How To Start a Podcast with No Existing Audience

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Go from zero listeners to a thriving podcast with our complete guide

Co-authored by Anar Kazimov and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: October 1, 2024 Fact Checked

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Finding & Growing an Audience

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Do you need a pre-existing audience?

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Free Podcasting Tools

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Monitoring Success

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Video

Trying to find podcast listeners when you don’t already have a following can sound a little daunting, but by understanding your target market and engaging with your audience, you can gain followers as soon as you release your first episode. If you’re excited to launch a new podcast and want people to hear what you have to say, keep reading—we’ll help you reach the right audience for your podcast and give you advice on how you can easily get started for free.

Things You Should Know

Choose a niche topic for your podcast that you’re knowledgeable and passionate about. Check the listener demographics of similar podcasts to find your target audience.
Create a strong title and logo that matches the tone and content of your podcast. Use keywords from your niche in the episode descriptions to draw in new listeners.
Share your podcast episodes on social media pages and interact with listeners by asking and responding to questions, posting polls, and commenting on fan posts.

Section 1 of 4:

Finding and Growing Your Podcast Audience

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1
Find a niche topic for your podcast. When you’re starting your own podcast, pick an area of interest that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about so you’re excited to keep working on it. Your niche could be a hobby, skillset, or interesting background you have. Once you find a niche you want to talk about, look at what topics similar podcasts are covering to make sure you don’t have any direct competition.^{[1]
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- Example: If you love talking about movies and reading scripts, you may choose to make a podcast about screenwriting where you rate and review screenplays.
- Example: If you’re a veterinarian and a cat owner, the niche for your podcast may be caring for your feline friends in a healthy way.
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Identify your target audience based on similar podcasts and the topic. Start by finding other similar podcasts in your niche and checking their social media followings to get an idea of who may listen to your show. Keep track of the age range, gender, profession, or background of each person so you know what audience you’re catering to. Think about what people you want to target, how your podcast could help them, and what their personalities may be.^{[2]
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- Example: If you want to make an advice podcast for young unpublished writers, you may be trying to target people who are 18–25 who have an interest in literature or becoming full-time writers. They’re probably creative, ambitious, and excited, but are unsure of how to break into the industry. They may be coming to your podcast for actionable advice on where to submit pieces they’ve written and get noticed.
- Identifying your audience is important for choosing the tone and content in your podcast^{[3]
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  Expert Interview}. If you’re trying to reach a younger audience, for example, then avoiding confusing or inappropriate language is important to reach them.
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Create a memorable title and logo. Think of words that are easy to spell and pronounce that describe the content in your podcast. Try to stick to a title that’s only a few words long, and double-check it on Google, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify to make sure it’s not already taken.^{[4]
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Research source} When designing a logo, think of eye-catching imagery that represents your podcast’s personality so potential listeners are immediately drawn to it. Stick to simple imagery and include the name of your podcast in the logo so it’s easy to recognize at a glance.^{[5]
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- Example: The podcast Serial is an investigative journalism series that goes deeper into the story with every episode. The letters in the logo are each in a separate block to note the week-by-week analysis happening in the show.^{[6]
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- Example: The podcast Scriptnotes is a podcast about screenwriting, so the title reflects the advice the hosts are giving. The typewriter logo and bright orange color help catch a person’s eye and immediately let them know the podcast is about writing.
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Invite recognizable guests to speak on your podcast. Reach out to other influencers or experts in your niche through their email or social media to see if they’d be interested in recording an episode with you. You may also try connecting with other podcasters covering similar topics to see if they want to appear on your show. That way, you’ll draw in listeners who want to hear more from their favorite podcasters^{[7]
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Expert Interview} or want to hear an authority on the subject.^{[8]
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- Example: If you’re doing a board game review podcast, you may reach out to a reviewer on YouTube or a game designer to discuss new games coming out.
- When you reach out to a potential guest, introduce yourself and explain the idea of your show. Let them know why they’d be a good fit and ask if they’re interested. You may say, “Hi Daniel, my name is Jamie from the Board Game Babble podcast. In the show, I review new games that I’ve played and discuss the game design. I’ve loved the games that you’ve designed, and they’re some of my favorites to show new people. I was wondering if you’d be interested in discussing your latest game and how you came up with the idea. I think listeners would love to hear the designer’s perspective on it. Please let me know if you’re available. Thank you!”
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Record and edit your episodes so they have clear audio. Even if you don’t have fancy recording equipment, it’s easy to start podcasting using any simple microphone and recording software, including a voice memo app on your phone. Plan out what you’re going to say and record yourself in a quiet room so there aren’t any distracting noises. After you record your audio, cut out any times you stumble over words or hear background noises, and consider adding music or sound effects to make your podcast more interesting for a listener.^{[9]
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- Pro Tip: Place pillows or blankets around your microphone to prevent your voice from echoing.
- Only make your podcast as long as it needs to be. If you only have 15 minutes of strong content to discuss, then keep it that short and avoid trying to fill time to reach a half hour.
- Clear audio makes it easier for listeners to hear and understand what you’re talking about, while they may strain to hear fuzzy or quiet audio.
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Give listeners a call to action during each episode. A call to action gives your listeners a way to engage with your podcast so they stay a loyal audience. Ask the listeners a question and have them send responses to you, or ask them to leave a rating and review about their favorite sections so other people can find the show. As your audience feels more connected with you, it will encourage more people to listen.^{[10]
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- Example: Ask listeners to send in questions for you in an email, and then answer the questions in the next episode you release.
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Include helpful keywords in your episode descriptions^{[11]
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Expert Interview}. Think of common keywords that are related to the topic of your podcast that you can include in the episode title or description. Then, look through the descriptions of other similar podcasts to see if there are any repeated words or phrases they use. Keep your episode descriptions around 3–4 sentences and include the relevant keywords so your podcast shows up more often in search results.^{[12]
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- Example: If you’re releasing a podcast about advice for dating apps, you may include keywords like “swipe right,” “Tinder,” “Hinge,” or “Bumble.”
- If you have any guests featured on a podcast episode, be sure to include their names in the episode description as well.
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Upload your podcast episodes onto a reputable hosting platform. Podcast hosting platforms allow you to post episodes into an online feed so people can listen to or download them. If you’re on a budget, you can launch your podcast on free platforms, but there may be limits on file sizes or uploads. Otherwise, paid options provide more features, such as analytics, unlimited uploads, or custom websites.^{[13]
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- Some of the most common hosting platforms include Buzzsprout, PodBean, Libsyn, and SimpleCast.
- If you want the simplest way to share your podcast, posting the audio to SoundCloud or YouTube lets anyone find and listen for free, but they do not have the same functions as dedicated hosting platforms.
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Submit your podcast feed to streaming apps to gain more exposure. Podcasts you upload to hosting platforms may not get shared to Apple Podcasts or Spotify right away. Look for the RSS feed of your podcast on the hosting platform you’re using and copy the URL to submit. It may take a few days for your podcast to appear on the streaming apps once you submit it, but more potential listeners will have an easier time finding your show.^{[14]
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- As you upload more episodes to the hosting platform you’re using, the RSS feed will automatically update and add them to the streaming apps.
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Promote episodes and engage with listeners on social media. Create social media fan pages or chat rooms where your audience can follow you and receive updates. When you release new episodes or make important announcements, post the link to your social media so people can go listen right away. Don’t be afraid to respond to listener questions, run polls on topics to cover, or like posts from your audience so they feel really engaged and connected with you.^{[15]
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- If you want to build a community of people, start a Discord server where fans can interact with you and each other.
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Stick to a consistent release schedule. Choose a realistic but regular release schedule, like dropping an episode once a week or once a month. When listeners see that you’re regularly releasing and posting updates, they’re more likely to stick around for future episodes.^{[16]
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- It’s okay to take breaks from posting every now and then, but be sure to let listeners know ahead of time so you don’t lose any followers.

