writing a business plan podcast

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How to write a podcast business plan (w/ example template), a podcast business plan outlines your show’s goals, purpose, and future direction. here’s 8 things to include when you write one, with an example template to follow..

Louise Forster

Launch a podcast & amplify your brand.

So you’ve decided to launch a podcast for your business. Great. But now what?

Well, before you jump head-first into writing your show’s first script , or setting up a flurry of social accounts for it, it’s important to put together an effective podcast business plan. Rushing the process will cause mistakes (probably not very far) down the line, so taking some time to think through your strategy, ambitions, and overall goals is key to giving your show longevity.

Below is everything you need to know about writing a podcast business plan, why you should do so, and what to include.

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Why Should You Make a Podcast Business Plan?

You wouldn’t embark on a cross-country road trip without a sat nav or Google Maps to hand. Well, starting a podcast without a solid business plan isn’t a good idea either.

Your podcast business plan not only gives you direction, it also sets out all your targets, milestones, and realistic expectations.

There are many pros to putting together a podcast business plan. The main one being it’s a great way of mapping everything out. And by everything, we mean your content strategy, budget, marketing plan, and how you plan on sustaining your show in general. They’re also great learning tools, and can give you a much better understanding of your show’s target audience. So, why are you creating your podcast? And who’s your ideal listener?

Good podcasts with a business plan will have a much higher chance of being commercially successful than the ones without. Brands will be much more inclined to work with you if you can provide them with some in-depth insight into your show. That goes for securing funding, sponsorships, and partnerships.

Evo Terra, host of Podcast Pontifications , spoke to us over at Podcast.co about the importance of defining a business plan for your show. He said :

“If you expect to get thousands of listeners by simply releasing your podcast to the world, you’re going to be disappointed. So my advice is to be realistic in your expectations. You’ll need to engage in traditional content marketing tactics to build and grow your audience. It’s all in the detail, and the planning.”

8 Things to Include in Your Podcast Business Plan

Ready to put pen to paper? We’ve pulled out 8 elements that every good podcast business plan should include. Remember the more personalised your plan is, the better.

1. An Overview of Your Podcast

Start by noting down what your show’s about, the idea behind it, and what value you think it’ll give listeners. Getting your initial thoughts down on paper can give you a much clearer vision of your overall values. You might also want to add in any future goals or milestones you’d like to hit. 1000 downloads in the first 12 months? Booking a certain guest? Reach for the stars.

2. Who Your Competitors Are & What Works for Them

It goes without saying there are already a lot of podcasts out there. Researching your competitors and working them into your business plan will make it much easier to map out what listeners want to hear, and what’s already been covered. Who are the top players in your show’s field? And which ones do you take inspiration from? You don’t want to simply replicate another show’s style or concept. So, where will you fit in? And what angle or perspective can you offer that others can’t? Once you’ve outlined what's currently performing well in your niche, you’ll be able to define why your podcast vision is relevant, necessary, and unique.

3. Who Your Target Audience Is

Getting clear on your target audience early on means you can adapt your language, tone, and overall strategy to speak to the right people directly. Failing to do so can result in unclear messaging, and you run the risk of producing a show that doesn’t really resonate with anyone.

We’d recommend doing as much research as you can to get into the mindset of the desired listener . Good points to think about are:

• What are they doing in their spare time?
• Do they have any hobbies or interests?
• Why do they listen to podcasts?
• Why are they interested in your show’s topic?
• What value are they looking for from a podcast?

Once you’ve got a strong understanding of the above points, you’ll find it much easier to define your target audience in your business plan.

4. An Outline of Your Budget & Time Spent

Being realistic about your production budget, overall finances, and available resource is important. Before you start planning your first episode, you need to sit down and work out your available budget, and how much time you and your team can dedicate to a podcast. A simple way of doing this is to make a spreadsheet of all initial costs (like equipment ) and time investments, and go from there.

Once you’ve got an idea of the above, you’ll then need to work out any production or hosting costs. Add them to your spreadsheet. This will give you a rough idea of what you’ll be paying in both time and money to produce each episode. You can then plan out your marketing strategy, what it’ll cost to action, and how much time it’ll take. Having all this documented in a spreadsheet allows you to determine whether your podcast is both financially viable and practically feasible. If not, it’s time to go back and make some changes to the format to save time, or reduce some of the other projected costs to save money.

5. Details of Anyone Working On Your Podcast

This one’s easy. Is there anyone else working on your podcast? If it’s just you, don’t worry about this section. But you might have a co-host, or a couple of people you outsource certain production tasks to, like editing. If so, make a list of who’s doing what, and add it to your podcast business plan. Defining roles from the get-go gives everyone a clear vision of their part to play, making for a much smoother process.

6. A Marketing Plan

How are you going to promote your show? And how are you going to drive listeners to it? You might want to think about creating a website, writing a blog, a monthly newsletter , or just promoting content through social media .

Have a think about which advertising avenues you want to venture down, too. This will depend on the size of your budget, of course. So, if you’ve not got a big wad of cash to spend on it, building and pushing an online presence might be the better option (it’s predominantly free). If you do have a marketing budget to work with, there’s more you’ll be able to do. This could be anything from pamphlet distribution to billboard campaigns, or implementing QR codes. Make sure you cross-check the costs of your desired marketing strategies with your budget. What does it realistically allow for? Including this in your business plan will keep you in line, and help to stop any unattainable spending.

If you need some podcast marketing inspiration, check out our article here .

7. Decide on a Publishing Schedule

How often are you planning on releasing new episodes? Monthly? Weekly? Again, mapping out your content schedule will really benefit your show. Not having a consistent editorial calendar can appear disorganised, and listeners will be expecting some form of regularity from you. Publishing whenever you feel like it will have a negative impact on your download numbers over time.

8. Monetization Methods & What Products You’re Selling

The last thing to factor into your business plan is how you’re going to make money from your show. So, add in details of any sponsorship deals , brand partnerships, advertisements, or affiliate links you want to secure. If you’re a smaller show, you probably won’t be able to get these monetary wins straight away. You’ll need to build a listenership of a certain size before bigger brands and hefty sponsorship deals make their way into your inbox. Even so, it’s worth including them in your business plan. It will motivate you to keep going, and it’s always good to set out any long-term aspirations.

If your show really takes off, you might be in a position to explore other monetization avenues. Like merch, for example. Bear in mind that it takes a lot of time and effort to reach this point, and you’ll need to have a strong relationship with listeners for them to want to buy your products. If you think this might be possible for your show at some point, include it in your business plan.

Example Podcast Business Plan Template

There’s no one way when it comes to formatting your podcast business plan. It’s you who will be using it, so try to find the right method for you. That being said, try to use simple language where you can. There’s no need to use overly-complicated, boring jargon.

Make sure you take the time to keep it updated, too. As your podcast grows, you’ll likely want to set yourself new goals, or make minor tweaks to your already existing ones. We’d recommend checking in with it and making sure it’s reflective of your show’s current situation every quarter or so.

Feel free to use our template below to build a podcast business plan for your own show.

And that’s a wrap on everything you should include in your podcast business plan. Planning out the entire future of your podcast might feel a bit daunting at first, but it’s definitely worthwhile. It’s never set in stone either, so feel free to tweak it whenever you see fit.

Remember that launching a podcast is supposed to be exciting, so have fun with it. The real hard work comes next…

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How to Write a Podcast Business Plan (& Why You Should!)

I’ll admit, business planning isn’t sexy. But when it comes to your podcast, you’ll want to make sure that you’re prepared. 

Writing a podcast business plan will not only help you prepare but outline where you see yourself heading in the future. Many podcasters get started without taking this step, but if you want to set yourself up for success, I highly recommend it.

Why Do We Need a Podcast Business Plan?

Plenty of podcasts start without a business plan, so what makes yours so different? Can’t you just start and see where podcasting leads you?

Podcasting is just like any other business venture you’ll undertake. It takes time, money and resources to get it done. Even if your end goal isn’t to run a million-dollar podcast and you simply want to have fun, driving down podcast highway with no destination in sight will get old very fast.

A podcast business plan can help you avoid that. Or at least make that journey more meaningful by adding goals, targets and milestones. Generally speaking, business plans help you in three big areas:

1. Better Understand What You’re Doing

Creating a podcast business plan before you get started can help you to better understand what you’re doing before you get too deep into it. There’s a lot more to podcasting than simply uploading a new episode . 

Taking the time to plan before you start recording helps you think beyond listener numbers , episode titles and equipment . It gives you the chance to dig into what already exists, who you plan to make your podcast for, where you’re going to fit in and how you’re planning on growing.

2. Increase Your Chances Of Success

Success in podcasting varies depending on your end goals, which makes planning all that much more important. You need to identify what success looks like to you and how you’re going to get there.

Starting anything new is a challenge but I truly believe that a plan makes it significantly easier. It gives you a place to go and provides a roadmap to get there. There will be days that you really need that.

3. Get Funding (If You Need It)

I’ll start out by saying that not every podcaster seeks external funding. But with the rise of podcasting as a business function and the podcast-as-a-business model, external funding is becoming more popular. Funding means you need funders—whether that be through a financial institution or private investors. 

When funders decide whether or not to support you, they look to your business plan to measure the probability of success. They want to know how you’re going to spend money and make it back.

If you’re creating a podcast for a large organization, creating a business plan can help secure buy-in from your corporate overlords. I’ve pitched podcasts inside major companies before and, in a lot of cases, the higher-ups don’t know enough about podcasting to see the value. Putting in a little work and effort goes a long way.

How to Write a Podcast Business Plan

Writing a podcast business plan is easier than you think. It’ll take some time and research. But the more work you put into it now, the easier it will be to create, manage and maintain your podcast in the future.

But before you get started, you need to decide who will see your plan when it’s done. In many cases, this will simply be you and possibly those that are helping you. But if you’re looking for funding or to build a corporate podcast, don’t skip over the “extras for the corporate overlords” section. You’ll need it. 

Podcast Overview

The overview is exactly what it sounds like. It covers the who, what, where, when and why of your podcast. You’ll want to write up:

• A quick overview of what your show is about and how it’s presented
• Outline the hosts, producers and other personnel involved
• Create the mission, values and goals of the podcast

This overview does not have to go into detail. You simply want the reader to get a quick sense of the podcast before they dig into the plan.

Overview of the Podcasting Space

In any other business plan, I would call this section the “competitor” section but in podcasting that’s the wrong word. There will be shows out there like yours that you need to differentiate yourself from but you don’t necessarily have to compete for the audience—there’s enough space for all of you.

You want to dig into the research on this one and figure out what already exists in your podcasting niche . Your big goal is to answer the following questions:

• Who are the top players in your niche? Why? Where do they find their audience?
• Who is your podcasting inspiration? Who do you aim to be like?
• Where do you fit into the mix?

You want to be honest with yourself on these ones, chances are you’ll be the only one who looks at your plan.

Helpful Resource: Podcast Stats – The Very Latest Industry Facts & Trends

Target Audience

The whole “if you put something out there, the people will come” theory is a lie. There are A LOT of options out there, it’s a bad call to not put any thought into your audience because you assume they’ll find you.

You want to create a target audience that you’ll be creating your podcast for. This should be more defined than men and women between 18 and 40 —you want to know what your audience is into, what attracts them to a podcast and what will encourage them to engage .

You can’t grow your audience if you don’t know who they are. This section of your podcast business plan is really where your growth starts. 

Our free  Podcast Planner tool  will help you a lot, here. It just takes a few minutes to fill out, and will set you up with your own personalised program!

You can absolutely create a podcast with no budget whatsoever. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Eventually, your podcast will cost you money and here’s where you figure out how much that is.

Some of the line-items that are included in a podcast budget are:

• Hosting platforms
• Editing and production
• Marketing collateral and activities
• Website design and hosting

Building a budget will help put the costs of podcasting into perspective and decide whether or not you need to add monetization to your “to do” list.

The personnel (or “management” section in a traditional plan) outlines who does what for the podcast. You want to identify the following roles and responsibilities:

• Audio engineer (editor)
• Operations manager

And anything else that your podcast might need. 

It’s possible that one or two people might fill all of these roles in the beginning but if you plan to expand your personnel later, this is a great place to start thinking about how that will happen later.

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Marketing and Growth Plan

Whether you’re podcasting for money or fun, you’ll want your podcast to grow. This is where your marketing plan comes in. You’ll want to outline what activities you’re going to take on a regular basis and where you’ll find your audience.

Make sure that you outline all of the different channels you’ll be using (for example, I have a website, blog and social media accounts related to my podcasts), how often you’ll be utilizing the channels and what the overall brand looks like. You’ll also want to decide whether you’re going to do paid advertising .

Monetization and Products

With your budget created it might become clear that doing at least a little bit of monetization is in your best interest. Some popular monetization channels for podcasts include:

• Affiliate marketing
• Sponsorship, ads and partnerships
• Digital product sales
• Physical product sales

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Outline what kind of monetization you’re going to do in your podcast business plan, give some kind of idea when you’re planning on starting this and decide how you’ll make it happen.  

Podcast Business Plan Extras for the Corporate Overloads

The following sections of the podcast business plan are specifically for those seeking funding or trying to appeal to an internal corporate audience. If you’re simply making the plan for yourself, you’re most likely safe to ditch them.

Industry and Market Analysis

When appeasing the corporate overlords, you’ll want to make sure that you do some solid research on the podcasting industry and market as a whole . This way you can outline what the organization can get out of podcasting.

Make sure to outline the different podcasts that are put out by similar large organizations, and outline how they help their brands grow , acquire new customers and anything else that will help give you street cred. 

Funding Requirements

When requesting funding, you need to make your ask specific. Tell your funders how much money you’ll need and for how long. You’ll want to clearly outline how that money will be used and how long it will take you to pay them back. 

Organization, Management and Approvals

While you talked about management in the personnel section, you need to outline how the podcast fits into the organization. Who is overseeing your activities, what kind of approval and oversight do they have and what you’ll need from other members of the organization.

Executive Summary

The executive summary of any business plan lays out the entire plan on one page. It summarizes everything that a reader will dig into on subsequent pages so they know what they’re getting into.

If you are submitting this plan to a funder or an organization you need this section. If it’s just for you skip it completely. The executive summary should be the last thing you write, but it’ll be displayed on the first page of the business plan.

Putting Your Podcast Business Plan Together

Creating a podcast business plan seems like a monstrous task that sucks the fun out of podcasting. But from personal experience, I can tell you that it actually breathes life into your project and gives you the confidence boost you might be waiting for.

This plan does not have to be complex. Use simple language and don’t overcomplicate it—you’re starting a podcast not launching a rocket to Mars. Most importantly, take some time to have fun with it.

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How to Write a Podcast Business Plan

The rise in technology has created thousands of jobs that didn’t exist in the 20th century. Over 30 years ago, who would have thought you could quit your nine-to-five job and make a living talking about the things you love? For many, podcasting has transitioned into a full-time job.

If you’re taking the next step in your podcasting journey and transitioning from hobby to career, you’ll need a podcast business plan. While business plans aren’t the most exciting thing to write, they ensure that you have the best chance at success. 

This post will outline how to write a business plan for a podcast so you can grow your podcast business . 

Do you need a podcast business plan? 

The simple answer is yes. Any podcaster who’s been in the podcasting space for a while will tell you that it’s best to develop a business plan for podcast success. Planning helps you know what you have to do and when.

If you want to take your show seriously and make money from it, then, like any other business venture, it’s best to have a plan in place. Even if you’re not planning to become the next Joe Rogan (a famous podcaster and comedian), having a plan allows you to enjoy the process and avoid making it unnecessarily laborious. 

A business plan is like using a recipe when baking a cake – you know exactly what you need ahead of time. 

Here’s an overview of how to write up a business plan for your podcast: 

• Mission statement 
• Know your audience 
• Establish your team
• Work out your budget 
• Create a content calendar 
• Create a marketing plan 
• Think about monetization 

The main reasons to have a plan are to understand the purpose of your podcast and increase your chances of success. Read below for the breakdown of each of these steps.  

