Every DJ needs their own podcast-here’s how to set one up

As a DJ, you need to leverage every opportunity to get noticed. One of the best ways to do that is to set up a podcast. The good news is its relatively easy and the actual distribution can be done for free. Read on to find out how to set up a podcast, what the best podcasting platforms are and the free distribution service you can use to get on all the right platforms.

We will take a look at podcasting hardware at a later date but its worth mentioning the highly popular ‘EvermixBox‘, a plug and play audio recording tool that you can plug into your mixer to record your mix and transfer the audio to iOS and Android phones.

In terms of which platforms to host your podcast, iTunes and Spotify are obvious choices followed by Soundcloud, Mixcloud and You Tube. You also want to reach as many people as possible so you should consider smaller platforms like Deezer, Pocket Casts and Stitcher.

Your Podcast Must Be On Brand

Make sure your branding is recognisable across all platforms, stick with the same logo, fonts and colour scheme on all podcast networks and social media channels. If you want to number each episode and update important metadata, have a brand template that’s easy to edit. Some useful tools for making your podcast covers include Canva and Adobe Spark.

Cost Effective Options For Music Podcasts

If you intend to do a music only podcast, it is possible to distribute it through paid services like Buzzsprout or Podbean or through Soundcloud Pro.If you already have a Soundcloud Pro subscription you can save some money by letting soundcloud distribute your podcast.

Use Soundcloud Pro To Get On iTunes and Spotify

Tap the 3 dot drop down menu to the right of your soundcloud page then head to contents. Here you will find a link to your RSS feed. Give your podcast a name and add your name as the host. Select the music category and click save. Go to ‘iTunes Connect’ and register or sign in for an account, click on ‘Podcast Connect’ (you will need to complete a verification for both of these steps, Apple will send a code to your Apple device or in a text message), paste your RSS feed url into the validation box and click ‘validate.’ Before doing this, its advised that you go through your soundcloud links and select which ones to include in your RSS feed. If your artwork isn’t according to specifications you will get the following message:

“Podcast artwork must be between 1400 x 1400 and 3000 x 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG, in RGB color space, and hosted on a server that allows HTTP head requests.”

Using the same soundcloud pro RSS feed url, head to podcasters.spotify.com and register/sign in (make sure to display your email in the RSS feed settings on soundcloud). Click to verify then once you have received an 8 digit code by email, continue to fill out the remaining details. These two options come at no extra cost if you have soundcloud pro with the benefit being you will be on the two biggest podcast platforms. The process is similar for Google Podcasts and Pocket Casts. In all cases, you will need to verify your feed through email verification and the rest is fairly simple.

Best Options For Talk And Interview Podcasts

If on the other hand, you want to host a more traditional talk based podcast with interviews and discussion, you have a lot more options.

There are several popular podcast hosting and distribution options but we will focus on two, one free and one paid:

Anchor

Anchor is a 100 percent free Podcast solution. You can record or upload podcasts to the free app, edit them and have them distributed to all major platforms through the RSS feed generated by Anchor. One of the biggest upsides to Anchor is the unlimited storage. Considering the average podcast is a minimum of 1hr, having the bandwidth to store endless hours of audio is a massive bonus. Another cool feature is the ability to add music from Spotify allowing you to play your own tunes and support other DJs and artists. According to some sources, the bitrate for podcasts recorded through the Anchor app is rather poor so perhaps consider recording your show in high quality mp3 then uploading it to the app.

Libsyn

Libsyn is a paid distribution service with monthly fees starting at $5 which is approx. £3.58 making it a very affordable way to get your podcast in all the right places on auto pilot. For an extra £1.53 each month, Libsyn  offers useful analytics to help you target the right audience and grow your listenership but the editing tools free to Anchor users will cost extra if you choose Libsyn.

It may seem we have neglected to mention You Tube which is an option but requires a lot more effort as a visual medium. If you decide to start a show on You Tube, consider extracting the audio so it can be hosted on other platforms. Another option is Mixcloud Select, a great platform to use as you won’t have your mixes taken down for copyright violations (Mixcloud pays artists for plays of their music). At £9 a month, you will need to have a sustainable fan base willing to pay at least £2.99 a month to listen to your exclusive shows. While this is a really good platform, it may be better suited to DJs with a good following rather than DJs who are just starting out.

We hope this guide helps you get started with your podcast. Share with your friends and spread the word!