A podcaster is a content creator who records audio programs and shares them with an audience through digital downloads. It’s the online version of being a radio show host, though instead of distributing the program through a set channel, the podcaster uploads the files to one or more podcasting platforms making them available to anyone who wants to listen.
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NEWCASTLE
A career as podcaster and digital storyteller is the best, and here's why .........
Podcasters cover a huge range of topics in a variety of genres, styles, formats, and lengths. And podcasting is a fun way to share your interests and expertise with an audience. It can also be a way to break into broadcasting and turn a passion project into something career potentially joining the ranks of podcasters who earn money through ad revenue and creator funds.
WHAT DO THEY DO? A podcaster often wears a lot of hats, especially if they’re producing a podcast all on their own. These roles include planning, recording, and publishing each episode, as well as marketing the podcast to get more listeners. There’s a lot of room for creativity in podcasting, and there are also plenty of tasks involved with creating a podcast and getting it out into the world.
Here are some of the duties you might expect to take on if you pursue a podcasting career.
Research Unless you’re already an expert on a topic, you’ll need to do quite a bit of research before you ever press 'record'. Getting up to speed on the topic you’re covering or the subject you’re interviewing is an essential part of the process and should account for a lot of the time that you put into each episode.
Script Writing or Outlining Some podcasters follow set scripts, while others simply put together a general outline of what they want to say. In either case, it’s important to organise your thoughts for each episode so that you can put together a coherent show and cover all of the relevant content.
Interviewing It’s common to share the mic with a guest or co-host. You may also interview someone for the episode and then share clips of the conversation throughout the show. Have interview questions and basic talking points ready to go so that you stay on track and get more out of the conversation.
Writing Show Notes Show notes tell listeners what the podcast is about. It also gives a preview of what will be covered in each episode. Show notes can be brief, but they should give your listeners an accurate idea of what they can expect and should be engaging enough to entice them to go ahead and download the program.
Post-Production Editing Editing may be done by a podcast producer or by the podcast host themselves. If you’re doing it on your own, use podcasting software to create professional-quality episodes that are ready for streaming.
HOW DO I BECOME ONE? You can develop, record, and distribute a podcast without any sort of formal education or experience. However, effective podcasting is a skill just like any other, and it definitely helps to have some sort of background in storytelling and the more technical aspects of producing audio files. So training is important.
WHERE ARE THE PODCASTER JOBS? Similar to other creative fields, you can go either the full-time employment route or the freelance route with your podcasting career. If you prefer a full-time gig, then working for a media company is probably the way to go. There are lots of media and production companies that specialise in podcasts or have podcasts as part of their larger content offerings. You might start at an entry-level role doing things like podcast transcribing, interviewing, editing, and recording. Freelance podcasting is easier to break into, but it does require a bigger investment since you’ll need to have your own software and equipment. What it lacks in stability, however, it makes up for in creative freedom, and you can always start with the bare basics and upgrade your set-up as you go. Plus networking will be key, and it could even lead to co-hosting or guest hosting opportunities.