1. Mission statement – Identify the why

Before you start designing merch and organizing giveaways, identify your mission statement or the “why” behind your podcast. Podcasting is no small undertaking, so identifying your reason for starting your podcast business will be the fire that pushes you forward when things get difficult. 

Be honest with yourself so you can define what success really means to you. If you want to build a content strategy for an existing customer base, you may not be as interested in monetization as you are in developing a strong listenership. 

If you want to become famous, however, you’ll have to follow the pros and figure out how to build your brand to that level. 

2. Know your target audience 

You can’t please everyone. This is especially true with podcasting due to the niche nature of the medium. A business plan for a podcast will help you determine who your ideal listener is and how you can reach them through your content. 

In a consumer-driven industry, the best brands are user-centric. Figure out what your target audience needs and use your content to solve that need. 

3. Establish your team and divvy up roles

Now that you know the mission and your audience, it’s time to assemble your team. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was it built by a single person. Identify your podcasting team and determine what each person will be responsible for.  

If you are working alone, that’s perfectly fine! While it will be more work for one person, it’s definitely possible. If that’s the case, try outsourcing some of the work to take some weight off your shoulders. Play to your strengths and consider finding a partner or hiring a freelancer to help with your less skilled areas. 

4. Work out your budget 

Any business plan will require a budget, and a podcast business plan is no different. If you don’t already have a podcast budget , create one. Podcasting is not as expensive as filmmaking, but it will take some financial resources to get started and keep going. 

Spreadsheets are a great tool that many entrepreneurs (podcasters and otherwise) use to keep track of their resources. Your spreadsheet can include some necessary expenses. These can include: 

• Equipment 
• Hosting network fees 
• Marketing costs
• Paying personnel or freelancers 

Podcasts are a lot of work, so remember to budget your time in addition to money. On a separate page, log the amount of time you can allot to things like recording, editing and publishing episodes. Be sure to factor in your marketing needs, like running your website and social media pages. 

5. Create a content calendar 

Develop a content calendar as part of your business plan for podcast success and peace of mind. A calendar will help you plan your content creation and posting schedule in advance so you can execute it one day at a time. 

Continuing with the recipe analogy, a content calendar is like laying out all of your ingredients in front of you and pre-measuring them so you can simply add things as needed. 

Here you can plan the release schedule, also determine if your content themes will coincide with holidays or remain universal.  

6. Create a marketing plan 

Your podcast business plan needs a marketing strategy. How will you market your podcast as a product or service and get the word out to your audience? Determine what methods you want to use and when you want to launch them. You can integrate this as part of your content creation plan. 

Having a presence on the right platforms or channels will promote your show within your niche and establish your brand authority. Some common marketing strategies include creating a podcast website to centralize the information from your business or email marketing campaigns to directly connect your audience. 

7. Think about monetization 

Even if you’re just starting out, if you’re hoping to eventually develop your show into a career, consider monetization. 

Every business plan should always note the expenses and potential income streams. Podcast monetization can help your show sustain itself and even generate a profit. Check that your hosting network has applicable monetization features, as not all do. 

With Podbean, podcasters can choose from a variety of monetization features, including the ads marketplace and paid content.  

Conclusion 

If you want to turn your podcasting hobby into a business, it’s best to have a plan. Without one, the process will become stressful at best and unsuccessful at worst. A business plan is the best way you can grow your podcast. 

The right network can make or break your business. That’s why hobbyists and professional podcasters alike choose Podbean. Podcasting takes work, but Podbean makes podcasting simple. 

Start your free trial today. 

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6 comments on “ How to Write a Podcast Business Plan ”

It emphasizes the importance of crafting a podcast business plan as a strategic roadmap for success, offering practical steps and insights for both beginners and aspiring career podcasters. The conclusion underscores the significance of a well-thought-out plan and introduces Podbean as a pivotal partner in simplifying the podcasting journey.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to professionalize their podcasting hobby. The step-by-step guide is clear and comprehensive, covering everything from mission statements to budgeting and marketing plans. It’s like having a roadmap for success in podcasting, similar to how an IQ test measures and guides one’s intellectual development. The emphasis on understanding your audience and creating a content calendar is particularly useful. This article is a must-read for aspiring podcasters who want to turn their passion into a profitable venture.

What a beautiful sharing. It gives me some useful tips for writing a podcast business plan.

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Excellent! I will be looking at it more.

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Podcast Business Plan – A How-to Guide!

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Even if you don’t plan on monetizing your show it is a good idea to have a podcast business plan. You could call it Podcast Outcome Plan if you don’t like the word business.

This page features some affiliate links which means purchases made through some links will provide a small commission to PodcastHero.com

Whatever you call it, going through the planning process and having a business plan will make you better prepared and set you up for success.

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Table of Contents

Writing a Podcasters’ Business Plan

🎙️ a step by step guide..

• ❔ Why would I need a Podcast Business Plan?

✍🏻 How to write a business plan for your podcast?

🎤 podcast executive summary.

• Podcast Management Team

Podcast SWOT analysis

Competitive analysis, 💻 podcast operations plan, 💰podcast budget, 💳 where will you spend money on podcasting, create a time budget for your podcast, tips for saving time on your podcast production workflow:, 🧩podcast human resources management, 📈 podcast marketing plan, 📊 differentiation analysis, 🎯 target audience (customer analysis), who is your ideal listener, define your ideal avatar., industry analysis, other marketing considerations:, should you join a podcast network, first impression – album art (must be great), color pallete, account-based marketing, other podcast marketing strategies, 💸 podcast profit plan, 🤑 there are a ton of ways to make money podcasting, a final word on business planning for podcasters.

💡 Having a plan is a good idea when you start doing anything new.

Being intentional about your focus and your efforts will bring you better results.

Take some time to go through the planning process for your podcast so you don’t fall into any podcasting pitfalls. There are a lot of mistakes that can be avoided simply by figuring out what you are doing first.

Having a written podcast plan will show you where you are, related to where you want to be.

A podcast business plan is just a snapshot of where your podcast is today and what your growth plan is for the next few years. It should explain your goals and milestones and your strategy for achieving them. The podcast business plan also needs to provide market research to support your stated goals.

Don’t forget to update your Podcast Business Plan regularly! This podcast business plan is a living document and as your podcast evolves and grows over time so should your planning document.

❔ Why would I need to Plan My Podcast with a Business Plan?

If you have goals associated with your podcast then you need a podcast business plan.

Podcasting without a ‘ podcast business plan ‘ is like driving in a strange city without a map.

You wouldn’t get into the car and drive somewhere you have never been without using a map or navigation app, would you? You could, but the trip might be more frustrating, take longer and you might feel like turning around and driving home!

Remember that most podcasts podfade by the 7th episode!

If you identify your goals, objectives, and milestones and the steps required to achieve them then you will enjoy your podcast journey without the frustration and roadblocks that other podcasters face.

The podcast planning process will help you clarify why you are starting a podcast? Who is your target listener? What are you going to be selling? And will your content attract the right listener?

Having a podcast business plan will increase your chance of your show being congruent with what you want to achieve.

Without a plan, you might end up climbing a ladder that is leaning on the wrong wall.

If you have a written podcast business plan then you can refer to it if you feel lost or off track.

A podcast business plan can help you get funding from investors, can help you crowdfund your show, and even help you get sponsors.

When people are looking to invest in your podcast the fact that you have a podcast business plan will give them more confidence to back you.

Use the KISS principle 💋 – Keep It Super Simple

Don’t overcomplicate this process. Use conversational language and don’t use jargon or try to sound too professional. This is a podcast, not a major corporate undertaking.

It isn’t hard to write a business plan for your podcast. You will need to invest some time to think about your show and who the show will serve. The more energy you put into this process the easier it will be to produce, promote and profit from your podcast in the future.

Remember the Four P’s of Podcasting – Planning, Production, Promotion, and Profit.

Planning comes FIRST.

The goal of the summary is to quickly capture the reader’s attention and generate interest in the podcast.

Do this even if you aren’t going to show the podcast business plan to anyone. It is ok if this business plan is only for you. Put in the work and write as if you will be presenting it to others.

The executive summary is just a quick overview of your podcast. It answers the quick questions any potential podcast partner would want to know.

• What qualifications do you have in the niche?
• What is your history with this topic?
• What skills, expertise, and characteristics give you an advantage?
• List all your strengths and don’t be humble.
• virtual assistant?
• Define your Avatar (briefly)

Demographics

• Why the content matches the audience?
• Summarize your idea about the show
• Topic, format, and call to actions
• Evergreen or Timely content?
• List all the podcast directories you will be listed in.
• If you are going to exclude a directory (say why?)
• What day of the week do you plan to publish the show?
• What frequency will the show be published? Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Daily?
• What inspired you to want to start this show?
• What is the ultimate goal of the show?
• What is your Podcast’s Unique Selling Proposition?
• If you curse or include adult-themed content you are required to mark your show explicit.

📝 Remember if you even mark one episode as explicit your show will be removed from the India Apple Podcasts directory and more than a dozen other countries.

Include your mission, values, and purpose of the podcast at the end of the summary.

It is important to also state why the show is important to you! Write your mission statement for the show. The values and purpose of the podcast are important and should be easy to understand so anyone reading will know what your show stands for.

And also document all the milestones you want to achieve over time.

The executive summary should be a short and engaging read.

Management Team

If you and your co-host (and others on your team) have a good background in successful ventures then highlight these in your podcast business plan. A strong team is essential to building any successful venture. If you have experience running other successful shows then don’t hold back that information.

If your team has no experience or expertise then you could start an advisory board for your show. And “borrow” the credibility of others who are willing to put their name on your project.

📝 Having a great podcast business plan will also help you attract good people to your team!

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats.

Strengths – What are the strengths that will help make your show successful?

Weaknesses – What weaknesses may be holding you back?

Opportunities – What opportunities can you explore in the niche?

Threats – What threatens the viability of your show?

Who are the competing podcasts in the niche?

Write down how many active shows you will be competing with. Don’t worry if you find similar shows because unless your show is super-niche there will be other shows. Actually, I’d be more worried if there were no shows in your niche because that could imply there is no market for your topic.

Other podcasts in your niche are direct competitors but in many cases, they can be allies in your podcasting journey. Podcasting is not like broadcast media where you are competing for an audience in the same time slot. Podcasting is time-shifted media and can be listened to at any time on demand.

But of course, people only have a limited time to listen to podcasts so there is competition.

There are also indirect competitors like radio shows, TV, streaming media, and Youtube shows which compete for your listener’s content consumption time.

For each direct competitor, look at their strengths, and weaknesses and compare your shows strengths and weaknesses to see where the opportunities are to improve.

What is working for the successful podcasters in your niche?

The worst thing you can do is copy the top podcaster in your niche. You will be seen as a copy cat and there is no way you can be better at being them than they already are. If you are going to copy anything copy the processes and work ethic they have. The key to success in podcasting is to find YOUR OWN secret sauce. You can’t succeed by stealing another podcaster’s secret sauce.

📝 Remember to think about these questions from a listener’s point of view.

Once you start actually doing the work of planning, producing, and promoting your podcast episodes you will have to follow a podcast production and promotion workflow.

In this section of the Podcast Business Plan, you will list the equipment you will use, the workflow you will follow, and the standard operating procedures for each workflow. Remember, this plan is a living document and you will update it as your workflow improves and becomes more efficient or when you add more podcasting tools to your arsenal.

To choose the Podcast Equipment, Podcast Software, and all the other things you will need in your podcast production workflow you will first need to know what your budget is and acquire the tools that fit within it.

Any business plan will include a budget as well as a cash flow statement and financial projections.

With a podcast business plan, you will focus mainly on the budget.

How much money are you going to invest to start your podcast?

It is possible to start podcasting for almost FREE .

But you will have an easier, more enjoyable experience if you spend some money on good gear and reliable services.

• Podcast Equipment
• Podcast Studio (acoustic treatment)
• Podcast Media Hosting
• Graphic Design
• Podcast Editor Services
• Podcast Production Services
• Podcast Marketing
• Website Design and web hosting
• Social Media marketing
• Paid Advertising
• Podcast Editing Software
• Marketing and Productivity Software

Where will you spend your time on your podcast?

• If you have lots of money and little time – spending money will save you time on your podcast.
• If you have lots of time but little money – spending more time on your podcast will save you money.

One of the big causes of podfading is that new podcasters drastically underestimate the amount of time it takes to make a good podcast.

If you are a new podcaster you will need to budget a lot of time for your show at first. Much more time than you probably first realize.

Create a practice episode and see how long it takes you to produce it from start to finish.

Record the time it takes to plan the episode, source the reference material, write the script (or outline), record the show, edit the show, process the audio, write the show notes and produce the episode art and social media images and to publish and start the promotion.

Once you know how long it takes you to get through one episode you can figure out if you will need to outsource some of this work to save time.

You can also decide to reduce your podcast publishing frequency if you won’t have time to complete a full episode each week.

📝 NOTE: a professional podcast network like Gimlet or NPR can have up to 30 or more people working on ONE podcast at a time.

As an indie podcaster, you usually start out with just one person doing all the work (or two if you have a co-host).

Create an editorial calendar

Using an editorial calendar can help you to plan out multiple podcast episodes in advance and know what stage each episode is in the production workflow.

There are a lot of great tools that can help with this and most of them are free ( or freemium ).

I like Notion because I can develop my own system (without knowing any code) that is custom to my needs and how I like to work. Notion has a free plan which so far works for me.

I’m working on a Podcast Business Plan and a Podcast Production Workflow Template for Notion right now. If you use Notion you may be interested in this template.

If you want the template (once complete) then Register for the Notion Template by completing the survey at the end of this article.

I used to use Trello to manage my content production workflow and it is a great option too.

Trello is a KanBan (and more) style project management software that makes it easy to create pipelines and workflows for any project. It isn’t as flexible as Notion but the learning curve is a little flatter.

And if you use WordPress for your podcast website there is a good plugin called Editorial Calendar that allows you to plan and schedule multiple posts and track your progress and even assign tasks to your team (if you have one).

Will you podcast in seasons?

Some podcasts produce their shows in seasons. In the same way that a TV Show is produced in seasons, you can release your show in podcast seasons. This will give you a break in between to let you catch your breath or get a head start on the next season.

A final word on Podcast Budgets

One of the benefits of spending time on writing a podcast budget is you get to evaluate many options on where you can spend money on your show and which solutions will best meet your needs.

Writing out a podcast budget for both time and money will help you to realize the costs associated with the different aspects of the podcasting workflow and where any money that comes in will flow in order to improve and grow the show.

This is especially important if you have a Co-host(s) who is a partner in the ownership of the show. A Podcast Business Plan and a written podcast partnership agreement are crucial. Once money starts flowing there has to be an agreement in advance on who gets what and if and how the money gets re-invested in the show.

This is the section of the podcast business plan where you outline the work that needs to be done and who is going to do it.

Even if you are the only person involved in your show it is a good idea to do a thorough job here.

In the book, The E-Myth , by Michael Gerber , he says that it is very important to outline all the functions of your business and create an organizational chart displaying each function. Do this even if you are putting your own name onto each of the org chart boxes!

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

$Click the button below to verify the price.

Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It If you are starting a podcast and want to run it as a business this is a must-read.

You are the CEO, the Podcast Host, the Podcast Editor, the Podcast Producer, the Research Team, the Community Manager, the Marketing Director… you get the idea!

Each function will have a Podcast Standard Operating Procedure (PSOP) attached to it.

As you get better at podcasting and refine your workflow, update the PSOPs to reflect your current standard as to how the work gets done.

Now you will have an employee manual for each business function of your podcast.

When it comes time to outsource one of the operational functions you just replace your name with your new personnel and train them using the established PSOP.

And if you document all the work for each role on the Podcast Standard Operating Procedures (PSOP) then you will have more content for your podcast operations plan .

In this section of the podcast marketing plan , you want to explore the niche in more detail than you did in the podcast executive summary.

What other shows are in the niche that will be competing for your listeners’ time?

List all the shows in your niche and comment on their format, style, credibility in the space, the podcast album art quality, and overall appeal of these shows.

What are the most popular shows in your niche?

Which shows in the niche are the most popular? Write a brief analysis as to why you believe these shows are successful. What is different about them than the less popular shows.

