When the coronavirus hit and the gallery doors closed, art girls the world over shed a tear over the prospect of not being able to see art IRL for months. Once the tears dried, and the art world went online, we found a new way of getting our cultural fix…podcasts! With several very good art podcasts out there, from The Great Women Artists to Talk Art, the art world really is spoilt for choice. But don’t let that deter you from starting your own if you’re keen to natter away to fans near and wide. Having started my own podcast earlier this year, I – Gallery Girl – am here to hold your hand and guide you through the A to Z of the podcasting process.
Work Out Your Brand
You’re going to start a podcast?! Great! But what will you focus on? How will it make you stand out? What’s your niche?! Are you targeting a new network? Or a following you already have? Maybe, you’re going in a completely new direction. Whatever the situation, make sure you know what your USP is – that’s a unique selling point – so that you stand out, and have something that people will remember you for. In my case, I focus on women working in the arts in the Middle East, but there’s so many routes you can take.
Think About How You’re Going To Record
Obviously a podcast is all about sound, so recording it well is super important. But please, don’t worry if you’re a technophobe or have very basic equipment. While you can go all out and hire a sound engineer and a studio to do everything for you, there’s really no need. The most ideal situation is to record in person, but don’t worry if you can’t. I started my podcast during quarantine and everything was super easy. For my podcasts I set up calls via Zoom, Whatsapp of Botim and then recorded on my mom’s iPad (thanks mom). When recording phone calls, make sure the line is good and if possible, ask your guests to wear headphones – it will make the sound quality better. If you’re worried about emailing large voice clips to yourself, one tip I would recommend is to record in ten minute segments (there is also the option on many apps to record directly onto the app, but it’s always good to have a backup). You can then put these together when it comes to editing. And if the word “editing” is enough to give you a panic attack, relax! There are lots of apps that make putting a podcast together a breeze such as Podbean or Buzzsprout, though I would personally recommend Anchor.
Consider Your Format
There is no reason why each episode you record can’t be different, but I would recommend that your first episodes follow a set while your audience gets to know you. Whether that be Q and A, or a general conversation that you record by yourself, it’s good to have a guideline to follow.
Listen To A Lot Of Podcasts
Now is the time to binge on podcasts. By listening to every art podcast ever produced you will get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. You may also recognise things in podcasts that you might want to copy, and also other things that want to stay right away from.
Prepare
So you’ve worked out your brand, you’ve found your guests and you know how you’re going to record. But here’s another thought, WHAT are you going to record? Before pressing that red button, make sure you have a list of points that you want to cover. If you’re recording with a guest, make sure you have their bio ready and you’ve researched into what they’re currently working on. It’s also an idea to give them an idea of what you want to focus on, and also ask them in advance if there is anything they want to cover.
Spread The Word
Your podcast has been released into the world, yay! But now what?! Unless you’re super famous, it’s unlikely that people will find your podcast right away. Use your social media presence and all your pals to spread the word. You may well be the next queen of the podcast world, good luck!
Text Lizzy Vartanian
