How to create a private podcast

Everyone learns differently – and people like to consume content differently (how many of us watch TV and scroll on our photos at the same time?) I personally rarely watch any kind of sales videos or webinars. And like most people, I multitask and am usually listening to something while checking email or doing grunt work. So I’m much more likely to sign up for trainings or guides that are delivered via private podcast because I know I’ll actually have time to listen.

Delivering your content (whether free or paid) is so much easier to do via audio – simply record and upload your files – no need to stress about how you look on screen or learning how to edit videos. Plus audio is a great way to get your voice directly into the ear of your potential clients.

What is a private podcast

Private podcasts are intended for a specific audience and not intended to be distributed publicly – like podcasts you would see when you browse Apple podcasts. They are not “discoverable” in public settings – meaning that people don’t just stumble across them. They’re ideal for delivering “private” content like membership trainings or client communications. And they’re awesome as a lead generation tool – meaning you can offer them in exchange for someone’s email address.

A private podcast has a unique “feed” for each subscriber – this allows you to limit access to specific listeners. Typically, the listeners sign up via email and are delivered a link that only they can access. This allows you to monitor who is listening to your episodes – and it means you can give and revoke access to specific individuals at any time.

What platform should you use to host your private podcast

By far, the easiest (and cheapest!) tool I’ve found to host and manage private podcasts is Hello Audio. You simply drag and drop your content, add a title and description for each episode (or lesson) and choose when you want to release it. You can pre-schedule content, release all of it to be available on-demand or drip it out over time.
If you’re using Kajabi to host your digital products, you also have the option to deliver private podcasts. I’ll often create a private podcast feed to accompany a membership or video-course. This gives students the option to either listen or watch the content.

What do you need to create your private podcast?

1. Podcast delivery platform. The platform is where you’ll upload your files, schedule your episodes and share your podcast. Hello Audio starts around $14 a month and gives you unlimited episodes and unlimited listeners.
2. A podcast cover image. You’ll need to create a square image that people will see when listening to your podcast. The size is typically 3000px x 3000px and you can find podcast cover templates on Canva.
3. Audio content. You’ll need to upload some sort of content people can listen to. Content can be any length you like – from a few minutes to hours-long. Episodes can be as long or as short as you like.

What kind of file formats do you need for a private podcast?

Typically, you’ll need to upload a standard audio format like .mp3. However, some tools like Hello Audio allow you to upload all sorts of files – and they’ll convert them for you. You can even upload zoom video files and it will deliver it as an audio podcast!

Can you listen to private podcasts on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

People are creatures of habit and they want to listen to their stuff where it’s easy for them. Hello Audio is one of the few platforms that gives users the options to listen to private podcasts on Spotify or Apple podcasts – meaning they can access and listen to your content where they typically go for audio content.

Private Podcast examples

The Matter of Menopause Podcast is a private podcast that is accessible when users exchange their email address.