Our Most Popular Posts From 10 Years of Blogging About Podcasting

The podcasting landscape has changed a lot since this site was launched, back in 2011. The medium has grown a lot. The Podcast Host has grown with it. We now have well over 600 live articles on the site, and we’re always adding new ones.

As one of the original “blogs about podcasting” on the web, our early content focused on answering specific questions sent in by readers.

That’s something we’ve maintained to this day. Questions have always driven our content. We reckon that, if one person has a question about how something works, or if they’re stuck with something, then there will be other folks in the same boat.

Naturally, we’ve always used podcasting to put our ‘how-to’ content out there. We do that via our show Podcraft. But, written content works well in a lot of different ways. It’ll often let people find answers quicker, and even skim through to the sections they really need.

Do YOU write about podcasts? Tell us about your work

Looking back over some of our most popular posts, to-date, we thought it’d be handy to pull them together into a sort of mini-roundup.

Some of these posts date back almost 10 years. However, because podcasting is tech-driven, we’re constantly updating our content, so it’s still as relevant now as it was the day it was created.

With that in mind, here’s a rundown of some of our most popular posts from the past 10 years.

How to Start a Podcast

Our How to Start a Podcast guide is a chunky step-by-step walk-through of pretty much everything you need to know. It includes laying the foundations, figuring out your “why”, planning for success, choosing the right equipment, recording, editing, publishing and growth.

The Best Podcast Microphones on the Market

This one is an answer to a question that’s as old as the medium itself. As we’ve learned with “what’s the best…” questions over the years, there’s rarely a one-size-fits-all answer. In our Best Podcasting Mics roundup, we take you through our favourite mics on the market and help you choose the best fit for you.

Podcast Names: What Should I Call My Podcast?

Every podcast needs a name, and choosing one can feel like a big hurdle when you’re starting a new show. Do you opt for a descriptive SEO-friendly name, at the risk of it sounding boring? Or do you go for a clever play-on-words-style name and risk never being found? Is there a middle ground approach here? All of these questions are answered in our guide to naming your podcast.

What is a Podcast? An Explanation in Plain English

Podcasting has grown a lot in the past few years. But, there are still folks out there who’re unsure about what the term actually means. Our handy What is a Podcast? guide breaks it all down, talking through the difference between an uploaded audio file and a podcast, as well as the difference between “a podcast” and a podcast episode. This is a good resource to send to your audience if you’re launching a show in a traditionally non-techy niche.

The Best Podcast Hosting Services: Where to Host Your Podcast

Another thing every podcast needs, is a media hosting provider. Media hosts – or podcast hosting providers – are services that let you create your show, upload your episodes, and make them accessible in listening platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. There are loads of great media hosts on the market, and our Best Podcast Hosting Providers roundup will run you through them. We compare things like pricing, storage, and quality of stats, to help you choose the right fit for you.

Can You Record With 2 USB Mics Into 1 Computer?

A very focused question, this one. Because USB mics are so simple to use, many podcasters get to the point where they’d like to plug in 2 of them and record co-hosted or interview content. In our Can You Record With 2 USB Mics Into 1 Computer? article we answer it by saying “Yes – and here’s how – but here are also some much better options.”. USB mics may be simple, but that simplicity ends when you try to run 2 of them at once!

How to Record a Call Using Zoom.us for Podcasting

Zoom.us has been popular with podcasters for years. In early 2020, though, it basically became the go-to communication platform for the entire world. It could be that many podcasts were launched off the back of some pals getting together on Zoom during lockdown, and saying to each other “we might as well just record this”. Our guide on how to podcast with Zoom offers a handy next step.

Best Podcast Equipment For Beginners and Pros Alike

Probably as a by-product of the 2020 pandemic, demand increased for this article. People realized pretty quickly that you can’t just talk into Zoom, record it, and call it a podcast. Well, you can. But, if you improve your recording equipment, you can also sound better. Hence, our ultimate equipment guide can help you avoid overspending, and get the right tools for your project.

Best Fiction Podcasts

Demand is increasing for fiction podcasts as well. Not only did podcast audience habits change over the last eighteen months, but also, more celebrities started acting in fiction podcasts. This batch of podcasts focuses on shows that are “immersive, emotionally stimulating, and intellectually satisfying,” independent audio fiction projects that send you on your way to new discoveries.

How to Make A Podcast With Alitu, The Podcast Maker App

Now it’s simpler than ever to make a podcast, even with remote recording. Alitu is a web-based app that lets you share a call with up to six people at a time, record, edit, polish, upload and publish. It’s made by people who love podcasts, for people who love podcasts. If you want to remove the stress of technology and focus on your content and audience, Matthew can show you how to get the most out of Alitu. And, if you just want to be famous and beautiful and exciting, Alitu is right for you too.

These Posts Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

As I mentioned already, we have over 600 published articles on the site. If there’s a question on anything at all podcast-related, it’s likely we’ve written about it. You’ll find a handy search function at the top of the page which you can basically use like a podcast-exclusive version of Google.

If you also blog about podcasting, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us all about your podcast writing and where we can find it.

We also run Podcraft Academy where we’ve distilled all this knowledge into a series of focused courses on everything from launching, to editing, to promotion. We do weekly live Q&A sessions in there too, so if you’re keen to make swift and steady progress with your podcasting ventures, give us a look!