Big question for the artists and creatives who have a *chef’s kiss* idea for a podcast, but get overwhelmed by the seemingly 87,291 steps it takes to make one…
If there was a shoot-it-straight, step-by-step operating procedure to guide you from development to release day,
would you finally be ready to get serious about producing your podcast?
Your podcast hasn’t been MIA because of lack of originality.
It’s been MIA because of systems.
You have ideated, brainstormed, heck you may have even gotten so far as scripting and recording an episode!
But somewhere between the edit and the export, you’ve gotten overwhelmed, thrown your computer at your cat, and quit.
Because it’s not as easy as speaking some thoughts into a voice memo. It is quite literally a whole production.
But your production doesn’t have to be a laborious drag. Your show can position you as a thought leader in your industry, make it easier to network, become a new revenue stream, create an audience of super fans, and yes, it can even be a joy to make. But before we get there…
It’s Monday and you have the best of intentions. Today, you’re going to record. You’re going to stop procrastinating and make the most of your one wild and precious life.
So you hit record in Garage Band and start riffing on your favorite topic: habit-stacking. As you riff, your eyes shoot up to the top of the screen, 45:43?! How have I been speaking for that long already?!, you think. You hurry through the rest. You think, I’ll fix it in the edit.
Finally, you’re done.
Except, you’re not.
Now you have to edit. You’re cutting and pasting, and re-ordering. You’re scrapping the “ums” and the “likes” as you hear them, and trying to transform a 45-minute riff into a tight story which you now need to export, and aren’t you supposed to write show notes? Or maybe you’re supposed to be making TikTok videos? And what graphics do you have to share? You made some once, but they’re lost in the blackhole of your Downloads folder, so you’ll just have to start over.
At this point, you chuck your computer on the floor (the cat leaps out of the way, having learned), crawl back under the covers, and decide to live your one wild and precious life another day.
Production is just too hard.
As a visionary artist with a brain full of amazing thoughts, your voice deserves a podcast.
And contrary to the hard-on-you voices in your own head, it’s not your fault you haven’t made one yet. When you have a straightforward step-by-step operating procedure you can follow, you allow your creative brain to get into flow. Once you’re in flow, your ideas make more sense, the production aspect becomes second nature, and you can publish episodes at a clip that feels good to you.
And when you’re able to do that, your audience can find you, your guests can book more easily, your ads can begin to pay, and the entire production can just simply flow.
The 4 things you’ve gotta understand if you want to consistently produce a podcast you love…
“It shouldn’t be this hard to be consistent.”
Heard. We’re told all the time that “consistency is key” but who can actually be consistent when they’re working a day job, building an artistic career, caring for family, trying to stay healthy, and generally dealing with the chaos of life from day to day?
But that’s not a you problem, that’s a systems problem. When you have the right systems, you don’t spend extra energy trying to figure out the next step. You can plot out week to week, season to season, and even build in breaks to align with your natural flow, so that consistency feels easy and natural.
“I’m going to need a million apps and it’s too expensive.”
Yes, you can definitely spend your entire tax return on fancy apps for your podcast production if you want to. But when you get clear on what it is you actually need for the flow that actually works for you, you’ll understand what helps to streamline and what’s unnecessary spending.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m consistent, no one will listen anyway.”
No one likes to publish a podcast and hear crickets. But the beautiful thing about podcasts is their popularity compounds over time. Once the right listener finds your work, they don’t stop at one episode. They go back and binge. And when they see that you are publishing regularly, they trust you. Which is when you start to build a legit fan base.
When you have a system that allows you to consistently produce, you will create art and content with a long shelf life. You will have a backlog of beautiful work so your superfans will be able to find you, binge you, and evangelize for their new favorite podcast (yours).
“It’s too late to start a podcast, everyone has one.”
True, there are many, many podcasts out there! There are also many books out there. And many movies. And many TV shows. Just because you weren’t the very first person to start a podcast doesn’t mean it’s not a smart option for you.
It’s also true that many people have a podcast that ended. In fact, out of the 4.3 million podcasts out there — only 720,000 have 10+ episodes. And only 156k are releasing a weekly episode. (All according to Amplifi and PodNews.) With the right systems in place, it’s easy to stand out. It’s just how the math maths.
(Hi, btw, I’m Courtney Romano.)
As an indie artist who has executed everything from a book launch to a 7-episode series release, I know systems make or break production.
In my 12+ years working in marketing for startups, I know the right systems can turbo-boost a good product.
As a podcast producer and host, systems have expanded my production company’s footprint, network, and partnership opportunities.
So let’s get you into production.
Introducing,
Sound Systems: Podcast Production for Indie Voices
Sound Systems is a live workshop class to help visionary indie artists set up their podcast’s step-by-step standard operating procedure.
When you’re a visionary with something to say, you don’t want to spend extra time figuring out ops. I’ve condensed five years of podcast production experience into a live workshop that walks you through how to set up your standard operating procedure and get your podcast published.
In the live workshop, you’ll learn:
FAQs
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Sunday March 10, 224 @ 1pm ET
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The live 1 hour workshop, access to the recording for a limited time, and corresponding Notion docs you can use to your heart’s content.
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Yes! You’ll receive a recording of the workshop that you can access for a limited time.
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If you have a million ideas spinning around in your head and need to land the plane, this workshop (especially the section on developing your editorial calendar) will be super helpful to you. Sometimes taking the pressure off of *how* to execute is all your creative mind needs to get flowing. If you never want to product a podcast, then this probably isn’t for you. :)
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It’s frustrating to put time and effort into producing a podcast and reap very little in return. This framework gives you the option of a seasonal schedule or always on schedule. Most podcasters try a few iterations of their flow before they find what works for them. It’s part of the process! This workshop will help you figure out what flow feels the best for you.
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One of my guiding principles (and perhaps this is from working for startups), is to work with what you have when you have it. We’ll look at a spectrum of ops options from free to paid to find the tools that work best for your budget. The systems in this workshop are meant to create efficiency so you can set it and forget it.
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I’m so glad you asked! No, this workshop is to help you set up your systems so you can hit the ground running. However, Queens Bird Films does offer producing packages depending on your needs.
Ready to have more fun (and more episodes) producing a podcast your audience loves?
