Why should podcasters go back to their roots of live streaming, more popular in the radio era, if podcasting wins the hearts of millions with its more convenient, on-demand format? Well, as contradicting as it sounds, live podcasting is widely demanded. It strengthens communication between the host and listeners, increasing audience engagement and loyalty. No, no… we don’t want to say you should quit traditional podcasting and switch to its live alternative. What we say is you should sometimes spice up your ordinary podcasting routine with live shows. Doing so will grant you several benefits we’ve discussed previously in one of our blogs. This time, we’re here with some actionable tips to answer all about “how to do a live podcast?”.
The checklist
We can imagine what’s happening in the brain of a podcaster that is just about to launch his first live show. However, let’s take a deep breath and talk about the three key points you need for nailing your live show.
- How should you prepare for the show?
- On which platform should the live show happen?
- How should you behave during the show?
For those who want to use a live podcast as a monetization option, here is also the fourth point:
4. How to get people interested in buying tickets to your show?
However, if you’re a newbie in this field and are just trying to figure out how to do a live podcast, we’d recommend you not to rush with monetization, and not charge people for the show participation.
Now, let’s go over the key steps you need to take to start your first live podcast.
How to prepare for a live show?
The preparations for the live show significantly vary based on the podcasting format. If you’re organizing a solo live podcast, the whole attention will be on you. This means you should have a perfectly crafted script and be well-trained in your speech. Remember, there is no chance to cut or edit even a second of your show. So, get thoughtfully prepared to sound smooth and engaging during your live podcast. If you want to organize an interview podcast, you need to search for potential guests and contact them in advance. Make sure you have a nicely organized podcast agenda when reaching out to your preferred guest so that they get interested in your show, and you don’t have to go the other way around to find a new guest. On top of that, you should prepare a list of questions you’re going to ask your guest. It's important not to get stuck during the interview and prevent the conversation from running dry.
Choose an appropriate time
Making your audience interested in your upcoming live podcast is not enough to ensure a lot of live listeners. Your live show’s success is highly dependent on the number of people that will tune in. Hence, you should also choose an appropriate time so that the interested people can join in. In this regard, running a live show on the weekend or in the workday evenings is a great idea!
On which platform should you organize your live podcasting?
The answer to this question largely depends on whether you plan to run a live video podcast or feel audio broadcasting to be good enough. In both cases, you need to make sure you record the show in a green room, a location that allows your voice to sound smooth while talking. The good news is you can reach the effect of the professional studio sounding even without being in a dedicated room with a special set-up. Locking the bedroom in your house, which has cushiony furniture enough to absorb ambient noises, might work pretty well. If there is no such room, you can use noise isolating materials like a folding screen or curtain to make your voice sound as clean as possible. In case you’re planning to run a video podcast, you should also care about the way your recording space looks. It should match the style and atmosphere of your show and be visually appealing to your listeners. Moreover, you should also choose a spot that is easy to reach, especially if you will have guests or professional video recorders during the show.
What are some good mediums for live podcasting?
Choosing a suitable medium is another success factor for a live podcast. You should select platforms that are well familiar to your listeners and do not cause usage inconvenience during live streaming. To save your guesswork, we’ve listed below some good platforms you can use.
YouTube Live
YouTube is one of the most common platforms associated with live shows. So you can look no further and launch your first live podcast here. YouTube allows you to create live streams with both public and private access. What’s more, it will enable you to later edit your live podcast’s recording before permanently publishing it to your channel.
Facebook Live
Don’t like YouTube? OK. Here’s another mainstream option for running live episodes; Facebook. It’s straightforward to use, and hardly any of your listeners will have an issue when accessing your live podcast on this platform. In fact, some estimations even claim live videos get more views on Facebook than on Youtube.
What to do during the live podcast?
Generally, the lion’s share of the live podcast’s success depends on the host. You should be a self-confident and authentic speaker, whom it’s very pleasant to listen to. To be that very cool live podcaster, you need to feel relaxed during your show and enjoy it yourself in the first place. Don’t get stressed if you feel the conversation isn’t going the way you planned. Learn to feel comfortable in casual communication and act calm whatever happens. However, to be more secure, have a cheat sheet with you, where you will indicate the duration of your show’s main sections. It can also include the main points you want to address during your podcast. Having the key points written down will help you better control the show, even if unexpected issues like equipment or connection breakdowns arise.
Before you go
Recording a live podcast needs determination. It’s completely different than publishing an edited episode and will open up some new challenges for you. However, that’s also an exciting opportunity to improve your communication skills. If you successfully get through the live podcasting journey, you can congratulate yourself on the rapid growth in your podcasting career. We tried to provide you with all the answers to your question, “how to do a live podcast?”. Hope you successfully implement all the mentioned steps and rock your debut in the live podcasting. Good luck!
