How to Start a Podcast on YouTube?

YouTube Podcast Setup:

This is how to start a podcast on YouTube. I cover the easiest way to get started on YouTube podcasts, from setup all the way to upload, so you can make the most of video podcasting on YouTube.

Adding your podcast to YouTube is simple. The whole process is only four steps and happens on a single screen. Before that, I’ll walk through planning your podcast, how to name it, how to describe it, and more.

Then we’ll talk about the gear you need, which might be gear you already have. Finally, I’ll show you how to plan, record, edit, and publish your first episodes. As a host of two professional podcasts and a consultant for many others, I’m often asked what you need to get a podcast on YouTube.

You’re going to need a title, a description, and a thumbnail, although not a thumbnail in the way we think about them on YouTube.

It’s slightly different for a podcast on YouTube, and it’s really good to figure this out before you start thinking about gear or anything else.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Plan Your Podcast

1. Know Your Audience

The first essential step is to think about who is your audience. Who do you want to listen to your show after it gets published? One of the best things about podcasts is you can reach really small niche audiences that aren’t being served by mass media. Figure out exactly who they are and what you’re going to talk about with them.

2. Choose a Title

Don’t overthink it, and that’s coming from somebody who overthinks almost everything. Keep these in mind:

• Make it easy to pronounce and spell. People often listen without looking at the screen. If they search for your show later or recommend it to a friend, you don’t want cutesy, hard-to-spell names.
• Make it unique. Don’t choose the exact same title as tons of other podcasts. If somebody recommends your show and the listener can’t find it, you’ve lost them.
• Keep it short. According to Spotify, the average podcast title on their hosting service is 3 to 4 words or about 15 to 20 characters. Short names are easier to remember and recommend.
• You don’t have to include “the” or “podcast” in the title.
• If you’re struggling with names, don’t be afraid to use an AI tool like ChatGPT to generate ideas.

3. Write the Description

Think of this like the movie description on Netflix that helps people decide if they want to watch.

• Include words or phrases your ideal audience might search for on YouTube or in a podcast app, especially if they’re not in the title. For example, my podcast is for entrepreneurs, so my description talks about entrepreneurship.
• Include who the podcast is for, why they should listen, and what they’ll get by listening.
• Mention why you’re qualified to host it, if applicable. You don’t need to be an expert. Passion is enough, but any authority or credibility you have should be included.

YouTube gives you up to 5,000 characters for your podcast description, but keep it short enough that people will read it. Three to four sentences is often enough, or a couple of short paragraphs if you have important things to say.

4. Create Your Cover Art

Podcast cover art is square. Design at 3000 x 3000 pixels. The minimum is 1400 x 1400, but err on the side of larger so the resolution is high everywhere.

Tips for your artwork:

• Include the title and maybe one image. Not much else.
• In search results, especially on a phone, the thumbnail shows up very small. If it’s cluttered, it has zero impact.
• Tools like Canva have templates you can use as a starting point. You don’t necessarily have to hire a designer.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Essential Gear

If you’ve already got a computer to record onto, you only need two essential pieces of gear.

1) Microphone

Audio quality is critical. If your audio is echoey, muddy, or too quiet, people won’t sit through it. There is so much content out there, they’ll just go find something else.

2) Camera

Easiest option: a webcam you already have.

• Built-in webcams on computers tend not to be very good. I recommend using something external with at least 1080p resolution.
• I’ve used the Logitech C920 for years for my podcast and other things. It doesn’t have to be fancy or high-tech.
• The best part of using a webcam that’s connected to your computer is that when you’re done, the files are already there.

You will need software to record into. I’ll cover that below.

Smartphone Option

You can record with your phone camera:

• If you can connect it directly to your computer, you can record straight to your hard drive. If not, record to the phone.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb so your recording doesn’t get interrupted.
• Mount your phone to a tripod or stand. Your arm will get tired fast, and you won’t want to hold it for a 15 to 30 minute episode.

If you record video to your phone and audio to your computer or another device, you’ll have to sync audio and video later. Today’s software makes this relatively easy, but it is an extra step. If you can record both audio and video to the same source, that’s better.

DSLR or External Camera

If you have a camera that records at least 1080p, you can use that too.

• Ideally, your audio and video go to the same source. If your video records to your camera or SD card, connect your microphone to the camera so you don’t have to sync later.

Optional Lights

Lights help with a clear picture for people watching your podcast on YouTube. If it’s a dark room and they can’t see you, it might as well be audio only. A simple alternative is to set up in front of a window. Natural daylight is often as good or better than artificial lighting. Time it for a nice overcast day for even light, and you obviously can’t record late at night if you’re depending on a window.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Recording and Software

Software has gotten easy to use, affordable, and sometimes free.

