There are a lot of resources out there that can really be helpful with not only improving your podcast, but for making some of the steps in your podcasting process much easier. The podcasting process can be overwhelming and it takes a lot of work to get your podcast up and running. That's where these tools come in handy, to hopefully reduce the time and effort that some of the steps take. So, we've compiled a list of some great tools for podcasting below!
Before we get into it, if you are looking for tools regarding equipment, podcast transcription, podcast interviews, podcast artwork, or podcast music, check out our separate articles on those topics below.
Equipment (including Recording/Editing Software):
Transcription:
Interviews:
Podcast Artwork:
Music:
Note-Taking:
- Notion
- Notion is an all-in-one workspace that provides you with the ability to write notes and other documents, a location for your knowledge base, task and project management, as well as spreadsheets and databases. There is a free plan with all of the basic features, but for unlimited access to all features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Evernote
- Evernote is a tool to jot down ideas and any other notes you may have for your podcast. Then, you can prioritize your ideas and notes and create to-do lists to stay organized and on-top of everything. There is a free plan with all of the basic features, but if you want to collaborate with others, among other features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Google Docs (or Sheets)
- Google Docs is a great free option for note-taking, documentation, script-writing, and other preparation. Also, you can share documents with others and collaborate with them using the simultaneous editing and viewing features.
Scheduling:
- Calendly
- Calendly connects with your calendar and allows you the ability to schedule a variety of meetings without emails and confusion. The availability preferences and scheduling features allow you to set up meetings without the back-and-forth interaction. There is a free plan with the basic features, but if you want unlimited access to all of the features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Google Calendar
- Google Calendar is a free option for scheduling and you can invite others to events as well as share your calendar with others.
Live Video Recording:
- Facebook Live
- In order to get more content out there, you may want to livestream your podcast recording process. Facebook Live is a great live video recording option as you can choose for it to stay on Facebook after you end the livestream. This option allows you to give a visual element to your listeners without the work of creating and editing a video to upload to YouTube.
Checking Your RSS Feed:
- Feed Validator
- Feed Validator is a tool for spotting any problems with your RSS feed. Using this allows you to get on top of any issues before you get kicked out of any directories.
Marketing:
- MailChimp
- MailChimp is an email marketing tool that allows you to create email campaigns that promote new episodes, gather audience feedback, direct people to relevant links, etc. This tool makes reaching out to your listeners to deepen your relationship easy. There is a free plan with limited features, but if you want more features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Buffer
- Buffer is a tool for managing social media that gives you the ability to schedule posts and analyze post performance. There is a free plan with limits on things like scheduled posts, so if you want more unlimited features, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
- Bitly
- Bitly allows you to create short links for your content as well as track your links to keep your interaction with your listeners as seamless and on-brand as possible. There is a free plan with the basic features, but you can upgrade to a paid plan for more control over your links.
Creating Shareable Content:
- Wavve
- Wavve allows you to make social media videos out of the highlights from your podcast audio. These videos can be a great way to draw in new listeners. There is a free limited plan, but you can upgrade to a paid plan for more features.
- SpeakPipe
- SpeakPipe makes it easy for your website visitors to contact you or leave feedback. With SpeakPipe on your website, visitors can simply press a button to leave you a voice message. You can then respond to those who send you a message as well as download their messages to use on social media, in your podcast, etc. There is no free plan, but the first plan starts at $6.40/month if paid annually.
- Wveup
- Waveup turns your podcast audio into engaging animated videos to share on social media! There is no free plan, but the first plan starts at $5/month and they donate 10% of your monthly subscription to the Hear the World Foundation to support children around the world with hearing loss.
Audio Post Production:
- Auphonic
- You can complete most of your editing in your recording/editing software, such as Audacity, but Auphonic will help you further clean up your audio. You can balance the levels, normalize the volume, balance multiple tracks, encode your files, and more. There is a free option that allows you 2 hours/month of processed audio, but for more hours, you'll have to upgrade to a paid plan.
MP3 Encoding & ID3 Tagging:
- iTunes
- iTunes is a great free tool for turning your podcast into an MP3 file as well as editing ID3 tags, which allow you to embed important information in your audio files, including episode name, podcast name, episode content, and cover art.
The resources listed are barely even scratching the surface of all of the tools out there for podcasting. Some simple Google searches for tools for podcasting, whether you do a general search or a more specific search for a resource, should provide you with a variety of options that should fit your needs. Whether you're new to podcasting or a veteran, we hope this list of resources is helpful and that your podcasting process improves as well as becomes easier. Happy podcasting!
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Article Image: An illustration of a computer with a hand reaching through the screen with a tool. (mohamed_hassan via Pixabay.)
