Before this course: Podcasting Basics (course 4.6). You already know how a podcast reaches apps through an RSS feed, how to plan a show and how to record, edit and publish one episode.
01
A production workflow you can repeat
In simple words
A bakery doesn't invent a new way to bake each morning. It follows the same steps every day. A podcast works the same way: when the steps are the same every time, episodes get easier and better.
Key facts
- A workflow is the same list of steps every episode: plan, prepare the guest, record, edit, master, publish, promote.
- A run sheet (or outline) is a one-page plan for an episode: the topic, the questions or segments, and a rough time for each.
- Consistent file names keep you from losing work. A simple pattern is: show initials, episode number, then what the file is (for example
ABC-012-raw-host.wav,ABC-012-final.mp3). - Keep raw recordings untouched in their own folder, and edit a copy. Keep a second copy of the finished project on another drive or cloud folder.
- A short checklist for each stage catches the mistakes people repeat when they are tired.
Step by step
- Create one folder for your show with sub-folders: 01-plan, 02-raw, 03-edit, 04-final, 05-publish.
- Pick a file-name pattern and write it at the top of a text file.
- Write a run sheet template with: episode number, working title, guest, topic, 5 segments, target length.
- Write a one-line checklist for each stage: plan, record, edit, master, publish.
- Copy the template for your next episode and fill it in.
- Check: a friend could find your raw files and your final file in under one minute.
Watch on YouTube
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
LESSON 01A production workflow you can repeat
Read the video script
[Host] "Pros don't make every episode from scratch. They follow the same steps every time."
[Text on screen: Plan → Record → Edit → Master → Publish] "Plan, record, edit, master, publish. Five stages, one checklist each."
[Screen: folder tree 01-plan, 02-raw, 03-edit, 04-final] "Keep your raw recordings safe in one folder, and edit a copy."
[Text on screen: ABC-012-raw-host.wav] "Name files the same way every time, so nothing gets lost."
[Host] "A repeatable workflow is how a hobby becomes a habit."
Try it now
Build your show folder, write your file-name pattern, and make a one-page run sheet template with a checklist for each stage.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Podcast Production: editing and interviews" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "A production workflow you can repeat". What the lesson teaches: - A workflow is the same list of steps every episode: plan, prepare the guest, record, edit, master, publish, promote. - A run sheet (or outline) is a one-page plan for an episode: the topic, the questions or segments, and a rough time for each. - Consistent file names keep you from losing work. A simple pattern is: show initials, episode number, then what the file is (for example ABC-012-raw-host.wav, ABC-012-final.mp3). - Keep raw recordings untouched in their own folder, and edit a copy. Keep a second copy of the finished project on another drive or cloud folder. - A short checklist for each stage catches the mistakes people repeat when they are tired. The exercise I'm working on: Build your show folder, write your file-name pattern, and make a one-page run sheet template with a checklist for each stage. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "A production workflow you can repeat" from the course "Podcast Production: editing and interviews". Here's what the lesson says: A bakery doesn't invent a new way to bake each morning. It follows the same steps every day. A podcast works the same way: when the steps are the same every time, episodes get easier and better. The activity: Build your show folder, write your file-name pattern, and make a one-page run sheet template with a checklist for each stage. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Apple Podcasts for Creators, audio requirements (the final file you will deliver): podcasters.apple.com/support/audio-requirements
My notes
Saved on this device
02
Record clean audio and safe levels
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03
Recording guests, in person and remote
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04
Interview skills
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05
Edit the dialogue in a smart order
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06
Master, export and add chapters and transcripts
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07
Publish consistently
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++
Final project
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??
Quiz
What is clipping?
When a signal is too loud for the recorder, so the top of the wave is flattened and distorted.
Why leave headroom when recording?
Quiet can be raised later, but clipping can't be properly fixed.
What is room tone?
A few seconds of the room's quiet sound, recorded to help with noise reduction and gap filling.
What is a double-ender?
Each person records their own mic locally, and the files are joined afterwards.
Why should you check your own country's rules on recording people?
They differ by country, so get a clear yes from the guest.
What kind of question gets stories rather than short answers?
An open question.
Where do good follow-up questions come from?
Listening to what the guest just said.
What do you do first when editing: clean up details or cut big mistakes?
Cut the big mistakes and silences (the rough cut).
What loudness does Apple Podcasts ask for, and what is the peak limit?
About -16 dB LKFS (plus or minus 1), with true peak not above -1 dB FS.
Which file types does Apple accept for RSS feeds, and which does it recommend?
MP3 or AAC, and it strongly recommends AAC.
What are Apple's best-practice chapter tips?
At least three chapters, no more than six per hour, none shorter than two minutes.
What file types can you use for your own transcript?
VTT or SRT.
EX
Final exam
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CE
Certificate
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