Where does your show fit into the niche?

Describe how your show will fit into the mix of other shows. What will you bring to the table that others are currently not?

Will you produce content competitors don’t?

Do you have access to credible interview guests in the niche? Do you have a particular skill set that is in demand in the niche? Will you offer a different format or style of the show than the others?

Will you have more audience engagement?

Will you build a more engaging audience than your competitors ?

What tools will you use to generate audience engagement?

How will you get your audience to raise their hands and identify themselves.?

Podcast listening is anonymous meaning you have no (legal) way of knowing who is listening unless they volunteer to identify themselves either by signing up for your email list or engaging with you through comments, voice mail feedback, or social media mentions.

What is your plan to get to know your audience?

You can use lead magnets, quizzes, surveys, polls, and freebies to entice your listeners to raise their hands and go from anonymous to known listeners.

One of my favorite engagement tools is Smart Quiz Builder . This is a WordPress Plugin and it allows you to generate quizzes, surveys, polls, calculators, and lead magnets for your listeners.

I highly recommend it .

Your target audience is a group of people that are ideal listeners to your show. They are also your potential customers when you monetize the show.

In order to attract the audience, you will need to PROMOTE your show.

In the movie, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character was told, “ if you build it they will come “.

This has become a meme now but the truth is if you produce a podcast they will NOT come automatically.

You have to promote the show and build an audience over a period of time.

If you do a good job of targetting the right listener and understand their needs this will be much easier.

If you truly understand your audience you will speak their language and they will feel like they know you right from the beginning because you are one of them .

• Geographic location
• Education level

Psychographics

• Spirituality
• Family values
• Individual rights vs societal responsibility
• Environment
• religious beliefs
• glass half full or half empty
• marital status
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Neuroticism
• Extroversion

An Avatar is the one person who is your ideal listener . You need to describe this person in detail.

• What do they do for fun?
• What hobbies or sports do they play?
• Do they listen to a lot of other podcasts?
• What made them interested in your topic?
• How old are they? Are they Male, Female, or another gender?

You should know everything about this fictional person that represents exactly who you want to speak to through your show. When you prepare your content, present the material, and promote the show you will be thinking of only this one person .

Of course, other people who aren’t exact matches to your Avatar will end up listening to (and enjoying) your content. But you should be extremely focused on who you are speaking to while on the mic.

You can not grow the right audience if you don’t know who they are, and what they want, and then give it to them!

📝 NOTE: The audience (potential customers) you choose will have a huge impact on the type of podcast you run. If you are selling high-end, done-for-you services then you don’t want to create a podcast that teaches DIY content. Why? because then you will attract people that want to do it themselves and these people will be cheap and will not want to spend a lot of money on your high-end service.

Provide a brief summary of the podcast industry. Listener demographics and growth of the general podcast space. It is a good idea to have a good understanding of the space so you can present the opportunity to invest in your show through sponsorships, joint ventures, or fundraising.

Knowing the niche industry will help you develop a better marketing strategy as well.

Also, provide a brief summary of the niche industry of your show. If your show is in the travel industry then write about the growth in travel and increased interest in tourism. Research the numbers and present the data in a persuasive way.

Marketing plans usually include Product, Price, Place, and Promotion .

For podcasting, the Product isn’t usually the show (unless the audience is large enough). In most cases, the product is what you are selling. Either your own product or service or someone else’s. Price is what are you charging for the products you are selling. The place is the reach of your show. Promotion is how you will get the word out.

Describe where you will find your audience.

Where do your ideal listeners hang out online and how can you participate there?

If your show appeals to professionals then maybe the best place to find a pool of potential listeners is on LinkedIn or maybe some Facebook groups for the profession. The key is to focus your efforts on where your ideal listeners are hanging out online.

Offline Marketing Opportunities

Are there offline marketing opportunities for your podcast?

• Conferences
• Cocktail Parties
• Charity Events
• Print Media
• Business Cards for your show?

What marketing activities are you going to do regularly?

Map out what activities you will do regularly. I’ve heard some digital marketers say that they spend 20% of their time creating content and 80% of their time promoting it. I find this a little extreme but the point is taken. You will need to spend a good portion of your time promoting the show.

What services are you going to use to help automate these activities?

There are a lot of social media, email marketing automation, and CRM tools that can help you to reach people more efficiently. I like Publer , Fluent CRM , Nimble CRM among others.

Define what channels you will be using for marketing?

Will you build a website for your show or just use an automatically generated page from your podcast media hosting company ? Will you publish your content and interact with people on LinkedIn? Will you be active on Clubhouse? Will you run a Facebook group? Will you build a Youtube Channel to promote your podcast? Will you use Twitter or Instagram as your primary social channel? There is no right or wrong answer here.

↪️ Pick the social channels that appeal to you most and where your Avatar is most likely to be.

Distribution – Submit to all directories

Unless you have a good reason not to then submit your show to all the podcast directories that are available. The exception to this rule is never to pay to be in a podcast directory. The paid podcast directories are not worth it.

The main podcast directories include Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, and more. A full list of directories can be found over at Podcast 411.

Ratings and reviews

Despite what you probably heard over and over again on a lot of the shows that you listen to, podcast ratings and reviews don’t increase your exposure on Apple Podcasts . They do give you social proof which is a great thing to have and can be used in your marketing materials and social media posts to help convince others that your show is worth listening to.

Podcast Website

Will you build your own podcast website or use the generic, automatically generated podcast page that your podcast media host provides.

You can do more with a fully functional website but when you first start out you may decide to wait until later because the media host podcast pages are half decent.

If you build your own website there are a lot of options. WordPress is a popular platform and has plugins that support podcasting. Podpages is a platform designed specifically for podcasters.

Growing traffic to the podcast website:

• Guest podcasting
• social media community
• social media interaction
• Paid Traffic

Don’t sign away the rights to your show unless you feel the compensation is worth losing control of your show. There are different types of podcast networks ranging from a podcast federation where member podcasters own their own shows but agree to promote other network members’ shows and networks like Gimlet where the shows are owned 100% by them. Be very careful about joining a podcast network as the benefits are not always greater than the cost.

The very first thing a potential listener will see when browsing a podcast directory is your podcast album art. Make sure it is eye-catching and professional. High-quality album art is very important and unless you are a graphic artist you may want to outsource this.

The Podcast Design Co is a great option if you don’t have the skills to design your own album art.

Check out this article for Podcast Album Art specifications and requirements .

Picking some brand colors for your podcast is a good idea. There are some good sites that can help you pick colors that go well together and then you will use these colors for your album art, website, and social media graphics.

If you are starting a podcast that will be promoting an existing business you own then you may want to consider an account-based marketing strategy.

Account-Based Marketing is a strategy that Business to Business podcasters utilize to build relationships with decision-makers in target accounts.

You will need to list all the target accounts and the decision-makers within them.

Then contact the target clients and schedule them to be interviewed on your podcast.

The idea is that it is easier to get a podcast interview than to schedule a sales call.

Then after a relationship is established you can talk business.

You don’t have to have an Account-Based Marketing strategy in all your episodes. You can have different podcast episode strategies that you cycle through.

Each episode should have a purpose. What is the call to action you want people to follow after listening? We just went over the Account-Based Marketing Strategy but there are others you can implement.

• Revenue Generation – promoting specific products on an episode
• Awareness – letting your audience know about a new area of business your company is in.
• Goodwill – presenting information on charity work or community activities you are engaged in.
• Email list building – enticing listeners to sign up for the newsletter
• Word of mouth marketing – asking listeners to share the show.

Now that you have worked through a good portion of the Podcast Business Plan you probably realize that this podcast thing takes a lot of your time, and energy and costs money!

So now it is time to plan how you are going to make money from your podcast.

But don’t spend too much time here because you can’t monetize a podcast until you have built an audience. Remember the 4 P’s of Podcasting – Planning, Production, Promotion, Profit .

Profit is the last of the 4 P’s and you have to get the other 3 P’s right first or you won’t have an audience to sell anything to.

So focus most of your time on making your show the best it can be. Then focus some time on promoting your show. Then you will be able to work on the final P (profit).

Having said all of that it is good to have an idea of what the monetization options are so that you can plan your target listener properly. And you can keep these podcast monetization methods in the back of your mind as you build your show.

• Sponsorships and Advertising
• Affiliate Marketing
• Joint Venture Partnerships
• Coffee Mugs
• Cell phone cases
• Bumper Stickers
• Baseball caps
• Online Courses
• Membership site
• Paid Webinar
• Virtual Summit
• Active Campaign
• Name Hero Webhosting
• Private Label Rights (PLR)
• Premium Podcast Feed
• Paypal button
• Podbean Patron
• Buy Me a Coffee dot com
• Kickstarter
• Professional services (accounting, etc)
• Promoting an existing business

Pick the monetization methods that are best suited for your show.

Decide what podcast monetization and when you will implement them.

Remember before you start to Profit from your podcast you have to build an audience.

Again >>> Profit is the last P in the Four P’s of Podcasting .

A traditional business plan includes a financial projection with cash flow analysis on a monthly and quarterly basis. But for an independent podcaster, I don’t think it is necessary to create financial statements when you write your first draft. Remember this will be a living document and once your show is successful you can add an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Until then, just a brief summary of your intended monetization method will suffice.

Enter the Quiz Title

As you can see it will take some time and effort to write out a powerful podcast business plan. If you choose to use a tool like Notion to write out your plan I can help you as I am building a template right now. You can sign up to be the first to know when it is available.

But even using Notion can take some time to set up your system and tweak it to your way of working. Even using a template can be time-consuming.

So I am recommending that you check out UpMetrics Podcast Business Plan Template . Not only do they have a template you can use to build out your own Podcast Business Plan but their software walks you through each step of the process.

This makes it easier and saves you a lot of time. So for the investment in their service, you will have more time to produce more content or grow the show.

I hope you enjoyed this article and I wish you the best of luck in creating your Podcast Business Plan and launching a podcast that achieves the goals you set for yourself.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Benjamin Franklin

Andrew McGivern is a podcaster, blogger and mobile tech guy. Father of three awesome little ones. Interested in Social Media Marketing, New Media and Podcasting, Technology, Natural Health and Green Energy.

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How to Write a Podcast Business Plan for Beginners

• Who is your target audience?
• How do they listen to podcasts?
• What kind of content will appeal to them?
• How can your podcast stand out from competing shows?
• How often will you release new episodes?
• Do you have the resources (like time or funding) necessary to launch this venture?

What Goes Into a Podcasting Business Plan?

A podcasting business plan should include the following components.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is a high-level overview of the entire business plan. You can use it to quickly catch your reader’s attention, as well as to highlight key takeaways and provide a helpful overview of the rest of the business plan.

Problem/Opportunity Analysis

What is the problem that your podcast is solving, or what opportunity is it pursuing? What podcasts are out there in your niche? What are some ways you can differentiate your podcast from the rest? – Competitive Analysis – How will you stand out from the other podcasts in your niche? What are your strengths? Are there any weaknesses that you need to address? What can you learn from the other podcasts in your niche?

Host/Audience/Sponsor/Advertiser/Feedback Analysis

Who will be involved in the podcast? What is their motivation? Where will your podcast be hosted? Who are your potential sponsors? Will you monetize your podcast and if so, how? What feedback will you receive from your audience?

Content/Format/Marketing Strategy

What is the title and format of your podcast? What topics will you cover? How often will you release new episodes? How will you promote your podcast? What will your ongoing marketing strategy look like?

How to Write a Great Podcasting Business Plan

Below are some tips for writing a great podcasting business plan.

Get the basics out of the way; Before you dive into writing your business plan, make sure you have the basics taken care of, like having a good idea for a podcast, knowing enough about the podcasting industry, and having a good grasp of your hosting and publishing options.

Ask yourself the right questions; To write a great podcasting business plan, you’ll need to ask yourself the right questions.

• What problem is your podcast trying to solve?
• What’s your show’s format?
• What are your show’s strengths?
• What are your show’s weaknesses?
• What are the opportunities that exist in your niche?

Be detailed and thorough; A good business plan is detailed and thorough. Thoroughly outline your podcast, its format, its goals, its strengths, its weaknesses, and its opportunities.

Build an Audience Before Launching Your Show

One of the most important parts of any podcast’s lifecycle is the “build” stage. This is the time when you’re collecting an audience, testing and optimizing your show, and preparing to launch your podcast. Depending on the type of show you plan to create, you should start building your audience before you even launch your podcast. If you’re launching a new show on a familiar topic, consider repurposing content for other platforms (like your personal website or social media channels) so that you can build an audience in advance. You don’t necessarily have to have an audience of millions to start a podcast. You just need to have a few people who are interested in what you have to say and are willing to lend you their ears.

Decide Where You’ll Host (And How You’ll Make Money)

Deciding where to host your podcast is important as it determines your show’s reach and accessibility. When it comes to hosting, you have two options: self-hosting and using a third-party hosting service.

There are a few things to consider when choosing a hosting service, like the number of downloads you’re expecting, the level of support you need, the amount you’re willing to spend, and the bandwidth you’re willing to use. You’ll also need to decide how you’ll make money. There are many ways to monetize a podcast, including accepting guest sponsors, running ads, selling merchandise, or asking listeners to become patrons (a.k.a. “subscribers” or “members”).

Determine the Topics and Format of Your Show

When deciding the topics and format of your show, it’s important to consider your audience and your hosting options, as well as your show’s strengths and weaknesses. Depending on the type of podcast you plan to create, you will have different options for choosing topics, formats, and types of episodes.

Audio or Video

Do you plan on making your podcast audio-only, video-only, or both? Audio-only podcasts are simpler to produce, while video podcasts are more complex.

Length of Episodes

How long will each episode be? Most podcasts are between 20 and 60 minutes in length, but there is some flexibility here.

Frequency of Episodes

How often will you publish new episodes? Many shows publish episodes weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Podcasting is a great way to build an audience, grow your brand, and earn money. To successfully launch a podcast, you’ll need to create a business plan that helps you consider the basics, asks the right questions, and thoroughly details your podcast’s hosting options, topics, format, and frequency of publishing new episodes. That might sound like a lot, but it’s worth the effort. Once you’ve created a podcast, you’ll have an amazing experience, earn a loyal following, and earn some income to boot.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of podcasting with gusto, and you’ll be well on your way to making a name for yourself in the world of audio content.

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Podcast Business Plan: What Is It, Models, Examples & How To Write It

What is a podcast business plan, benefits of having podcast business plan, podcast overview, overview of the podcasting space, target audience, marketing and growth plan, monetization and products, podcast business model and template example, do you need a business plan for a podcast, how much does it cost to start a podcast business, how much money can you make from a podcast.

Although business planning isn’t attractive, you’ll want to make sure that you’re prepared for your podcast business plan. In addition to helping you be ready, creating a podcast business plan outlines your long-term goals. Many podcasters get started without doing this step, but if you want to set yourself up for success, we strongly advise it.

We have compiled some great information about how to get started with creating your podcast plan into this article, so if you want to find out more please continue to read on.

For the most part, one is described as an excellent tool to organize your thoughts and ideas. The term “everything” here refers to your show’s content approach, budget, and marketing strategy, as well as your long-term goals. Your show’s audience can be better understood through these surveys, which can be excellent teaching aids as well.

Why is Podcast Business Plan Important & Their Benefits?

What distinguishes your podcast from the countless others that have launched without a solid business plan? You might always start small and see where it takes you.

Like any other commercial endeavor, podcasting is no different. It requires a lot of time, money, and resources to accomplish. Drive along podcast highway with no destination in mind and you’ll grow bored quickly.

Even if your goal isn’t to make a million dollars and you just want to have fun. You can steer clear of this by creating a podcast business plan. By adding goals, ambitions, and milestones to the path you’re on, you can at least make it more meaningful.

• Become more acquainted with your work
• Boost your chances of getting what you want
• Learn how to get funding

How to Write a Podcast Business Plan

Everything about the overview is as described. Your podcasts who, what, where, when, and why are all addressed in this section. The following is something you’ll want to include in your report: a brief description of your show’s subject matter and presentation style, a list of the hosts, producers, and others who will be contributing to this project and lastly the podcast’s vision, mission, and values.

