Unique, profound, and unconsidered tips from other podcasters to help you make your podcasts so much better!

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1. START! You can plan and think, but make sure you just START! Dave Jackson from School of Podcasting
2. Stop obsessing over your stats and focus on building relationships with the community you already have. Cliff Ravenscraft from Podcast Answer Man
3. Approach every interaction with gratefulness, even if it's an anonymous, negative review. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
4. Test before you record a Skype call. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
5. When picking music for your intro or outro music, consider your listener's environment and how it will sound where they are listening. Brad Bruce
6. Don't be afraid to copy a topic for your podcast. But put your own, unique twist on it. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
7. Shave before you podcast so your stubble doesn't scratch your pop filter (unless you're a lady). Host Chiaki from Metal Moment Podcast and Japanese Metal Head Show
8. Invent alternatives for your “verbal crutches” and practice using them. Ron Eastwood
9. Always use a pop filter. DJ City from Japan Experience Podcast
10. Carry around a small notebook and pen for ideas for show topics, interview questions, notes, and sketching website layouts. Dan from Miskatonic University Podcast
11. Stick to the schedule you pick (daily, weekly, monthly). Dave Jackson from Grow Your Church show
12. Use a hardware recorder because a computer can easily corrupt or lose your recording. Timothy Lim from Corner Geeks
13. If you're new and lack confidence, do what actors do: rehearse, rehearse, and build your confidence. Byron Friday
14. Get a second computer monitor for holding your notes. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
15. Put your pets somewhere that they won't disturb your podcasting. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
16. Don't be afraid to take a break! Use the break to refocus and plan the future of your podcast. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
17. Test your shownotes by entering them on your website and previewing before you publish. Louise from Anonymous Knitter
18. Think twice before starting another podcast because of the time it takes to produce good content. Dave Jackson from Healing Our Marriage
19. Check out the Audio-Technica AT2005-USB microphone: USB and XLR for under $100. Carey Green from Christian Home and Family podcast
20. The best gear doesn't mean the best podcast. Focus on episode content and audio quality with what you have. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
21. Don't be afraid of re-recording if you're not satisfied with your first results. Craig from Making Business and Sales Work
22. Visit the restoom before you podcast. Ron Eastwood
23. For beginner podcasters who want to practice with recording and audio editing before they get started, volunteer at librivox.org. You get to help read public domain audiobooks that are distributed for free over the Internet, and you can help practice and build your confidence. “Parrot”
24. If you want something from your listeners, ask for it often! Feedback, ratings and reviews, and even donations. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
25. Join a podcast network. This will help you mentor and be mentored. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
26. Don't have guest cohosts call from a wireless phone on a moving train. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
27. Check out MP3 Skype Recorder (Windows) to easily record your Skype calls for free! Carey Green from Christian Home and Family podcast
28. Have a listener voicemail number and remind your listeners of it often. Wayne Henderson from Media VoiceOvers
29. Don't run an audio compressor before you run Truncate Silence. Damian Harris from Australian Power Transmission Podcast
30. Make sure a matching domain is available for your podcast title and that it's easy to say and spell. Dave Jackson from Feeding My Faith
31. Don't drink fizzy drinks before you podcast. Kevin Mulryne from Yes Music Podcast
32. Don't use copyrighted music as your theme song unless you have written permission. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
33. Don't be afraid of background noise when it can add a great ambiance to your podcast. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
34. Listen to your own podcast! This can be a quality-check or to find ways to improve. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
35. Make an agreement with your cohosts about your podcast responsibilities, finances, expectations, and more. Dave Jackson from Weekly Web Tools
36. If you have to podcast with a cold, a touch of hot pepper or some horseradish can clear you up for some time. Ron Eastwood
37. Write short, compelling episode titles that convey some of what the episode is about. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
38. Get your listeners to send in opening bumpers, like “Hi, this is John Smith and you're listening to [ podcast name ].” Steve Stewart from MoneyPlan SOS
39. Turn off the fans and get ready to sweat! Matthew Lowell from The Awaken Revolution podcast
40. Don't let any programs to auto-download updates. You know they'll start when you're recording. Boot up in advance in case any programs do try to auto-update. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
41. When you are producing an interview based podcast, make sure to always set your interviewees expectations on the following 3 items: The content to be discussed, the time they need to set aside for the interview, and the general makeup of the audience they are speaking to. John Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire
42. Make a checklist and read it before every podcast episode. For example, don't talk over each other, slow down and articulate, etc. Matthew Lowell from The Awaken Revolution podcast
43. Don't sweat the small stuff! Fix the big issues you can spot when you're starting out. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
44. Consider a “soundboard” app for your computer, or especially on a tablet or even mobile phone. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
45. To create the illusion of a multi-shot video podcast, simply zoom and crop the single footage you have and you can switch to that in production. Ron Eastwood
46. Be unique as quickly as possible in your podcast opening. Don't make your opening any longer than 30 seconds. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
47. Be honest with your audience, give them something personal to connect with. Craig from Making Business and Sales Work
48. Record to an uncompressed file format. Convert to a compressed format (like MP3, MP4, etc) only at the end. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
49. Use a USB mic or USB connection if you have to use your computer. This will give you better sound than an analog connection. DJ City from Japan Experience Podcast
