I’m planning to launch a new gaming podcast about PlayStation, and I did record the intro part today as I promised myself I would. But I can’t stop second guessing myself and just sitting here wondering if it’s even worth the effort. My plan was/is to record the rest tomorrow and launch, but I’m really not sure if I’m going to go through with it after all. Idk who’s going to see this post or care but I guess I wanted to tell someone how I’m feeling about it. That’s all.
#1 is to have fun and expect nobody will listen to the podcast. While you can get a couple views by posting links all over the place odds are there won’t be much retention.
The second thing you need to do a dry/test run and produce a couple episodes before publishing anything online. First impressions are important and the first few episodes you record will be awkward and difficult to listen to. Those podcasts should be produced as if they will be posted online and everybody involved should listen to them and take notes on anything that could be improved for the next test recording. This is also your opportunity to iron out any production issues while also getting into that weekly/bi-weekly/monthly recording routine.
I would also suggest looking at what else is out there and take notes on what they tend to cover. A quick search shows there are over 20 PlayStation focused podcasts out there. Many of them will have overlapping content but can you spot any gaps you could potentially fill? Unless you can find a certain niche or bring a different style it’ll be hard to attract people who already listen to other long standing podcasts.
In my 15+ years of content creation the overwhelming majority of newcomers tend to stumble at the first 2 points and give up after 1-2 episodes. The barrier to entry is very low and people seem to forget the time and work required to produce content and grow an audience. Hopefully this wasn’t too discouraging!
Wow this is a great reply. Production issues absolutely make or break my continued listening to a podcast for sure. Bad audio, or a cohost who is clearly being recorded on Zoom with audio jitter.
As others have said, just go into this with the view that it’s for you. It’s a hobby and if people listen, even better. I do something similar. I have been using BandLab to produce music. Nothing that will ever get regular listeners, just a fun creative outlet for me.
These are very valid points and I don’t think it’s discouraging at all. Thanks for chiming in