Have you noticed a major uptick in YouTubers starting their own podcasts? The podcast industry is growing significantly - 26% (80M) Americans are weekly podcast listeners, 80% of podcast listeners tune into the entire podcast episode they start, and 19% discover podcasts through YouTube. Content creators, unlike individuals just stepping into the creator economy, have a step up because they already have an internet presence. 

Great, but why are more and more content creators suddenly interested in giving audio a try? 

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Why should you start a podcast? 

Continuing to build credibility 

As a YouTuber, you have most likely already established yourself as an expert, or someone extremely invested, in a specific niche/industry. Your channel is filled with content focusing on that particular category. So, starting your own podcast allows you to branch out this content to audio-listeners (believe it or not, there are people out there that only digest content via audio) - spreading your expertise to another medium. 

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Branching out your content across multiple mediums, in this case video and audio, enables creators to not only take their content even further (inviting other professionals to discuss the topics at hand, open up more freely about personal anecdotes, etc), but strengthen their credibility - if you have a YouTube channel focused on motherhood and a podcast discussing mothers biggest pain points and how to overcome them, you obviously have knowledge in the niche. Now, you can have even more eyes and ears directed towards you - and it can even lead those tuning in via podcast to check out your YouTube channel for more information and vice versa. 

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Another income stream

As a content creator, you are always looking for more ways to make money doing what you love - so here’s your answer. As your podcast grows in popularity, you will eventually be able to monetize it by featuring advertisements and sponsorships. You may even be able to integrate the same brand integrations that were featured on your YouTube channel on your podcast - double whammy (and, obviously, an increase in your rate). 

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Roughly speaking, if you have 1,000 listeners per episode, you can make around $745 a month. When you reach 10,000 listens per episode, you can find yourself making approximately $13,000 a month. Still wondering whether to give podcasts a go? 

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Building your network

Let’s be honest, if you are putting all this hard work into creating content focusing on a specific niche/category, you are probably very interested in sharing information about it with anyone that will listen. Podcasts allow you to reach individuals who prefer getting information and entertainment via audio rather than on YouTube. This enables you to continue building your community. Keep in mind, on podcasts you can chat for much longer than you would in a YouTube video - that means more time chatting about topics you love and feel strongly about. 

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Common misconceptions about podcasts

Pretty much anyone can start a podcast - all you really need is a recording device and a way to upload the recording to the internet. Making a successful podcast obviously requires a little more tools/techniques. Experienced content creators are have a step up because they (most likely) already have most of the equipment and basic expertise needed, such as a recording device, microphone, editing technique, and understanding about how to create content people will be engaged in. 

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However, there are still a number of misconceptions about starting a podcast that causes YouTubers to steer clear of the audio medium, so let’s address some of those now. 

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Podcasts are a dying medium 

There are 383.7M podcast listeners globally and there will be approximately 424M podcast listeners worldwide by the end of 2022. According to predictions, there will be around 504.9M by 2024. So, in short, podcasts are far from becoming extinct. 

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On top of that, podcast advertising is also very much on the rise. Podcasting ad revenue rose by 19% over the last year and is set to exceed $2B by 2023. It’s also interesting to note that podcast advertising is becoming more and more successful - 54% of podcast consumers say they are more likely to consider the brands they hear advertised on a podcast and 38% of marketers in retail companies noted that podcast advertising brings in the biggest ROI. 

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Podcasts aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon. 

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You have to be a strong speaker

YouTubers considering starting their own podcast might be thinking to themselves - “I don’t have a great face for radio”. Although podcasts are solely focused on your voice, there is no such thing as a ‘radio-voice’ anymore. Just like people tune into your channel because they enjoy your content and the information you are sharing, people will turn to your podcast because they want to hear more of what you have to say. Also, keep in mind, everyone has different preferences when it comes to sounds they enjoy (or don’t enjoy). So, you never really know whether people are soothed by your voice or not until you give it a shot. 

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A major misconception is that aspiring podcasters need to be strong speakers. Unlike radio shows or public speaking panels, listeners want to feel like they are just casually listening in. In other words, most listeners want to hear you speak naturally, rather than from a script. So - be you, just like you are on your YouTube channel. 

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So - now that we persuaded you to start a podcast, where do you begin? 

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How to start a podcast

1. Define your niche 

Now, you are probably saying - well, I already have a niche, just check out my YouTube channel - but, you can use this new medium to focus your podcast on a more specific sub-genre. For example, if you have a lifestyle YouTube channel that focuses on day-in-the-life’s, makeup, motherhood, and fashion. You may want to focus your podcast on just motherhood. 