It is not necessary to go into great detail in this review. Before diving into the details, you want the reader to acquire a rapid impression of the podcast.

If I were writing a business plan for something else, I’d call this section the “competitor” section, but that’s incorrect for podcasting. There are going to be a lot of other shows like yours out there, and you’ll need to differentiate yourself from them, but you don’t necessarily have to compete for the audience.

Putting something out there and expecting people to flock to it is a myth. Because there are so many options out there, it’s a bad idea to believe that your audience will find you on their own.

Your podcast’s target audience should be defined before you begin recording. You want to know more about your audience than just the men and women in the defined age range, for example you want to know what interests them, what draws them to podcasts, and what motivates them to participate.

If you don’t know your audience, it’s impossible to expand your reach. It’s in this portion of your business plan that you’ll see the most progress in your podcasting career.

A podcast can be produced with or without a budget. Don’t assume that because you can, you should. Here’s where you figure out how much your podcast will cost you in the long run.

When it comes to planning a podcast, the personnel (or “leadership” part) lays out who does what.

Even though you may just need one or two individuals in the beginning to perform all of these jobs (producer, sound guy, writer…), this is a wonderful area to begin planning for the future expansion of your staff.

You’ll want your podcast to expand, whether you’re doing it for money or just for enjoyment. At this point, it’s time to put your marketing strategy to the test. You’ll need to spell out the frequent activities you want to engage in, as well as the locations where you expect to locate your target audience.

Consider how often you’ll use each channel and how your total brand will be represented (for example, I have podcast-related websites, blogs, and social media accounts). Another consideration is whether or not you’ll use sponsored advertising.

Once you’ve established a spending plan, it may become apparent that monetization, even if it’s only a small amount, is in your best interest. Podcasts can be made money in a variety of ways, including:

• Affiliate marketing, a way to make money by linking your site to other ones,
• Ads, sponsorships, and collaborations
• Merch Sales of digital and branded goods and so on

When it comes to putting together a podcast business plan, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Since you’ll be the one putting it to use, pick a method that works best for you. As a result, if possible, utilize plain language in your writing. Overly convoluted and dull jargon should not be used.

Take the time to keep it current as well. As your podcast grows, you’ll probably want to create new objectives or make alterations to the ones you already have. Every three to four months, take a look at it to make sure it still reflects your show’s current state of affairs.

In general, your podcast business plan template must include your budget, team, marketing and monetization plan, target audience and general podcast overview.

Enter into Shoutem app builder and start creating your app!

Podcast Business Plan FAQ

The first step in starting or expanding your podcast is developing a business plan. An effective business strategy will aid in securing funding for your podcast and planning for its long-term success.

A podcast can be created for less than $200 if you have a computer and can afford to buy a microphone and editing software. However, launching a podcast might cost several thousand dollars if you want to use high-end equipment.

In affiliate sales, you can expect to generate between $500 and $900 every episode if your podcast has roughly 10,000 downloads per episode. But this is very personable and dependent on your audience, if you have a bigger following you can do sponsorships, where different brands will pay you just for mentioning them in your episodes and you can also sell your merchandise, which can bring you a lot of revenue.

Additional resources:

• Mobile app building platform
• Make a mobile app (guide)
• Convert the website into a mobile app
• Use of data analytics in mobile apps
• Marketing strategies for radio stations
• Marketing strategies for colleges
• Marketing strategies for private schools
• Marketing strategies for schools
• Marketing strategies for churches
• Marketing strategies for live streams
• Marketing strategies for podcasts

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Launching a Podcast

Why and How to Write a Podcast Business Plan

Last updated May 9, 2023

If you intend to treat your podcast like a business, it’s important to create a podcast business plan. This document is a key resource; a roadmap that will set your show up for success, even if you don’t plan to turn your show into a media empire. 

Many podcasters dive in without bothering with this step, but we strongly recommend taking a few minutes to put your plan on paper. It doesn’t have to be perfect (it’s not like you’re sending it off to potential investors), but it should exist as a document somewhere you can consult. 

In this article, we explain why a business plan is important. Then we show you how to write your own podcast business plan .

Read to start your own podcast? Learn the nitty-gritty details of starting your own show in our comprehensive guide. Learn how to start a podcast .

Why You Need a Podcast Business Plan

Before we get into the practical steps of designing your own podcast business plan, let’s talk about why you should write one. Many podcasts launch successfully without one, so you may be wondering why it’s necessary at all. 

It helps you understand what you’re doing

A podcast business plan is an opportunity to put all of your ideas and tasks down on paper. It helps you understand what you need to do before you dive in. Ultimately, this improves your efficiency and the likelihood that you will follow through.

It increase your odds of success

Just like you wouldn’t embark on a road trip without a map, a plan for your podcasting adventure increases the chance of being successful. Most importantly, a plan helps you identify what success looks like so you can keep your eye on it.

It helps you treat your show like a business

In order to run a successful business, you have to carefully consider your numbers. What is your earning potential? How much will you spend? How will you monetize your show ? Answering these questions will help you think critically about your show’s success as a business.,

If you ever need to raise funding for your show (perhaps to launch a marketing initiative or elevate your production value), any lender, financier, or investor will absolutely want to see a podcast business plan. They will use this document to evaluate your show’s potential for success. 

It helps you bring on new team members

If at any point you intend to recruit more people for your show, a podcast business plan will reassure them that you take the show seriously. It will also help them understand your long-term plan so they can make a good decision to join you. 

Need help getting your podcast off the ground?

With Castos’ Podcast Launch Service, our team of professional audio engineers, show note writers, and marketing pros work with you to create marketing assets, map out episodes, and make sure your podcast is set up for success.

Enter your information to request a free consultation.

How to Write a Podcast Business Plan

Writing a podcast business plan isn’t much different than creating a traditional business plan . You don’t have to write a 50-page book or slideshow. In fact, getting too deep will probably slow you down, so just jot down a few sentences or bullet points for each of the following sections. You can always elaborate and revise your plan in the future (and you should). 

Let’s go through the fundamental sections of a podcast business plan. Your plan definitely needs these components, but you may need others depending on the needs of your show. (For instance, if there’s a charity component to your model, you’ll want to include a section that explains how that works.)

Podcast overview

The first section of your podcast business plan is pretty simple: a quick overview of your show and how you will present it. List the hosts, producers, and anyone else who is involved. If you have a mission statement or value statement, add that as well.

Furthermore, this is a great place to include some goals for your show as well. What do you hope to achieve? How many listeners do you intend to capture and by when? Are there any special guests you hope to bring on?

Like we said earlier, you don’t have to go into much detail. Just outline the main points.

Your specific niche

It’s a good idea to include some notes about the space in which you will be podcasting. For example, if you plan to create a podcast about football, what other shows are popular in the football niche? How will your show be similar and how would you differentiate yourself?

Learn more about choosing a niche: How to Find the Perfect Podcast Niche (8 Considerations)

Budget/expenses

While it’s possible to create a podcast without spending a penny , we recommend spending a bit on professional tools, like headphones and a podcasting microphone . Make a basic list of any podcasting equipment , tools, or services you need and how much they will cost. This section is also a good exercise to help you keep your expenses in line.

Amplify Podcast Network has a simple podcast budget template to help you get started.

Podcasting studio

“ Podcast studio ” might be too generous a phrase, but you’ll want to talk a bit about the space you’ll use to record your episodes . This is important because your recording space can make or break your show, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience editing. Jot some notes about the type of space you’ll use and what you need to buy to make it effective.

Learn more about building a recording space: Podcast Studio Setup: How to Create a Great Podcast Recording Room

Publishing schedule/workflow

Use this section of your podcast business plan to describe your specific workflow. How often will you publish episodes? What format will you use? Will you create seasons or publish continuously? Will your content be evergreen or timely? 

It is also a good opportunity to consider how the people on your team (if any) will contribute to the workflow. For instance, who is responsible for publishing the episode once it’s complete? Who will distribute your marketing assets, such as social media posts and emails?

DLearn more about creating a podcast workflow: How to Create Your Own Podcast Workflow

Target audience

Your podcast isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to define the specific audience. Understanding who will listen to your show will help you go after them later. Spend some time performing a bit of market research . What do you listeners want in podcast content ? What would make them rave about your show? What kinds of problems do they have?

Spend a few minutes putting together a profile for your ideal listener . Here’s an example. You don’t have to make yours this fancy, but you should include similar information.

It’s okay if you don’t have a lot of information for this section. You may not know much about your target audience yet. You should expect to come back to this section in the future and update it as you learn more about your listeners.

Team/personnel

In a business plan for any other kind of business, this section would be called “management.” It outlines who is involved in the show, their responsibilities, and their salaries and/or equity in the operation. Depending on the size of your show, this might include a half dozen people, such as producer, host(s), audio engineer, marketers, etc.

If you’re a one man operation at the moment, you can skip this section of your podcast business plan. 

Learn more about building a team: How to Build a Podcast Team

Marketing strategy

In this section of your podcast business, outline your promotion strategy for growing your show. How will you acquire listeners? How will you keep them engaged? How will you encourage them to tell their friends about your show?

Make sure strategy addresses the following topics:

• Submitting your show to podcast directories
• Convincing listeners to leave ratings and reviews
• Building a podcast website
• Growing traffic to your website
• Investing in paid advertising
• Building a social community
• Getting active on social media
• Joining a podcast network (in the future)

Most importantly, make sure to list the actionable steps you will take every day, week, and month to promote your show. 

Learn more about podcast marketing: How To Promote A Podcast: The Ultimate Podcast Promotion and Podcast Marketing Guide

Monetization strategy

You may be far away from monetizing your show , but it’s important to have some idea as to how you’ll monetize it in the future. This will help you make some good decisions early. For instance, if you plan to sell merchandise at some point, you might opt for a podcast website that includes a shopping cart. 

Learn more about podcast monetization: How Do Podcasts Make Money? Try These 20 Strategies To Monetize Your Show

A Podcast Business Plan is a Living Document

You have a lot of things to do in order to set up your podcast, so creating a podcast business plan might seem like a tedious, unnecessary task. It’s not fun. It feels like work. However, you should consider your business plan as a launching off point for your show. Use the plan to guide all of your other decisions.

Like we’ve said several times, you don’t have to overcomplicate this plan. Keep things simple. Use basic language. The document is mostly for you. Few people will ever read it.

But most importantly, revisit the document every few months – or at least once a year – and give it some updates based on your show’s progress. Let your podcast business plan be a living document that evolves with your show, always a bit ahead so you have something guiding your growth. 

Did you create a podcast business plan for your show? What was your experience?

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Dear Media Blog

How to write a business plan for a podcast.

It’s hard to believe that some of the most popular podcasts out there started as just a fun and exciting hobby. But it’s true! And as it turns out, podcasting can be a super lucrative business. 

What does every business need? A well-formulated business plan! A business plan is basically required for anyone who is ready to treat podcasting as their full-time gig. It can show you where your channel stands today and help you outline where it is heading. AND, it can help you keep track of goals , targets, milestones, business strategies, and so much more. 

A good-quality business plan will make your podcasting journey more meaningful, less stressful, and ultimately, increase your odds of success. So, let’s go over how to write a business plan for your podcast. We’ve also included a podcast business plan template that will help you organize all your information & get you started on the right track! 

Determine your WHY.

The first step to writing a business plan for your podcast is to create your mission statement. Why are you starting a podcast ? What are you most passionate about? Which niche will your podcast fall into? And what are your long-term goals? Before writing your script or recording your first episode, make sure podcasting is something you could actually see yourself doing as a business owner. 

Explore your chosen niche. 

Second, take some time to explore your chosen niche. Your niche is whatever “category” your podcast will fall into. Examples include, but are not limited to, food, beauty & makeup, news and current events, reality TV, and parenting. Here at Dear Media , we host a variety of shows that fall within a variety of different niches. If you need a little niche inspo, check out our shows page . 

Exploring your chosen niche is important for a couple of reasons. First, to ensure that you’ll be able to create enough content in your niche and that it’s what you’re really passionate about. You don’t want to be five episodes in when you realize there’s nothing left to talk about and all your passion is gone. It’s also a good idea to research other podcasts in your niche and explore their content. This will help you determine what works (and what doesn’t work) in your niche. 

Identify your ideal listener.

When you sit down to record your podcast, who are you talking to? In other words, who is your target audience? A key step in the creation of your business plan is to create a profile (or profiles) of your ideal listener. Once you’ve developed a clear picture of who you’re targeting, you can better gear your content towards this audience. 

Ask yourself these questions as you construct your listener profile(s): Are they male or female? How old are they? What are their interests? Their likes and dislikes? Which social media platform do they utilize the most? What topics are they most interested in? Then, use these answers to construct comprehensive profiles of your main audiences. 

Create an overview of your podcast. 

Next, create an overview or executive summary of your podcast. Include the type of podcast ( solo , co-host, or interview), your mission statement, your niche, your ideal listener, and a brief description of what your podcast will have to offer. The executive summary is basically a summary of your plan. It’s something you can use to keep yourself on track and remind you of your long-term goals. It’s also something you can use when pitching your podcast to a sponsor or ad network, or when hiring potential employees. 

Create a budget that works for you.

Did you know that you could start a podcast with minimal investment? Well you totally can! But first, you’ll need to create a budget that works for you. This goes for your monetary investment and your time investment. Not only will you need to budget for investments in technology and personnel, but also the time you might spend away from home and/or your job. Especially if you’re starting a podcast as a side hustle . 

For tips on how to start a business with low investment, click here ! 

Invest in the right equipment. 

Choosing and investing in the right podcasting equipment is probably the most daunting task on this list. And it’s no wonder why, considering the equipment you choose will be based on both your budget and your needs. No matter how much capital you have set aside for equipment, there are some key pieces of equipment you’ll need right out the gate. Here’s a comprehensive list of everything you need to start a podcast . 

Need help researching and finding the equipment that’s right for you? Check out these articles:

• How to Setup a Podcast Studio
• 10 Best Podcast Recording Software
• 8 Best Audio Mixers for Podcasts
• 10 Best Cameras for Podcasting

Develop your editorial calendar. 

In this competitive podcasting industry, consistency is key. This is why developing an editorial calendar is so important when it comes to the success of your podcast. Most successful podcasts release 1-2 podcasts, each and every week. That’s a lot of content to research, create, record, edit, and release on a regular basis! So, in order to help you stay on track and keep the content flowing, you’ll need to create a comprehensive weekly calendar of events, and STICK TO IT! 

Your editorial calendar should include your podcast topics, as well as the due dates for all your deliverables. Deliverables might include recording dates, editing dates, publishing dates, and so on. Your calendar should also include who is responsible for each deliverable, especially if you have more than one person on your podcasting team. We recommend using a tool like Trello , Asana , or Google Calendar to organize your schedule. 

Create your marketing plan.

Now it’s time to decide how you’ll promote your show. How will you draw those listeners in and grow your podcast ? There are tons of ways to promote your podcast, from building email lists and booking relevant guests, to supercharging your SEO strategy and asking for reviews. For a list of 20 ways to promote your podcast, click here ! 

When it comes to podcasts, however, the most popular and effective marketing strategy is via social media. Depending on your chosen niche, the majority of your followers will most likely be found on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, or Twitter. Establishing your brand on social media will not only help you reach tons more potential listeners, but it will also increase your audience engagement and credibility within your niche. 

Consider monetization strategies. 

How will your podcast make money? This is the million-dollar question on almost every podcaster’s mind. Turns out, there are tons of ways you can make some serious cash via podcasting. Think merch, premium content, ads & sponsors, affiliate links, and so on. Need some more money making inspo? Check out our list of 12 ways to make money podcasting . 

Hire some help (if needed). 

Does the whole podcast producing process seem super overwhelming? Would you rather just do all the talking and let someone else handle the behind-the-scenes stuff? That’s totally normal! If this sounds like you, don’t be afraid to hire some help. Instead of struggling to do everything yourself, consider hiring a marketing manager, a podcast producer , an audio engineer, or writer/editor. After all, teamwork makes the dream work, right? 

Create a plan for your podcast today! 

