Starting a Podcast in India

Understand podcasts and how they work

Podcasts are increasingly becoming a viable medium and while radio journalism in India has never been a thing at all (thanks to the MIB’s restrictions on news on the airwaves and FM radio) this is finally poised to change. The time has come to create and consume intelligent programming via your ears — through podcasts. From six podcasts in 2008, when Chhavi started, India now has over 400 podcasts (though fewer than 80 are currently active.) That’s nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands in the US and Europe, but hey, everyone’s got to start somewhere.

Even more heartening, many Indian media houses are branching into podcasting, among them The Quint, the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times. Podcasting is more than just a hobby (although as far as hobbies go, we think it’s the best one), it’s also becoming a promising career!

Whether you’re a story teller looking to expand your outreach through a new medium or just have a strong desire to air an opinion, look no further. The barriers to entry are few and crumbling each day. If you want to learn how to create your own podcast in India, it’s not difficult at all and there is no time like the present.

In a nutshell, here’s a short check list of everything you need to create a podcast:

1. A plan
2. Dedication (because you must release episodes regularly)
3. A computer with audio editing software**
4. A dynamic condensor mic
5. Optional, but highly recommended: A field recorder
6. A quiet place to record
7. A host for uploading the mixed episodes
8. A web site/social media presence to promote it.

#ProTip: Attend one of Sonologue’s workshops. If you’re daunted or just need a little extra guidance and hand-holding, we’ll walk you through the process of planning how best to present your piece, along with best practices for interviewing, recording, editing, production and distribution of podcasts, everything you need to start your own podcast.

Once you know what you’re doing (and you can certainly learn on the go), do factor in the time you’ll spend in the planning and research stage, the recording stage, and finally, the editing and mixing stage. Don’t also forget there’s marketing and dissemination involved.

But, seriously, if you’re committed to the course, there’s nothing more rewarding than putting out your first episode of your podcast or concluding your first episode.

**If you attend one of our workshops, you’ll get an introductory trial to Hindenburg