The podcast increase is in full swing. As soon as thought of a distinct segment medium, podcasting has advanced right into a broadly embraced platform that spans a number of media genres—together with information, leisure, movie, comedy, true crime, conspiracy theories and juicy gossip. Even with roughly 4.5 million podcasts in existence, everybody is raring to start out their very own podcast. So, the place do you start?
Jemma Rose Brown, podcast veteran and normal supervisor of the Sign Awards, an award present recognizing impactful, extraordinary audio tasks, says the guts of storytelling hasn’t modified. “I believe a typical thread [in storytelling] is an unbiased spirit and an understanding you could take a mic and say your piece.”
The attraction of podcasts typically lies within the relatability of particular person views, which is what attracts natural listeners and fosters loyal audiences. Nearly all of podcasters aren’t journalism majors; they’re peculiar individuals providing commentary on present affairs and popular culture.
That mentioned, whereas podcasting is extra accessible than ever, success nonetheless requires technique, talent and a strong understanding of the medium.
The human affect
Established with a decade of experience in audio storytelling, Brown is aware of a factor or two about what makes a podcast resonate. Drawn to the emotional and human facet of public media, she started her profession at StoryCorps, a nonprofit group devoted to sharing tales from numerous American voices. Impressed by the ability of collective storytelling, she co-founded a cultural pageant designed to create a collaborative area for audio creators. Now, as the overall supervisor of the Sign Awards, she has had a front-row seat to the evolution of podcasting—and a eager eye for what makes a present stand out.
Brown says the grassroots of compelling storytelling lies in significant dialog and impactful creation. “And the concept I preserve returning to that I believe is true of all podcasts, no matter kind and format, is that the present has some sort of emotional affect, emotional resonance or stickiness,” she explains. It’s that emotional weight that separates a forgettable episode from one which lingers within the thoughts lengthy after it ends. This sort of resonance typically comes from podcasters who use their voice to spark real dialog and undertaking authenticity—those that narrate in a manner that feels conversational slightly than didactic. “I need to really feel my mind stretching and reaching,” Brown says.
Getting began: The fundamentals
Gear, manufacturing and software program are second to the important elements of beginning a podcast. Brown encourages aspiring podcasters to start by cultivating self-awareness and inventive readability on what they need audiences to remove from the present.
After cementing your intent, it’s time to file. “Lots of people freak out once they first hear themselves again. It’s uncomfortable,” Brown admits, “And also you simply should know that each single individual thinks they sound horrible and simply kind of suck up the imposter syndrome and the scariness of that.” She suggests recording a number of pilot episodes to get comfy and discover your voice—even when nobody will hearken to them. This low-pressure follow will strengthen your voice, readability and most significantly, outline your function.
Earlier than you press file
- Emotional affect: An important story or dialog ought to spark emotional resonance. Did it make you cry? Did you convey it up in remedy or end up enthusiastic about it the following day?
- Authenticity: The creator’s voice is the driving power behind listener loyalty. Subsequently, a podcast ought to replicate a real and distinctive perspective.
- Mental engagement: Listeners ought to really feel mentally stimulated, as if they’re a part of a dialog slightly than being lectured. An excellent podcast invitations reflection and creates a way of belonging.
- Compelling storytelling: Did the subject ship you down a rabbit gap? Did you crave a component two? Had been there follow-up questions you couldn’t cease enthusiastic about?
- Intimate connection: As a substitute of sounding like a refined radio broadcast, there must be a conversational really feel, as if you’re within the room with them, not only a passive listener.
- Consistency: Persist with a daily posting schedule and have interaction together with your viewers. Reliability builds belief—and belief builds neighborhood.
The brand new development of podcasting
In a time the place screens dominate most types of leisure and quick-scroll content material reigns supreme, podcasting affords one thing completely different: an intimate and nuanced medium that resonates throughout generations. Brown describes consuming a podcast as “hand-free and screen-free.”
Nonetheless, the medium presents ongoing challenges. Discoverability is a major hurdle, and reaching new audiences is tough. For a lot of creators, behind-the-scenes work—constructing an viewers, development pressures, technical and inventive limitations—typically falls on a single individual. Add within the strain to broaden your attain whereas overcoming technical and inventive limitations, and it’s clear that podcasting requires extra than simply ardour. But Brown believes with authenticity, a transparent imaginative and prescient and willingness to study, creators can thrive within the ever-evolving area.
The place podcasting is headed
Given the rising saturation of podcast charts, Brown says audio storytelling is in a fantastic place. New subdivisions have emerged in digital platforms, corresponding to Spotify and YouTube, supporting long-term podcast manufacturing and monetization, making it simpler for creators to show passions into career. On the listener’s finish, dad and mom are more and more turning to podcasts as wholesome, screen-free content material for kids. And naturally, there may be the artistic merge at the moment underway.
“The place the overlap between the creator economic system sits with podcasting is one thing I’ve my eye on as effectively.… And an increasing number of younger persons are enthusiastic about podcasts. They don’t actually care what community a present is [made] on, how they’re consuming it, if it’s audio, if it’s video, they simply love their creator, and so they’ll go wherever that creator goes.”
Which actually narrows right down to the ripple impact of the creator. With a variety of cultural, instructional and private experiences being shared, podcast hosts have the capability to generate change and construct a way of neighborhood amongst listeners. The non-public affect isn’t simply theoretical—it’s one thing Brown has skilled firsthand.
“After I began in podcasting, we have been such a small neighborhood,” she recollects, “You sort of knew everybody who labored within the area, and we’d throw listening events and hear to one another’s work in progress and ship one another notes. It felt very small. So I positively couldn’t have predicted how rapidly and voraciously this trade has grown, however I’m so grateful for it and to have grown up with it.”
This text initially appeared within the September/October 2025 situation of SUCCESS© journal. Photograph courtesy of Jemma Rose Brown.