Have you heard of Kuku fm?Well let me tell you the story of KUKU FM.
It was September 2020 when I was invited by Swati of Kukufm, to join this amazing community-first podcast platform. I was trying to get my podcast in front of Indian audiences,but didn’t really know how.
Anchor was free but the lack of a podcasting community and the sheer size of it’s parent Spotify made me scared. Podcasting felt lonely. Much like blogging was, before I found Blogchatter.
Enter Kuku FM a podcasting platform with a difference.Things started looking up.In this blog post I will share what I love,what could be better about Kuku FM,plus easy tips to start podcasting without going crazy!
Table of contents
Did you know who founded Kukfm?
The company was founded by Indian Institute of Technology , Jodhpur alumni Lal Chand Bisu, Vikas Goyal, and Vinod Kumar Meena.Entrepreneurship in a new space.
Why Kuku Fm is a good choice to start your podcasting journey? The Pros-
- It has a great community that helps train a new Podcaster.
- You can podcast in regional languages.
- It is the fastest-growing Indian podcasting platform.
- It hosts your podcast for free.
- They have an option to upload multiple podcasts. You can add your audiobooks and even have live streams(select creators have this option).
- But the best part is then community building by Kuku FM. Some amazing contests and content collaborations between creators keep the podcasting community buzzing and help you reach a new audience. They have a very active WhatsApp group, and it’s always full of great ideas.
- What I really love is the option for multiple regional languages. They have plans of bringing monetization to the Indian podcasting scene in different formats.
- You can sign up as a creator of audio content and have all your audio content under one umbrella. It’s like your Audio portfolio. It doesn’t cost a rupee to get started now.
- You get feedback from people who listen to podcasts.
Now How do you sign up for Kukufm?
Thats as easy as clicking on this link .You can sign up or submit your rss feed.
Another way is –
- Go to Google play
- Download the app Kuku FM
- Sign up as a creator
- Start creating.
- You can create podcasts in English or regional languages, audiobooks,or courses.
- You can also Email kalakaar@kukfm.com for your queries.
Cons of Kukufm
RSS not available. They are soon going to have their own RSS feed and that’s what will be the game-changer for them.
Anchor is free and wonderful and big Daddy Spotify is the biggest player in the field . It’s not easy getting started as a small-time podcaster. That’s where learning from people who are in the same boat as you are in,is the best way to go forward in your own journey.
Seperate bits of audio cannot be uploaded.Editor could have more features.
These are minor points, but since I try to give all the info you need before you try something, this is what you need to know.
If it’s a question of Indian audience go for Kuku FM. If you want to start and distribute worldwide then since even now KUKU doesn’t have an RSS feed, you will need Anchor to start your podcast easily and for free.
You can read about the Anchor App I reviewed earlier.
Steps to start the podcast if you are a blogger
Your blog posts are the rough scripts. Structure intro,highlight the main points,see whether the topic will be something which you are comfortable talking about .Make an outro .Now try rehearsing a few times before you record.
If you are nervous, use an app like HiQ, on the phone to record short segments. That way you can edit the parts which you don’t like easily .
Then merge all the bits of audio using a audio merger app or online.
What will you need to publish a podcast?
- A podcast image
- Title
- A description with details, links, etc
- Category of audio. Choose from fiction, personality development, fiction, motivation, mythology, and spirituality.
- Keywords
- Publish
- Share
Kuku FM also auto-generates the podcast videos first one minute after a day or 2 for social sharing. Definitely a great feature.Sharing is super easy and since podcasts are popular you should share.
But why are podcasts so popular?
- Because you can fold the laundry and listen.
- Make the bed and listen.
- Cook or cut veggies and listen
- Dust and listen
- Walk on the treadmill and listen!
- Pretend to listen while you snooze in the afternoon?
Whatever works for you.I absolutely love reading, but podcasting helps me catch up with many industry content that would be otherwise difficult to make time for.
How do I choose podcasts to listen to?
I focus on the topic .
Then the voice and audio quality .
Both are equally important but the first is crucial.
Everything I know and learn while Blogging and writing
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10 Simple Tips to Start Your Own Podcast
I have been creating audio content for my own website and podcast ,since 2018.But its only recently that things started picking up.2020 being what it was,it wasn’t easy to actually create the content I wanted to .I was more going with the flow than anything else.
Like when you start to swim and the first thing that you remember is stay afloat.
Listening to content creators talking about drops in traffic even worse drops in income, I realized once again that you and me we are all in this together.No one is unaffected .
The degree may differ but it’s there.
Now the part about podcasting top tips-
1 Pick a topic: Write a script with an intro, outro, and read it out loud several times before you start the actual recording. Stick to it.
2 Where to Record?
Pick a room in your house which has heavy curtains, sofa or bedding .Don’t choose a room with a lot of wooden cupboards and little furnishings. This makes the voice echo.
3 Now the when
It’s best if you record early in the morning because your voice sounds best then. But outside noise should also be less. Some people find it easier to record at night like I often do.
4 Voice fatigue
There’s a chance of voice fatigue if you have to also talk professionally. If you want a fresh-sounding voice before recording a podcast don’t, talk for at least an hour beforehand. Steam inhalation for ten minutes helps. Drink water. Record.
5 Practice saying “Om” a few times every day. It really helps to open up the voice.
6 Sometimes standing while recording a podcast helps to improve audio quality.
7 What to use while recording?
Use a lapel mike like Boya. It’s not expensive and improves audio quality. You can also record using the phone earplugs.Not as good but gets the work done. Hearing how your voice sounds, will help you.There is a variety of expensive audio gear as you get more experienced. One of them is the Rode mike.
8 You can record using the Kuku FM studio for better sound quality or a stand-alone app like HiQ.
9 You can use Audacity to improve voice quality on the laptop.
10 Keep practicing, be authentic you will go far. There’s absolutely no downside to practicing every day. That’s where the community on Kuku FM will help you top.
Stay inspired keep podcasting.