Podcast Toolkit

Here at Filecoin Foundation, we’ve found great utility in our weekly podcast. It has been a wonderful way to give a platform to the people building on Filecoin and other DWeb Projects. Creating a podcast around your project will be a good way to reach your audience and share milestones and updates on a regular cadence. Below are our best practices and guidance on launching and maintaining your own podcast.

Hardware & Software

Microphone

The most important device you will need when recording your podcast is a good microphone that is easy to set up and use. We recommend the Rode NT-USB Mini or the Rode PodMic USB. They are both compact, high-quality microphones that plug into your computer using USB. If you purchase a Rode mic, you should make sure you install the Rode Central onto your computer, and update the mic’s drivers.

StreamYard

We suggest that people use StreamYard to record podcast episodes. StreamYard is a powerful, user-friendly web app for podcasters, offering seamless live streaming, recording, and multi-platform distribution capabilities. With its web-based interface, there's no need for complex software installations, making it accessible for podcasters of all levels. StreamYard simplifies hosting remote interviews by allowing guests to join with just a link, offering high-quality video and audio with minimal technical setup. Its integration with social media platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and X ensures broad reach and easy content distribution. Additionally, StreamYard provides features like customizable branding, live comments, and screen sharing, making it an all-in-one solution for efficiently creating professional-quality podcast episodes.

For detailed instructions on using Streamyard, see Streamyard’s documentation

Opus Clips

We advise that people use Opus Clips to create shareable clips to promote your podcast episodes. Opus Clips is a dynamic tool designed to maximize podcast reach by transforming long-form content into compelling, shareable clips. It uses AI to identify key moments from episodes and repurposes them into bite-sized videos that can easily capture the attention of audiences on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X. By automatically generating captions, resizing videos for different formats, and offering quick editing options, Opus Clips streamlines content repurposing, helping podcasters quickly create eye-catching highlights that boost engagement and drive traffic back to the full episodes. This efficiency makes it an essential tool for expanding your podcast’s discoverability across multiple social channels.

Production

Outreach and Scheduling

The outreach process for a podcast is crucial to securing engaging guests and creating a smooth production experience. Start by researching potential guests who align with your podcast’s theme and goals, then find their contact information, preferably an email address. Craft a short, personalized message explaining what your podcast is about, why you would like them to be a guest, and include a few potential dates and times for the recording. If the potential guest hasn’t replied in over 1 week, don’t be afraid to politely bump the email thread. Once the guest confirms their interest and availability, send them a short questionnaire that outlines the topics for discussion, specific questions you may want them to address, and any points that need clarification.

Example Outreach Email:

Hi [Guest's Name],

[Your Name] here from [Podcast Name]!

I’m reaching out to invite you to join us as a guest on our video podcast, [Podcast Name]. The show is available on [List of Platforms: e.g., YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts], reaching audiences interested in [Podcast Theme/Topic].

We’d love to have you share your insights, projects, and contributions with our listeners and dive into your experiences in [relevant field/community]. If you’re interested, please let me know your availability on upcoming [Preferred Day(s) of the Week], and we’ll get the ball rolling! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.

Thanks,

[Your Name]

[Podcast Name]

Example Questionnaire:

Hey [Guest's Name],

I hope you're well! Would you mind answering a few quick questions about what you'd like to cover during the episode? This will help me put together some notes for you and the host to use.

Questions:

• Your preferred bio:
• A headshot you'd like us to use for social media:
• Any preferences on the topic or direction for our conversation:
• Any plugs or exciting news you'd like to highlight:
• Your connection with the Filecoin ecosystem:

Thank you in advance, and I’m looking forward to your insights!

Best,

[Your Name]

[Podcast Name]

Prep & Recording

Take the guests input and create a run-of-show document that you can use during recording. This doc should contain info This helps both you and your guest prepare for a focused and engaging conversation. Include sections for info like the guests’s bio, topic preference, exciting news & plugs, and a detailed run of show. The run of show section should list all the topics you want to cover in your conversation, with notes on each topic to help the host.

After confirming the episode details and gathering the guest's input, log in to StreamYard to configure the new episode. Set up a broadcast with the agreed-upon date and time, and share all the details, including the link to join the recording session as a calendar event, and invite everyone who will be involved.

When it's time to record, use StreamYard’s live recording feature to capture the episode. Once finished, you can use StreamYard’s built-in editing tools to trim any unwanted parts, add intros or outros, and make any final adjustments. When you’re satisfied with the final product, export the episode in your preferred format for post-production or immediate publication.

Premiering a New Episode

Now that you’ve recorded a new episode, it's time to upload and distribute it. There are many services to upload and distribute podcasts, but we’ve had positive experience with Spotify for Podcasters. We suggest using Spotify’s podcast distribution platform because it has detailed analytics, supports video, and makes it easy for you to distribute your podcast to other podcast platforms via RSS.

For more information on how to configure your podcast on Spotify, like how to set up your RSS feed, or how to distribute your podcast to other platforms, see Spotify’s documentation on Spotify for Podcasters

We also advise that you also distribute your podcast to YouTube as well, especially if it is a video podcast. See Google's documentation for setting your podcast up on Youtube.