How to Start a Podcast
This is a common question we receive, so here’s a blogpost with our ideas and opinions about it:
How to Start a Podcast (That You’ll Actually Stick With)
Starting a podcast sounds glamorous until you realize just how many podcasts already exist. Because of that, the very first mindset shift we recommend is this:
Start your podcast as a passion project, not a money play.
If your primary goal is to make money—and you don’t already have a large funnel like a newsletter list, community, or built-in audience—it’s going to be frustrating. Growth is slow in the beginning. Monetization usually comes later. Think of money, promotion, or opportunities as bonuses, not the foundation. What is your mission? Is it so exciting and fulfilling that it will sustain you until (if/when) the money comes?
We got very lucky when we started our podcast because we already had a funnel. 15k newsletter list from working at/owning Pure Pleasure (now purepleasureshop.com), plenty of contacts in the sex education world, years of involvement and building close connection with people in the sex toy industry, etc. More in this can be found below.
Step 1: Decide How Much Time You Can Realistically Commit
Before you buy gear or book guests, get honest about your time.
Ask yourself:
How often do I want to release episodes?
Am I doing weekly episodes?
Bi-weekly?
Seasonal releases?
We recommend at least two episodes per month to maintain consistency. Weekly is great, but only if it’s sustainable. Some people prefer a seasonal model—recording episodes for a few months, then taking a break. That works too, as long as you’re clear and consistent with your audience.
Consistency matters more than frequency.
Step 2: Who’s Editing and Promoting This Podcast?
Editing is a huge piece of podcasting, and it’s often underestimated.
For editing you have two options:
Do it yourself
Hire an editor
If you enjoy learning tech, audio, and nerding out on the process, editing yourself can save a lot of money. We were lucky—Amy genuinely loved learning how to record and edit and handled editing for the first 4–5 years. That saved us thousands of dollars overtime.
But if editing is not your jam, don’t force it. Burnout is real. Factor the cost of an editor into your plan early so it doesn’t become a stress point later. Do your research before you start.
And then there’s the social media promotion. The same q’s apply. Who is going to be doing this? If not you, what will you pay our for it?
Step 3: Get the Right (Simple) Gear
Gear matters—but you don’t need a studio.
Microphones
You want a microphone designed to pick up sound directly in front of it (a cardioid mic), not one that picks up sound all around the room.
Good news:
You can get a solid microphone for under $100. Here’s one good option (just make sure you order a “pop” filter meaning the foam that goes over the top to muffle for s’s and p’s.
Headphones
Not required, but highly recommended—especially for catching issues while recording.
Step 4: Decide How You’ll Record (Especially Online)
If you’re recording remotely, you need a plan.
We’ve tried platforms like Riverside and SquadCast and found that the issues often outweighed the cost. What works best for us now:
Record over Zoom
Have a paid editor
Record separate audio tracks for each speaker
Ask guests to record their own audio/video locally and send the files afterward
Yes, it requires a little coordination—but most guests are totally fine with it, and the quality difference is worth it.
Step 5: Choose a Podcast Hosting Platform
Your podcast needs to live somewhere that distributes it to all platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.).
That’s where podcast hosting services come in.
Popular options:
Libsyn – Affordable (around $20/month), reliable, includes analytics (we recommend this one)
Megaphone – More expensive and feature-heavy
The process is simple:
Upload your episode
Add your title, description, and show notes
Publish immediately or schedule it for later
This keeps everything centralized and organized.
Step 6: Create a Landing Page
Your podcast needs a home.
This can be:
A page on your existing website
Or a simple new website dedicated to the podcast
This is where people can:
Learn about the show
Find episodes
Understand your mission
Step 7: Line Up Guests (If You’re Interviewing)
If you’re already part of a community, training, or industry (like SHA), you likely already have access to potential guests.
Start with:
People you already know
People aligned with your mission
Conversations you’re genuinely curious about
The quality of the conversation matters more than the size of someone’s following.
Step 8: Record in a Sound-Friendly Space
You don’t need a sound booth—but you do need softness.
