Starting a podcast about travel journeys with personal experiences and useful information can be a way to professionalize and start to create your personal brand as a travel journalist. The podcast industry is booming, steadily gaining traction each year. This guide explains what a podcast is and how to make a podcast for free. We also provide examples of successful travel podcasts to inspire and motivate you to start your own. Follow advice to improve the quality of your recordings and conduct engaging interviews with your guests.
What is a Podcast?
A podcast is an audio file with musical and auditory content available for streaming. Unlike traditional radio, one of the significant differences is that you can listen to a podcast whenever and wherever you want. Podcasts are published episodically on platforms, with seriality and continuity being crucial elements.
Furthermore, a podcast differs from radio in its lack of restrictions and its more creative content. Anyone can create a podcast from home, and it can last anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours. In contrast, radio remains confined to rigid schedules and relies heavily on advertising. Consequently, to make a podcast can be an excellent way to establish your personal brand as a travel journalist.
How to Make a Podcast Step by Step
Starting a podcast is an excellent way to establish and promote your personal brand as a travel journalist, as the voice is a powerful tool that fosters intimate and empathetic connections with the audience. Before creating your own travel podcast, consider defining the following aspects:
- Objective: What do I want to communicate? Consider whether your goal is to spread cultural awareness, provide the listener with useful information, take them along on your travels, or share personal stories.
- Podcast Theme: To ensure the audience remains engaged and identifies with a specific niche where we can be pioneers, we must focus on topics in which we feel highly comfortable and consider ourselves “experts.”
- Audience: Having a clearly defined audience is crucial and aligns with choosing a specific topic to attract and retain the attention of those interested in our content.
- Unique Style and Format: Infusing your podcast with a distinct personal touch is what will set it apart from the competition. Your tone of voice and style, including elements of humor, can foster a strong connection with your audience. Additionally, the format—whether through interviews, personal anecdotes, or auditory reports—can enhance your personal brand and build listener loyalty.
- Duration of the Program: As long as the content remains high-quality, the program can vary in length from 5 minutes to two hours or more. It is essential to ensure that valuable information is consistently included throughout.
- Frequency of Publication: The key to success is to gradually increase your publishing frequency. Start with a biweekly schedule, and as you gain momentum, you can increase to weekly or even daily episodes, particularly if your podcast is around 5 minutes long. For podcasts that are an hour long, a weekly schedule is generally recommended.
- Tasks to Complete: When determining the frequency of publication, it is crucial to assess whether your team has the capacity to produce the podcast. This includes preparing the topic, designing the content list, defining and contacting interviewees, and researching and organizing the information to be presented. If you do not have additional support, a single individual will need to take on multiple roles, including:
- Producer
- Host
- Editor
- Community Manager
- Program Costs: How to make a podcast? You will need a computer, and while an external microphone is ideal, you can start with your phone’s built-in recorder if necessary. Audacity, a popular audio editing software, is free to use. Audacity is user-friendly, and numerous tutorials are available on YouTube to help you improve your editing skills.
How to Make a Podcast: Design and Identity of Your Travel Podcast
- Name: This represents the identity of your travel podcast and your personal brand. It should accurately reflect the theme of your content.
- Visual Identity: Graphically, your visual identity should effectively convey the podcast’s theme while prominently featuring the title in a bold and vibrant format. Tools like Canva are excellent for designing compelling podcast cover art.
- Sound Identity: This refers to your “sonic brand,” to highlight the significance of the distinctive opening and closing music that will set your podcast apart and enhance its recognizability.
How to Make a Podcast: Useful Tips
Recording Tips
- Ensure you are well-hydrated before recording to maintain clear vocal delivery.
- Choose a secluded recording location that is free from external noise and echoes to ensure optimal audio quality.
- Avoid placing the microphone too close to your mouth to prevent unwanted sounds. Utilizing a microphone foam cover can help mitigate this issue.
- Aim to complete all recording in a single session and within the same day to maintain consistency and coherence in your audio content.
Tips for Mastering Interview Techniques
- Engage in a pre-interview conversation with the guest and establish a comfortable rapport.
- Outline the structure of the recording session, including both the recording process and any follow-up activities.
- Avoid speaking while the guest is responding to questions to ensure clear and uninterrupted answers.
- Practice attentive listening to allow for on-the-fly follow-up questions, in addition to adhering to the prepared script.
- Conduct thorough research on the guest’s professional background to ensure informed and relevant discussion points.
Best Travel Podcasts
The Travel Diaries
Travel Diaries Podcast – The UK’s premier award-winning travel podcast. Each week, travel and entertainment journalist Holly Rubenstein interviews a distinguished traveler, delving into the seven pivotal travel experiences that have shaped their lives and identities. With 11 seasons featuring a diverse array of guests—from an astronaut to The Bucket List Family, experts in family travel, and pioneers in travel journalism—this podcast consistently ranks among the Top 50 on the Apple Podcasts charts.
Travel with Rick Steves
Travel with Rick Stevens is a weekly one-hour show features conversations with guest experts and callers about travel, cultures, people, and the unique aspects of the world that add an extra sparkle to life. Rick Steves, America’s foremost authority on travel to Europe and beyond, hosts the show. As the host and writer of over a hundred public television travel programs and the author of 30 best-selling guidebooks, Rick Steves now brings his passion for exploring and understanding the world to public radio.
JUMP with Traveling Jackie
Hosted by Jackie Nourse (Traveling Jackie), this podcast combines guest stories, solo episodes, and candid, personal accounts to delve into travel, adventure, and lifestyle. Jackie’s goal is to inspire and motivate listeners to explore the world and embark on their own journeys. This show aims to provide valuable travel advice and inspiration. On their podcast available on Spotify, listeners can explore episodes such as: “Alternative Tourism in Baja California,” “Walking Across Jordan,” “Sustainability in Patagonia,” and “Self-Guided Biking in Sardinia,” among many other engaging chapters.
If you aim to deepen your understanding of travel podcasts, the Master’s in Travel Journalism at the School of Travel Journalism offers an opportunity to professionalize your expertise and launch your own project as a travel journalist. With guidance from experts and seasoned professionals, you will gain valuable tools and insights to become a versatile and accomplished travel communications expert.