Making your podcast

Before you record anything

Decide what it is. A podcast without a clear concept drifts. Before you record, be able to answer: who is this for, what will they learn or feel, and why would someone listen to a second episode? You don’t need a full series plan—but one clear episode concept is the minimum.

Choose a format. The most common:

• Solo narration — you write and deliver a script, like a documentary or essay
• Interview — you bring in guests and draw out their knowledge or experience
• Co-hosted conversation — two or more regular voices, structured around a recurring theme

Solo narration requires the most writing. Interviews are often easier to start with—you’re not carrying the episode alone, and good guests can take you somewhere you didn’t plan to go.

Pick a length. Shorter is almost always better than you expect. A twelve-minute episode that earns every minute is more valuable than a thirty-minute episode with ten minutes of padding. Start short and expand only if you find you need the time.

Structure your episode

Every episode needs a shape. The simplest that works:

1. Hook — the first sixty seconds. A question, a puzzle, a story. Give the listener a reason to stay.
2. Body — the material itself, organized into two or three movements. Each should advance something, not just fill time.
3. Close — land somewhere. A summary isn’t enough; give the listener something to carry out with them.

Write an outline before you script. Know where you’re going before you figure out how to say it.

Writing for the ear

Podcast scripts are not essays. Sentences should be short enough to say in one breath. Avoid nested clauses—the listener can’t re-read. Contractions make you sound human. Read everything aloud before you record it; you’ll immediately hear what doesn’t work.

Use signposting: here’s the thing, so what does that mean, let me back up for a second. These feel informal in prose but are essential when listeners can’t see paragraph breaks or return to a passage they missed.

Recording

A quiet room matters more than expensive equipment. Close doors, turn off fans and HVAC if you can, put your phone on silent.

For phone recording or USB mic basics, see the recording guide. For higher quality, Amaranth has Blue Yeti microphones and quiet recording space—no appointment needed during studio hours. Record more than you need: it’s much easier to cut than to re-record.

Editing

Audacity is free, reliable, and has everything you need. The main tasks:

• Cut dead air: long pauses, false starts, extended silences between answers
• Remove distractions: coughs, chair squeaks, clusters of filler words—not every um, just the ones that break flow
• Level the audio: if volume varies significantly between speakers, use the Normalize or Amplify effects to even it out
• Add music (optional): a short intro and outro creates a sense of production; use royalty-free tracks from Free Music Archive or ccMixter

Don’t over-edit. Some pauses are meaningful. A conversation that sounds too polished loses warmth.

Publishing and sharing

Hosting platforms store your audio and generate an RSS feed that distributes to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. Free options that work well for academic and student projects:

• Spotify for Podcasters — free, distributes widely, simple interface
• Buzzsprout — free tier, easy to use, good analytics

Once you have a feed, submit it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else your audience listens. Most platforms accept new shows within a day or two.

If you want hosting under a UNM domain or want to connect the podcast to a course or department site, come talk to us—there are options depending on your situation.

Come talk to us

If you have a concept and aren’t sure where to start, or you’re partway through and stuck—come in. That’s what the studio is for.