Good recording spaces:
Carpeted rooms
Rooms with couches, pillows, curtains
Smaller spaces with less echo (but not a closet-sized box)
Sound tips:
Avoid bare walls
Add pillows to corners
Put a towel or blanket under the door
Add something soft on the floor
Fluff is your friend. Without it, your audio will sound like an echo chamber.
Step 9: Record Episodes Before You Launch
We highly recommend recording 3–5 episodes before launching.
Why?
It gives you practice
It reduces launch stress
It creates breathing room
You don’t have to release all of them. We recorded three episodes and only released the first two. Life changed quickly, and the third no longer aligned.
Which brings us to an important final step.
Step 10: Get Clear on Your Mission (Before Life Changes)
Your mission matters more than your circumstances.
When we started, both of us were single—one recently divorced, one navigating a messy relationship. If our podcast had been about being single and dating, it would’ve died fast as our lives evolved.
Instead, we got clear on our mission:
To help people talk about and explore sexuality while using shame as a teacher, with the intention of decreasing sexual shame.
That mission worked whether we were single or partnered. And that’s why the podcast lasted.
Before you launch, ask:
What is this podcast really about?
Will it still make sense if my life changes?
If the answer is yes—you’re building something sustainable.
*Bonus Info*
A Realistic Look at Growth, Downloads, and Advertising
Because we were clear on our mission and consistent from the beginning, we were able to increase our download numbers fairly quickly. That’s ultimately what paid advertising is based on. As a result, we were able to obtain paid advertisers within our first year.
That said—this is unusual.
Do not expect this outcome unless you already have a large funnel or built-in audience. Our numbers and our ability to attract advertisers that quickly are not the norm, and it’s important to set realistic expectations.
How Podcast Advertising Typically Works
If you want to learn more about how podcast advertising works today, you can Google it—but know that it’s evolving.
Traditionally, advertisers paid based on downloads per episode. Now, many advertisers are shifting toward paying for impressions, meaning how many people actually listened to the ad. This is trackable through podcast hosting databases, and we believe this is a positive shift compared to simply counting downloads.
That said, advertisers still want to see a meaningful audience size before they pay.
For a long time, the industry standard was:
10,000 average downloads per episode
Calculated by averaging your last four episodes
That standard may be changing—especially with impression-based pricing—but the core idea remains the same: advertisers want proof that people are actually listening.
What If Your Podcast Isn’t About Advertisers?
Many people start podcasts not to sell ads, but to:
Get more direct clients
Sell their own products
Build authority and trust
If that’s you, the advertising benchmarks above may not apply—but you still face the same core challenge: getting your podcast in front of people who aren’t already buying from you.
Growth still matters.
Effective Ways to Grow Your Podcast
1. Guest on Other Podcasts
One of the best ways to grow your podcast is to guest on other podcasts.
Even better? Guest on podcasts outside of your industry.
You’re essentially selling:
Yourself
Your expertise
Free value
You then lightly share how people can work with you elsewhere. Ideally, they follow you, subscribe to your podcast, or reach out directly.
That said, we recommend putting real energy into building your own podcast first before pitching yourself as a guest on others.
2. Trailer or Teaser Swaps
Another way we’ve consistently grown our podcast is through trailer or teaser swaps with other shows.
How it works:
They send you a 1–2 minute clip promoting their podcast
You play it on your show
You send them yours, and they play it on theirs
It’s simple, collaborative, and often results in new listeners for both shows.
3. Events, Tradeshows, and In-Person Promotion
We’ve done many events and tradeshows. While we usually get some traction, we often feel the return isn’t worth the time and energy—for us.
That’s personal preference.
If you do choose to promote your podcast this way, we strongly recommend:
Teaching a workshop
Hosting a seminar
Speaking on a panel
This allows you to reach many people at once, rather than relying on one-on-one conversations at a booth where people may or may not follow you afterward.
Good luck! At this point in time it sounds like we are at over 4 million podcasts (it was under 2 million when we started in 2017). But that does not mean your podcast could be a huge hit, profitable, or greatly complimentary to your life.