Creating your podcast is one thing. Turning it into a successful business is another. But, starting a podcast doesn’t have to be hard, especially with Dear Media in your corner. We’ve got you covered on everything from how to launch and monetize your show to podcast marketing and script writing. Your dreams of creating a podcast business are right around the corner, so let’s get to it!

For more on all things podcasting, head on over to the Dear Media Blog . And, as always, feel free to drop all your questions and comments below! 

Podcast Business Plan Template

Podcast name: , mission statement: , niche/competitor research:.

Who are your competitors? What do they do well (and not so well)? What can you offer that they can’t? 

Target Audience:

Who is your ideal listener? Create a listener profile including your listeners ideal gender, age, occupation, likes, dislikes, hobbies, interests, social media preference, etc. 

Podcast Overview: 

Give a brief description of your podcast and what it will have to offer. You can include your niche, topic ideas, guest/interview ideas, and a list of goals. 

Create a comprehensive monetary budget. Note any start-up fees, equipment costs, hosting costs, studio costs, and marketing costs. You may also want to create a time budget, where you decide how much time you have available to devote to podcasting, in addition to other time-consuming activities. 

Make a list of necessary equipment and their costs. Here, you can also include equipment research and price comparisons.

Create your editorial calendar. When will you release episodes? How often? Decide which tool you will use for organization and start adding your topics and due dates. 

Marketing Strategies:

How will you promote your podcast? List your marketing strategies. Examples include email lists, social media, word of mouth, being a guest on another podcast, inviting a relevant guest to your podcast , and so on. 

Monetization Strategies: 

How will you monetize your podcast? List your monetization strategies. Examples include ads and sponsors, selling merch or premium content, affiliate links, etc. 

How will you manage your team? Define individual roles, responsibilities, and deliverables. 

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Podcast Business Plan

Hours in the traffic or listening along as you work, podcasts are popular for everything from entertainment to education.

And due to the convenience, this form of content offers podcasts, and audio content is bound to grow in popularity in the future as well.

And if you are someone who can speak with the right tempo and have in-depth knowledge about a subject, then you might have thought of having your podcast.

If yes, then all you would need is quality content and a podcast business plan .

Industry Overview

The podcast industry stood at a market value of 11.46 billion dollars in 2020 and is growing at a rapid rate. The biggest benefit of the industry is that it is a growing market and has space for newcomers as people continue to adopt podcasts as a form of content consumption.

The main reason for the growth is the convenience it offers and how it allows people to get content from any subject while they go on about their other activities.

Another major benefit is the ease of setup and less requirement of finances, especially when you are just getting started.

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Things to Consider Before Writing a Podcast Business Plan

Know your audience.

Knowing your audience is primary to having a successful podcast. Try to figure out what your audience wants to listen to, what are their questions, what are their challenges, how can you help solve them, etc.

It helps you create effective content that your audience wants to listen to and also creates something that adds value to their lives. Hence, as soon as you figure out your niche, try to find out what questions your audience has on that subject.

Choose the right platform

The right platform which attracts the audience in your niche is essential to the success of your podcast. The right content on the wrong platform is a sure-shot recipe for disaster. Hence, it is essential to do your research and pick the right platform to ensure that your efforts don’t go to waste.

Get the right equipment

The right equipment can make all the difference for your podcast. And as it is the main primary cost of your business, make sure that you get the best equipment to help you get started on the right foot. Bad sound quality and other disturbances can act as a major turn-off for your audience. Hence, invest in the right equipment to avoid that.

Figure out what your audience would get out of your podcasts

Asking the question “why” is important to help you create the right content for your audience, and also to help you stay on track as your podcast grows. Hence, it is important to ask yourself why you want to start the podcast and what people would get out of it before getting started.

Chalking out Your Business Plan

If you are planning to start a new Podcast Business, the first thing you will need is a business plan. Use our sample podcast business plan created using Upmetrics business plan software to start writing your business plan in no time.

Before you start writing your business plan for your new podcast business, spend as much time as you can reading through some samples of entertainment-related business plans .

Reading sample business plans will give you a good idea of what you’re aiming for, and also it will show you the different sections that different entrepreneurs include and the language they use to write about themselves and their business plans.

We have created this sample podcast business plan for you to get a good idea about what a perfect Podcast Business Plan should look like and what details you will need to include in your stunning business plan.

Podcast Business Plan Outline

This is the standard podcast business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• Promotion of fixed mindsets at schools.
• Work-Place Related Mental Health Conditions
• Strategically Devised Courses by Mindcast
• Solution Features
• Short-Term (1 -3 Years)
• Long Term (3-5 years)
• Mission statement
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Mindcast – 3-Year Financial Highlights
• Company Ownership/Legal Entity
• Interior Operating Facilities
• Hours of Operation
• Startup summary
• Learning How to Learn
• Coaching Educators
• Mental Health Development
• Emotional Well-Being at Workplace
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
• Understanding Anxiety, Depression and CBT
• Market segmentation
• Market Trends
• Target Market Segment
• Mindset Works
• Competitive Advantage
• SWOT analysis
• Target Market Strategy
• Market Size
• Positioning Statement
• Online Marketing Channels
• Offline Marketing Channels
• Pricing strategy
• Organization Chart
• Management Team
• Hiring plan
• Important Assumptions
• Break-even analysis
• Profit Yearly
• Gross Margin Yearly
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Business Ratios

After getting started with Upmetrics , you can copy this sample podcast business plan into your business plan and modify the required information and download your podcast business plan pdf or doc file. It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Download a sample podcast business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free podcast business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your podcast business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Free Podcast Business Plan Template

How to use the leap’s podcast business plan template.

This template helps you:

• Determine your mission statement, goals, and unique value proposition as a podcaster
• Create and manage your podcast content strategy
• Develop and implement your marketing and monetization strategies, so you can start earning more $$$ from your podcast
• Get your podcasting finances in order with a financial plan and budget

Ready to become a superstar podcaster? Get this free template to kickstart a successful (aka super profitable) podcasting business today. Download now!

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How and Why to Write a Podcast Business Plan

The podcast industry is growing rapidly, and its significant benefit is that it is a growing market and has a lot of space for newcomers. The main reason for the podcast industry's growth is the convenience it offers and the flexibility it provides to people to listen to the content they are interested in while doing other activities. Another advantage is less requirement of finances, especially if you are just starting, and the ease of setup. Many podcast producers start it as a hobby, and others treat it as a business. Regardless of what purpose you have at the start, you should create a podcast business plan if you decide to turn your podcast into a business. We will explain why you need to have a podcast business plan before your start and how to create it with our helpful steps below.

Why do you need to have a podcast business plan?

It will help you to understand what y ou are going to do..

A podcast business plan will allow you to put down on the paper all your tasks and ideas on paper. It will help you understand what you need to know and do before starting. Ultimately, it will serve as a guide throughout your daily work.

It will increase chances for success.

Like before going on a trip, you will explore the map and plan your travel. A podcast business plan will be your map for your podcast adventure and increase your chances of successfully reaching your goal.

It will help you to treat your production as a business.

If you plan to do a business, you should consider all your numbers and steps, your earning potential, your spending, your monetization, team members, etc. So, your podcast business plan will give the answers to all those questions. In case if you need a sponsor for your show, any investor would like to see your podcast business plan and use it to evaluate the potential of your show for success.

How to create a proper podcast business plan?

1. understand the reason for your podcasting..

Every successful business plan should have a mission statement. This is the reason for starting your show. Think about why you want to spread your show. Do you want to solve a problem, educate, entertain, or other goals? What is the value you want to offer to your listeners? This will help you to understand yourself, about your goals of notoriety and money. Do you want to become a famous podcaster, have a good business, or it’s just a hobby?

2. Get clear on your audience.

You won’t create a podcast that is intended for everyone, it’s simply not possible. You should think about the right audience who will need to listen to your shows. It is important for your podcast business plan , as it will make it easy to develop and market your product to your right audience. You need to know who they are and what products and services they are interested in.

3. Choose the right platform.

The right content on the wrong platform won’t work right. You should do research and choose the right platform which will attract your audience and ensure that your efforts are not in vain.

4. Pick up the right equipment.

The next point of your podcast business plan should be for the right equipment purchase, as it will make all the difference for your shows. As it is the primary cost of your business, you should ensure to get the best equipment to start with. Bad sound quality and other obstacles can have a destructive and significant impact on your shows and disappoint your listeners. Hence, study the market and get the right equipment for your budget to avoid failures in the future.

5. Understand your budget

One of the most essential points of your podcast business plan will be the budget arrangement. In case you have decided to produce a high-quality podcast, you should consider the expenses. It is preferable to obtain professional tools like headphones and microphones. Make a basic list of the necessary podcast equipment, services, tools and calculate the costs. You could also find funders for your podcasting, and they will request budget planning. If you are creating a podcast for a large organization, a podcast business plan with detailed expense planning will be mandatory. While creating your budget planning you should include:

-- Recording equipment list (computer, microphone, headphones, audio recorder, and accessories) -- Editing Software (Pro tools DAW subscription, external effect plugin) -- Public costs (Domain name, website hosting, transcription, hosting service subscription ) -- Promotion Cots (business cards, stickers, pins, ads, etc.) -- Personnel Costs (a host, producer, graphic designer, editor, sound engineers, etc.).

6. Marketing plan

The next important point of your podcast business plan will be your podcast marketing strategy. Prepare a promotion plan for your podcast growth, audience enlargement, and sharing your podcast on larger platforms . Prepare an action plan for:

-- Building a podcast website -- Submitting your episodes to podcast directories -- Convincing listeners to subscribe and leave ratings -- Growing your website traffic -- Investing in paid advertising -- Building your podcast community on social media -- Joining  a podcast network

The essential part of all this is to make sure that you follow the steps mentioned in your podcast business plan on daily basis to promote your show according to it.

7. Monetization strategy

At first, you may be far from thinking about monetizing your show, but for the future, it will become one of your action points and you should develop the right strategy on how to monetize your show. When you set your budget, it will become clear what kind of monetization strategy you need to choose. The popular monetization channels for podcasting are: -- Affiliate marketing -- Merch -- Digital product sales -- Physical product sales -- Sponsorship, ads, and partnerships

A proper podcast business plan will help you to reach your goals of turning your podcast into a successful business. We hope our tips and guides will help you on your way.

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How to write a business plan for a podcast

Table of Contents

Why do you need a business plan?

What do you need to include, podcast overview, how are you different, target audience, monetisation, merchandising, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, how can you manage your finances with countingup.

Podcasts are a thriving industry, and more people are listening every year . If you’re looking to start your own podcast, you should come up with a dedicated business plan to help you succeed.

In this article, we’re going to answer:

Writing a business plan is like planning your journey before you get in a car. You might still end up in a good place by deciding things as you go, but you can end up making a lot of wrong turns. 

It’s also possible to lose momentum and get bored if you don’t know where you’re headed — especially if success is more challenging than you first thought.

A good business plan offers guidance and goals. It can include milestones and help you visualise exactly what you want to achieve. Having one can be the difference between a successful podcast and a failed one.

This is just a brief look into why you want to set up a podcast. We’ll go into more detail later on in the business plan. The main points you want to include in your overview are:

• What your show is about.
• The people involved (hosts, producers, etc).
• Your mission, and what you want to help your business achieve by making a podcast. 

For a typical business plan, you’d need to do more specific competitor research. When making your own podcast though, the landscape is competitive in a different way. Some listeners subscribe to multiple podcasts in their niche, but tend to be loyal when they find a podcast that they enjoy. It can be tough to break through the podcasts already out there, so try listening and comparing popular podcasts in your niche. You can then use this research to help structure and develop your podcasts’ format into one that sets you apart. 

To do that, you’ll need to figure out a few things:

• Who is leading your niche, and why?
• Are you using a similar format to other podcasting shows?

Just like knowing who’s in your niche, you need to know the type of audience you’re appealing to. If you begin your show with no idea of who you want to enjoy it, you can end up coming across as awkward and directionless. 

Instead, define your target audience . Try to make it as specific as possible, because the clearer your vision is, the better you’ll be able to relate to your ideal listener. Some questions you may wish to ask yourself are:

• Are they male or female?
• How old are they? (Be specific to five to ten years)
• What sort of job do they work? 
• Are they single, in a relationship, part of a family?
• Why do they want to listen to my podcast?
• What are their political ideologies?

When it comes to making a show about something people like, you want to think about who they are inside as well as outside. If you can figure out what makes your audience tick, you can end up greatly improving your chances of success. After all, the more you develop your ideal, the better response you can receive. 

How much will your podcast cost, and how much are you willing to spend? You’ll need to buy various equipment (such as a microphone and audio processing software), as well as decide on which site will host your podcast. Plan out your costs (set-up and ongoing) ahead of time, and you’ll know roughly how much you have to work with. 

This section refers to everyone who could be working with you. If you’re doing everything yourself, that’s absolutely fine — though you should still outline individual roles and what it takes to complete them effectively. If your podcast becomes a hit, you may have to bring other people on board to help you manage it.

Some initial roles you should think about are:

• Writer (who will script or generate ideas for the show)
• Host (who will be speaking on the show)
• Sound editor (who will fix up the sound before it’s published)
• Producer (who will manage the podcast, and keep it on schedule)
• Promoter (who will decide how the show gets advertised)

Your marketing strategy outlines how you want people to find out about your podcast , the channels you’ll use to upload, and how often you’ll post a new episode. Will you upload to popular services like Spotify or Soundcloud ? These are all things you should plan ahead of time.  

If you intend to make any money from your podcasts, you’ll need to set up some monetisation methods. With these set up, instead of costing you money, your podcast will start paying for itself.

Some ways you can fund your podcast are:

It’s common for podcasts to start selling merchandise connected to their show. Possible ‘merch’ could be t-shirts or mugs with related designs printed across them. The specific merch you decide to make available depends entirely on your show and your audience. You may even find that potential designs or quotes arise naturally during your show.

One popular method of making your podcast profitable is by using affiliate marketing. If you’ve ever seen a host mention using a link or discount code for another website, that is an example of affiliate marketing.

Every time that link or code is used, it is registered as coming from the podcast. The amount of traffic your podcast sends to the site determines how much you get paid. Depending on who you affiliate with, this could be a flat rate or percentage of a sale. 

When you make money through a sponsorship, you’re effectively being paid to promote a specific product or company. This could involve talking about it naturally during your podcast, or dedicating a specific ‘ad break’ section to it. 

If you choose to make your money through sponsorships, you may need an established fanbase of a certain size. The larger this fanbase is, the more lucrative your sponsorship could be. If you are growing quickly, you can always try to negotiate a better deal.

And your business plan is done. You may find, as you grow and develop your podcast, that some things need adjusting — that’s to be expected. You should regularly update your business plan to give your podcast the best chance of success.

If you do start making money from your podcast, you’ll need to track and report it for your taxes. If you haven’t done this before, it can be a very confusing process. To make it easier, we recommend using accounting software like the Countingup app.

Countingup is a bank account with built-in accounting software to give you the best overview of your money. With its automatic categorisation feature and Making Tax Digital (MTD) compatibility, it can make reporting your taxes a breeze. 

Start your free three-month trial here .

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Podcast Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Podcast Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their podcasts. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a podcast business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Podcast Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your podcast as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for Your Podcast

If you’re looking to start a podcast, or grow your existing podcast, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your podcast in order to improve your chances of success. Your podcast business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Podcasts

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a podcast are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for podcasts.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a podcast.

If you want to start a successful podcast or expand your current one, you need a plan. Below we detail each section of a podcast business plan:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of podcast you are operating and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a podcast that you would like to grow, or are you operating podcasts in multiple markets?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the podcast industry. Discuss the type of podcast you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target audience. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.  

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will provide a podcast overview.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of podcasts:

• Interview podcast : this type of podcast involves one or two hosts who speak with one or more guests each episode.
• Conversational podcast: this type of podcast involves two podcast hosts that have entertaining conversations about specific themes and topics, similar to a radio show.
• Storytelling/Investigative podcast: this type of podcast has one or more hosts that use each episode to tell a story or delve into a news/current events topic.

