Podcasting: Learn from Mistakes and Avoid Them

Every new venture brings with it an opportunity to learn from new mistakes—as does podcasting. We want you to have the best experience possible so you keep podcasting! Here are eight beginner podcasting mistakes to sidestep.

1. Investing Too Much To Start. Fancy, do-all, high-tech equipment is awesome, but really, you can work up to that. You don’t need the best podcast equipment to start. In our Podcast Recording Equipment for All Levels, we give you three tiers of equipment that you can start with or level up to without having to start all over again. 
2. Wishy Washy Podcast Concept. Not that your podcast can’t evolve, but you are going to want to define your BIG IDEA up front and aim to be as clear as possible, including who is meant to listen to your podcast. Answer these three questions: what’s your area of expertise? What are you passionate about? Who is your ideal listener? If you wanna continue on that journey, hop on over to our How To Start a Podcast article. 
3. Not Planning. Plan your podcast. Define your goals, your subject matter, your format and your listener profile. This speaks volumes to the number of mistakes you can proactively avoid in the future. Curious? You could use a podcast planning template or take a look at our How To Plan Your Podcast article. For you entrepreneurial types you might even want to make a podcast business plan to keep finances in order. 
4. Inconsistency. This is one of the most valuable podcasting tips for beginners. Audiences love a schedule and format they can count on. Interestingly, recording consistency can also provide a sense of ease and freedom to you as a podcaster. Establish a schedule for yourself from recording to editing to publishing, and do your best to stick to it. Listeners sometimes plan their day around listening to a specific podcast while driving, jogging, or just mopping the kitchen floor. All that said, don’t let abiding to consistency in time and frequency make you feel like you’re drowning. Ultimately, consistency in how you show up for your content and your audience will trump everything else. 
5. Not editing your podcast. Editing your show, if just for sound levels, is extremely important. Editing does not mean that you remove the improvisational nature of a show. The magic of an edited show is that it sounds like there wasn’t any editing. Take out dead air, coughing, the vacuum, etc. These edits can be made in free software like Garageband and Audacity. Take care of your audience. 
6. Being unrealistic and unyielding. Podcasting is a verb, not a noun. This means it is always evolving and you are always learning. Always think about how to make your podcast sound better. Be ready to change and improve as you learn. Start slow, learn from each episode and then work on how to grow your podcast. Set expectations based on your goals and the reality of your experience in producing the show.
7. Podcasting in a silo. The podcasting industry is unique in that 99 out of 100 podcasters are pleased to help others. Something about the medium. Definitely do some podcast collaboration and engage with others. There are so many podcasting-centric social media groups on Facebook, Twitter, Clubhouse and other places. Attend podcast conferences and events, do promo swaps, etc. First-hand advice and learning from others’ mistakes can be invaluable.
8. Not picking the best podcast hosting site for you. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention just how important it is to pick a podcast host platform that can help you grow and expand on your podcasting journey. Libsyn is set up with the independent podcaster in mind at every step. We invite you to explore our site for options to fit your budget, tune into Libsyn’s own podcasting podcast, The Feed, and to read this series as you are preparing to get started. We would love for you to be part of the Libsyn Family!