{"id":13142,"date":"2026-06-13T06:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T13:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/?p=13142"},"modified":"2026-06-15T08:27:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:27:27","slug":"how-to-start-a-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ryrob.com\/how-to-start-a-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start a Podcast and Make Money (on the Side) in 2026: Ultimate Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s no secret podcasts are increasingly popular, as this trend continues to be a great way to not only attract an audience, but engage with them in ways that written content simply can’t. Enter today’s guide about how to start a podcast<\/strong> and make money (on the side).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you want to start a stand-alone podcast, or one you incorporate into your blog<\/a>, starting a podcast is a very worthwhile endeavor this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone with a podcast himself, I\u2019m really pumped to share my knowledge with you about how to start a podcast<\/b> that’s built to grow your audience and generate revenue. Be sure to check out my podcast setup<\/a> I’m using in 2026, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Start a Podcast (and Make Money) in 13 Easy Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Develop a Concept for Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Name Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Get the Basic Equipment You Need to Start a Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Choose Editing and Recording Software<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Copyright and Trademarking Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Create a Format for Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Record Your First Podcast Episode<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Edit Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Develop a Podcasting Schedule<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Choose Your Podcast Hosting<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Create Artwork for Your Podcast and Write a Description<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. How to Get Listeners to Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. Monetize Your Podcast<\/a><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How to Start a Podcast (and Make Money) in 13 Easy Steps: Ultimate Guide<\/a><\/div>Click To Post on <\/i><\/a>
    <\/div><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Disclosure:<\/b> Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I\u2019ll earn a commission. Know that I only recommend products and services I\u2019ve personally used and stand behind. When you use one of my affiliate links, the company compensates me, which helps me run this blog and keep my in-depth content free of charge for readers (like you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The History of Podcasting<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"The<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Before we get into how to start a podcast, let\u2019s take a step back and talk about how podcasting got its start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Podcasting first began in 2004 when an MTV video jockey collaborated with software developer Dave Winer<\/a> to make something called the iPodder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This program allowed them to download internet radio broadcasts to an iPod. Winer also created the Real Simple Syndication Feed (RSS), a key component of podcasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once the iPodder was created, other developers improved on the original idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until this point, podcasting didn\u2019t really have a name. In fact, the name wasn\u2019t coined until late 2004. Podcasting was first mentioned by Ben Hammersley in an article in The Guardian<\/i><\/a>. Hammersley wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWith the benefit of hindsight, it all seems quite obvious. MP3 players, like Apple’s iPod, in many pockets, audio production software cheap or free, and weblogging an established part of the internet; all the ingredients are there for a new boom in amateur radio. But what to call it? Audio-blogging? Podcasting? GuerillaMedia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Christopher Lyndon, a former New York Times<\/i> and NPR <\/i>journalist, was one of the first pioneers of podcasting. <\/a>In fact, he was the first voice recorded to an MP3 file and released on an RSS feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the same Guardian <\/i>article, Lyndon is quoted as saying, \u201cIt’s an experiment, really…Everything is inexpensive. The tools are available. Everyone has been saying anyone can be a publisher, anyone can be a broadcaster…Let’s see if that works.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like blogging, podcasting presented an opportunity for the common person. You didn\u2019t need to invest in expensive equipment or a recording studio to release audio recordings to the masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The consumption of podcasts has really exploded over time. It\u2019s a growing field with more people listening and recording. For those who are intrigued by podcasting, here\u2019s why now<\/i> is a GREAT time to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s Exciting About Podcasting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re still on the fence about whether or not it\u2019s a good fit for you, here are some really exciting reasons to get into the podcasting world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Audio Content is Convenient<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Think about it like this: a lot of people commute to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They can listen to the radio, music, or podcasts. According to the New York Post<\/i>, Americans spend an average of 35 minutes a day commuting<\/a>\u2014or, put another way, 19 full workdays every year. For some, the commute is even longer. While they can\u2019t safely read while driving, they can<\/i> listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s more, people aren\u2019t just listening to podcasts during their daily commute. They\u2019re listening while they make breakfast in the morning, while they clean the house, fold laundry, do yard work, or put the kids to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Podcasts Are Popular (and Growing in Popularity)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Another good reason to join the podcasting community is the sheer popularity of podcasts. While you may have once thought podcasts were a fad, statistics prove otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Statista Research Department<\/a> reports that in 2006, only 22 percent of the adult population in the United States knew what the word podcast meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As of 2022, that number rose to 79 percent. They also estimate there are 86 million podcast listeners in the US, a number they expect to rise to over 110 million by the end of 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Searchability is Improving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Historically, one major disadvantage of podcasting has been poor discoverability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It was difficult to search for podcasts, leaving many podcasters creating content delivered to only a few listeners. As podcasting grows in popularity, big-name companies like Spotify and Google are combating this issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As of 2021, Google now indexes podcasts<\/a> so they can be looked up in their search engine and listened to directly on the search page. Recently, Forbes<\/i> released an article that touched on this issue. Entrepreneurs Sergei Revzin and Vadim Revzin explained<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cUntil recently, podcast content based on specific interests of the listener has been notoriously difficult to find. Even if you already consumed other podcasts, the only way to discover new shows, aside from the limited functionality of the recommendations on the iTunes podcast platform, was to hear about a show from one you were already listening to, or more likely from a friend or a co-worker who was a big fan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They went on to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBut with advertisers flocking to this growing medium, with total ad revenue<\/a> growing to $1.9 billion in 2023, the technology companies that are hosting and distributing podcasts<\/a>, like Stitcher, Castbox, iTunes, and Google Podcasts, are paying attention to discovery like never before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Spotify has also been working with podcasters to make their content more discoverable. In February 2020, the Spotify founder and CEO said this in a news release<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cJust as we\u2019ve done with music, our work in podcasting will focus intensively on the curation and customization that users have come to expect from Spotify. We will offer better discovery, data, and monetization to creators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is very good news for podcasters, and promising for people trying to grow an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Podcasts Are a Fun Content Medium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve shared a lot of good reasons for starting a podcast, but I\u2019d be remiss if I left this one off my list. One of the most important reasons to start a podcast is, it\u2019s really fun to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Though podcasts have been around since 2004, there are still endless possibilities for creativity. You can create a podcast about anything you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your niche can be as narrow as single-player board games, like the podcast Solosaurus<\/i><\/a>, or as broad as foreign policy, like the podcast Pod Save the World<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Solosaurus<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    We\u2019ll discuss it in greater detail below, but you also have numerous options for a podcast format. You can interview guests, create a scripted fiction story, produce a solo show, or variations in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Whether you\u2019re producing fiction or non-fiction podcasts, there\u2019s still an element of storytelling. It feels like you\u2019re going back in time to the 1930s when the family gathered around the radio to hear the news. It\u2019s just a lot of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now that we\u2019ve talked about this history of podcasts and what makes them so exciting, let\u2019s get right into how to start a podcast<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Start a Podcast (and Make Money) in 13 Easy Steps <\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    <\/a>1. Develop a Concept for Your Podcast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Creating a concept for your podcast is very similar to choosing a niche to blog about<\/a>. Consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n