Here is the equipment I use & recommend to start podcasting:
Podcasting Equipment
ATR 2100 Microphone
The best value for a podcasting microphone is the ATR-2100. Less than $60 and great quality sound, with the flexibility of USB and XLR output! You can’t get a better mic than this without spending over $300. Click here to get one on Amazon.
Harbinger L802 Mixer
I use this mixer so I can play my intro / outro music and audio bumpers directly into my recording. This saves me an incredible amount of time since I don’t need to edit these things into the recording afterwards! Click here to get one on Amazon.
Tascam DR-40 Digital Recorder
The benefit of using this digital audio recorder is that I will never, ever lose an episode due to a computer crash. This alone makes it well worth the price! You can record up to four channels of 96kHz/24-bit audio. Mono and stereo recording is also available. Recording formats include MP3 (from 32 to 320kbps), WAV and Broadcast WAV formats. I record in wav format and then encode it to mp3 later on the computer using iTunes. Click here to get one on Amazon.
Here is the software I use & recommend to start podcasting:
Podcasting Software
Fiverr
Fiverr connects you with people who can design a logo or do an intro for your podcast. Projects cost as little as $5, and may cost a bit more depending on what you are asking for. Someone on Fiverr designed my iTunes artwork for The Elective Rotation.
Canva
I use Canva to create my featured image for each post, as well as to edit my podcast artwork. It has many free options to design great looking images. You can always purchase an image if you can’t find a free one you like for just $1.
ID3 Editor
This $15 piece of software saves me about 30 minutes per week placing ID3 tags onto my audio files. These ID3 tags are necessary for phones & apps to properly display your podcast file information. You could do most of what this software does for free in iTunes, but it is so much quicker when using ID3 Editor!
Auphonic
Auphonic does so many things to improve the quality of the sound for your podcast. It will level your audio so it is a consistent volume, remove background noise, and bring your audio file into alignment with industry accepted podcasting standards.
Audacity
This editing software is completely free & open source. It is available for Mac & Windows. I use Audacity to edit out any mistakes I make during recording.
You’ll need a place to host your podcast episodes, separate from your website. This will ensure that your listeners and website visitors will always find your podcast & site working properly.
Here are some of the more popular podcast hosts:
Podcast Hosting
Blubrry
Blubrry is the best and biggest name in podcast hosting. Plans start from $12/month to $20/month – but I’ve negotiated a special deal for you to get your first month completely FREE! . They also create the fantastic powerpress plugin for wordpress, which is what I use to publish my podcasting RSS feed for The Elective Rotation.
Soundcloud
Soundcloud is where I host The Elective Rotation. They have a free plan, a $6/month plan, and a $15/month plan. They also have several attractive options for audio players to embed in your page.
Libsyn
Libsyn is another of the more popular podcast hosting platforms. Plans start at $5/month to $20/month and go higher depending on your needs.
Don’t build your house on rented land! The only solution I think worth considering when you build your podcast & website is a self-hosted wordpress.org website.
A self-hosted wordpress site can be moved from server to server, so that you are always in control and can get the best deal for your hosting.
I’ve found bluehost to be the one company I need for all my website hosting needs.
Website Hosting
Bluehost and GoDaddy are my web hosts of choice. Both are reliable, affordable, and have excellent customer service.
Click here for Bluehost
Click here for GoDaddy
Domain registration. I use GoDaddy:
Domain labeled email. I use Google Suite Basic.
Email service. I use Convertkit, click here to check it out.