Guides
Podcast production guides, in plain language.
Each guide answers one question about making a podcast. Read the one you need, or start with the first six: they cover choosing a partner, the process, loudness and clean recording.
How the guides are organised
Guides are grouped by what they help you do: produce, edit, plan or publish. Each links to the service it relates to, in case you want a hand.
Start here
If you are new, read how production works, then how to record cleanly. If you are choosing a partner, read how to choose a production company and what the finished file must meet.
Updated, not archived
Guides carry the date they were last reviewed. When a rule, a platform or a service changes, the guide is updated rather than left to age.
Guides
All guides.
Podcast production
- Production processThe podcast production process in six steps, from planning and recording to editing, mixing, mastering and publishing, and who does each one.
- How to choose a production companySix questions to ask a podcast production company before you sign, the red flags to watch for and how to judge a sample before you commit to a team.
- Loudness and delivery specWhat LUFS and true peak mean for a podcast, what Apple Podcasts and Spotify say about loudness, and the −16 LUFS, −1 dBTP spec radio.app delivers to.
- Recording checklistA checklist for recording a podcast remotely so the edit is easy: the room, the microphone, one track per person, headphones, a test and what to send.
- Apple Podcasts requirementsApple Podcasts requirements for audio, artwork and the RSS feed, summarised with a link to Apple's current page, so you can check before you submit.
- Launch checklistHow to launch a podcast: the decisions to make, the files to prepare and the order to do things in before the first episode goes live. Notes from our team.
- Podcast descriptionHow to write a podcast description that explains the show in two sentences, what to put first, what to leave out and a template you can copy.
- Editing softwareWhat to look for in podcast editing software: multitrack editing, noise tools, loudness metering and export options, from the team that edits for a living.
- Episode titlesHow to write podcast episode titles that are clear, honest and findable, with a pattern to follow and the mistakes to avoid. Notes from our team.
- Podcast equipmentThe podcast equipment that matters, the gear you can skip and how to spend carefully so recordings are clean enough to edit well. Notes from our team.
- Interview questionsPodcast interview questions that draw out good answers: how to prepare, a question structure and the follow-ups that keep the conversation moving.
- Podcast media kitWhat goes into a podcast media kit, how to build one and what to leave out, so sponsors, guests and partners quickly understand what your show is.
- Podcast microphoneHow to choose a podcast microphone: USB or XLR, dynamic or condenser, and the position that matters most. Written by the team that edits the results.
- Podcast name ideasPodcast name ideas and a method for choosing one: clear, easy to say and findable, plus the checks to run before you commit to a name. Notes from our team.
- Podcast outlineA podcast outline method: one point per episode, three supports and a clear close, so you can plan an episode in ten minutes and record it cleanly.
- Recording softwareWhat to look for in podcast recording software: separate tracks, local recording, file formats and reliability, from the team that edits the results.
- Podcast RSS feedWhat a podcast RSS feed is, what it contains and how to check it, in plain language, so a show reaches every platform from one place. Notes from our team.
- Script templateA podcast script template you can copy: the parts of an episode, how much to write and when to use an outline instead, with notes for the editor.
- Upload to SpotifyHow to upload a podcast to Spotify: the steps, what to prepare in advance and what to check, from the team that delivers the files. Notes from our team.
Tell us about your podcast.
Share what you want to record, who it’s for and how often. We’ll reply with a proposed scope and timing.