In This Episode
We talk about podcast formats and help you to define yours.
Links

* Developer Tea
* Hardcore History

Show Resources

* Podcast Outline Template
* E8 – The Format Script 

Show Credits
This show is hosted, produced, & scored by Mark W.
TranSCRIPT
INTRO JINGLE (8sec)
Intro
Welcome to ApexThis.Podcast. In this episode, we talk about your podcast and show format. It’s taking your idea and adding structure to it, defining it. My hope is that after this episode, you will have a good idea on how to structure your show and maybe you’ll take a second listen of your favorite podcasts and see how they’re structured. Don’t worry, I’m learning along with you as I create a new podcast or rather, audiobook. I’m your host
I’m your host Mark, and coming up…The Format.
INTRO MUSIC
Defining a podcast format will depend on the type of podcast show you will have.
Now, you and I have talked about the first thing you need to have in order to start a podcast. Spoilers for those that missed that episode, it was a passionate topic.
You have your idea, you have your topic, now you need to know the show format.
Will it be a single host? Or will you have a co-host or regular guests? This can have an impact in your shows presentation.
Will the show be an ad-hoc presentation, outlined, or scripted?
What is your release schedule like? Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, or seasonal?
That may have been a lot to throw at you, so let’s go through each starting with hosts.
Hosts
This podcast is a single host podcast with directed instructional content. Do you have to identify yours at that level? Nope. I mention that as you can be a single host podcast that is focused on interviews, answering questions, or whatever. This can span to co-host formats as well.
You don’t have to follow a specific host format, mix it up. Your most important task is to simply provide great content. Make something that you would listen to. Whether that is solo, or with others.
The next setup is how the show will be done. First up Ad-Hoc.
Ad-Hoc
This is what it is. Nothing written, or prepared, you just talk. This can be tricky, as you are providing no direction or flow to your content. You are simply ad-libbing. This may make it difficult for listeners to follow along with you. But it can also make it interesting and keep your show unpredictable. If you move from a solo host format to dual or multiple hosts, then ad-hoc would benefit best for conversational type of podcasts such as those that talk about popular culture or movies.
With that said, you can combine this with the next method, outlining.
This is what I did for my first podcast. Despite writing a standalone blog post from the results of my research, I created an outline of the topics I wanted to discuss. I also added other segments into the show such as news and spots for ad placement so that I would know when and where in my outline they should occur for the show.
This provided structure to the show. I was able to simply speak into the microphone and hit each topic with no issue. I was able to create a conversational tone but get back on base when needed. To give an example, you could look at this episode. As an outline, I started with an intro, next are my talking points: hosts, outline, length and schedule followed by a wrap-up and outro. That takes us to the next option which is scripted.