Are you having hassle determining what podcast software program you have to begin your present? I don’t blame you!
We want software program for varied duties in podcasting, and the selection of functions is huge. That’s good and dangerous, after all.
- Good: The competitors encourages nice instruments and sensible platforms that actually assist us out.
- Dangerous: The sheer selection makes it helluva complicated once you’re beginning out.
Don’t fear, although; selecting your podcast software program doesn’t need to be sophisticated. That’s what we’re right here for.
Professional Tip: Many podcast software program packages cowl a number of bases; for instance, most modifying apps may also allow you to document. Due to these overlaps, you don’t really want numerous various kinds of podcast software program nowadays!
On this article, I wish to present you all the various kinds of podcast software program available on the market.
If you’d like a fast reply – simply to be informed: “This one’s good, use it!” then I’ve bought a few prime suggestions in every part.
However if you wish to go deep – and I do know a few of you do! – then I’ll information you to particular assets for every space. We’ve coated many of those instruments intimately, in spite of everything.
So, what software program do you have to make a podcast? Let’s have a look!
Heads up! We use the odd affiliate hyperlink right here to instruments and companies we expect you’ll discover helpful. We earn a small fee must you select to enroll by means of them, which helps help all of our free content material.
1. Podcast Software program for Recording
Step one is to record your podcast! In spite of everything, you possibly can’t have a podcast with out recording your voice.
The excellent news is that recording your personal voice or perhaps a dialog with others has by no means been simpler. However there are a number of other ways to do it. So, let’s have a look at the choices.
Recording Your self (Solo Podcast)
Starting with the simple option, let’s just record ourselves. Why might you do this?
- running a solo podcast – just you and your mic, talking to your audience every week
- recording a solo section for a podcast – for example, an intro, an outro, an ad slot, or a news update
The solo show is a good option in numerous circumstances. It’s a pleasant, easy, sustainable solution to unfold your message. And even in the event you run a bigger present with a couple of individual, you’ll usually want solo segments to combine in amongst the primary recordings.
In both case, you have to document your self, and which means having software program that may shortly and simply seize your voice.
Laptop-Primarily based Solo Recording
The primary possibility is an audio program to your laptop, usually referred to as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). You obtain it, you put in it, and also you hit document.
Supply: 2024 Podcaster Gear Survey
Audacity is the preferred possibility, a free audio recording and modifying app. It’s slightly clunky and fairly old school, but it surely’s superb, contemplating it’s free. You possibly can’t argue with that worth!
On the opposite finish is Adobe Audition, a Professional-level audio modifying bundle. We’ve used it rather a lot over time right here at The Podcast Host. Audition has a month-to-month charge, however for that, you get a significantly better workflow, a stunning consumer interface, and a great deal of presets and automation. It’s overkill for many podcasters, although, and studying takes time.
Beneficial instruments & additional studying:
Net-Primarily based Solo Podcast Recording
If you wish to be versatile in the place and once you document, you need to use an online utility to document your self, fairly than software program on one laptop.
Alitu is a superb answer right here. Alitu is our ‘Podcast Maker’ internet app that automates all of the complicated processing duties, like quantity levelling, noise discount, EQ, and compression. You possibly can create a brand new episode in Alitu, both by recording solo segments or on-line calls.
It’s also possible to add audio that was recorded on every other platform and simply sync all of it collectively. You possibly can add music, results, adverts, and every other segments with the ‘Episode Builder’ instrument. As soon as it’s prepared, you possibly can publish the completed episode to Apple, Spotify, and each different podcast platform, straight from inside the Alitu dashboard!
Beneficial instrument:
Recording a Name
The interview show is without doubt one of the hottest podcast formats on the earth. And for good cause! When achieved nicely, an interview present is fascinating and helpful. However what podcast software program do you have to document that interview? Listed below are the choices.
Net-Primarily based Podcast Interview Software program
It’s attainable to document a dialog absolutely on-line inside your internet browser. The foremost benefit is that you are able to do it anyplace, on any laptop. No want to put in an utility in your laptop.
Should you go this route, there is no such thing as a scarcity of choices. Essentially the most ubiquitous was once Skype, however nowadays it’s Zoom.us. The net conferencing big that related us all through the pandemic is about as simple because it will get. You join, get your hyperlink and as soon as everybody clicks it, you’re all in a convention room collectively. Zoom will document the decision by itself servers after which ship you the audio file on the finish. Straightforward!
The draw back is that the standard generally is a bit spotty, relying on everybody’s connection. If somebody’s on dodgy broadband, it information the glitches, the dropouts and all the remaining. But it surely’s usually fairly dependable, so it’s a good possibility.
The following possibility is to make use of internet software program that information on every particular person laptop. That is generally referred to as a double-ender as a result of it information at each ends: your personal finish and the interviewee’s finish. This implies it information the highest quality for every individual and doesn’t rely upon the connection high quality.
