How to Start a Podcast

What’s up? Lauryn here. I’ve gotten SOOOOO many emails about how to start a podcast out of your home.

We launched a podcast out of our living room after too many ginger margaritas in Cabo. Anyone & everyone can do this, & podcast IS THE hot new thing. It saves the audience time while they’re able to learn & also get shit done.

I feel like I’m in the podcast space all the time because my husband, Michael, owns the female focused podcast network Dear Media. He really knows what makes for good equipment. I asked him & our producer Taylor ( @tailsyoudie ) to give you guys the exact set up they’d recommend for someone who wants to launch a podcast at home.

PODCAST EQUIPMENT

Out of Studio Mics

These are the mics we use when we are NOT in studio. You can hold them or put them on mic stands. We did almost all of our early podcasts with these.

♡ built-in wind & pop filter.

♡ shock system cuts down on handling noise.

♡ isolates main sound source & minimizes background noise.

In Studio Mics

We use these in studio. They need stands & are the very best, but may be overkill.

♡ improved rejection of electromagnetic hum, optimized for shielding against broadband interference emitted by computer monitors.

♡ has detachable windscreen, designed to reduce plosive sounds & gives a warmer tone for close-talk vocals.

♡ flat, wide-range frequency response for exceptionally clean and natural reproduction of both music & speech.

Cords for Mics

♡ protective metal housing.

♡ 20 ft long.

♡ all copper conductors & inner copper spiral shielding; shielded cable reduces interference & excess noise

Windscreen for Mics

♡ protects from exhales, wind & ‘singer’s spit’.

♡ designed for normal sized mics.

Basic on-the-go Recorder

This is great for when we travel or do interviews on-the-go. It’s basic & has 2 mic inputs.

♡ compatible operating systems is windows vista & newer mac os x 10.6 and newer.

♡ records directly to SD/SDHC cards up to 32 GB.

Higher end Zoom Recorder

We use this one for about 80% of our interviews when traveling or not in studio. It has 4 mic outputs.

♡ mountable directly to DSLR or camcorder.

♡ direct recording to SD cards up to 128GB.Display 2.0-inch full color LCD (320 x 240 pixels).

♡ newly redesigned preamps with an ultra-low noise floor, up to 24-bit/96kHz audio in wav or MP3 format.

Headsets

In Michael’s opinion, these are the best for podcasting. They record your true voice, so what you hear is what you’ll get.

♡ lightweight & comfortable, ergonomic design, Cord Length 3.3 9.8 feet coiled.

♡ around the ear design with padded ear cups Dynamic, closed ear headphones with up to 32 dB attenuation of outside sound. Frequency response (Headphones) 8 25000 Hz.

♡ ear pads, headband padding, & audio cord are easily replaceable, ensuring long life.

Multiple Headset Jack for the Zoom

♡ ultra-compact headphone amplifier system for studio and stage applications.

♡ highest audio quality with virtually all types of headphones even at maximum volume.

Mic Stand

♡ includes two desk mounting options.

♡ 2-axis swivel mount for accurate positioning.

♡ rotates 360 degrees with a maximum reach of 32.5 inches horizontally & 33 inches vertically.

EQUIPMENT WE USE FOR SKYPE INTERVIEW/PODCASTS

Call Recorder

♡ high-quality, HD recordings.

♡ easily converts calls into MP3 files for podcasting or internet-ready movies for YouTube & Vimeo.

Mic for Multiple Voices

You need a mic that can record multiple voices if you have more than one interviewer.

♡ condenser microphone with digital output for convenient, high-resolution recording/

♡ smooth, extended frequency response ideally suited for podcasting, home studio recording, field recording and voiceover use.

♡ compatible with Windows 7 & above, Mac OS 10.6 & above, & iOS 7.02 & above (requires Lightning connector).

Other Options:

Mic & Headset Combination

Lewis Howes from School of Greatness uses these. We used these for most of the second half of 2017 & when we travel for interviews. These allow you to just put a headset on & talk.

♡ Mic features polar pattern & frequency response tailored for intelligible vocal reproduction.

♡ rugged design with user replaceable cable & ear pads.

♡ boom mounted microphone can be positioned on the left or right side.

USB Audio Interface Tool

Some podcasters use this to record directly into their Macs.

♡ two natural-sounding Scarlett mic preamps with plenty of even gain; two instrument inputs, 1/4-inch balanced jack outputs to connect professional studio monitors; one headphone output with gain control.

♡ class-leading conversion & sample rates up to 192kHz / 24 bit; super-low roundtrip latency for using your plug-ins in real time without the need for DSP.

If You Want to Build an Actual Sound Studio:

Behringer 16 Input Bus Mixer with Audio Interface

♡ premium ultra-low noise, high headroom analog mixer.

♡ 4 studio-grade compressors with super-easy “one-knob” functionality & control LED for professional vocal and instrumental sound.

♡ new studio-grade FX processor with 16 editable presets including reverb, chorus, flanger, delay, pitch shifter, multi-effects, Tap function and storable user parameter settings.Phantom Power : +48 V Phantom.

Apogee Audio Interface

♡ USB 2.0 High Speed connection to Mac or PC.

♡ software control of hardware parameters including input selection and low latency monitoring.

♡ direct digital connection with iOS devices (iPhone, iPad & iPod touch. 30-pin/ Lightning cable sold separately).

Headphones Amplifier

♡ professional multi-purpose headphones amplifier system for stage & studio applications.

♡ highest sonic quality with virtually all types of headphones even at maximum volume.

♡ 8 independent Direct inputs provide up to 8 individual stereo mixes.

Editing Software

We like to use Garageband & pro-tools when we edit ourselves. When our engineer edits for us, he uses Adobe Audition & Protools.

There you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth. Those are all Michael & Taylor’s recommendations for how to start a podcast at home. If you have any questions please let us know because we will be making sure to answer all of them. If you already have a podcast leave the handle below so we can stalk you.

Remember, when it comes to podcasting, launch fast & adust to consumer feedback. We got you.

Don’t forget to check out The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast. Every Tuesday & every other Friday we release new episodes. You can expect to hear from wellness & beauty experts, plastic surgeons, skin care experts, entrepreneurs & people who excel in their field, such as: Dr. Dennis Gross, Ed Mylett, Tanya Zuckerbrot, Dr. Gundry, Mark Sisson & many many more.

x, lauryn ( & Michael & Taylor )

+ check out my 3 favorite podcasts to start the day with here.

++ scope the 5 gadgets I can’t live without.

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