Streamline Your Podcast Workflow With Templates
How can you reduce the amount of time you devote to recording and editing each episode without compromising the quality of your podcast? Templates!
When you have a streamlined process laid out for recording and editing each of your episodes, you’ll spend less time configuring your software and more time enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Templates allow you to create consistently great podcast episodes without all the extra work.
Here are 3 templates you should have for your podcast:
1. Script Template
This is the outline you’ll use to standardize the format of your podcast episodes. Having a Script Template will take the guesswork out of planning and recording because you’ll know in advance what you need for each episode.
Your Script Template is divided up into the different segments of your show. Here are a few common examples of show segments:
1. Intro
The intro goes at the beginning of each episode. Typically, this is where you play your theme song or show intro and where you give your listeners a brief summary of what they can expect in the episode.
2. Body
The body is the largest segment of your episode. This is where you dig into the story you’re telling, the lesson you’re communicating, or the information you’re providing.
3. Playful Banter
You know that section at the beginning of your favorite podcast where the co-hosts are ribbing each other and laughing it up? They do that on purpose! Playful banter is an effective way of setting the tone of the episode and getting the listener to perk up and pay attention.
4. Interview
If you conduct interviews for your podcast, the interview is a segment in your show. You’ll want to introduce your guest at the beginning and wrap it up at the end with some key takeaways for maximum impact.
5. Fan Mail
A Fan Mail or fan-focused part of your show is where you devote time to answering your listener’s questions or engaging with them. You could read reviews from Apple Podcasts or give shoutouts to the people that contribute financially to support your show.
6. Call to Action
What action do you want your listeners to take? Do you want them to download something? Sign up for your email list? Tag you in a post on Instagram? Incorporating calls to action in your show gives your listeners a clear next step to engage with you beyond the content of your podcast.
7. Outro
The Outro is the segment you end every episode with. Do you have a tagline? A common phrase? Do you play out each episode with music? The outro is designed to signal to the listener that your episode is wrapping up. Inform new listeners where they can connect with you and how they can share the podcast with their friends. The outro is also where you include credits for people that helped you edit your show or give a shoutout to the artist that wrote and performed your theme song.
As you identify the common segments that appear in each episode and put them together to form your Script Template, you’ll go into each new episode knowing what you need to accomplish. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once, you can focus on each segment individually knowing how you will piece everything together at the end.
2. Episode Audio Template
Once you’ve hammered out your Script Template, it’s time to incorporate each segment into your audio editing software. Take an existing episode (or do this with your next one) and save it as a “Master Template File.” By doing this, you’ll save the settings and layout of your podcast episodes, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.
Inside your Episode Audio Template, create separate channels or layers for each segment and each layer of audio. This way you can edit each segment separately and drag and drop different recordings into their proper place without having to adjust all the other elements of your episode. Here are a couple common elements that would need their own channel:
- Theme song
- Narration segment
- Interview with guest
- Advertisements/sponsor segments
- Outro music
Instead of opening a new file and starting from scratch every time you can just open your master template, erase your audio segments, and start recording your new episode. Your theme song, outro music, and other elements are still saved in their proper place, thus eliminating the extra work you’d normally do for every episode.
3. Show Notes Template
Your Show Notes Template consists of the text that you include within every episode’s show notes/description. You’ll want to include your website, links to your social media accounts, description of the episode, and links for your calls to action.
In putting your Show Notes Template together, ask yourself the following questions:
- What are the links you always include?
- What are the actions you always want your listeners to take?
- Do you have any special HTML formatting for your show notes?
Instead of having to type out your show notes for every episode, you can just copy and paste the common elements that always appear and further streamline your editing process.
Now that you’re familiar with the 3 templates it’s time to create your own.
- Script Template: What are the standard segments of your podcast?
- Audio Episode Template: Save a “master” file with all of your channels and formatting already built-in
- Show Notes Template: Save a file with the portion of your show notes that stays the same for every episode
Utilize templates to streamline your workflow and take back your free time!
Originally published at www.buzzsprout.com.
