Notes on Podcasting

Photo credit: Sunyu Kim @unsplash

I’ve recently reached a milestone of 50 podcast episodes. My podcast, ‘Speak From the Body’, was an idea in my head for a long while before I took the plunge and started it.

I’d had an smartphone for years, but never knew the world that existed behind the ‘podcast’ button. I soon became a huge fan, and one of the first ones that gripped me was ‘Serial’, hosted by Sarah Koenig and telling the true story of the case of Adnan Syed, who was jailed for the alleged murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Other podcasts I’ve loved include Desert Island Discs, How to Fail by Elizabeth Day, Table Manners, Where Should We Begin? and Under the Skin.

Podcasts became a way to be entertained, experience ideas and receive information on my commute, and whilst cooking or doing chores. There’s an intimacy that comes from the audio experience. Literally listening in someone’s ear. The idea was planted that I could create my own podcast and speak about my own passions.

There are over 800 000 podcasts and over 1 billion downloads. Although women-hosted podcasts are growing, we are still under-represented, as are people of colour. Now in my 40s, it’s important to me to have a voice and to be visible, even if it means stepping outside of my comfort zone.

I felt inhibited for a long time. I’ve had a severe fear of public speaking, which rendered me unable to hold a microphone. I’ve always been shy and uncomfortable in the spotlight, even though I love teaching and sharing ideas. However the freedom to curate my own conversations and seek out the guests I want to speak to is well worth any level of discomfort. It’s rewarding to hear when an episode has benefited someone. This is a big part of my focus right now: to have maximal reach with minimal expenditure of time and energy.

My process

I prefer things to be natural rather than too edited. It’s how I am on social media and in life.

Most of the interviews have been with people I’ve studied with or have known in some capacity. Bear in mind that people are giving up their time to speak to you, so it makes sense to approach people that you already have an established relationship with. It isn’t always the case, but guests who have their own platform tend to be supportive in sharing the episode. I’ve been conscious about having a diverse range of speakers and conversations as we all have different experiences to share.

Resources

It can be a really simple setup. I record on zoom using a Macbook pro, Blue Yeti microphone with a pop filter and headphones.

Sometimes I set up a ‘studio’ or recording cave with large futon cushions, but the sound quality has generally been good thanks to Kim and her editing team. I know others who edit their own episodes, but having support for this means I can focus on researching and recording. It’s a weekly format and I don’t think I would deliver as frequently if I had to edit them too.

You can be as simple or technical as you like. My priority is simplicity as I’m not interested in the techie side of things, I just enjoy podcasting as a tool for communication and it suits me as an information nerd. However if you want to, you can really enjoy the creativity and technical challenges that it brings.