The Starting a Podcast Checklist: Everything You Need Before You Publish

Most podcast launch checklists are padded out to look thorough. This one is not. It is the six phases that actually matter, in the order you should do them, with a note at the end about which steps you can safely skip.

Work through it part-time and you will launch in two to four weeks.

Phase 1: Decide what the show is

Do this before you buy anything. Every later decision gets easier once these are settled.

1. Pick a topic narrow enough to sustain 50 episodes. “Marketing” is not a topic. “Marketing for independent bookshops” is.
2. Name one specific listener. Not a demographic, a person. You will write better episodes talking to one person than to an audience.
3. Choose a format. Solo, co-hosted, interview, or narrative. Interview shows are easier to fill and harder to schedule.
4. Set a length and a frequency you can survive. Weekly at 25 minutes beats fortnightly at an hour, and both beat an ambitious schedule you abandon in month two.
5. Name the show. Something searchable and sayable. Our podcast name generator is useful when you are stuck.
6. Write down why you are doing this. You will need it around episode eight.

Phase 2: Get your gear together

Shorter than you expect.

1. Buy one decent microphone. This is the only purchase that materially changes how your show sounds. See our microphone guide if you want specifics.
2. Get headphones, and make any remote guests wear them too. It stops echo before it starts.
3. Install recording software. Free is fine to begin with. Our overview of podcast recording software covers the options.
4. Find a quiet room with soft surfaces. Carpet, curtains, a sofa. A wardrobe genuinely works. Our studio setup guide goes further.
5. If you are recording remote guests, sort that workflow now. Our guide to recording a podcast remotely covers the setup.

Phase 3: Record a test, then record for real

1. Record a ten-minute test and listen back on headphones. This is the most-skipped step on any launch checklist and the one that saves you the most pain.
2. Fix whatever the test revealed. Usually mic distance, room echo, or background hum.
3. Write an outline or a script. Even interview shows need a question list.
4. Record three episodes before you launch. Not one. A listener who likes your first episode should be able to hear two more immediately.
5. Record your intro and outro separately so you can reuse them.

Phase 4: Prepare everything around the audio

1. Edit your episodes, or find someone to. Our editing tips cover the basics.
2. Create your cover art. Square, at least 1400x1400 pixels, and legible at thumbnail size. That last part is where most artwork fails.
3. Write a show description that says who the podcast is for in the first sentence.
4. Write titles and show notes for each episode.
5. Choose a podcast host. This is what stores your files and generates your RSS feed.
6. Upload your episodes and schedule them.

Phase 5: Launch

1. Submit your RSS feed to the directories. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the rest. Our list of podcast directories covers where else to go. Many hosts automate this.
2. Check your feed actually works by subscribing in a podcast app yourself.
3. Publish all three episodes at once. Give new listeners something to binge.
4. Tell people individually. Direct messages outperform broadcast posts by a wide margin at this stage.
5. Post where your listener already spends time, not everywhere at once.

Phase 6: The first 30 days

1. Publish on schedule. Consistency matters more than quality this early.
2. Ask three people for honest feedback. Not encouragement, feedback.
3. Check your analytics to see where people stop listening.
4. Book your next month of guests or topics now, before momentum fades.

What you can safely skip

Checklists get long because everything sounds important. These can wait:

• A podcast website. Your host gives you a page. Build a site once you know the show will last.
• Custom music. Free music is fine, and nobody subscribed because of a jingle.
• Video. Add it later if you want it, and read our guide to video podcasting first.
• Merchandise, a mailing list, sponsorship conversations. All of these need an audience first.
• Expensive gear beyond the microphone. Buy an interface when you know you need one.

The shows that fail rarely fail on production quality. They fail because they stopped publishing.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to start a podcast?

Two to four weeks part-time for most people. You could compress this into a weekend if you already have a topic and a microphone. Artwork and recording enough episodes are usually the slow parts.

How many episodes should you have before launching?

Three. A new listener who likes your first episode can immediately hear two more, which is what turns a visit into a subscription.

What do you need to start a podcast?

A topic, a microphone, free recording software, cover art, and a podcast host to generate your RSS feed. Everything else is optional at first.

Do I need a podcast host to launch?

Yes. Your host stores your audio and generates the RSS feed that Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every other app read. You submit that one feed rather than uploading to each platform.

What is the most commonly skipped step?

Recording a test episode and listening back on headphones. It takes ten minutes and catches the problems that would otherwise ruin your first three episodes.

Ready to start?

If you want the reasoning behind each of these steps rather than just the list, our full guide on how to start a podcast walks through all of it in detail.