Burning-Money-psd89426It use to be that the cool way to generate traffic was to put out a post stating that “Podcasting is Dead.” Now I see a new trend. Now people want to state how there is no money in podcasting. While I will be the first to say that most people do not make enough money to LIVE off their podcast, I would also be the first to say it costs $30 a month to podcast and MOST podcasters should be able to cover that.

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal they stated that:

Mr. Young, of “Bowery Boys,” said his costs run from $1,500 to $2,000 for a computer, an additional $1,000 for a mixing board and miscellaneous equipment, $200 per microphone and $20 a month for his hosting service. He and Mr. Meyers use a spare room in Mr. Meyers's apartment for their recording space.

In the picture the podcast is sitting next to a behringer mixer that may have gone for $200 tops. They state they are using $200 microphones. This is just plain silly. You can start a podcast with a $40 microphone

The article states that they spent “$1,500 to $2,000 for a computer”. Look I know Mac's are pretty and shiny, but you can podcast perfectly fine on a $500 Dell (if not cheaper). You can actually take that same $40 microphone and use you iPhone to create a podcast with the Boss Jock Studio app.

Many people believe they need to purchase a mixer (typically $60-$99) to podcast. You only need a mixer if there is more than one person in the room with you, or if you are mixing in sound effects live while you stream your content (I say stay away from “broadcasting live” until you have an audience – it just adds complexity to the process).

Here are some good deals for a two person podcast:

Audio Technica ATR2100 Microphone ($35-$40) This comes with cables for the microphone and a desk stand
Yamaha MG102c Mixer ($99)
ON Stage Microphone Boom stand ($29) or A Swinging Stand so you can clamp it to your desk and move it out of the way if not needed ($57)
The OKEBA shock mount and Pop filter are a STEEL and work perfect with the ATR 2100 microphones ($12)You need a cable to go from your mixer to your computer ($3)
If you have the budget, I highly recommend recording into a portable recorder. ($99 – $400). I use the R-05 from Roland ($199)

Cost for two people:
Microphones $78
Mixer $99
Stands $114
Pop Filters $24
Cable $3
Portable Recorder $200

Total $518 (not $2000). If I record directly into my computer (instead of a recorder) and go with the cheaper stands that total is $262

Your Website Fees

You can host your own website for around $8 (or less) at hostgator.com use the coupon code podcastcoach (all one word) to save 25% off.
I recommend Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com for hosting your media (audio/video) files. I use both. You can get a free month at Libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree. You will probably spend between $15- $20 per month for that (which is why I say it costs around$30 a month to run a website).

Ignore The Exaggerations from the Mainstream Media

The mainstream media does NOT want you to start a podcast. According to Jillian Michaels (trainer on the Biggest Loser) television is losing 4-7% of their audience A YEAR. This means they are going to paint a picture of how expensive it is, and how nobody listening. To this I say, “Consider the source.”  I'll be the first to say that podcasting takes time, and you don't make any money when you first start. However, once you start to grow your audience and build up some influence you can make a profit with your podcast. Most people make money their services, products, donations, etc not from the sale of the actual podcast.