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Just make sure the topic you decide on is broad enough that you can talk about for multiple episodes, but specific enough so you draw in an ideal audience (and your audience knows what to expect) 

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We suggest:

• Researching existing podcasts: Before you actually start recording, you should probably do research about the niche you decided to focus on, which includes checking out what similar podcasts are talking about. You may find that there aren’t many podcasts focusing on your selected topic (which has its pro’s and con’s) or that there are many people discussing this subject. The results you find should hinder your decision to start a podcast, but may lead you to consider creative ways to stand out or get this topic on people’s radar. 
• Decide on a format: Just like you would on YouTube, you should decide how you plan to format your podcast - Will it be interview-style? Will you be focusing on a specific sub-topic each week? There’s no ‘right’ format, but deciding this early on can help you plan out your episodes and help you stay consistent (so you don’t confuse your listeners).
• Who is this podcast for?: Talking about your listeners, it’s probably a good idea to specify who your ideal listeners would be. What is their age? What problems do they commonly face? What do you wish they knew more about? Again, keeping this in mind early on will help you sketch out your episodes and make sure your content aligns with the ideal audience you are trying to engage with. 

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2. Get creative

Before you can actually start recording your podcast, you need to think of a name that: relates to your topic, is catchy, and of course, memorable. Keep in mind - while you want the podcast name to catch listeners attention, it’s a good idea to include SEO keywords that strongly relate to the niche you are focusing on. This will not only help you attract your target audience, but will help the discoverability of your podcast. While you’re at it, you could also start coming up with your branding elements, such as the podcast’s cover art. 

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We suggest:

• Setting up an account with an RSS feed and podcast platform: 

Create an RSS feed using a podcast-specific hosting site (such as Anchor or BuzzSprout) instead of a traditional web host (such aslike WordPress or Wix). Modern podcast distribution software still relies solely on RSS feeds, but you don’t need to have a full-blown website in order to get your podcast on Apple or Spotify. To make your podcast more discoverable, you can submit it to a directory, such as Sticher, Audible, and iHeartRadio. Most major directories rely on your podcast’s RSS feed to verify its legitimacy and ownership, which is why you’ll need to make sure you have one in place beforehand. After your podcast has successfully been uploaded to a directory of your choosing, anyone who uses the directory will be able to find your podcast if they search for it by title or keywords. 

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3. Record and edit your first podcast

The hardest part is getting started - recording that first episode can seem daunting and honestly awkward. But, you really don’t know what you’re missing or how to improve without recording that first episode. You may want to write a script at first or just wing it, either way is great. Just keep in mind - the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it (and the more comfortable you’ll become). 

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Obviously editing a podcast episode is a little different than editing videos - but there are a variety of platforms out there that can help simplify the process. Our personal favorite is Descript - you can edit your podcast like you would edit a word document, super easy to use.  

The same goes with editing that first podcast - it’ll take time to get the hang of things. 

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We suggest:

• Recording in bulk: record a few episodes and start naming them. Each episode should have a unique title that accurately describes what the episode is focusing on - if you can make it fun, even better (if it fits the podcast content obviously). Keep in mind, you don’t want to get too creative with the episode name because that will affect the podcast’s SEO - the ability for interested listeners to discover your podcast when searching via keywords or topics. 
• Episode Description: while the episode is fresh in your mind (and ears), this is a great time to write up the general synopsis of the episode. You want to keep it concise and hit the key points - what is the episode about, what can listeners expect from the episode, what will listeners gain from this episode? 

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You are now ready to upload your podcast to the podcast platform of your choice. Next step - promote, promote, promote. 

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4. Promotion

Because you most likely already have some sort of audience base - you have a leg up. You can start spreading the word about your new podcast on your YouTube channel and in your videos. It’s also important for you to share the news with your Instagram/TikTok subscribers because this allows you to spread the word immediately (rather than wait for your next video upload). 

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How to make money with a podcast 

Just like on YouTube, there are many streams of income a podcaster may choose in order to profit off their podcast. Here are the top 5 methods:

1. Sponsorships: A brand will pay the podcaster to talk about the brand and its service.   
2. Affiliate links: A company provides the podcaster with a special link to their site so that the company knows exactly where potential visitors have arrived from, and the podcaster will receive a percentage of the purchase price if that visitor ends up buying the product.
3. Subscription services: Most podcasts are broadcasted on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, but there are some platforms, like Stitcher Premium and Luminary - that offer exclusive podcasts included with a monthly subscription. 
4. Premium content:Content creators can offer premium content to their most avid listeners through platforms like Patreon, Glow, and Supporting Cast. Patreon, specifically, is built off of membership tiers. The number of tiers and the subscription rate are determined by the creator and can start from as little as $1 a month. Higher tiers, and by default - higher prices, offer more premium and exclusive content. Just like the membership tiers, Pateron then offers different tiers to the creator, with different levels of support in exchange for an increasing percentage of the creator’s monthly income. Patreon takes between 5% to 12% of the content creator’s revenue, depending on the tier they have chosen. 
5. Complementary products: a podcaster may choose to sell products associated with their podcast, such as merchandise, books, courses, or access to live events. 

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You can dig deeper into podcast income streams in our article - How do podcasts make money? 

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We’ve said it once (actually a few times in this article) and we will say it again - podcasts aren’t going anywhere and they are a great way to continue connecting with your community via a different medium. For YouTubers, podcasts can be incredibly beneficial as it allows you to grow your expertise and credibility, and broaden your internet presence.