Western’s guide to creating a podcast through Student Media

Written by Lifestyle Editor Jude Bokovoy

One of Western’s hidden treasures is that Student Media has a fully functioning  podcast studio that is open to all students. If one  has the desire to host a show, there’s nothing in their way. Any topic, duration or guests are welcome. The podcast studio is completely independent and student-run, which can provide a huge creative advantage. Simply sign up for a time slot to use the studio, then jump in to record after a quick technology tutorial by Sean Sullivan, the KWOU station Manager. 

Last spring term I hosted my own podcast for credit as a communications internship. Working with Student Media is a great opportunity to get credit for a degree. I came into the studio with absolutely no experience. After a brief tour and some equipment training, the rest was up to me; writing the script, recording, editing, topics and bringing on guests. It took quite a while to get the hang of recording and editing. It would typically take around seven hours to complete a 15 minute episode from start to finish. 

Now, having a season under my belt, I have plenty of advice. First, give oneself time when scheduling  recording and editing time slots. This step is important because emotions show through the recording. Meaning, that if one is feeling rushed, stressed, tired, or in a bad mood that day, it will be obvious. If one  finds themselves in a mood before going into the studio, they might as well reschedule or spend that time editing a different episode. 

Next, YouTube is a good tool. There are countless tutorials on YouTube that can help with editing. 

When finding a topic for a new episode, write out bullet points of what should be focused on  before recording. 

Lastly, line up as many guests as possible or even get a co-host. By bringing someone in there is another person to talk to, bounce ideas off of, and help lengthen the episode immensely. 

Once one has completed a season that follows Western’s guidelines (which aren’t strict), they will be able to find their  show on Spotify. All one has to do is submit all  episodes to Sullivan and  create a cover photo/graphic along with descriptions for each episode. After that it will be posted to the KWOU Spotify account along with other students’ shows to listen to. 

If interested, contact Sean Sullivan his email kwou@mail.wou.edu.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu