It often surprises me when people are under the impression that podcasts are difficult or expensive to make. The following article will explain how any person with access to a phone and a laptop can produce a podcast for the low low price of $0.

Recording

The “Voice Memos” app on every iPhone is, for some reason, un-deletable – meaning that it is on your phone. It is one of Apple’s best kept secrets. On current iPhone models, the sound quality of the iPhone Voice Memos app is impressive. In a pinch, I’ve recorded segments of my podcast using an iPhone and the difference is almost unrecognizable. To effectively record two people on an iPhone, place it on a table between two people and simply press record with the charger port facing up.

Once you’ve recorded yourself or yourself and a guest, the file will be saved in the Voice Memos app. Simply email that file to yourself and then you’ll be able to edit it on any laptop.

Converting

Download the audio file from your email. The iPhone Voice Memos app saves all audio files in M4A format. For the free audio software that we are going to use, you’ll need to convert that M4A file into an MP3 or WAV file. It’s best that you convert it to an MP3 file, because it will take up less file space on your computer. 

You can convert the file by using any number conversion websites, simply google “convert M4A to Mp3” and then follow standard internet protocol. 

Editing

The industry standard free editing software is Audacity. I have personally been using Audacity as my primary editing software for 8 years and see no need for a more expensive program at this time. My podcast has charted on the iTunes podcast charts in 5 countries. If Audacity is good enough for me, it’s good enough for you.

You can use Audacity to add music that you have stored on your laptop. If you’re looking for copyright free music that you can use and edit into your podcast, there are tons of free resources like freesound.org or Zapsplat.org. Use audacity to edit your audio, add effects, and throw in music. 

Publishing

Once you have recorded, converted, and edited your audio file – it’s time to publish! There are a few free places to publish podcasts like Soundcloud and Audiomack! Other publishers like Spotify and iTunes require you to have an RSS feed which typically costs a few dollars to acquire and maintain. 

There you have it, the tools needed to create a podcast for $0.00 have been laid out in front of you.