Top Tips to Create an Awesome Podcast on a Tight Budget

Getting started with a podcast or any type of recording is challenging because you need great equipment to make it awesome. Professional podcasters often have expensive mics and recording equipment, but as a new podcaster, you may not have the budget to get all the best things right away. It is okay to start small and prioritize your spending. There are some great options to make your podcast great, even on a tight budget.

Check out some of these top tips and insights to help you have an awesome podcast on a budget!

Prioritize Your Spending

You could easily need to go all out with spending when it comes to a podcast. If you take note of the things that everyone says you need, then you will quickly be over your budget. Before you just run out and spend on everything, make a list of the things you need and start prioritizing. One of your top priorities will likely be a microphone.

Instead of sprinkling small amounts of money over everything, focus on purchasing for quality. Don’t forget to consider creative needs, such as music and editing. Make your list and determine what is the most important and what you can spend less on.

Choose a Great Microphone

Even on a tight budget, you need a great microphone. This will be one of your top priorities. When you consider that a podcast is all about the sound, a microphone is what helps with that sound. You don’t have to purchase the most expensive microphone right away, but you do need a good one. Don’t ignore the need for a microphone. This will be an important aspect of your podcast. The sound experience matters.

Look for Affordable Sound Cues and Background Noises

Every podcast needs music, sound, and other additions. You have to be careful not to infringe any type of copyright, so finding an affordable royalty free music provider will be very important. Even the smallest noise additions require ensuring you have permission to use those sounds. Some podcast apps provide limited sound options, but you will likely need some additional options.

Find royalty-free music that meets your budget and your needs. We recommend a site that provides everything you need in one place with a wide variety of options.

Editing and Recording Software

Software to both edit and record is something you can find a lot of flexibility on. If you are on a tight budget, you don’t need to invest in the most expensive editing or recording software right now. You can always build up to that and transition when you can afford it. You just need quality software that is easy to use, produces quality results, and gives you useful tools to complete your podcast.

Ideally, having combined software that will allow you to record and edit is helpful. Look for free options to get started, so you don’t have to spend money here just yet. This is one place where you can easily cut costs and still get great results.

Promote Your Podcast On Your Own

Many people will pay for advertising and marketing to promote their podcasts. They get paid spots that make their podcasts stand out, and they get them placed with big names. As you are getting started, this may be a good place to hold back for the sake of your budget. You can do a lot of things that are free or inexpensive to promote your podcast without these extra dollars.

Social media and blogging are the best ways to promote your podcast on your own. If you know people with a large following, you can partner up with them to have them help share your podcasts as well.

It will take some time to build a following. You can put some dollars into marketing, but you should take advantage of the marketing avenues that are available without big spending as you get started.

Hosting Location

Finally, once you get prepped and ready and start recording, you need a place to host those podcasts. You can create all the podcasts you like, but without a hosting platform, you have nowhere to place them. The good news is that there are plenty of cheap and free podcast hosting sites that you can use. Many of the most popular hosting options have free selections. You could also choose an inexpensive plan if you prefer.

Putting all the details into place takes some planning. When you prioritize spending and understand where you can best save money, it makes it so much easier to just focus on creating a quality podcast and start earning income so you can make improvements when you are able.