You're eager to excel in podcasting. What essential skills do you need to make it in this industry?

To excel in podcasting, essential skills include: 1. Strong storytelling and communication skills for engaging content. 2. Audio editing and production proficiency for quality episodes. 3. Marketing and promotion savvy to grow your audience. 4. Interviewing and hosting abilities to conduct compelling interviews. 5. Adaptability and willingness to learn new trends and technologies in podcasting. Focus on developing these skills to stand out and succeed in the industry.

It takes time but learning db levels how close a mic should be from your mouth and even the way drinking a beverage can effect your voice. Also, finding a room that is sound treated will help.

I would recommend investing in a USB audio interface to control sound quality - I use Focusrite's Scarlett 4i4 which is excellent. Secondly I would invest in a good microphone - I use a Shure with a PigHog cable - Shure is a little more expensive but fantastic for vocal quality and elimination of background noise.

Buy a microphone! Many hosts still think it's good enough to simply use the integrated mic and voice app of your phone. The market is run by branded and very professional podcasts - poor audio quality is not acceptable anymore.

This takes time and, from my experience, is where most podcasts fail. Most podcasts die because they lack consistency in creating content. Most will never get to or past the third episode.

First of all, find an area you are passionate about or an area you want to learn more about, and then go find guests that can speak to the topic. The best place to start is with authors of books on the subject as most authors are always looking for exposure. Personally, I believe that being a great interviewer has greater longevity than just trying to be a solo broadcaster opining. My advice, work on your interviewing skills first.

Create episodes that have value for your target group - podcasters often fail in doing so as they don't know the challenges/pain points of their target group clearly enought. Content is then often very broad and "speaks" to everybody. If you address everybody you reach nobody.

Be yourself - my compatriot Oscar Wilde once said "Be yourself because everyone else is taken". You don't need to adopt a persona, rather you need to engage with the camera as if it were someone you are speaking directly to just as you would face-to-face - the same goes for when engaging with a guest, make it a natural conversation and allow your true personality to shine through. Don't focus on "broad"casting - focus on one-to-one casting.

New podcasters often try to adopt a "radio voice," but the number one rule of podcasting is to never be boring. Your authenticity and passion are key. Talk about topics that excite you and solve problems for your audience. Stay true to your natural voice, and engage with listeners by responding to their feedback. Be patient and consistent, as building a successful podcast takes time. Keep learning and evolving, and craft compelling stories. Most importantly, have fun and let your enthusiasm shine through. Authenticity will help you to build trust and will keep your audience engaged and coming back for another show.

When you start podcasting don't stop listening to other podcasts (I know you can get podcast fatigue if you are podcasting regularly) - listening to other quality podcasts is a great learning tool especially when you are listening or viewing in a holistic manner (reviewing content, guest, interview style, flow, length etc.).

I also recommend following podnews for the latest updates in the podcast industry. Stay on top of what is going on in this industry because sometimes podcast hosting services change or die. Just look at Google podcast going away.