Section 2 of 4:

Do you need an audience to start a podcast?

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Even if you don’t have a following on social media, your podcast will still grow if you’re properly targeting your niche audience. Keep releasing episodes, posting about them, and interacting with listeners when they reach out to grow your audience. Your podcast may not blow up overnight, but you’ll still gain new listeners and have a loyal fanbase tuning in.^{[17]
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Section 3 of 4:

Free Tools for Podcasting

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Audio recording and editing: Audacity or GarageBand Audacity is a free recording and editing software available for any operating system, and it allows users to easily record their own voices, add sound effects, and edit audio. If you’re using a Mac, GarageBand comes built into the system and lets you record and edit multiple audio tracks for free. When you’re finished editing, both apps let you easily export and share the audio.
- If you’re recording on your phone, you can easily use the built-in voice memo app.
PodBean and Buzzsprout are both easy-to-use hosting platforms that are perfect for beginners and offer monthly uploads, download statistics, and distribution to major podcasting apps. While both services have monthly or total upload limits, they also offer paid options for unlimited storage space and bandwidth, custom websites, and monetization.
Logo design: Canva Canva has multiple templates for podcast logos and cover designs, and they’re fully customizable. Once you finish your logo, you’re able to export it and use it for your podcast. Canva can also help create social media posts and newsletters so you use similar graphics wherever you interact with listeners.

Section 4 of 4:

How do you know if a podcast is successful?

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1
Check your audience and episode metrics for consistent growth. If your main goal is growing your audience and gaining more listeners, keep track of how many downloads each episode receives. Look at how many followers you have and check any analytics on the hosting platform you’re using to find out how long people are listening to your episode.^{[18]
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- If you notice changes in your growth or engagement, reflect on what readers are connecting with the most and try to gear your content towards their interests.
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Look for consistent revenue if you’re monetizing your podcast. As your podcast gets more popular and gains more listeners, you may be able to include sponsored ads or offer subscriptions so listeners can support your efforts. If your goal is to make money from your podcast, keep track of any revenue streams you have to make sure they’re consistent or growing with each release.^{[19]
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- Every podcaster defines success differently, so don’t be discouraged if you’re not making money from your releases.