For this, you’ll often pay a bit extra, however you’ll get significantly better high quality consequently. Riverside.fm is a unbelievable possibility right here, as you possibly can document a number of folks in each audio and video kind, all on particular person channels. Your viewers can tune in stay to episodes being recorded, too. What’s extra, you possibly can even have them name into the present, in addition to stay stream your content material to Fb, Twitter, YouTube and Twitch concurrently.
Lastly, if it’s pure simplicity you’re after, you would possibly go for Alitu. With Alitu, you possibly can document calls, produce them, edit them into your episodes, and publish all of them from inside the instrument’s dashboard. It’s a superb all-in-one podcasting answer.
Beneficial instruments & additional studying:
Cellular Recording
A easy possibility is to tug out your smartphone and document proper there on the system you have already got. Should you do this, what are our selections on the subject of cellular podcast software program?
First, practically each smartphone has a default audio recording app. iOS has one as normal, referred to as Voice Memos. On Android, it’s usually simply referred to as ‘Voice Recorder’. And, in the event you search within the app retailer on both platform, you’ll uncover dozens of different specialist recording apps with a complete slew of options. Listed below are the best recording apps for iOS/iPhone and the best recording apps for Andriod phones.
One explicit instrument price mentioning comes from an organization referred to as Spreaker. Spreaker is a podcast internet hosting platform, however in addition they present an important podcast recording app referred to as Podcast Studio that ties proper into their internet hosting.
Load this app onto your telephone, and it’ll allow you to document a podcast proper there. It additionally provides a complete bunch of helpful options. These embody a sound cart (a set of buttons that you may load music and SFX onto so you possibly can play them stay into your recording), stay broadcasting, and the flexibility to usher in an interviewee or co-host.
Should you don’t thoughts going with Spreaker as a podcast host (they’re one of the crucial fashionable podcast hosting platforms), the app makes issues very, very simple.
Spreaker is way from the one nice possibility for cellular recording, although. Podbean can also be nicely price a glance in the event you’re contemplating happening this route. It’s comparable in some ways to the Spreaker app, that means you are able to do all of your recording, live broadcasting, and publishing from inside the app itself.
And, I’ve talked about Riverside.fm already. They’ve a superb cellular app which is ideal for folk doing video podcasting.
Beneficial instruments & additional studying:
2. Podcast Software program for Modifying & Manufacturing
Once we’ve recorded our show, the next task is editing & production.
Modifying often means the method of reducing up your recordings and placing them again collectively once more as one episode. That may imply including music, eradicating errors, combining two or extra recordings and rather more.
However, manufacturing is often taken to imply making your audio sound higher (generally referred to as mastering). Which means enjoying with the volume levels, removing noise, adding compression, and a spread of different duties.
So, any podcast software program we use at this level ought to be capable of do each. Should you’re curious concerning the degree you have to attain right here, take a look at the article: How much editing should I do?
Net-Primarily based & Automated Podcast Modifying Software program
Large audio recordsdata & browsers are a difficult mixture, and few on-line instruments can do that heavy lifting nicely.
However one such instrument is Alitu, a ‘Podcast Maker’ instrument we’ve already coated within the podcast recording part. Alitu is designed to automate the manufacturing of your podcast, dealing with conversions, bitrates, levelling, compression and noise discount for you, routinely.
Talking of noise discount, take a look at the instance on this clip; it’s fairly unimaginable the issues podcast software program can do nowadays!
For modifying, Alitu offers a instrument designed particularly for podcasters, permitting you to trim recordings and take away errors. You possibly can even edit by textual content, in the event you’d choose – Alitu auto-generates transcriptions for you and allows you to delete textual content, which additionally deletes the corresponding audio!
One other fashionable time-saving function in Alitu is the Playback Pace settings. Say you’ve recorded an hour-long dialog and must pay attention by means of it to seek out and make any edits – nicely, with Playback Pace, this will now be achieved in half the time.
Lastly, Alitu provides an episode builder to create your episode from music, recordings & transitions by means of a drag-and-drop interface.
Bear in mind, you can even document your podcast episodes straight into Alitu, be they solo conversations or on-line calls.
And, as talked about, Alitu may also routinely transcribe your episodes for you. Then, you possibly can publish on to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the opposite podcast directories by way of Alitu’s built-in internet hosting!
Beneficial instrument:
Laptop-Primarily based Modifying
Earlier, I talked about DAWs – computer-based podcast software program – as a recording instrument. Properly, as you’d think about, they’re additionally designed for modifying and manufacturing.
The identical arguments as earlier than apply right here. Audacity is free, however slightly clunky, and Audition is costlier however highly effective & slick.
If you wish to see all the choices, take a look at our Top Podcast Editing Software article for the small print.
Beneficial instruments & additional studying:
3. Podcast Scheduling Software program
One of many largest time-sucks in operating an interview present (and to some extent a co-hosted present…) is the notorious e-mail ping-pong when making an attempt to schedule a time to speak. You recommend Time A, however they will’t make that and recommend Time B, however you possibly can’t make that and recommend Time C, however they will’t do this and recommend Time D, however… you get the thought.