In addition to the podcast overview you will operate, the Company Analysis section needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of listeners and/or subscribers, number of positive reviews, reaching X amount of subscribers, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the podcast industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the podcast industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy, particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section:

• How big is the podcast industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your podcast? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your podcast business plan must detail the audience you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals of a certain niche, households, students, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of podcast you operate. Clearly, university students would respond to different marketing promotions than individuals of a niche targeting cooking segments, for example.

Try to break out your target audience in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the audience you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target audience. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your audience.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other podcasts.

Indirect competitors are other options that audiences have to subscribe from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes radio shows, news networks, TV, online streaming, etc.

With regards to direct competition, you want to describe the other podcasts with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be podcasts located very close to your niche.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of podcast shows do they operate and what is their content?
• What types of audience do they serve?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the audience’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ audience what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide podcast content that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you provide better and more relevant topics?
• Will you provide better audience engagement?
• Will you offer better streaming platforms?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a podcast business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of podcast that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific services you will be offering. For example, in addition to a podcast, will you provide online and media engagement, blogs, and any other products?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location (reach) of your podcast. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your podcast streamed locally or will it have a nationwide audience?

Promotions : The final part of your podcast marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive listeners/subscribers to your podcast. The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Music streaming apps
• Social media marketing
• SEO marketing

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your podcast, including developing new and relevant content for each show, engaging with audience members and/or listeners, marketing the podcast, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to obtain your XXth listener/subscriber, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your podcast to a new streaming platform.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your podcast’ ability to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing podcasts. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a podcast or have a successful career in media production.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you start streaming your podcast locally or will you stream nationwide to gain a larger network of listeners/subscribers? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your podcast, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a podcast:

• Cost of podcast supplies and equipment
• Cost of marketing the podcast
• Payroll or salaries paid to production staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your list of topics your podcast will offer, types of audience you will be targeting, and the streaming platforms your podcast will be featured on.  

Putting together a business plan for your podcast is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the podcast industry, your competition, and your audience. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful podcast.  

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Podcast business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to learn about Growthink’s business plan writing service .   Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

How to Create a Podcast Business Plan

There comes a moment when you need to decide if your podcast will be a business venture, or a hobby.

Many people start a podcast as a hobby and then later turn it into a business, while others treat their podcast as a business right from the start.

Regardless of which way you choose to go, when you decide to turn your podcast into a business, you’ll need to create a podcast business plan .

What Belongs in a Podcast Business Plan?

When you first hear the phrase podcast business plan, it’s easy to get intimidated. 

The good news you can create a podcast business plan by answering, defining or creating the following: 

• Determine your reason for podcasting
• Get clear on your ideal listener
• Consider monetization strategies
• Develop an editorial calendar
• Create a marketing plan

You can open Word, a Google Doc or grab a pen and paper and fill up a single page with all of these elements. 

By sticking with just these basic elements, you can get laser focused on what you need to do to make your business plan a reality.

1. Determine your reason for podcasting

Every good business plan needs a mission statement. This is your reason for creating your show.

Consider why you want to spread your message. Are you solving a problem? Spreading knowledge? What value are you offering the world?

This is also a good time to be honest with yourself about your goals of money and notoriety.

For example, are you hoping to get famous as a podcaster? If so, that’s okay – but you need to have this goal defined so you can backwards engineer how to get there.

2. Get clear on your ideal listener

You don’t want to try and create a podcast that is for everyone because it simply doesn’t exist. Instead, think about the one perfect person that needs to be listening to your show.

The reason this is so important for your podcast business plan is because it makes it easier to market and develop products for your audience to purchase. You need to know who they are, what they want, and what products and services they will get value from.

3. Consider monetization strategies

Start thinking about how you will monetize your podcasting efforts. Begin by looking at all the ways to make money podcasting .

Again, don’t overcomplicate this in the beginning. The idea of the podcaster business plan is to focus on the basics.

There is no rule that says you can’t be profitable from the beginning, but you will need to plan out how you will achieve this goal.

Think about which monetization strategies will be the most appropriate for you at first. If you need cashflow fast, you will need to plan for that too. For example, selling affiliate products before developing your own may yield returns quickly to fuel your ongoing business efforts.

Selling services is also a much faster way to monetize than building a listenership first. A healthy sized fanbase is usually necessary for things like bigger sponsorships and large amounts of donations via platforms like Patreon .

4. Develop an editorial calendar

To make quick work of the tasks ahead of you, an editorial calendar will act as the map on your journey. It ensures you always have something to record, edit, and release on a consistent basis.

Think about things like:

• How often you will release episodes
• Whether you will have seasons with scheduled hiatuses or release episodes consistently
• If your goal is to be evergreen or timely
• If you choose timely – you will need to consider the holidays and quarterly themes going on at the time of release. You will also need to keep track of current events 

After you map out a basic editorial calendar, you can then plan how you will batch and scale to manage your podcast workflow , and schedule as much of your work as possible ahead of time.

5. Create a marketing plan

Finally, you should think about how you will market your podcasting business . 

The goal of this element of the podcast business plan is to create a rough and basic idea of how you will get the word out about the show to get started.

Ask yourself:

• Do I need to launch my website before the podcast is released, or should I launch the site before I monetize (if you are already podcasting)?
• How will I drive people to my show?
• Blog posts optimized with keywords?
• Podcast directories?
• Social media?
• Email list?
• Guest podcasting?
• Where are my listeners hanging out already?

Time to Draft Your Podcast Business Plan

Creating a business plan for your podcast is fun and you’re going to do great! Remember, this is just the beginning with the sole purpose of getting you focused on your first steps towards becoming profitable.

Once you make your first dollar, or even your first $1,000, you can always update your plan as your grow and set new goals. By starting with your plan, you’ll be moving towards your goal of turning your show into a legitimate business.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Business Plan for Podcast Success

By alex ryzhkov, get full bundle.

Launching a successful niche podcast requires meticulous planning and preparation. Before diving into the business plan, savvy entrepreneurs must navigate a 9-step checklist to ensure their venture is poised for growth. From identifying the target industry and audience to analyzing financial projections, this comprehensive guide outlines the essential steps to lay the groundwork for a thriving podcast production business.

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Steps Prior To Business Plan Writing

Identify Your Target Niche Industry and Audience

The first crucial step in developing a comprehensive business plan for your niche podcast production service, PodNiche Pro, is to identify your target industry and audience. This foundational step will inform the rest of your planning process and ensure your podcast content resonates with the right people.

Begin by thoroughly researching your potential niche markets. Look for industries that are underserved by existing podcast content, have a demonstrable need for specialized information, and align with your expertise or interests. Some examples of niche industries that may be well-suited for PodNiche Pro's services include healthcare, legal, finance, or specialized trades like construction or manufacturing.

• Analyze industry publications, online forums, and social media to gauge the level of podcast adoption and identify potential pain points that your service could address.
• Reach out to industry associations, influencers, or potential clients to better understand their content and production needs.
• Consider the size and growth potential of your target niche – aim for a market large enough to sustain your business, but not so saturated that it's difficult to stand out.

Once you've identified a promising niche, the next step is to define your target audience within that industry. Develop detailed buyer personas that outline their demographic characteristics, psychographic traits, pain points, and content preferences. This will inform the tone, format, and distribution channels for your podcast content.

• Analyze industry-specific data on podcast listenership, such as 67% of healthcare professionals listen to podcasts regularly , according to a 2021 survey .
• Identify the key decision-makers, influencers, or subject matter experts within your target niche who are most likely to engage with your podcast content.
• Determine the ideal length, frequency, and format (e.g., interview, solo host, panel discussion) that will resonate best with your audience.

By clearly defining your target niche industry and audience, you'll be better equipped to develop a unique value proposition, create a compelling content strategy, and ensure your podcast production services meet the specific needs of your clients. This foundational work will lay the groundwork for a successful niche podcast business plan.

Research Competition and Market Demand in the Niche

Conducting thorough research on the competition and market demand is a crucial step in developing a robust business plan for your niche podcast production service. By understanding the competitive landscape and the potential demand for your offerings, you can position your business for success and identify unique opportunities to differentiate yourself.

To begin, research the existing podcast production services catering to your target niche industry. Analyze their content strategies, production quality, pricing structures, and customer reviews. Identify their strengths, weaknesses, and any gaps in the market that your business can effectively address. This will help you determine your unique value proposition and the competitive advantages you can offer to your clients.

Next, assess the market demand for podcast content within your chosen niche. Examine industry reports, market trends, and audience data to gauge the size and growth potential of your target market. Identify the key topics, pain points, and preferences of your target audience . This information will inform your podcast content strategy and ensure that your offerings align with the needs and interests of your prospective clients.

• Leverage industry-specific forums, social media groups, and online communities to gather insights on the demand for niche-focused podcasts.
• Conduct surveys or interviews with potential clients to understand their pain points, podcast consumption habits, and willingness to invest in a specialized podcast production service.
• Analyze search engine data and keyword trends to identify the most popular topics and keywords related to your niche industry.

By thoroughly researching the competition and market demand, you can develop a comprehensive understanding of the landscape in which your niche podcast production business will operate. This knowledge will enable you to make informed decisions, create a differentiated value proposition, and develop a strategic business plan that aligns with the needs and preferences of your target audience.

Determine Your Unique Value Proposition and Competitive Advantages

To differentiate your niche podcast production business from the competition, it's crucial to identify your unique value proposition (UVP) and the key competitive advantages you can offer your clients. This will not only help you attract the right target audience but also justify your pricing structure and secure a strong foothold in the market.

Start by conducting a thorough competitive analysis of other podcast production services catering to your chosen niche. Examine their service offerings, pricing models, target audience, and the unique features they provide. This will give you a clear understanding of the market landscape and the areas where you can outshine your competitors.

• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors to identify gaps in the market that you can fill.
• Explore niche-specific pain points that your competitors may not be addressing effectively, and develop solutions to address them.
• Leverage your industry expertise, specialized skills, or innovative production techniques to create a distinct value proposition.

Next, define your target audience and their specific needs, preferences, and pain points. This will help you tailor your podcast production services to their unique requirements, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Conduct market research to understand the demographics, interests, and challenges of your target audience within the niche.
• Gather feedback from potential clients to identify their specific needs and expectations from a podcast production service.
• Develop personas to better understand the decision-making process and the factors that influence your target clients' choices.

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience and the competitive landscape, you can start crafting your unique value proposition. Your UVP should highlight the specific benefits, features, or services that set your podcast production business apart and address the unique needs of your niche market.

For example, PodNiche Pro could position itself as the go-to podcast production service for healthcare professionals , offering specialized expertise in medical terminology, regulatory compliance, and patient-centric storytelling. This UVP would resonate with healthcare providers who are looking to create engaging, informative, and compliant podcasts for their patients and industry peers.

By defining your unique value proposition and competitive advantages, you'll be able to effectively communicate the value of your podcast production services to your target clients and differentiate your business in a crowded market.

Outline Your Podcast Content Strategy and Production Process

Developing a robust podcast content strategy and production process is crucial for the success of your niche podcast business. This step involves carefully planning the types of episodes, formats, and themes that will resonate with your target audience, as well as streamlining the technical aspects of podcast creation and distribution.

Begin by conducting thorough research on your niche industry and target audience. Understand their pain points, interests, and the type of content they find most valuable. This will help you create a content calendar that aligns with their needs and preferences, ensuring your podcast remains relevant and engaging.

When outlining your podcast content strategy, consider the following elements:

• Episode Formats: Decide on the most suitable formats for your podcast, such as interviews, solo shows, panel discussions, or a mix of these. Different formats can cater to diverse listener preferences and help you stand out in the niche.
• Content Themes: Identify the core themes and topics that will be the focus of your podcast. These should be directly relevant to your niche and provide genuine value to your audience.
• Content Calendar: Develop a content calendar that outlines the episode topics, release schedule, and any seasonal or timely content you plan to create. This will help you maintain consistency and keep your audience engaged.
• Guest Experts: Consider inviting industry experts, thought leaders, or influential figures as guests on your podcast. This can help you tap into new audiences and provide your listeners with unique perspectives.
• Repurposing Content: Explore ways to repurpose your podcast content into other formats, such as blog posts, social media updates, or video clips. This can help you maximize the reach and impact of your podcast.

In terms of the production process, ensure that you have a well-defined workflow that covers all the necessary steps, from ideation and research to recording, editing, and distribution. Invest in high-quality audio equipment, software, and a suitable podcast hosting platform to deliver a professional-grade listening experience.

• Regularly review and iterate your content strategy based on listener feedback, engagement metrics, and industry trends to ensure your podcast remains relevant and valuable.
• Collaborate with other podcasters, influencers, or industry organizations to cross-promote your content and reach new audiences within your niche.
• Experiment with different episode formats, lengths, and release schedules to find the optimal approach for your target audience and your business goals.

By outlining a well-crafted podcast content strategy and production process, you can position your niche podcast business for long-term success. This foundation will enable you to consistently deliver high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience and helps you stand out in the crowded podcast landscape.

Assess your technical capabilities and equipment requirements

Launching a successful niche podcast production business requires a thorough assessment of your technical capabilities and equipment needs. This critical step ensures you have the necessary infrastructure and resources to deliver high-quality, professional-grade podcasts to your clients.

Begin by evaluating your current technical expertise and skills. Do you have experience in audio recording, editing, and post-production? Are you familiar with podcast hosting platforms, distribution channels, and analytics tools? If not, consider investing in training or hiring skilled audio engineers and producers to complement your team.

• Identify any technical skills gaps and develop a plan to address them, such as taking online courses or seeking mentorship from experienced podcast producers.

Next, assess the equipment required to operate your niche podcast production business. This may include high-quality microphones, audio interfaces, headphones, recording software, and editing workstations. Depending on your target market and production needs, you may also require additional tools, such as sound-proofing materials, portable recording kits, or specialized audio processing plugins.

When determining your equipment needs, consider factors such as audio quality, portability, and scalability . Investing in versatile, professional-grade gear can help you achieve a consistent, polished sound that will impress your clients and their listeners. Additionally, ensure that your equipment can accommodate future growth and evolving client requirements.

• Research and compare different podcast production equipment options to find the best balance of quality, features, and cost.
• Allocate a significant portion of your startup budget to securing the necessary audio equipment and software.

By thoroughly assessing your technical capabilities and equipment requirements, you can ensure your niche podcast production business is positioned for success . This foundational step will help you deliver exceptional audio quality, streamline your production workflow, and meet the evolving needs of your target clients.

Develop a Pricing Structure and Revenue Model

Crafting an effective pricing structure and revenue model is a critical step in developing a successful niche podcast production business. By carefully analyzing your target market, production costs, and competitive landscape, you can establish a pricing strategy that not only covers your expenses but also generates a sustainable income stream.

When determining your pricing, consider factors such as the complexity of the podcast production services you offer, the level of expertise required, and the value you provide to your clients. A common pricing model for niche podcast production services includes a one-time setup fee, a monthly or annual subscription, and potential add-on services like custom branding, episode editing, or promotional support.

• Benchmark your pricing against industry standards and competitors to ensure your offerings are competitively priced.
• Offer flexible pricing tiers or packages to cater to the diverse needs and budgets of your target clients.
• Consider implementing a tiered pricing structure, where higher-level packages include more comprehensive services or premium features.

In addition to your pricing structure, it's essential to develop a revenue model that aligns with your business goals and the unique needs of your niche market. Potential revenue streams for a niche podcast production business may include:

• Subscription-based services: Offering monthly or annual subscriptions for your podcast production services, which can provide a stable and predictable income stream.
• Project-based fees: Charging clients a one-time fee for specific podcast production projects, such as the creation of a new podcast series or the rebranding of an existing one.
• Advertising and sponsorship: Generating revenue by securing advertising or sponsorship deals with relevant brands or companies within your niche industry.
• Upsells and add-ons: Offering additional services or features, such as custom artwork, transcription, or podcast promotion, as paid add-ons to your core production services.

By carefully considering your pricing structure and revenue model, you can establish a financially viable and sustainable niche podcast production business that delivers exceptional value to your clients while generating a healthy profit margin for your company.

Identify Potential Partners and Collaborators in the Niche

To build a successful niche podcast production business, it's crucial to identify and connect with potential partners and collaborators within your target industry. These strategic alliances can provide valuable insights, resources, and cross-promotional opportunities that can significantly boost your podcast's reach and impact.

