Start A Library Podcast

Written by Julia Giantomasi
Published on August 26, 2021

In a previous post we gave you some tips to spice up your library’s social media. We covered a few ideas of ways to try a new marketing technique for your library, but we didn’t cover the ever-growing world of podcasts. If you’re thinking you’re too late to board the podcast choo-choo train, think again! It’s never too late to join the podcast party! Although it may be true that there are hundreds of thousands of podcasts that people can listen to, it’s all about catering to your audience and delivering a product that is easiest for them to consume. Don’t be intimidated by all of the bells and whistles of audio equipment and editing, because it’s actually quite simple to record and distribute your own podcast. Let’s break it down!

Development and Planning

As always with marketing, the first step is to make a plan. Find out what the topic of your podcast will be and how frequently you’d like to distribute it. Think of your patrons and what topics or programs they’re most interested in to find your niche. If you do a weekly or monthly blog on your website that drives traffic, perhaps that content can be made into a podcast as well so that those who don’t have the time to sit down and read it could listen on their commute instead? Are there staff members or members of the community that you’d like to interview or introduce to the public? Put yourself in the shoes of your patrons and think about what they would most like to tune in for, either an interview format or a conversational update in podcast form. It’s recommended that your show involve two or three hosts to keep it dynamic and interesting with differing thoughts and opinions. Although it may be easier to just have a one-person show, oftentimes listeners don’t find that engaging enough to keep tuning in long-term.

When you have the show topic and your team of hosts, then you’ll want to outline each episode. Podcasts don’t need to be scripted, in fact they’re more authentic when they’re not. However, you should still have a road map to guide you through the episode and make sure you touch on the points you want to make and keep it within an hour timeframe. The average podcast episode is 43 minutes, but the average listener only stays connected for about 22 minutes, so a half hour would be an ideal length. In addition, it has been found that the most popular day to publish your podcast is Tuesday and the ideal frequency of a podcast is weekly. Once you’ve formed an outline, plotted out the frequency of your podcast, and a scheduled recording time, you can focus on how to get the podcast made.

Podcasting Equipment

As I mentioned before, although there are many advanced technology options for recording high-caliber audio, the fancy stuff isn’t necessary for podcast beginners. First timers often record via Skype or Zoom if their co-hosts are in different areas.  There are plenty of free editing tools to clean up the recording afterward and add music or effects, with Audacity being the most popular software. For cleaner audio, it helps to purchase a microphone that plugs right into your computer. Refer to this list with options for microphones at varying price points and levels of podcasting experience. They also recommend additional accessories or recording devices that might make your podcast recording experience smoother, but are not vital to creating a quality product.

Recording and Distributing

You’ve got your equipment set up, now hit record and let it flow! After you’ve recorded your episode and edited it to your satisfaction, you’ll need to know how to distribute it to the world. You’ll have to upload the finished audio to a hosting site before you can submit to a bigger platform like Apple podcasts or Spotify. Hosting sites like Libsyn, Soundcloud or Anchor are most popular and will automatically generate an RSS feed that you’ll then need for submitting to sharing sites like Apple. It may take a couple of days for Apple or Spotify to process your podcast or review it before it’s fully posted. Then you can share away! Direct patrons to whichever platform you choose to listen to your latest masterpiece! Embed the podcast directly on your website as well so that anyone browsing can stop for a listen. You know the drill, the more places you share, the more ears will be reached!