How I Got Started as a Podcaster

Hello, I'm Jake. Writer, producer and host of Yoto Daily, the mini podcast you can listen to each day on your Yoto Player.

Here is how I got started as a podcaster:

1. Have Something to Share

Back in 2018 I was a full time primary school teacher. The part of the job that I enjoyed the most was sharing stories with the children, in class or in assemblies. I started writing my own stories, which I shared with my children at home and the children at school. They seemed to go down well, and I decided that I would like to share them with a wider audience and so I started my first podcast, Story Shed.

Ultimately, you need to have something you want to share, stories, songs, poems, messages from loved ones, whatever it is. Make sure it is fully prepared; scripting everything you say, including intros and outros gives you a sense of security - freestyling is a tricky skill to make sound good, especially if you are just starting out.

2. Get Yourself Some Equipment

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a technically proficient man. Believe me, the technical aspect of producing a podcast is not something to be fearful of. Once I had decided what I wanted to record, I bought myself a handheld recording device (Zoom H4N), not very expensive, and downloaded some free editing software (Audacity).

Perhaps more important than the equipment you use is finding the right environment. I tested a few locations around my house (top tip: recording in a bathroom always sounds like you are recording in a bathroom) and eventually I settled on a spot underneath my daughter’s bunk bed! It’s true, for longer than I care to reveal I recorded beneath the slats of my second born’s bed.

3. Be Prepared to Cringe

I am yet to meet someone that enjoyed hearing the sound of their own voice when they heard it played back for the first time. There is a period when you won’t recognise the person coming out of your speakers (Do I sound like that?!) but keep going, it gets easier, I promise. 

4. Be Patient

If you are recording something for just family and friends then go ahead and get cracking. If you are hoping to reach a wider audience then try not to get too frustrated when whatever you have produced doesn’t immediately take off. It takes time to build up listeners, especially if you are a one person band, like I was. The most important thing is to give it a go, believe in what you are doing and take the time to make it the best it can be. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to tell a few people about what you are doing - be prepared to do some self-promotion. It’s an obvious thing to say but people need to know it exists in order to start listening to it

I am in the very fortunate position now to make podcasts for my day job - and I am forever thankful for that; I love it. It all started with the desire to share something, a little bit of equipment and the willingness to just give it a go.

So what are you waiting for? What’s the worst that could happen? Find your voice.

Jake