Course description

A podcast lets you talk to people about something you care about, in their ears, on their walk, drive or washing up. This course takes you from an idea to a published show, step by step: planning your show and episodes, choosing simple kit, recording at home, remotely and on location, interviewing guests, editing, and publishing to podcast apps.

It's written for hobbyists who want to share something they love, small businesses that want to help customers and build trust, and charities and community groups that want to tell their stories. You learn to plan a show you can keep up, outline and script episodes that are easy to follow by ear, set up a quiet recording space, record clean sound, and run relaxed, well-prepared interviews with proper consent. You then edit your audio into a natural-sounding episode, publish it through a hosting service with clear cover art, titles and show notes, and launch it. You also learn the main UK rules on music, copyright, defamation, privacy and advertising, in general terms, and how to grow your show without chasing numbers.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, each with a worked example, common slips, questions people often ask and a short exercise to try, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow three made-up podcasters: Lieven, who makes a walking and wildlife show with his friend Lhamo near Lincoln; Aafke, who runs a tiling firm in Halifax and answers her customers' questions; and Tsering, who makes a short series for a befriending charity in Stockport. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers, a cheat sheet and worked examples, plus extras such as a show planner, episode outline and script templates, a recording checklist, a guest release form template, an editing checklist, a template for show notes, a launch plan and a podcast rules checklist.

What you'll learn

• Getting started: how a podcast reaches listeners through hosting, a feed and podcast apps, a one-sentence goal, what one episode really takes and a one-page starter plan.
• Planning your show: a subject, angle and listener, choosing a format, a clear name and description, episode length and a schedule you can keep, and a show planner.
• Planning episodes: an ideas list, a simple episode shape, scripts or bullet points, writing for the ear and outlines for your first three episodes.
• Equipment and your recording space: microphones, headphones, interfaces and recorders, a quiet, soft room, levels and microphone technique, and a recording checklist.
• Recording: solo, co-hosted, remote and location recording, and file naming and backup habits that keep your recordings safe.
• Interviews and guests: finding and inviting guests, preparing questions, running the interview, release forms and interviews that need extra care.
• Editing your audio: choosing a free editor, a natural first edit, gentle sound clean-up, music you have the right to use, loudness and an editing checklist.
• Publishing your podcast: choosing a hosting service, cover art and show details, episode titles and show notes, getting into podcast apps, transcripts and a launch plan.
• The law, rules and staying safe: copyright and music, defamation, privacy and personal details, sponsors and ads, and a podcast rules checklist, as general information.
• Growing and keeping going: promotion, reading stats without chasing numbers, listener feedback, podcasts for businesses and charities, and a final project.

Who it's for

Hobbyists, small businesses and charities starting their first podcast. You don't need any experience of recording or editing, or any special equipment to begin: a phone or computer and a quiet room are enough to start, and the course helps you decide what else, if anything, is worth getting.

What this course is, and isn't

This course is about audio podcasts. For filming and editing video, it points you to other Rootlet courses by name. Hosting services and editing apps are described in general terms, so you can follow along with whichever you choose. The rules on copyright, music, defamation and advertising are explained as general information from official pages (GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and the ASA) read on 1 November 2026; it isn't legal advice. Lieven, Lhamo, Aafke, Tsering, their shows and organisations are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Explain how a podcast reaches listeners through a hosting service, a feed and podcast apps, and write a one-sentence goal for your show
• Plan a show with a clear subject, angle, listener, format, name, description and a schedule you can keep
• Outline and script episodes that are easy to follow by ear
• Choose simple recording kit and set up a quiet, soft recording space with good levels and microphone technique
• Record solo, co-hosted, remote and location episodes, and name and back up your files safely
• Find, prepare and interview guests, with clear consent and a release form
• Edit your audio into a natural-sounding episode, with music you have the right to use and consistent loudness
• Publish your podcast through a hosting service, with cover art, show details, episode titles, show notes and transcripts
• Check each episode against the main UK rules on copyright, music, defamation, privacy and advertising, as general information
• Promote your show, read stats calmly, use listener feedback and make a complete pilot episode as a final project

Frequently asked questions