Podcasting is fun. That’s a very simple way of describing what many podcasters feel. It is quite easy to start podcasting, with little investment in equipment and setup. But it can be just as easy to end a podcast. That is, if a podcaster runs out of ideas for episodes, or simply does not want to continue with the podcast, the person can bring the show to an end. But for a truly passionate podcaster, the same may not be true.
As a podcaster, I found it quite easy to start podcasting. All I needed was a microphone, an audio recording software, and a laptop, as well as some other supporting hardware. Also, I found a platform that would allow me to publish my episodes and distribute those to various directories.
It sounds easy, until one starts to get serious about podcasting. As a freedom-loving American, speech is extremely important to me. Podcasting, to me, is not just a hobby. Through my podcast, I exercise my First Amendment right–freedom of speech. I use my podcast to share my views and opinions with the world.
Because I take podcasting very seriously, I had to invest a lot of time and effort in learning how to properly record and publish my episodes. There are lots of excellent equipment and services out there. A podcaster must research and decide what hardware, software, and services would be most appropriate for one’s needs.
In the process of starting my podcast in 2020, I spent hours and hours in finding the right microphone, a great recording software, and an excellent publishing platform that would fit my needs. Furthermore, I learnt how to record my speech properly to get the desired sound quality. And I did all of this while preparing and publishing content for my podcast and using social media to promote my episodes.
Now, in 2023, I am in Season 6 of my podcast – Explore and Engage with Anam. Now, more than ever, I love podcasting. From a simple hobby, podcasting has now become my passion. Over the years, I have received words of encouragement from my listeners. I still continue to gather more knowledge and try to improve my podcast.
Was podcasting easy to start? To some extent. It was easy to make the decision to start a podcast. And then, it required a lot of effort to try to learn the details of sound recording, editing, publishing, as well as marketing and promotion. To continue to podcast requires strong commitment, which I believe I have.
I have seen various podcasts come to an end after a couple of seasons. I do not know whether some podcasters lost interest in podcasting, became busy with other things in life, found podcasting to be time-consuming, or simply ran out of ideas for episodes.
In my case, because podcasting has become a passion for me, I cannot imagine stopping. I feel a push, from withing myself, to continue to publish more episodes and to move forward in my podcasting journey. I find podcasting to be exciting, satisfying, and liberating. Through my podcast, I can express my viewpoints to the world. I find peace in podcasting.