One key step is to research industry associations, trade organizations, and online communities relevant to your niche. These groups often offer networking events, conferences, and other avenues for connecting with potential partners. By actively engaging with these communities, you can gain a deeper understanding of the industry's needs, pain points, and opportunities that your podcast can address.

Another approach is to reach out to thought leaders, influencers, and subject matter experts within your niche. These individuals can serve as guest hosts, co-producers, or even sponsors for your podcast, helping to amplify your content and expand your audience. Additionally, collaborating with complementary businesses, such as industry publications or related service providers, can open up new marketing and cross-promotion channels.

When evaluating potential partners, it's important to consider their alignment with your podcast's brand, values, and target audience. Ensure that any collaboration will add value and enhance the overall experience for your listeners. Additionally, establish clear agreements and expectations around roles, responsibilities, and revenue sharing to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship.

• Attend industry events and conferences to network and identify potential partners.
• Leverage social media and online communities to connect with thought leaders and influencers in your niche.
• Explore cross-promotion opportunities with complementary businesses or service providers.
• Establish clear agreements and expectations with partners to maintain a successful collaboration.

By proactively building a network of strategic partners and collaborators, you can significantly boost the visibility, credibility, and overall success of your niche podcast production business. Leveraging these relationships can help you tap into new audiences, access valuable industry insights, and create a stronger, more sustainable podcast offering.

Analyze Financial Projections and Startup Costs

Developing accurate financial projections and understanding the startup costs for your niche podcast production business is crucial for ensuring long-term viability and securing necessary funding. By carefully analyzing these key financial factors, you can make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and create a solid foundation for your podcast production venture.

To analyze the financial projections and startup costs for your niche podcast production business, consider the following steps:

• Estimate Startup Costs: Identify the initial investments required to launch your podcast production business, including equipment purchases (microphones, recording software, etc.), workspace setup, legal and licensing fees, and any other necessary expenses. Aim to create a detailed budget that accounts for $5,000 to $10,000 in startup costs, depending on the scope and complexity of your operations.
• Project Revenue Streams: Determine the potential revenue sources for your niche podcast production business, such as client fees for podcast creation, sponsorship or advertising opportunities, and any additional services you may offer. Estimate the average revenue per client and the number of clients you can realistically acquire within the first year, targeting a minimum of $50,000 in annual revenue to ensure financial sustainability.
• Calculate Operational Expenses: Identify the ongoing costs associated with running your podcast production business, including staff salaries, equipment maintenance, software subscriptions, marketing and advertising expenses, and any other operational expenses. Allocate a minimum of 60% of your projected revenue to cover these operational costs.
• Develop Financial Projections: Combine your startup cost estimates, revenue projections, and operational expense calculations to create a comprehensive financial model, including profit and loss statements, cash flow projections, and a balance sheet. This will help you understand the financial viability of your niche podcast production business and identify any potential cash flow challenges or funding requirements.
• Consider seeking the advice of a financial professional or accountant to ensure your financial projections are accurate and compliant with industry standards.
• Explore funding options, such as small business loans, angel investors, or crowdfunding platforms, to secure the necessary capital to launch your niche podcast production business.
• Continuously monitor and update your financial projections as your business grows, adjusting your strategies and operations as needed to maintain profitability and long-term sustainability.

By thoroughly analyzing the financial projections and startup costs for your niche podcast production business, you can develop a solid financial foundation, make informed decisions, and increase your chances of success in the competitive podcast industry.

Obtain necessary licenses, permits, and legal considerations

Before launching your niche podcast production business, it's crucial to ensure you have the necessary licenses, permits, and legal considerations in place. This step is essential to protect your business, comply with industry regulations, and avoid potential legal pitfalls down the line.

One of the primary legal requirements for a podcast production business is obtaining the appropriate business licenses and permits. Depending on your location and the scope of your operations, you may need to register your business with the state, county, or city authorities, and obtain a general business license or a specific media/broadcasting license. Additionally, you may need to acquire permits for recording audio or video content in certain locations.

• Research the specific licensing and permit requirements in your local jurisdiction to ensure compliance.
• Consider consulting with a business attorney or legal professional to ensure you're meeting all necessary legal requirements.
• Maintain detailed records of your licenses and permits, and be prepared to renew them as needed.

Another important legal consideration is securing the necessary rights and permissions for the content you produce. This includes obtaining permission to use any copyrighted material, such as music, sound effects, or images, in your podcast episodes. You'll also need to ensure that you have the appropriate releases and consent forms from any individuals featured in your podcast, particularly if you're interviewing or recording them.

Additionally, it's essential to review and comply with any platform-specific terms and conditions for hosting and distributing your podcast. Popular platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts may have specific requirements or restrictions that you'll need to adhere to.

• Familiarize yourself with copyright laws and best practices for obtaining the necessary permissions and licenses.
• Develop a standardized process for securing releases and consent forms from podcast guests and contributors.
• Stay up-to-date with any changes in platform policies or legal requirements that may impact your podcast production and distribution.

Finally, it's crucial to consider your liability and insurance needs as a podcast production business. Depending on the nature of your services and the content you produce, you may need to obtain professional liability insurance, media liability insurance, or other forms of coverage to protect your business from potential lawsuits or claims.

• Research the specific insurance requirements for podcast production businesses in your industry and location.
• Work with an experienced insurance broker or provider to ensure you have the appropriate coverage in place.
• Review your insurance policies regularly and make adjustments as your business grows or evolves.

By addressing these legal and regulatory considerations upfront, you can establish a strong foundation for your niche podcast production business and minimize the risk of costly legal issues down the line. Investing the time and resources to ensure compliance can pay dividends in the long run, allowing you to focus on delivering high-quality podcast content to your target audience.

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How to Write the Perfect Podcast Script (plus Examples & Templates)

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Think of a podcast script like a roadmap to guide you from the start to the finish of your episode when recording. They can be as detailed as you like, and if done well can help with the flow, structure and direction of your podcast episodes.

Podcast scripts are used by both new and experienced podcasters, and not only help with the flow, structure and direction but also to avoid situations where your mind goes blank and you end up repeating yourself or don’t quite know what to say next.

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What are podcast scripts?

Scripts vary in everything from length to density to content depending on the podcaster, but in essence they’re all the same – a list of topics and ideas you want to communicate to your listeners in a given episode, with added facts, research and reminders of certain things you want to mention: your intro, main body, outro, call to actions etc.

Scripts allow you to refresh your memory at a glance and illustrate how your points build off one another to make your episode sound cohesive. There’s nothing worse than listening back to your episode and realising you missed a link between two ideas!

Should you use podcast scripts?

In short: it depends.

We’re sorry but there is no definitive answer when it comes to whether you should or shouldn’t use a podcast script. It all depends on you as a podcaster and the type of podcast you have eg solo, cohost, interview etc.

Some podcasters worry that scripting their episode will remove spontaneity and chemistry between themselves and their guests, but you don’t have to write down every word if you don’t want to – a basic outline will do the job for most people.

There are benefits to using a script: you can go pretty in detail for your intro and outro – if these are the same for each episode, it builds familiarity with your audience. They come to expect your podcast name, tagline and your calls to action, so ensuring they’re there in the script means you’ll get them right every time.

Here’s an example:

“ Hello and welcome to [show name] , I’m your host [your name] . [Show tagline/catphrase]. Today we’ll be talking to [guest name] about [topic]. If you’re a fan of the show, please do remember to [call to action: follow on socials, leave a review etc.].”

Check out this video where our MD Mark Asquith goes into a little more detail about where or not you should use a podcast script:

Are podcast shows usually scripted?

The absolute majority of podcasts will have a script in some form. This varies on the preference of the podcast creator: some prefer a few brief bullet points, whereas others like to have their whole episode scripted out down to the last detail.

There’s no right or wrong way to script your show, it’s just preference – if you’re good at improvising and enjoy going off on a few tangents, stick to simple notes, but if you tend to crumble under the pressure of a live mic you’d be better suited to scripting out the finer details.

One way or the other, you’re better off with some kind of script!

How long are podcast scripts?

The length of a podcast script depends entirely on the show itself, the episode and the preferences of the podcast creator. For a half hour episode, some creators will have pages of dense text to read verbatim, whereas others will have half a side of A4 with some bullet points to riff off. It’s just what works for you!

What to include in a podcast script

As mentioned above, we think it’s best to fully script out your podcast intro and outro each time, so you hit on all the required points and achieve consistency throughout your body of work.

How to start your podcast (what to include in your intro )

• Your podcast name
• Your podcast tagline or catchphrase
• Your episode number and title
• The name(s) of any guests
• The name and details of your sponsors, if you have them
• What this episode is about
• Your Calls To Action (CTA) – seasoned podcast listeners might skip your intro and outro so make sure that you include your most important CTA in the middle of your podcast episode.

Starting a podcast script example

“Hello and welcome to the [PODCAST NAME], I am your host [NAME]. Thanks for tuning in [TAGLINE or CATCHPHRASE]. This is [EPISODE NUMBER] and the title of today’s episode is [TITLE]. I am pleased to be joined by [GUEST], [GUEST BIO]. This episode is about [TOPIC]. Before we crack on with today’s episode just a reminder of how you can support the podcast [CTA].”

What to include in your main script body

This is where we like to leave it more to your discretion as again it depends on you as a podcaster and the format of your show. Whether you’re just writing a few notes or scripting the whole episode, you need to include:

• The ideas or topics you’re discussing in the episode
• Some indication of these ideas build upon one another and link together
• Try to think of questions you would have as a listener and answer these
• Think about the structure and flow of your episode eg what is the end goal, what do you want listeners to take away from listening? What subtopics are you going to cover, do they flow naturally?
• Make sure to not repeat yourself – make new valid points and then move on to your next point

How to end your podcast (what to include in your outro )

• Summarise what you have spoken about in your episode
• Thank your listeners for tuning in
• Let them know when to expect new episodes
• Your CTA again – this could be asking them to follow or subscribe, follow you on social media, download a resource etc.
• Include your show notable eg a notable thing about your podcast. This is not your show title, tagline, intro or outro music, it’s something else listeners remember about your show. The best way to do this is by having a catch phrase – sounds cheesy but it works! Mark’s podcast, Excellence Expected, taught business founders how to achieve success. His catchphrase (which he ended every episode with) is as follows, “the more you expect from yourself the more you will excel.” 

People got so familiar with it that when he had guests on his show, they would finish his catchphrase!

Ending a podcast script example

“That’s all we have time for! Thanks for tuning in to this week’s episode. Today we covered [SUMMARISE]. We’ll be back, in fact you can expect new episodes every [DAY] [TIME]. Quick reminder again of how you can support the podcast [CTA]. [SHOW NOTABLE]. Take care everyone, and until next time!”

Podcast script outline template

Let’s take a look at what would go into the perfect podcast script, something which hits everything necessary to prime your episode for audience connection and growth.

• Intro music – some podcasts play the intro music later in the episode eg after the introduction. Intro music should play for a maximum of 10 seconds before listeners hear the content. Listeners have tuned in to listen to you, not your music.
• Introduction – name and what the show is, who you are and what you’re talking about in this episode. You can also say your tagline and if you have guests, this is where you’d introduce them.
• Call To Action(s) (CTA(s)) – these could be internal eg download lead magnets, leave a review on Podchaser, follow the podcast on social etc and external eg if you have a third-party sponsor or have an affiliate agreement.
• Stinger – A stinger or bumper is a short piece of music that can be used in between podcast segments.
• First discussion point – introduce it with background and context, making sure listeners can follow along. Build your points up like a narrative, with Who , What , Where and When first and then into the deeper, more nuanced stuff when listeners have a grip on the basics.
• Second stinger
• Second discussion point
• Third stinger
• CTA(s) – a reminder of the earlier CTA(s).
• Third, fourth, fifth points etc (depending on how long your show is), using stingers in between.
• Outro – this is your podcast episode wrap-up and the key takeaways from this week’s episode. Remind listeners to check your show notes for additional resources and links. Thank any guests you had this week and your listeners for tuning in. Tease what listeners can expect from the next episode.
• Outro music

How do you write a podcast script?

Now you know what to include in your intro, main body of the episode and outro, you should have some idea of how to write your podcast script. Remember, it can be as detailed as you like. Do what feels the most comfortable for you.

For example if speaking and podcasting is new to you, maybe having a detailed script will help. Just a word of caution – listen back to yourself and make sure it still sounds natural and not like you’re reading off the page.

However, if you are more comfortable with speaking and podcasting, you don’t necessarily need to go into much detail. Just have enough detail so you know the flow, direction and what you want to say and when. Also helps you to not forget certain things to mention.

If you would like more assistance in writing your podcast scripts continue reading as for examples and templates to use.

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Podcast script tips for beginners

1. write how you would speak.

The point of your podcast is to get your voice out there. The problem is, a lot of people see writing as a more “formal” medium than speaking, so when it comes time to write out a podcast script, they end up going for a more businesslike, professional tone than they would usually like to.

Keep it nice and conversational, flowing and easy – more like a chat with a friend than an email to a stranger. This may sound obvious, but make sure to keep it in mind when you put pen to paper. Whether you’re a hobbyist doing a podcast for fun or a small business wanting to attract more customers, this will help you to build a genuine connection with your audience.

2. Give context

If you’re writing a more minimal, bullet-point style script, make sure your notes actually mean something to you when you read them back. People often write their scripts a few days in advance, so make sure you’re making coherent notes that will actually be useful to you when you’re trying to read them on mic.

3. Allow yourself some space

Your podcast script should guide and help you, not confine you. Give yourself the space within your script to elaborate, riff on an idea, tell a little anecdote. Your podcast should be fun, not rigid and uniform. This tip applies especially to those writing out their script verbatim, but it’s one to keep in mind for everyone.

4. Use segue phrases

To make the flow of your episode more natural, it’s a good idea to use little phrases that pivot the conversation naturally from one topic to another. This will help avoid anything feeling rushed – it’s super simple to do, just something like:

“Okay, now we’ve covered the tensions at the Abbey Road sessions, George’s feeling undervalued and John and Paul’s differing musical visions, let’s talk about the day that The Beatles actually split up”.

Key script segments

Let’s look at some of the key elements that should feature in any podcast script.

This one’s pretty self explanatory – your introduction should cover what your podcast is about, who you are and a nice little catch phrase you say every time. It should then go into what this episode will cover.

A nice transitional phrase to move you from one area of discussion to another in a natural way.

A CTA, or Call To Action, is something you’re asking listeners to do. Common ones are to sign up to an email list, leave a positive review or follow you on social media.

4. Sponsor message

Essentially an advertisement – if you’re sponsored by a product or service, this is where you tell your listeners about it.

5. Subtopics or key talking points

Separate your main episode topic into subtopics or key talking points. This will help to give your episode structure, and make sue you don’t miss any key elements.

6. Key takeaway(s)

Remind listeners what they have learnt listening to this week’s episode, and give them key takeaways. Articles have conclusions, podcast episodes should be the same. Summarize what you have discussed.

You should wrap up every podcast episode, and remind listeners of the podcast they have been listening too, and your (the host’s) name. Thank listeners and any guests you have, and don’t forget to tell people to check out the episode show notes for any links or resources.

Short podcast script example

Here’s a short podcast script example for you to use or get inspiration from:

[Opening Music]

Host: Welcome to [PODCAST NAME], the podcast that [PODCAST DESCRIPTION]. I’m your host, [HOST NAME], and in today’s episode, we’ll be [EPISODE TOPIC & DESCRIPTION].

[Transition Music]

Host: I am excited to talk about [EPISODE TOPIC]. [EPISODE TOPIC] is important because [EXPLAIN WHY], and after listening to this episode you will [BENEFITS]. This week we have a great guest joining us to talk about [EPISODE TOPIC]. Our guest is [GUEST NAME] who [GUEST BIO].

Host: Thanks for you joining the podcast [GUEST NAME].

Guest: It’s an absolute pleasure, thanks for asking me to join you, and I can’t wait to talk about [EPISODE TOPIC]

[MAIN PODCAST CONTENT] – host asks the guest a series of questions and follow-up questions, and responds to answers.

