You Want to Start a Podcast, but it Takes so Much Time.
Podcasting is a fast-growing medium. You know that and you want to start one. But there are a lot of steps for starting and maintaining a podcast. Where do you start? How do you make sure you’re consistent?
Will you put in all the effort just to abandon it?
What if you could just press record ?
Your message is worth hearing. You have a lot of knowledge and you know podcasting is the kind of content to create right now. But starting a podcast takes a lot of work. You need to think about:
- Researching: What will you talk about? Will there be scripts or outlines?
- Recording: What tools will you use to capture the audio? Will you have a backup?
- Editing: Who is going to edit? How much editing do you want done?
- Transcribing: Do you want (or perhaps need) transcripts? How will you use that content?
- Scheduling Guests: Who is going to find the guests, vet them, then schedule a time to record, coach them through your recording process, and get their audio ready for editing?
- Publishing: What will you publishing schedule look like? Will you have a blog post and other social media as well?
…that’s a lot of stuff to do.
Most podcasts don’t make it past
7 Episodes
That’s podfade. Most (75% according to AmplifiMedia) podcasts become inactive. Putting a podcast together is hard work, and creators get burnt out. It’s easy to see why. To have a successful podcast, you have a lot to do
Podcast Launch To Do List
- Choose a name and do some research to make sure you can use it
- Create artwork for the show, following Apple’s guidelines
- Determine the format that works best for you
- Come up with a list of topics
- Purchase and configure your recording gear
- Set up your computer to record episodes
- Find a podcasting platform for your episodes
- Find and license intro and outro music
- Syndicate your podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stichter, and TuneIn.
- Figure out your bumpers – what you’ll say at the beginning and end of each episode.
- Research your topics
- Create outlines or scripts
- Research and schedule guests
- Communicate with your guests to make sure they have what they need.
- Edit
- Transcribe
- Gather show notes
- Publicize
That’s Hours of Work.
By some estimates, the ratio is 4:1. That’s 4 minutes of work for every 1 minute of content. If you want a 30 minute podcast, you’re looking at 2 hours, at least (probably 3-4 if you’re working with guests). Not to mention the all the prelaunch stuff, which can take 8-12 hours if you put in the proper time.
…Assuming you know all the steps you have to take. No wonder podfade is so real!
I Will Get You to 8 Episodes, and Beyond.
Hi! I’m the Podcast Liftoff team
As a long time podcaster and web developer, I know the ins and outs of launching a show, from finding topics and guests to building the website and getting it in Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I’ve grown my current show, How I Built It, into a main income generator for my business through sponsorship and leads.
I want to help you tell your story – and I believe podcasting is the best way to do it.
You’re here because…
You’ve looked into starting a podcast and became overwhelmed.
You’ve tried starting a podcast and it didn’t go well.
You became a victim of the dreaded podfade.
You talk. I’ll do the rest.
DISCOVERY
We’ll talk about your goals for the show, where your area of expertise lies, and come up with a show title, artwork ideas, and a list of topics for us to talk about. Based on that, you’ll get any outlines and research for each episode.
Together, we’ll make sure your podcast gets the attention it needs to flourish and grow.
Your Own Personal Producer
Podcasting is about more than just talking into a mic. It’s about putting together a program for your listeners and taking them on a journey. That journey can be episodic (a new thread per episode) or serial (a thread throughout an entire season). You want to engage, surprise, and delight your listeners.
As someone who’s both been podcasting and teaching for a long time, I can put together that program for you. Think of me as your own personal producer.
We’ll figure out the story you want to tell, and then we’ll tell it in a way that grabs your audience.
Sample Episode
Want to hear what you’re in for? Here’s a recent sample episode of How I Built It.
Let’s Start Your Podcast!
Your Discovery
$499
In this 60 minute one-on-one planning call, we’ll develop your blueprint: how to position your show, your format, and everything you need to launch
If you want to start a podcast but you want some clarity on your show’s mission, this is for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Hidden Time Sinks After You Hit Publish
You think recording is the hard part. Then you publish your first episode and discover everything else. Writing show notes. Creating episode artwork. Filling in metadata. Uploading the file. Scheduling the release. Sharing on social media. Each task takes 15 minutes, but together they eat hours every week.
Then there are listener emails, analytics checks, website updates, and prepping for the next guest. Podcasting is not just talking into a microphone. It's a full content pipeline, and most of it happens after you stop recording. That's where the time goes.
When people say they can't find time to podcast, they usually mean they can't find time for all the work around the podcast. A producer takes that off your plate.
Consistency Is the Real Product
Your listeners don't subscribe to a show that posts randomly. They subscribe to a show they can count on. If you publish every Tuesday, they build a habit. Miss a week and the habit breaks. Miss two weeks and many of them are gone.
Staying consistent is harder than it sounds. Work gets busy. Family needs you. The episode you meant to edit on Sunday gets pushed to Monday night, then Tuesday morning, then "next week." Before you know it, a month has passed.
A producer changes that. You record when you can, and the production line keeps moving. Your release schedule doesn't depend on your personal energy. That's how podcasts survive past episode 7.
The Opportunity Cost of Doing Everything Yourself
What is an hour of your time worth? If you run a business or have a professional skill, it might be $100, $200, or more. Now add up all the hours you would spend editing audio, writing transcripts, formatting show notes, and chasing guests. For a weekly podcast, that could be 5 to 10 hours per episode.
That means 20 to 40 hours each month are going to tasks that are not your strength and that you probably don't enjoy. Every one of those hours is time you could spend with clients, creating products, or resting. The math is clear.
Hiring a producer is not just about saving time. It's about reclaiming your highest-value hours. You pay someone else to handle the production. You keep doing what only you can do: share your message and build your audience.
You Don't Need to Become an Audio Engineer
The technical side stops a lot of people before they start. Which microphone? What recording software? How do you get clean audio from a remote guest? What loudness standard does your file need to meet? These questions feel overwhelming if you have never edited audio.
The good news is you don't need to be an audio engineer to launch a podcast. You need a simple, reliable setup and someone who knows how to fix problems when they happen. A USB microphone, a quiet room, and a solid recording platform are enough to start. Your producer handles the rest.
Many producers will even walk you through your first recording session, check your levels, and make sure everything sounds professional before you hit publish. That support removes the fear and lets you focus on being a great host.