's worrying is finding none (maybe there's no audience) or finding one identical to yours. In that case, change the angle, not the topic.
The name
The name is the first thing people read and what they'll have to say to recommend you. A good name:
- Is easy to say and to spell after hearing it once. Avoid puns nobody can spell and odd spellings.
- Is searchable: it doesn't clash with a brand, a famous movie or another podcast.
- Hints at the topic, on its own or with a subtitle: “Off Camera: film stories that never made it to the screen”.
- Is available as a social media handle and, if you can, as a web domain.
Don't
“Kreativ Wavez XYZ”: you can't tell what it's about, it's hard to spell and it doesn't show up in search.
Do
“Ship's Log: sailing the world without being rich”. A short, catchy name and a subtitle that explains the topic.
A format and schedule you can sustain
The most common mistake is launching with a weekly one-hour episode and giving up by the third month. Work out the real time: for every hour published, between preparation, recording, editing and publishing, it's easy to spend three to six hours.
| Schedule | Who it suits | Advantage | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | Short news briefings, teams with time | A daily habit for the listener | Burns you out fast if you're on your own |
| Weekly | Most podcasts | An easy rhythm to remember | Needs a fixed work routine |
| Every two weeks | Interviews, topics that need research | More time to prepare | Listeners may forget you between episodes |
| In seasons | Narrative shows, documentary series | You record everything before publishing | You have to announce when you're coming back |
Review the formats in what is a podcast and choose one you can produce with your gear and your time. Better a 25-minute episode every two weeks for a year than ten one-hour episodes in a month.
Before publishing the first one, have three or four recorded. That way, if you get sick one week or a guest drops out, you don't break your release schedule.
Episode zero and the trailer
A trailer is a one- or two-minute piece that explains what the podcast is, who it's for and how often it comes out. It's the first thing people hear when they land on your page, so put work into it: good voice, a few clips from the episodes and a clear invitation to subscribe. Episode zero is a somewhat longer, more personal introduction. You can do both or just the trailer, but don't publish an empty podcast: launch it with the trailer and two or three episodes already available.
- Define who it's for, what you give them and when they listen.
- Start with a niche that's good for at least 20 episodes.
- Study the competition to find your gap, not to copy it.
- A name that's easy to say, searchable and available on social media.
- Choose a sustainable schedule and launch with a trailer and several episodes.
Your turn: your podcast's fact sheet
Write your podcast's identity sheet on a single page before recording anything.
- Write the one-line pitch: who, what and how.
- Write 20 episode ideas and three possible names; search for them on the platforms.
- Decide on format, length and schedule, and write the script for a one-minute trailer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a topic for my podcast?
Combine what you're passionate about, what you know and what someone wants to hear. If you can write down at least 20 episode ideas on that topic and you find an angle nobody else has, you have a good starting point.
How often should I publish a podcast?
As often as you can keep up for months. For most personal projects, weekly or every two weeks is a good balance; what matters is being consistent.
What is an episode zero?
It's an introductory episode where you explain what the podcast is about, who makes it and what the listener can expect. It's often replaced or accompanied by a shorter trailer.