50. Avoid free hosting! You'll eventually want to move, and it can be a pain. Dave Jackson from Logical Weight-Loss Podcast
51. Promote what's coming in your episode from the beginning, and tease what's coming in future episodes so listeners come back for more. Mike Russell from Music Radio Creative
52. Stick to a regular schedule if you've set one. Listeners will start to rely on this. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
53. Make your shownotes contain every link, image, quotation, product, or video that you mention in your podcast. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
54. Team up with other podcasters in your field and crosspromote. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
55. State your name and name of your podcast at the beginning of your episodes. Ileane from Ms. Ileane Speaks podcast
56. Share your shownotes with your interviewee by sending them a PDF, which can be read by anyone in the world. Carl Valeri from Aviation Careers Podcast
57. Help other podcasters when they need help. This also hones your own skills. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
58. Don't over-edit and remove all of the silences. It's hard for people to follow. DJ City from Japan Experience Podcast
59. Write down timestamps for where you need to edit. The edit backwards from the end to the beginning. Sabrina from The Spline podcast
60. Notify your listeners far in advance for time-sensitive items approaching (like the Podcast Awards). Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
61. Podcasting under a blanket, especially if at a hotel, can reduce or remove the background noise. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
62. Dont drink milk or beer shortly recording a podcast. Wayne Henderson from FRiNGEcasting Podcast
63. Treat your listeners with respect. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
64. When you record on Skype, use a hard-wired connection to your modem or router instead of wireless. Carey Green from Christian Home and Family podcast
65. Use music and jingles to brand your podcast and give it a unique feel. Mike Russell from Music Radio Creative
66. Get close to your mic and turn down the gain. Craig from Making Business and Sales Work
67. Don't be shy about attending relevant local events as a member of the press because of your podcast. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
68. Prepare notes beforehand. Even a rough outline can help. Ron Eastwood
69. Check out the Doggcatcher app for an Android podcast client. Grant Swaim
70. Prepare shownotes well in advance and forward to cohosts, but never talk about show content until you're podcasting—Mark from the Recovered Podcast
71. Truncate Silence is great, but don't remove too much silence. Lampros from the Penguin Producer
72. Make a professional sounding email address like “feedback@MyAwesomePodcast.com” instead of a Gmail or worse address, even if it just forwards to your personal email account. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
73. Have a manual RSS feed on your site that can be copied to any podcatcher (podcast client). Jeremy Sarber from Discovering Grace Podcast and Tech Help for Churches
74. Use lip balm to moisturize your lips before podcasting, and you'll reduce the lip smacking noises. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
75. Acknowledge your mess-ups, but don't dwell on them, then move on. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
76. Podcast your Passion! You'll be amazed at how easy it easy to produce episodes if you simply podcast something you're passionate about. From sports teams, to video games. Podcast something that excites you! Nick from Who-Dey Weekly
77. Turn off your wireless phones around analog audio equipment. Kevin Mulryne from Yes Music Podcast
78. Write your shownotes well before your episode, and do your recording from them. Louise from Anonymous Knitter
79. Monitor hardware recorder output to ensure there aren't weird noises being picked up. Timothy Lim from Corner Geeks
80. Have a backup recording, even if not the highest quality, especially when you have important interviews. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
81. Stay hydrated! At least 8 ounces of water in the hour before you podcast, and keep water handy while you podcast. Ron Eastwood
82. Don't be afraid to experiment, but also don't make too many changes at the same time. John Wilkerson from The Wired Homeschool
83. Tweet about your podcast episodes several times in a week, but write a different message and post it at different times and on different days. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
84. Make a sign to say “Recording in progress, please leave packages at the door” and hang it on your front door. Segovia Smith from Audio Speed Learning
85. Visualize your audience so you can make your podcast more conversational. Wade Wingler from Fathers Over Forty
86. Your voice is as valid as everyone else’s. Don’t let inner negative voices keep you from starting. Erik Fisher from Beyond the To Do List
87. Offer a way to subscribe to your podcast by email, like with FeedBurner. Byron Friday
88. If your cohost likes to fidget, give them a stuffed animal so they won't touch the microphone. Brian Caruthers from PB&J Network
89. Create templates to speed up your workflow: shownotes, opening and closing audio, and anything repetitive. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
90. Focus! Don't let things distract you or your audience from the content you want to share and they want to hear. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast
91. Reach out to other podcasters. Craig from Making Business and Sales Work
92. Position your video camera or second monitor so your picture-in-picture (PIP) screencasts will look like you're looking at same screen as your viewers. Steve Stewart from MoneyPlan SOS
93. Prepare more information for your podcast than you'll actually need, in case you need filler. Louise from Anonymous Knitter
94. Have your guest on Skype or the phone record their end, if they can. This double-ender will give you higher quality. Max Flight from Airplane Geeks Podcast and Podcasting Passion
95. Be cautious talking about your family in your podcast. Dave Jackson from Building a Better Dave
96. Do NOT get discouraged by feedback. Whether its a lack of feedback, or its bad feedback. Just because people aren't emailing you, doesn't mean they don't enjoy your show. Nick from Who-Dey Weekly
97. Have special guests sign talent releases. Matthew Lowell from The Awaken Revolution podcast
98. Don’t use BlogTalkRadio if you want more people to listen. Wayne Henderson from Media VoiceOvers
99. Be yourself! Don't try to be someone different because you're behind a microphone. Ben Avery from The Strangers and Aliens podcast
100. Work on your shownotes regularly before your episode. It will make big outlines simple. Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast

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