Colin started The Podcast Host back in 2011, with the aim of helping as many people start podcasting as possible. One of the biggest barriers to that is equipment, software and tools!

The Equipment, Tools & Software We Use & Recommend

So, this page is designed to bring together all of the resources we love in one easy-to-find place. No matter what stage you’re at, you can find the tools you need here.

A quick heads up – we sometimes use affiliate links to products and services we think you'll find useful. We may earn a small commission should you choose to buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself.

Podcast Equipment
Web & Podcast Hosting
Software and Apps
Music & Artwork
Promotion & Growth

PART 1: PODCAST EQUIPMENT

Podcasting Microphones

Your mic is your best friend. It's the single most important part of your kit. Keep it simple to start with, then upgrade only if you need to.

Starting Out

Headset Microphone: Sennheiser PC8
Low-cost, good quality. Read our headset mic shootout here.

USB/XLR Microphone: Samson Q2U
High quality, flexible. Best value to quality mic.

Improving

Good USB Mic: The Blue Yeti
Popular, reliable, one-stop-shop.

Best USB Mic: The Rode Podcaster
Gold standard USB quality.

Going Pro

XLR Mic: The MXL 990
Great value & quality.

XLR Gold Standard: Shure SM7b
Legendary mic in the industry.

For More Information

Digital Recorders for Podcasting

Digital recorders offer flexibility in location, and add reliability, avoiding software crashes or glitches during recording. You'll see we're fans of the Zoom range, and use them for everything!

Starting Out

Zoom H1N – Best budget option, with a decent internal mic.

Top Standalone Recorders

The Zoom H5 and H6 can be used on their own, or with multiple mics plugged in.

Going Pro

Zoom PodTrak P4 – Ultimate podcast recorder with 4 XLR inputs, call recording capabilities, and sound pads.

For More Information

Video Equipment

Video is great for running Skype interviews, live broadcasting your podcasts or recording episode highlights for YouTube. Here's how to capture it.

Webcam

Logitech C920 Pro Webcam – The best bar none – top quality webcam imagery.

Tripod

Joby Gorrillapod Original – Brilliant, flexible tripods, ideal for a webcam.

Webcam Effects & Recording

Manycam – Set up scenes, screen-share, picture in picture, green screen, live broadcast & record your videos.

For More Information

Podcasting & Media Accessories

Here are the extra bits that make things easier, or incrementally better.

Microphone Stands

Rode PSA1 Boom Arm – Industry standard – will last forever!

For More Information

PART 2: WEB & MEDIA HOSTING

Web Hosting Service

It’s a good idea to have a website of your own for your podcast. It means you control how you grow and monetise the show, long term. Thankfully it’s really easy to set up!

Bluehost – A great webhost with tools to make it super simple to set up your own website.

Site Ground – For advanced users requiring more power and features, Siteground is a top choice.

For More Information

How to Set Up a Website for Blogging & Podcasting
Podcast Themes for WordPress (10% discount on Second Line Themes)

Podcast Hosting

A podcast hosting service takes care of storing your audio files. They can also create an RSS feed, which is needed to submit to Apple Podcasts or other directories. We have 3 main recommendations for you:

Buzzsprout – $12/month – is the cheapest top option, & most popular. If you use our link to sign up then you’ll get a $20 Amazon gift card if you stick around for at least 2 months.

Captivate – $19/month – has great growth & private podcast features. Sign up for a 7-day free trial and see for yourself.

Transistor – $19/month – also offers private podcast feeds, & is super simple. 14-day free trial available!

For More Information

PART 3: SOFTWARE & APPS

Podcast Recording / Editing Software

Sometimes called a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), this is an application where you can record and edit your podcast.

Starting Out

Audacity – Free editing package that gives you the full suite of tools to do it yourself.

Alitu – Super quick and easy ‘Podcast Maker' web tool which automates processing & theme music, and assists with editing.

Improving

Adobe Audition – Pro editing package that levels-up ease-of-use, speed & power.

For More Information

Online Calling & Recording Software

If you want to Podcast with a remote host or inteviewee, you need software to run & record the call. Here’s our favourites.

Squadcast

Start from $10/month. Records WAV & MP3, split-track with host and up to 3 guests!

Get SquadCast

Riverside.fm

Starts from $8/month. Records WAV, MP3, & video, split-track with host and up to 7 guests!

Get Riverside

For More Information

PART 4: PODCAST MUSIC & ARTWORK

Branding is important in your quest to stand out from the rest of the shows in your niche!

Music

Most shows include at least a theme tune, and many include music beds and sound FX to add to the mood. You have to pay for the good stuff – here’s where to find it.

Shutterstock – from $19/£14 a month
Epidemic – from $13/£10 a month
Storyblocks – from $19/£14 a month

These subscriptions give you access to huge libraries and lifetime licenses on anything you use during that subscription.

Artwork

Podcast listeners do judge shows by their cover – at least until they hit play anyway. With nice visuals, you'll ensure that they do. Here's a couple of options for getting your perfect podcast logo.

Our own Custom Podcast Artworkpackage – costs $195
Fiverr designer melhak – prices start at $42

For More Information

PART 5: PROMOTING & GROWING YOUR SHOW

Email Newsletters

One of the best things you can do to grow your Podcast long-term is to start an email list. Get your listeners signed up and you can tell them about new episodes, ask them for feedback and get their help in sharing your show.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign focuses on email marketing for digital businesses, e-commerce, and business-to-business companies. If you're creating a network with other podcasters and want to share information, this could be a good tool.

Convertkit

Delivering emails to your list & delivering automatic email sequences. We use Convertkit for our own newsletter. It’s super-easy to set up, and offers tonnes of options to automate newsletters, segment your users and a lot more.

For More Information

Email Marketing for Podcasters

Social Media & Audience Management

We all know social media is great for growing and engaging with your audience, but it’s overwhelming. Here are the tools we use to make it easier.

SmarterQueue

Create an automated, recycling queue of posts to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN. Smarterqueue cycles through our queue of 500+ posts, promoting all of our old and new content on a regular schedule. Brilliant!

Bonjoro

Welcome new users, members or list subscribers with video. We’re using this to engage with our new members through quick videos, as soon as they join up. It helps them know us, trust us and become fans of what we do!

For More Information

How to Get Help With Your Podcast

Promotion, Growth, & Monetisation

Publishing quality content on a consistent basis is only half the battle. Here are some resources to make sure your target audience finds it, and benefits from it.

Podcast Growth – Over 80 actionable audience growth tactics in one book