Host: We’re going to take a short break, join us for part 2 where [GUEST NAME] will be discussing X, Y and Z.

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Host: Welcome back for part 2, [GUEST NAME] let’s dive straight back in.

Guest: I can’t wait to discuss more about [EPISODE TOPIC].

[MAIN PODCAST CONTENT] – host asks the guest a series of questions, and follow-up questions, and responds to answers.

Host: Sadly, [GUEST NAME] we have run out of time. Thanks so much for an excellent podcast episode, it has been really interesting and great to chat with you in detail about [EPISODE TOPIC].

Guest: Thank you for having me, it’s been awesome to join you for an episode of [PODCAST NAME]. Hopefully what has been discussed today is helpful for your listeners.

Host: And that is a wrap! Sadly we’re at the end of another [PODCAST NAME] episode. Thanks for listening, and I really hope you enjoyed this week’s episode. The main takeaway for me was [MAIN TAKEAWAY]. Check out the episode show notes as there’ll be links to resources about today’s topic, and [GUEST NAME] social media links. Don’t forget that you can [CTA 1] and [CTA 2]. Again link in the show notes for more information. We publish new episodes every [PODCAST RELEASE SCHEDULE]. Until next time [PODCAST TAGLINE].

Podcast script real-life example

Ok, enough explanations – let’s look at some real life examples. We’re going to be using the script used for our own podcast, Captivate Insider . Let’s take a look at Episode 26:

Here’s the intro script Garry used:

Hello there and welcome to Captivate Insider. This is episode 26, I hope you are keeping well and safe and that you are smashing through your podcast goals for 2022 so far. 

My name is Garry, I’m the Head of Design here at Captivate and I’m your host. Each week I’ll take you behind the scenes of what’s going on here at Captivate, talk about some industry news and give you some tips and pointers to make sure that your podcast is rocking and rolling.

This week, I’m joined by Danny who heads up our User Experience and Support team. He’s been on the show before and this week, Danny and I are going to be talking about how to grow and retain your listenership by keeping them engaged.

Notice how this part is nicely scripted out to ensure all the main points (podcast name, host name, episode number and topic, guest name) are hit? 

Here are Garry’s notes for the main part of the episode:

Questions/Discussion Points

• Back in episode 6, we spoke about how we approach and view user experience here at Captivate from a high level. Does your view of our user experience values (timely response, openness, quality communication etc) remain the same even when dealing with those difficult user problems?
• We pride ourselves on being open and honest when dealing with user issues, the reasons and the benefits of that approach are obvious, but is it a challenge to keep that mindset “topped up”?
• In today’s world, users know a lot more than ever before. Some users are experts in the industry and really know their onions with podcasting, others are at the other end of the scale and maybe just starting their journey into podcasting. How do you find approaching the users along that scale of expert to newbie?
• On the subject of honesty, openness etc, we have a great role model in that area – our MD Mark is a big advocate of “honesty is the best policy” – he led from the front recently as we started to notice some areas for improvement needed in our analytics and a couple of other places in the platform, reaching out personally to our users and addressing the subject on our recent Q&A live stream. Does that give you the confidence to approach any issue?
• We’re an inclusive team at Captivate, how does your exposure to the platform and features, along with maintaining the Captivate Insider newsletter, help get users the correct information and help?
• We don’t get it all the time and we certainly don’t expect it but when users compliment you on a job well done, does that make life in user experience that bit easier to navigate on a daily basis?
• For others working in user experience or good old “customer service”, either within our industry or elsewhere and are listening to this episode, can you give us a few tips on how to maintain a high level of quality through honesty and openness?

Given that Garry had a guest, Danny, he wrote down all the questions he was going to ask on the episode and shared them with him. He then used these questions as a base for the podcast, which kept the conversation moving and was loose enough to allow for any tangents and new ideas that may arise during the course of a discussion like this one.

This is probably the best way to script a podcast episode with multiple people, as it ensures the conversation doesn’t lull while also allowing a natural conversation between the two speakers.

Garry’s outro.

Being a seasoned podcaster, Garry didn’t script his outro – he knew he needed to simply thank the audience, and his guest and hit the podcast’s main CTA, which is to get people to try Captivate. Let’s take a look at a transcript to see how he did that:

Thank you very much again to Danny for taking the time to chat with me and part with some experienced views and thank you for listening to another episode of Captivate Insider.

If you’re not using Captivate yet to power your podcast, you can do that with a free trial. Just head over to captivate.fm/signup, pop your deets in there and sign up to everything, nothing is locked behind a pay wall or anything. Get full access to all of our features for seven days, kick the tyres, see what you think, and I’m sure you’ll be impressed so you can get your podcast up and running in no time and get it to where you want it to be .

If you’ve got a podcast somewhere else if you’ve got it hosted with another hosting company, that’s all good but if you’ve been thinking about having a bit of a change up and you wanna look at another host, then it’s really quick and easy to import your podcast into Captivate. And again, you have everything available to you for free for seven days. So go and check that out at captivate.fm/signup and give that a go.

Until next week and episode 27, take care of yourselves and happy podcasting.

He kept it loose, conversational and friendly. By the time you’re getting to your podcast outro, especially if you’re a more experienced podcaster, you’ll likely be in the zone, so it’s less essential to script out verbatim than your intro.

If you’re newer or less confident behind the mic, though – script it out! There’s no shame in having it to fall back on.

Free podcast script templates

Script for a solo show.

[Intro music]

Hi and welcome to _____, I’m _____. This is episode ___, and we’ll be discussing ___. If you’re a fan of the show, please do follow us on ____.

[This is the first point you’re going to discuss in your episode. Make sure it’s all clear and relevant!]

Transition into…

[Ideas should build on one another, each feeling like a natural continuation of the previous one, building on concepts explained earlier on.]

[Break during the episode which includes your most important CTA OR a message from your sponsors]

Ideas 3, 4, 5…:

[Just repeat the process until your episode topic is covered to the degree you wish to go to.]

[Conclude what you have spoken about] And that’s it! Thanks so much for listening, this show really wouldn’t be possible without you. If you’re a fan of the show, please leave a review on Podchaser (or similar CTA) – the link is in the show notes.

Until our next podcast episode remember [podcast notable].

[ Outro music ]

Script with a Co-Host

Co Host  1: Hi and welcome to _____, I’m _____. 

Co Host  2: And I’m _____. This is episode ___, and we’ll be discussing ___. If you’re a fan of the show, please do follow us on ____.

Co Host 1: Now let’s get into it!

Co Host 1: [Conclude what you have spoken about] And that’s it! Thanks so much for listening, this show really wouldn’t be possible without you. If you’re a fan of the show, please leave a review on Podchaser (or similar CTA) – the link is in the show notes.

Co host 2: Thanks, [ Co Host 11 ], and thanks to everyone listening at home. Until our next episode, remember [podcast notable].

[Outro music]

Interview style script

Host: Hi and welcome to _____, I’m _____. I’m joined today by [ Guest ], an expert in _____ to discuss _____. Hello, [ Guest ], and thank you for joining me today!

Guest : Thanks [ Host ], very happy to be here.

Host: Awesome! Let’s get right into it. First, though, if you are a fan of this podcast, please do follow the show on ____!

Question 1:

[This is the first question you’re going to ask your guest. Start with background info, more basic stuff, and then build up to their more specific knowledge]

[ Important! You should be reactive as an interviewer – respond to guests’ answers and allow the conversation to build off of their responses. Don’t just blindly read off your questions, it’s not engaging for listeners. Keep the conversation flowing but also be mindful of not straying too far off course, keep control of your interview by bringing your guest(s) back into your planned questions.]

Question 2:

[Questions should build on one another, each feeling like a natural continuation of the previous one, building on concepts explained earlier on.]

Questions 3, 4, 5…:

Host: And that’s it! Thanks so much for listening, and thank you to [ Guest ] for joining me today, make sure to check out their ____ which is releasing soon

Guest: Thanks, It’s been great to be here.

Host: Where can people find and connect with you?

Guest: Connect with me on… 

Host: Until our next episode remember [podcast notable] – [podcast tagline] .

How to nail your podcast script

Like anything, you probably won’t get your script perfect the first time. If you’re not used to it, you may sound a bit clunky or you may fluff up reading off the page.

But don’t worry: keep at it! Ask for feedback from listeners and friends and experiment with what works for you. If you find reading a full script hard, try an episode with just notes, and vice versa.

Pro tip: Try including your CTA in your intro for a few episodes and record how many listeners actually commit to it. Then try the next few episodes with that same CTA in the outro – that way you can work out where it generates the most engagement.

You can use Captivate’s Attribution Links to track how many times a given link is clicked, meaning you can empirically see which placement is best.

This is called split testing, and is super common in the marketing world!

Captivate features that will help you to nail your scripts

Of course, we’re all podcasters ourselves, and we know it’s not easy to get that script perfect. With that in mind, we’ve designed our features to help you with this!

Episode Planning

Our amazing Episode Planning features allow you to create an episode script within Captivate, collecting Research Links to tie in to your episode along the way.

Once you’ve planned out your episode within the Captivate Dashboard, keep that script in front of you while recording your episode in your DAW. Then, once your episode is recorded, you can upload the mp3 file and attach it directly to the episode idea to turn it into a live podcast episode.

Player Customization

When you’re reading out your Calls to Action, it won’t be a big ask for your listeners – you can include quick links to your social media apps and directory links directly within the embeddable Captivate player!

Increasing the ease of a CTA makes it more likely that your listeners will actually do it – all you’re asking them to do here is click on something already on their screen!

Podcast script FAQs

• Should I include keywords?

Yes, if you have done keyword research for your podcast episode (and we recommend everyone does this) definitely include the keywords in your script. This is a great way to ensure that you are mentioning phrases in your episode that people are actually searching for in search engines like Google. 

Google has been transcribing and indexing podcasts since 2019, so doing this increases the chances of your podcast episode being shown to people when they search for relevant terms.

Word of caution – be careful with adding keywords as you still want your podcast episodes to sound natural, plus keyword stuffing just doesn’t work. It annoys both people and Google.

Read more about podcast SEO . 

• Should I keep it simple?

For first time scripters, it’s certainly a good idea to try just bullet points first – many find a full script too constricting at first. Simple bullet points of all the ideas you want to hit are a great place to start!

• Do I need to do a dry run?

Consensus is split on this one – if it’s a solo show, a dry run certainly wouldn’t hurt, but it could kill the chemistry if you’re working with another presenter or an interviewee. You don’t want it to sound like you’re going through the motions, and listeners will be able to tell if you’re really excited about something and having the conversation for the first time.

• Check out the transcripts of other podcasts, as this is a quick and easy way to see what kind of scripts other shows are using.
• Ask your friends! See if any of your podcaster friends will share their scripts for previous episodes so you can see how they built up their episodes.
• Use the templates in this article – we’d love to know if our templates helped you create your scripts! Let us know on Twitter.
• Ask in our Facebook group : there is a massive community of Captivate podcasters at your fingertips, sharing expertise and questions, with daily interaction from the Captivate team, too!

Pro tips for podcast scripts

• Avoid saying ‘Subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts’!

We hear a lot of podcasters say something along the lines of ‘subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts’. Not giving listeners an easy action to complete is asking too much of them, as you are leaving it up to them to go and find your show in their preferred app and then click subscribe or follow.

If you use Captivate you can send people to your single promotional link . This is a URL (www.domain.com/listen) that you can mention when recording and include in your show notes, and has links to your show in all major podcast playing platforms. It’s easy for people to remember, so they are more likely to do what you ask them. 

• Don’t over do it with CTAs – it’s good to have a range, but stick to one or two per episode. 

The more CTAs you include in your podcast episode, the less likely people are going to take action. It’s good to test out a range across your episodes, but when recording a specific episode stick to one or two.

The more times a listener is reminded of one action, the more likely they are to do it. There’s a well known rule in marketing that consumers have to be exposed to a message or idea at least 7 times before they take an action. If you ask people to do too many things they will easily forget and not end up doing what you want them to. 

If you are a Captivate user you can use Captivate’s Attribution Links to track the efficacy of your different CTAs, to see which ones perform best.

• Use notables

A show notable is something memorable about your show – not your name, art or music, more of a catch-phrase. It’s something that will spring to mind for listeners whenever your show is mentioned, and it’s great for building familiarity with your audience.

A great example is from one of my personal favourite shows, ‘ Philosophize This ’. It has the super simple notable of “ Thank you for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday ”.

• Mention that it’s free to follow or subscribe – some people think that you have to pay to follow or subscribe to podcasts . Easy way to combat this is to mention that it’s free to subscribe and follow, whether that’s in your notes, during recording or in your social media posts.

Scripting out your episode will make sure it’s the best it can be, with nothing forgotten in the urgency of recording. Just as every podcast is unique, the way each podcaster writes out a script will be unique, too – whatever works for you is just as valid as the next person’s. 

Did you find this article helpful? Check out, ‘ Write an Engaging Podcast Description that Turns Scrollers into Listeners ‘.

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Kamala harris’ focus on small business: her job creator plan.

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North Hampton, NH - September 4: U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala ... [+] Harris speaks during a campaign event at Throwback Brewery. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her “Entrepreneurs & Innovators Policy Plan” that will support small businesses, entrepreneurs, innovation, and economic growth. As previously reported , over her career, the Vice President has long been committed to supporting small business and entrepreneurs.

Her campaign announcement during a speech in North Hampton, New Hampshire, at the Throwback Brewery , a women-owned business that has been in operation for more than a decade, gives us more insight into what her priorities for small business, entrepreneurs and innovators would look like. The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized Main Streets across the country through legislation and executive orders. These efforts have led to 19 million in new recorded business applications since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, an unprecedented number . Small businesses have also created 70% of net new U.S. jobs since 2019.

Vice President Harris’ plan calls for building on this success by setting a goal of 25 million new small-business applications during her first term. Here are the policy proposals designed to achieve it:

Tax Deductions

It takes on average about $40,000 to launch a small business for items that include market surveys, advertisements, equipment, and salaries for workers in training. However, the tax deduction for start-up expenses is currently $5,000. Vice President Harris’ plan would push for expanding this deduction to $50,000 for new small businesses to cover more of these costs and provide more flexibility on when and how they can claim it. For example, if they wait until they are bringing in profits, the deduction may be more beneficial to businesses at that time.

In addition, she has proposed a series of standard deductions for small businesses in filing taxes. An estimated one in three small business owners spend over a week filing taxes, and two in three spend at least $1,000 each year to do so. A standard deduction in the tax code akin to one available to individual filers can save the smallest businesses time and money.

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Expanding Contract Opportunities

Vice President Harris also pledged that in her first term, one-third of all federal contract dollars will go to small businesses by expanding contract opportunities for rural and other underserved small businesses. The Small Business Administration’s current goal is for 23% of prime government contract dollars to go to eligible small businesses so this would be a significant increase. This represents an increase of more than $20 billion in revenue to small firms.

Small Business Expansion Fund

One challenge facing underserved Main Streets and communities is difficulty to attract capital. This is compounded by the fact that a small business needs time to generate the revenue needed to make initial loan payments. Vice President Harris’ plan would aim to address this by launching a small business expansion fund where community banks and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to cover interest costs while small businesses are expanding. This fund will help small businesses who want to locate, innovate, and create jobs in communities across the United States have access to affordable capital. It also builds on the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) 2.0, which was part of the American Rescue Plan , which provides funding to states, territories, and eligible municipalities to expand existing or to create new state small business investment programs.

Less Burdensome Regulations

The Vice President has also proposed steps to reduce bureaucracy for small business owners through efforts that include making it easier to obtain occupational licenses for workers and businesses to operate across state lines. Additionally, her plan would also create incentives for states and local governments to reduce burdensome small business regulations, such as simplifying business licensing, zoning processes, and building, public way, and health permits.

Several of the policy proposals she has outlined have already been championed by Democrats and Republicans. With that in mind, it is refreshing to see that she is already laying out her plans for job creators across the country and significant to see a presidential candidate develop an intentional strategy in support of the small businesses that play a critical role in our economic growth.

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