First of all, what do we mean by a podcast?
A podcast is like a radio programme on the internet. You can listen to it online or download it to listen to whenever you want. There are many types of podcasts that deal with different topics and it is an alternative and much more exploratory way of generating content.
It is important to consider that there is NOT just one type of podcast, but several, here are some examples:
- Interviews: Conversations with interesting people on different topics.
- Informative: Programmes that tell you news or explain interesting things.
- Narrative/Storytelling: Exciting stories told in a special way.
- Educational: Podcasts that teach you something new, such as science, history or practical skills.
- Comedy: Funny programmes that make you laugh.
- Business/Professional: Podcasts about business, work and personal development.
- Cultural/Entertainment: Talks about movies, music, books and interesting things in culture.
- Science and Technology: Explore scientific and technological news and discoveries.
- Personal Training: Recreational
- Environment and Sustainability: Topics linked to the climate crisis.
As you can see, these are just a few examples of the types of podcasts you can create, the aim of this is that you internalise that you can create a podcast on any topic you like and through different audio formats.
Below is a list of tips that you can also find in illustrated form that can help you think about your next project. In addition, you will find a step-by-step guide exemplified by a project I did that challenged several conventional laws of the podcast format, which I hope will inspire you!
Tips for developing your own podcast:
- Brainstorming: Before anything else create a list of words, concepts, pictures, whatever is most useful to you! to help you start visualising your project and the topic you want to cover.
- Define your Audience and Topic: Clearly identify who you are targeting and choose a specific topic that is relevant and appealing to your target audience. CONSIDER: Are there other programmes/media outlets that talk about the same thing? Why is it relevant for me to create this space? How can it make an impact within what already exists today?
- Research and Planning: Start researching your topic thoroughly and plan episodes with structured content. A good script is essential to maintain consistency and quality (I’ll leave a guide and examples below).
- Audio Quality: It is not necessary to invest in recording equipment. Sound quality is crucial to keep listeners engaged, but for that make sure you are in a quiet, enclosed place to record, you can use your own computer or record with voice memos from your phone to start with.
- Professional Interviews: If you plan to have guests, prepare well-researched interviews. Make sure your questions are relevant and encourage conversation.
Consistency in Scheduling: Establish a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged. Consistency builds loyalty and expectations. - Innovation: Seek to give authenticity to your project by defining your own brand and branding. What can I bring to the table that is not available elsewhere?
- Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Learn from your listeners’ feedback. Be open to constantly improve and adjust your content according to the responses received.
- Sustainable Monetization: Explore monetization options, such as sponsorships or memberships, but make sure they align with the theme and values of your podcast.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE:
1.- CENTRAL IDEA
What do you want your program to talk about? With what objective? In what way? For whom?
“Instantes Eternos” is a podcast born to reveal the hidden wonders behind the photographs that have immortalized historical moments of contemporary Chile. Through this listening experience, the heart of each image, each emotion and each story behind that precise instant will be unveiled.
As listeners are immersed in the exciting stories, they are transported back in time to those vibrant moments, full of sensations and experiences. From the deafening hustle and bustle of demonstrations, to the most heartbreaking tale of a mother in search.
This podcast is born as a bridge between the past and the present, capturing in a single image the complexity of a moment. In each episode, the narration evokes the feelings and circumstances that surrounded the protagonists of each photograph, who become silent witnesses of history, generating the opportunity to understand the struggles and transformations that have given life to Chilean society.
2. NAME THAT THE PROGRAM OR PODCAST SERIES WILL HAVE
Tip: Before coming up with the name you can brainstorm concepts, emotions, objects, any words that come to your mind and help you come up with your ideal name.
The name of the podcast is “Eternal Moments”. We selected these two words different words that encompass the two main themes of the program, historical facts and photographs. With this we allude to the fact that everything happens in a second in front of our eyes and that the present quickly becomes the past and ends up being a memory that we could even forget. This is why photos, at the moment of focusing and then capturing, manage to immortalize an event forever, transforming milliseconds physically eternal.
3. CHAPTERS
Before starting your program, plan at least the first three chapters, project them and write them before making them, so you can find an identity that is more solid and coherent with your concept. Next I will leave you the description of the first chapter that you will be able to listen to on Spotify (Spanish), here I will describe in a specific way your beginning, development and expected outcome.
Our first chapter, La Bicicleta de la Libertad (The Bicycle of Freedom), describes and recounts the photograph of the renowned Chilean photographer Alvaro Hoppe when the “No” vote triumphed in the plebiscite of October 5, 1988 to decide whether or not Augusto Pinochet would remain in power for another 10 years, a historic moment that marked a before and after for Chileans, as well as for the renowned photographers of the military dictatorship. The beginning of the episode starts with the description of the photograph accompanied with sound elements that will create this atmosphere of imagination for the listeners without knowing what day it represents.
For the development, it is already a total expression of what it was that day October 5, accompanied by accounts of witnesses who lived that day and later celebrated giving life to the feeling evoked by the photograph, as well as the story of our main character being essential to know and relate what it means to Alvaro to have photographed that moment of happiness after years capturing the adversities of the military dictatorship. Complements journalist -third source-. Finally, the story closes with final reflections on the importance of photography with respect to the immortalization of moments and how it often transcends in a timeless way.
4. CHARACTERS AND SOURCES
For each chapter define a list of the main characters of your chapters and if you need other resources or complementary people as sources.
5. SOUND PRODUCTION: SOUNDS TO RECORD, ARCHIVE SOUNDS AND MUSIC
Have a list of sounds you need including music, be very careful with COPYRIGHT.
EXAMPLE
5 recorded sounds.
Camera sound (point and shoot)
Bicycles riding
Sound of flying papers
Sound of a pencil scratching (simulating when one goes to vote)
Ambient noise (voices)
Sounds of horns
3 archive sounds
6. OPENING AND CLOSING CURTAIN
Have you ever heard when at the beginning and end of a podcast there is always a characteristic phrase as an introduction before the beginning of each chapter? Take this moment to create your own! Here’s mine:
Beginning:
“One day, one photo.
Get ready to discover the secrets hidden in the iconic photographs that have remained in the collective unconscious and have defined Chile.
CAMERA SOUND
This is, “Eternal Instants” a podcast narrated by ____ and produced by____”
Closing:
“You discovered the secrets hidden in the iconic photographs that have remained in the collective unconscious and have defined Chile.
CAMERA SOUND
This was Eternal Instants a podcast narrated by_____ and produced by _________”
If you would like to see how this work turned out after the exercise, I invite you to listen to it at the following link in Spanish, if it is not a language you understand anyway you could use some sound references: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nzNKWqyBHl1WvxcBww8sR?si=aVlKxh6fR_2tIquD2rCmaQ
This guide was prepared by Allyson Castillo.
