If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, this article is for you! I did just that in October 2023, and immediately made a few observations that I wish I had known earlier.
Podcasts are a great way to get any message out there, and creating one is actually a lot easier (and cheaper) than most would have you know! You don’t need a strategy or a specific content plan to get started, and that’s the beauty of it all.
It’s the most democratic form of content creation I know! No more relying on social media platforms pushing out content (because they won’t).
Before we get into my observations about starting a podcast, I’d like to mention that I have also been invited to participate in multiple podcasts. Even though I never quite understood why.
I always thought only influential and famous people get asked to join podcasts. Clearly not! Let’s mention couple of them:
- Doing Business Differently – I joined friends and fellow entrepreneurs to discuss how I became self-employed and a success at it completely by accident
- SDGTalks Roundtable discussion – I joined a team of sustainability enthusiasts from different fields to discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- The Anima Animagus podcast – We discussed the detrimental nature of fast fashion, why I will never again participate in Black Friday and how to get rid of shopping fast fashion.
How it all started
My journey to starting a podcast in the first place is probably a bit different to most people. Basically, I had been freelancing for a couple years, which meant that I was responsible for the amount of work I did, and thus also the amount of money I made.
Until my biggest client decided to switch to a contractor-based model. This meant that the amount of work per day was set, which meant that also the amount of money available per month was set. This freed an incredible amount of time for me (because I ain’t working one second for free)!
I had to fill that time with something, and while I had my darling blog, I craved for another creative project. And then my dear friend and a branding expert, Becky, suggested I should start a podcast!
Y’all know I have a lot to say, and while Instagram is a platform for all of it, it’s not big enough for me. I need my own stage! So, I went and tested different tools and websites, editing softwares and microphones until I came up with the perfect recipe to create a podcast.
I did it with the least effort, money and time, and without me expecting it, it has become a success! My podcast is on Substack, but you can also find it on Spotify.
Starting A Podcast – Sharing The Lessons I Learned 2026
When thinking about starting a podcast many of us think we need to spend money on professional microphones, subscribe to an editing software and go to a lot of effort to get the podcast published on a platform.
NONE of this is actually true! Sure, you can go into all that trouble, but at the end of the day getting a podcast started is rather simple. Here’s why:
1. You don’t need any money to start a podcast
Didn’t expect this, did ya? It’s actually true, starting a podcast does not require any money. For example, I do NOT pay for:
- microphones
- editing softwares
- the platforms where I publish my podcast
- marketing
In terms of microphones and editing softwares, it quickly turned out that I had all of it already. And if you have a (fairly new) smartphone, then you have everything you need as well. Which brings us to the next point:
2. Don’t invest in expensive tech when you’re starting a podcast
When starting a podcast, you don’t need the best technology in the market. When getting started you have the time and capability to test what works and what doesn’t, so start with what you already have.
What I quickly realised is that all the technology and apps available might actually not be any better than what your phone can offer. I did go and buy a microphone, though. Just to notice that my smart phone doesn’t have anything I could plug it in to. Everything’s bluetooth now… except the microphone I bought.
After that I recorded a couple episodes using my laptop’s microphone. And while it was good enough, there was an annoying clicking sound involved in it. So, all I had left to try was my phone. So, I recorded an episode using my phone’s microphone and the in-built voice recording tool.
As it turned out, the best technology to record my podcast episodes was my smartphone! Here’s why:
- The speaker on my Samsung S22 has excellent sound quality (as long as I keep it at a distance from my mouth so the Ss and the Ps don’t “ring” and echo)
- The in-built voice recording app allows me to record and also easily edit the recordings; I can cut or re-record sections when needed (no separate editing apps needed)
- Sending the episodes from my phone to my email takes just 2 clicks.
As they say: keep it simple, stupid!
3. You don’t need massive social media following to get started
When I was starting a podcast, it was just a creative experiment for me, myself and I. I had just over 1100 followers on Instagram, and that was the only social media platform I was creating content on. That did not matter in the slightest, though!
If you have something to say, you probably have for a while now. Which means it’s likely that you already have an audience who are interested to hear what you have to say. The size of that audience is completely irrelevant in starting a podcast.
We’re not trying to take over the world in one night, we’re just having fun and being creative.
So fuck all of that, and instead share your podcast to the people that do follow you. It’s not unheard of that they then share your podcast onwards to their friends and acquaintances and oops, you’ve got subscribers!
4. A podcast doesn’t need a niche
The best thing about podcasting is that you don’t need to have a strategy, or even a niche for it! It’s just a podcast, it’s a speaking head, it can be whatever you make it to be.
When I was starting a podcast I did still have my marketing hat on, so I did try to niche it out. But as my friends reminded me, they want to hear everything I have to say on Instagram, so why would it be any different on a podcast? It isn’t!
That’s also why my podcast is called Random Rambles: it’s a niche-less creative project. And it was inspired by my rants on Instagram, which I had for years called ‘my random rambles’. Point being, your audience will always find you, no matter if it’s just in terms of a specific episode or the entire podcast.
5. Choose a publishing platform that’s easy rather than the most popular
When thinking about podcasts, most of us probably think about massive platforms like Spotify or Apple podcasts. And sure, if you use them already, starting a podcast there is probably the most natural continuation for you.
But for us, who haven’t relied on any of the big platforms at any point of our lives, I would recommend using a bit of time to check out different options. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter where you publish your podcast, because on most platforms you can then link your podcast to, for example, Spotify.
That way people can easily find your podcast on the biggest platforms, or head over to the original platform through their subscription links or the links that you share on social media.
Starting a Podcast – Conclusion
The most important thing to remember is that things don’t need to be complicated! Or expensive! Thanks to technology, you can let your creativity and enthusiasm roam freely without any sort of a price tag.
And that absolutely applies to starting a podcast as well! Most of the guides that suggest paid services for all of the above are doing so to make an income through affiliate links etc. Which is completely okay! But it might not be the best advice out there for you specifically.
So, definitely do a little bit of research on the tools you already own and in terms of different platforms you can publish your podcast on. Focus on platforms that allow you to link the podcast on massive platforms, like Spotify. And you’re good to go! ♥
FAQ
Q: How to start a podcast?
A: All you need to start a podcast are: microphone (smartphone’s is enough), publishing platform, ideas for episodes. Starting a podcast does not require money or learning to use complex editing tools. Choose a free hosting platform that allows you to link your podcast to popular sites, like Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Q: What is the best podcast hosting platform?
A: The best podcast hosting platforms are not always the most popular ones. When starting off, you should choose a free and easy-to-use platform, like Substack. It allows you to link your podcast to larger platforms, like Spotify.
Q: How much does it cost to start a podcast?
A: For me, starting a podcast costs 0€. But this depends on the equipment and editing options you want to use. If your smartphone has a good microphone and a voice recording tool that also allows editing, you can save a lot of money without compromising on quality.
Q: Who can start a podcast?
A: Absolutely anyone! Not everything has to be about making money, so if you want to start a podcast, just go for it! Think of it as a creative project and have fun with it ♥
