How to start a church podcast

Hi, I’m Josh Brown…
worship pastor, coffee lover and founder of His Productions. My team has been professionally producing Bible based radio programming for nearly twenty years.
I’ve already shared why podcasting is an amazing opportunity for your church.
You don’t have to be an audio engineer or spend lots of money to record and distribute your teaching.
In today’s post we’ll look at some tips to help you get started.
Top DIY Tips for Church Podcasting
Church podcast content
You’ll often see me refer to “church podcasts,” but you’re not limited to rebroadcasting Sunday’s sermon.
You might build upon the sermon with value added content. Or like many radio teachers, you could have a completely separate teaching ministry. Christian living is also another great focus for a new podcast.
While talking head style podcasts are definitely successful, it’s important to have a balance between a single host talking versus having a guest. Some of the top rated podcasts out there are in the “interview” format.
And remember, story is king! Jesus used story over and over again to communicate the truths of God’s Kingdom. Follow His example. If you need help, the team at His Productions has been in the creative script writing realm for nearly 20 years. We can help you craft stories for your church podcast that will keep people listening.
Whatever you decide, your podcast needs to be as fresh, relevant and creative as possible. And be sure to invite listeners to email you and participate.
Not sure how to make your podcast unique? We can help you produce a teaching or church podcast that will keep listeners engaged and subscribed.
Marketing
Pray about what God would like to do through your podcast. What makes it unique? Think about how it will help and encourage others. From that create a short, memorable podcast name and tagline.
You’ll also need a simple graphic or decent headshot for distribution and social media promotion.
Recording and production of your church podcast
At His Productions we use pro quality mics and audio software, but you can literally record right into your smartphone into an app like Anchor in real time to produce a podcast.
Simple, low cost production will produce an authentic quality to your content, just be sure poor audio quality, coughs, sneezes and “ums” don’t distract from your message. If a listener consistently hears poor audio, they will unsubscribe.
You could purchase a pro-sumer or professional level podcasting mic from Sweetwater.com. This will give you better audio quality than your smartphone. There are a number of apps and software programs to help edit your content. The downside to editing is the expertise required and the investment in time each week.
We can help you evaluate your church podcast microphone and recording equipment and make professional suggestions that will take your audio to the next level.
Distribution of your podcast
There are scores of free or affordable podcasting distribution networks. This may be the trickiest part of DIY church podcasting. Each service has different features and procedures.
Apple Podcasts (Free)
Spotify (Free)
PodBean (Free)
Captivate (Free trial)
Buzzsprout (Free plan available)
Anchor (Free)
Soundcloud (Limited free account)
Some of them are even geared towards ministry or church podcasts.
Podpoint (Free)
We take care of distribution for our teaching and church podcast clients so they can focus on creating great content.
Promoting your episodes
Not too many people will find your church podcast without promoting it.
Start by posting a link to your podcast from your church website and social media, and your personal social media. Make sure the post is relevant, grabs attention and draws a potential listener in.
At some point you may need your own stand alone social media and website for your podcast brand if it’s not a church podcast.
Be consistent when and how frequently you release your podcast. That way your listeners can expect great content from you at the same time every week. We help clients with busy schedules strategize and plan a sustainable publishing schedule for their teaching or church podcast.
Need help with your teaching or church podcast production?
Address: 5820 North 175 West
Howe Indiana 46746
Call or Text: 260.499.1543