Today I share what's involved in the podcast episode production process: from having an idea to appearing in listeners' ears. Facebook continues to play strong in audio, with an "audio hub", which includes not just podcasts, but also "rooms". This is one space to look out for, thinking about different ways in which us audio people can find new audiences. Much of this is still only relevant to the US, and to mobile apps, but worth keeping an eye out on.  Audio continues to be strong, and it looks like podcast listening is back up to pre-pandemic levels. Another recent piece that's important to us, not as much regarding information but because it raises some important questions: Spotify is breaking podcasts. Even though as indie podcasters, we're unlikely (never say never!) to be poached by Spotify, it's important to consider whether at any point we should go exclusive with only one platform, and when we should offer podcasts behind some kind of paywall. There is also a parallel with the indie author industry, where writers make a decision between being exclusive to Kindle Unlimited, and not publishing more widely, vs not being part of that membership programme, through which they could make some royalties. (By the way, you can find the ebook Plan Your Podcast on all online bookshops and libraries.)12.24 minsMy own adventuresThinking of restructuring 21st Century Work Life: there are loads more podcasts now and these episodes are loooong. Shorter episodes do better and My Pocket Psych is proof of this, as the new shorter episodes are getting more listens than our previous one.General shows about leadership also have content about online collaboration and leading remote teams. So I'm thinking about how to make the show work more for the business - I know, a bit late, isn't it, after more than 284 episodes! But I love doing the show so much that I've gone for enjoyment over ROI! Every now and then, it's worth reviewing your content strategy to change with the times - general context and podcasting.Adventures in Podcasting - I launched into the podcast, ignoring my plan which is around 2 years old!.Quite pleased because original plan didn't include all these industry updates - but the space was smaller when I made that plan. The plan was also to interview others, for the book, and so I'll start that around episode 20. I'll start with my friends!20.06 minsThe "helpful section": a quick overview of the podcast episode creation processIn a nutshell: Preparation- Decide on the topic/angle of the episode.- Prepare an outline or a script.- Schedule the recording.Content Creation- Record the audio.File Creation- Edit the audio. (Chop out any unwanted bits; move around sequences.)- Stitch the different audio parts together.- “Polish” the audio and make it podcast ready (I mention Auphonic).- Create mp3 file. Publishing and Consolidation- Publish your file through your podcast media host. (If you sign up for Buzzsprout, use this link to support this show. Thanks!)- Create show notes (however short). (If you're looking for a website host, this site is hosted on Bluehost, and that is my affiliate link.)- Create audiogram, share on social, etc. (optional)I'll cover each stage in detail over the next four episodes. Download the PDF here.