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For new podcasters and creators

Start a podcast

Go from an idea to a published, promoted first episode.

Steps
5
Tools
12
Free or free plan
12
Time
~4–6 hours for your first episode

Free starter route — every step has a free option

    Your plan

  1. 01Plan and name itPodcast Name Generator · Brainstorm Helper
  2. 02Make it look the partCanva · YouTube Bio Generator
  3. 03Record and editRiverside · Descript · ElevenLabs
  4. 04Publish it everywhereSpotify for Creators · Buzzsprout
  5. 05Promote the episodeYouTube Title Generator · Social Post Ideas · Tweet Ideas Generator
  1. 1

    Plan and name it

    Pick a name and plan what your first episodes will cover.

    After this step: A show concept, name and first-episode plan.

  2. 2

    Make it look the part

    Cover art is the first thing listeners see in any podcast app.

    After this step: Podcast cover art ready to upload.

    Image Generation

    Canva

    Beginner-friendly design platform with templates, stock media, AI tools, video editing, branding, presentations and social publishing.

    Freemium · Free

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: Creators, small businesses, podcasters, YouTubers, freelancers, marketers, teachers and anyone who needs attractive visual content without professional design experience.

    Consider another option if: Professional illustrators needing advanced vector control, complex branding systems, film editors working on large professional projects, users requiring advanced colour grading or detailed 3D design, and designers who want complete control over every layer.

    Read review →Visit (new tab)
  3. 3

    Record and edit

    Studio-quality remote recording plus edit-by-text cleanup.

    After this step: A finished, edited first episode.

    Video & Audio

    Riverside

    Remote recording studio with local capture, separate audio and video tracks, 4K video, AI transcription, text-based editing and social clips.

    Freemium · Free

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: Podcasters, interviewers, YouTubers, journalists, educators, course creators, webinar hosts, agencies and creators recording high-quality remote audio and video with guests.

    Consider another option if: Solo audio creators, casual callers, people who do not care about recording quality, large broadcast studios needing live-production equipment, and users needing unlimited 4K recording at the lowest price.

    Read review →Visit (new tab)

    Video & Audio

    Descript

    Edit video and podcasts like documents using transcripts, AI editing, voice cloning, captions and screen recording.

    Freemium · Free

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: YouTubers, podcasters, course creators, marketing teams, educators, social media teams, remote interview producers, SaaS companies, video agencies, internal communications teams, screen-recording tutorials and businesses producing talking-head content.

    Consider another option if: Feature-film editing, complex visual-effects production, detailed colour-grading workflows, advanced multicamera editing, users who only need basic trimming, and projects requiring a full professional post-production suite.

    Read review →Visit (new tab)

    Video & Audio

    ElevenLabs

    Create lifelike AI voices, clone authorised voices, translate audio, generate music and build real-time voice applications.

    Freemium · Free

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: YouTube creators, podcasters, audiobook producers, video editors, game developers, marketing agencies, e-learning companies, accessibility products, voice applications, AI startups, customer-support teams and international content publishers.

    Consider another option if: Users who only need basic robotic text-to-speech, businesses without permission to clone or reproduce a voice, teams that need a complete video editor, users producing very large audio volumes on a small budget, and projects requiring unrestricted rights for every generated music use case.

    Read review →Visit (new tab)
  4. 4

    Publish it everywhere

    Hosting puts your episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and every major app.

    After this step: A hosted episode with a working RSS feed.

    Video & Audio

    Spotify for Creators

    Free podcast hosting and distribution platform with audio and video publishing, analytics, audience engagement and monetisation tools.

    Free · Free

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: New podcasters, independent creators, solo hosts, YouTubers expanding into podcasts, interview shows, small businesses and small teams launching audio or video podcasts.

    Consider another option if: Large podcast networks, publishers managing many shows, enterprise advertising operations, private corporate podcasts or teams needing an all-in-one recording and editing studio (Spotify offers Megaphone for enterprise publishers).

    Read review →Visit (new tab)

    Video & Audio

    Buzzsprout

    Podcast hosting platform with audio and video publishing, analytics, transcripts, podcast websites, monetisation and AI-assisted episode tools.

    Freemium · Free for 90 days

    Is it right for me?

    Best for: Independent podcasters, small businesses, consultants, coaches, educators, community podcasts and creators who want a simple specialist podcast-hosting platform.

    Consider another option if: Large podcast networks, enterprise media companies, high-volume video creators, private internal podcasts, and users who only want completely free permanent hosting.

    Read review →Visit (new tab)
  5. 5

    Promote the episode

    Titles and social posts decide whether people press play.

    After this step: Episode title, show notes and launch posts.

Make the plan yours.

Tell AI Chat about your situation and it can tailor these steps, suggest an order or help with the first task.

Tailor it in AI Chat

Ask a follow-up

I'm on a zero budget — which free tools should I use for start a podcast?What's the fastest way to start a podcast with AI?I'm a complete beginner — what should I do first?Which paid tools are actually worth it for this?

Directory listings are made by other companies; pricing and features can change, so check before you buy. Some links are affiliate links.

More stacks

4 steps · 12 toolsLaunch a YouTube channelSet up a channel, script your videos and make them without a studio.
  1. 1.Set up the channel
  2. 2.Script it
  3. 3.Make the video
  4. 4.Get it watched
CanvaHeyGenFliki+9 more~3–5 hours for your first video4 steps · 11 toolsStart a small businessTest an idea, give it a name and plan how you'll find customers.
  1. 1.Test the idea
  2. 2.Name and brand it
  3. 3.Find customers
  4. 4.Think it through
ChatGPTBusiness Idea GeneratorMarket Research+8 moreOngoing — about a week of evenings3 steps · 9 toolsBuild a website or appBuild a site with AI, then make it findable in search and AI assistants.
  1. 1.Build it
  2. 2.Add the details
  3. 3.Get found
LovableReplit AgentFramer+6 more~2–4 hours for a first version