1. Solo Recording

If you’re recording solo, I love recording right into Descript. You can record directly into Descript, and when you’re done, it’s already there. If you edit in Descript, you can edit the text or transcript of what you said and it will edit the audio and video to match. Try the free version first to see if you like it.

2. Remote Recording With Guests or Co-hosts

If you plan to have more than one person and they’re in a different location, use software that records audio and video on both ends to the local device, then syncs in the cloud.

The reason this matters is that typical video call recordings can compress, distort, or glitch based on internet quality.

For the highest quality recording when remote, use a tool like StreamYard, Riverside, or SquadCast within Descript.

3. Editing

If you already have a video editor you love, use it. If not, the Descript and SquadCast combo is excellent. I edit all of my podcasts in Descript. It’s fast and has all the tools I need.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Plan Your Episodes

My first recommendation before you record a single second is to brainstorm 20 episode ideas for your new show.

A successful podcast could easily go over 100 episodes, and if you can’t come up with 20 ideas before you start, you’ll have a hard time making it to 100.

Don’t worry about using AI or ChatGPT to help you get more ideas. It’s not cheating. You just want to know you’ll have plenty to talk about.

In a perfect world, your episode ideas and titles are topics or questions that people are searching for. Use websites like AnswerThePublic or a tool like TubeBuddy to research what you’ll talk about and what you’ll title the episodes.

If your episode gets picked up in search and ranks high on YouTube or in Google, you’ll get more eyeballs and ears on your episodes.

Before you announce that your podcast is live, I strongly encourage you to have at least three episodes uploaded and ready to go. This achieves two things:

• It gives you a feel for how the show will flow across different topics.
• If someone checks out your podcast and only one episode is there and the topic doesn’t click, they’re gone. If there are three, at least one will likely interest them. If they enjoy that, they’ll listen to another one. Bingers are buyers. One episode is often not enough for someone to fall in love with your podcast.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Create Your Podcast in YouTube Studio

If you’ve already created a YouTube channel, you’re ready for the next step.

Create the Podcast

1) Go to studio.youtube.com.
2) In the upper right corner, click Create, then New podcast.
3) In the popup, you’ll see three options:

• Submit an RSS feed. This will add your audio podcast to YouTube with a static image and no video, which is not a great YouTube experience. I don’t recommend this.
• Set an existing playlist as a podcast. Podcasts on YouTube are playlists.
• Create a new podcast. Choose this to set up a new show.

4) Fill out the four fields on the setup screen:

• Title: up to 150 characters.
• Description: paste what you wrote, or write it here. Include who it’s for, why listen, and what they’ll get.
• Visibility: Public, Private, or Unlisted. Choose Public if you want it to be found.
• Thumbnail: upload your square cover art.

5) Click Create to publish the podcast container.

Add Videos to the Podcast

• On the podcast screen, click Add videos.
• Choose Existing videos if you’ve already uploaded episodes, or Upload new videos.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Upload and Optimize an Episode

When your video uploads, you’ll land on the Details screen.

• Title: by default it’s the file name. Change it here. Title it with a phrase people search for if it fits the episode.
• Description: up to 5,000 characters. This is your show notes. Tell people what the episode is about, where they can get more information, and details about your guest. At a minimum, write two sentences so skimmers can see what the episode covers.
• Thumbnail: create a custom thumbnail and upload it. The thumbnail is what makes people decide if they’ll click. Note: your overall podcast cover art is square, but episode thumbnails are wide.
• Playlist: select your podcast playlist. Podcasts on YouTube are playlists, so this is how YouTube knows the video is part of your podcast.

YouTube videos have many other settings you can configure. One I highly recommend is the End screen feature. During the last 20 seconds of your episode, recommend one or two other episodes and link them directly on the screen so viewers can continue watching or listening.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Share Your Podcast and Episodes

• Share the entire podcast: In YouTube Studio, go to Content, then the Podcasts tab. Click the three dots next to your podcast and select Get shareable link.
• Share a specific episode: In the Videos tab, find the episode, click the three dots, and select Get shareable link.

YouTube Podcast Setup: Don’t Miss 90% of Your Potential Audience

Uploading your podcast to YouTube as shown above puts your show on YouTube and in the YouTube Music app.

It will not put your show into Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or other popular podcast apps where people listen to audio podcasts.

For maximum distribution, also upload your podcast to a separate podcast hosting platform. If you already have one, you should be set. Otherwise, choose a host so you can publish via RSS and reach those apps.

Final Thoughts

You can start a podcast on YouTube with a clear plan, simple gear, and straightforward software. Nail your audience, title, description, and cover art. Prioritize audio quality, keep your setup simple, and plan episodes that match what people search for. Launch with at least three episodes, create your podcast in YouTube Studio, optimize each upload, and use end screens to keep viewers engaged. For full distribution, add an audio host so your show appears in the major podcast apps too.