While today's hottest content marketing trend is "pivoting to video", many marketers are discounting another medium that's on the rise: Podcasting.
Touted as the new talk shows, podcasts have quickly become the content of choice for people who enjoy niche, on-demand material on the go. And the trend is quickly gaining traction - in fact, according to recent research by Edison, some 67 million people now listen to at least one podcast a month.
Source: Edison 'Infinite Dial' report 2017
Really, the numbers shouldn't come as a surprise - podcasts enable brands and marketers to create an engaging conversation tool with listeners, either by covering content on blogs, recent topics, or creating an audio show around each speakers' area of expertise.
Are podcasts an effective ad format too? Certainly so - from a pool 300,000 listeners, 64% of listeners reported purchasing a product and 71% visited a sponsor's website after hearing about them on the podcast.
The success of a podcast, however, hinges on the presenters' ability to create rapport and an authentic connection with the listener, akin to speaking to a friend about a topic you're passionate about.
A key part of this process is also ensuring you have the right gear for the job. For starters, you'll have to decide between a condenser microphone versus a dynamic microphone; one is sensitive and ideal for quiet environment, while the latter isn't as even, but can filter out background noises. Next, a stand to hold your mic is crucial, as are accessories, such as shock mounts and filters which reduce vibration and uneven sounds in the audio. Additionally, you'll need XLR cables, a mixer, and headphones to bridge and monitor sound from the mic to your computer and make sure it's pristine and clean. Lastly, you need to choose the right software to record your guests and tweak the audio before it's distributed.
With any production, choosing the right equipment can be daunting. To that end, here's a list of podcast gear setups, including some used by well-known podcasting pros (as noted in the list). As with anything, quality will help you stand out from the competition.
Hopefully these notes help you on your podcasting journey.
Setup #1 (Total: $213)
- Condenser Microphone: Blue Yeti USB Microphone ($120)
- Pop Filter: Samson PS01 ($21)
- Headphones: Sennheiser HD 202 II Professional ($23)
- Software: GarageBand or Pro Tools | First (Free)
- Guest Connection: Audio Hijack Mac Only ($49)
Setup #2 (Total: $319)
- Condenser Microphone: MXL 770 Cardioid ($71)
- Microphone Stand/Arm: NEEWER Adjustable Boom Arm Stand ($13)
- Pop Filter: Pyle Studio Microphone Pop Filter ($14)
- Mixer: Behringer Xenyx 802 ($60)
- Cables: GLS Audio 6ft Patch Cable Cord ($11)
- Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x ($150)
- Software: Pro Tools | First (Free)
Setup #3 (Total: $508)
- Dynamic Microphone: Shure SM58-LC ($100)
- Microphone Stand/Arm: Samson MK-10 Microphone Boom Stand ($20)
- Pop Filter: Nady MPF-6 ($11)
- Mixer: Mackie 802VLZ4 ($200)
- Cables: Mogami Gold Studio 03 ($40)
- Headphones: Sony MDR-7510 ($137)
- Software: Audacity (Free)
Setup #4 (Total: $858)
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Dynamic Microphone: Rode Procaster ($230)
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Shockmount + Pop Filter: RODE SM6 ($59)
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Microphone Stand/Arm: Rode PSA1 Boom Arms ($99)
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Mixer: Yamaha AG03 ($159)
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Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($120)
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Cables: Planet Waves Classic Series XLR Cable ($13)
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Headphones: Sennheiser HD 215 or Audio-Technica ATH-M50x ($148)
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Software: Audacity (Free)
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Guest Connection: ECamm Call Recorder for Skype ($30)
Guest Setup #1: Podcastudio (Total: $100)
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Dynamic Microphone: Behringer Ultravoice XM8500
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Headphones: Behringer HPM1000
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Mixer (with cables): Behringer Xenyx 502
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Audio Interface: Behnringer U-Control UCA202
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Software: Audacity
Guest Setup #2: More Than Hashtags (Total: $123)
- Condenser Microphone: Audio Technica ATR2500-USB ($80)
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Microphone Arm/Stand: NEEWER Adjustable Boom Arm Stand ($13)
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Headphones: Apple Earpods ($30)
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Software: Zoom.us (Free)
Guest Setup #3: Brand Boost (Total: $478+)
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Dynamic Microphone: Audio Technica ATR-2100 ($65)
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Microphone Stand/Arm: On Stage Stands MS7701B Tripod Boom ($25)
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Mixer: Behringer XENYX 1204USB ($149)
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Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum ($199)
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Software: Adobe Audition ($20)
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Guest Connection: Zencaster ($20/month)
Guest Setup #4: FOMOFanz (Total: $655)
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Dynamic Microphone: Heil Sound PR 40 Dynamic Studio Microphone ($327)
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Microphone Stand/Arm: Heil Sound PL-2T Overhead Broadcast Boom ($129)
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Shockmount: Heil Sound PRSM-B Shockmount ($105)
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Mixer: Behringer Xenyx ($59)
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Cables: Audio2000s XLR Mixer To Mic ($5)
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Guest Connection: ECamm Call Recorder for Skype ($30)
Guest Setup #5: Waldman's Words (Total: $822)
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Condenser Microphone: AKG P220 Vocal Microphone ($150)
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Pop Filter: Sterling Audio STPF2 ($22)
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Mixer: Behringer X Air XR18 ($600)
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Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M20x ($50)
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Software: MIXXX (Free)
Guest Setup #6: Tap Tempo (Total: ~$1180+)
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Dynamic Microphone: Shure SM7b ($399)
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Microphone Stand/Arm: Rode PSA1 Boom Arms ($99)
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Audio Interface: Apogee Duet ($595)
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Software: Pro Tools HD ($1000 or $83/month)
Guest Setup #7: Full English (Total: $3000+)
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Condenser Microphone: Neumann TLM103 ($1,099)
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Microphone Stand/Arm: Samson MB1 Mini Boom Stand ($30)
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Mixer: Mackie Onyx 820i ($423)
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Audio Interface: Digidesign Digi 003 Rack ($1000)
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Headphones: Sony MDR7506 ($113) or BeyerDynamic DT100 ($208)
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Cables: Mogami Gold Studio XLR-to-XLR ($55)
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Software: Pro Tools HD ($1000 or $83/month)
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Guest Connection: ipDTL ($50/month) or Source-Connect ($35/month)