Properly, there’s an answer, which comes within the type of a scheduling app. These great apps are merely bits of software program that sync together with your calendar (Google Calendar, iCal, and so forth.) after which supply your interviewee a hyperlink to e book. The hyperlink usually reveals the interviewee all the free slots in your calendar, to allow them to select the one which fits them finest.
There are a complete bunch of additional advantages, from automating components of your analysis to sending reminder emails. The instrument I take advantage of for that is referred to as E book Like a Boss, and you may see my evaluation of the system and the way I take advantage of it, beneath.
Beneficial instrument & additional studying:
4. Podcast Planning Software program
Large-Image Podcast Planning Software program
After telling you that Alitu can document, edit, produce, transcribe, and publish your present, would you be shocked to study that it might allow you to flesh out a podcast launch plan, too?
The Alitu Showplanner is a free piece of podcast software program accessible to anybody, no login required. It’ll ask you a number of top-level questions on the kind of present you’d wish to create, then it’ll generate a full plan for you. This contains issues like potential names, audience information, a trailer script, episode concepts, and extra!
Week-to-Week Organisational Podcast Planning Software program
Submit-launch, it’s helpful to have a instrument or two that will help you organise your workload, and hold issues sustainable.
Proper now, we additionally use two platforms which aren’t podcast-specific for our planning: Trello and Notion.
Trello helps us hold monitor of the duties to be achieved, from reserving an interview to publishing the present. Notion is for the data that goes together with that, comparable to scripts and visitor analysis. Its Wiki-style strategy allows you to organise each bit of information and knowledge you want to your podcast, and every thing round it.
5. AI Podcast Software program for Advertising & Progress
We’ve already talked concerning the Alitu Showplanner for producing a full launch plan, an inventory of potential names and episodes, and writing a draft trailer script for you.
And AI tools for podcasters are, as Lindsay put it in her roundup, “coming out like bunnies in springtime”. There are quite a lot of that may allow you to get your present on the market to new listeners.
Dubb Media is an AI podcasting instrument that gives an fulfilling and fascinating consumer expertise. It excels at serving to you establish essentially the most compelling elements of your episode, and it might effortlessly create each transcripts and crowd pleasing video clips tailor-made for social media sharing.
One other noteworthy instrument within the AI podcast software program realm is Podcastmarketing.ai. This useful resource not solely transcribes your podcasts but additionally leverages synthetic intelligence to condense them into concise present notes, participating episode descriptions, fascinating episode titles, quote playing cards, and shareable social media posts.
Podsqueeze is yet one more good possibility. It, too, offers transcription companies to your episodes and goes a step additional by producing an array of promotional belongings based mostly in your transcript. Merely enter your RSS feed, choose the episode you want to improve, and patiently await the outcomes. In roughly ten minutes, Podsqueeze delivers a complete bundle, together with present notes, timestamps, chapter markers, emoji-filled tweets, catchy titles, related hyperlinks and mentions (full with timestamps), a weblog submit, a e-newsletter situation, advisable key phrases, and thought-provoking quotes together with accompanying quote photos.
Remarkably, AI may even step in to create cowl artwork and promotional photos nowadays.
Midjourney, akin to DALL-E and Secure Diffusion, is a program tailor-made for skilled artists looking for to swiftly produce prototypes for his or her purchasers. Midjourney might not be equivalent to different AI artwork era instruments, but it surely operates on an identical precept. You present a textual description of your required art work, and it employs AI to generate a picture that matches your imaginative and prescient.
Many AI instruments are new, with the tough edges nonetheless being smoothed out. However they’re nonetheless scarily good at occasions and are solely going to get higher. Bear in mind, your AI-generated supplies don’t must be ultimate, both. Usually, they work higher as first drafts or prototypes for briefs.
Podcast Software program Is Bettering All of the Time
On the time of writing, that covers all of the various kinds of podcast software program you would possibly want. The thrilling factor is, although, there’s much more on the way in which. I hear a few new podcast startup nearly each week, and so they’re developing with new software program options to assist make our podcasting simpler and higher. With AI now nicely and actually on the scene, too, new and highly effective instruments are all the time rising. Make sure to bookmark this submit, and the roundups beneath, to maintain up with future developments.
Additional studying
Or, simply select one or two instruments that be just right for you and go away it at that. You don’t want to consistently chase the subsequent shiny factor, except that’s one thing you’re genuinely concerned with. The overwhelming majority of podcasters simply desire a minimal quantity of software program that may assist them do the utmost quantity of issues, shortly, simply, and cheaply.
With that each one mentioned, it’s price one ultimate point out of ‘Podcast Maker’ software program Alitu. Alitu is recording, modifying, manufacturing, transcription, and internet hosting software program rolled into one. And, it has some sensible time-saving options like text-based modifying, too. In case your curiosity is piqued, you possibly can try it out free for seven days and see for your self!
Trending Merchandise
