7 Podcast Subject Ideas

1. Enthusiast Podcast

Here you can gather up all the latest news, gossip and expertise in a specialist niche. You don’t have to be an authority or an expert. However, you do need passion and dedication. To give yourself credibility you can interview more authoritative people than yourself – experts, writers, influencers.

Examples:

• Local news and events (e.g., podcasts about your hometown and events)
• Fandom (e.g., podcasts about film or music genres, pop stars, sports teams)
• Hobbies (e.g., video games, model railways, birdwatching)
• Sports (e.g., cycling, golf, long-distance running, rugby)

To earn money, you could have affiliate links to local businesses you trust and like on your website, for example, a castle, coffee shop or hairdressers. Or you could focus on a group of people. Perhaps a local community that feels under-represented.

2. Seeker Podcast

This type of podcast will share your journey to achieving a goal, whether it’s learning a skill (like a new language), completing a task (such as renovating a home) or changing your life in some way (for instance, giving up smoking).

There’s no need for special expertise, but you need to be prepared to share all your successes and failures, trials, and errors. The idea is that you’re gathering knowledge, ideas, and inspiration on behalf of your readers. So, you could interview experts to get advice, or talk to other people who are on the journey just like you. Perhaps you’re going through the experience with a friend who could join you?

Examples:

• Business (e.g., setting one up, getting a promotion, developing a product, learning a new business skill, advancing your career)
• Educational (e.g., learning a language, getting a qualification, achieving a standard)
• Skills and Hobbies (e.g., learning chess mastery, cookery, yoga or cross-stitch)
• Sports and Fitness (e.g., reaching a weight or fitness goal, starting a new sport, training for a marathon)
• Lifestyle (e.g., veganism, giving up smoking, starting again after divorce)

You could apply this to other phases of life, including parenthood or retirement.  You could be trying to raise a child alone or sharing your journey as you leave your job to set up a business, sharing the challenges you face.

3. Prosumer Podcast

Here’s where you could share your self-taught knowledge and insight into a particular niche. Your podcast will share strong opinions on the subject or perhaps review products in a brutally honest way. You could interview consumers, CEOs, influencers, and critics, have a good old-fashioned debate in a group, or get together with a like-minded friend for a rant.

Typical examples here include:

• Media and Entertainment (e.g., video games, books, films, popular music)
• Sports and Leisure (e.g., photography, digital filmmaking, rock climbing, sailing)
• Art and Culture (e.g., theatre, architecture, philosophy, classical music, ballet)
• Food and Drink (e.g., wine, beer, whisky, fine dining, local restaurants)

You could apply this to any number of life interests. For instance, if you share a love of a particular football team with a bunch of friends, you could get together for lively conversations and debate.

Perhaps you have a few friends who love collecting vintage blues vinyl, model trains or stamps. You could create a podcast out of what you probably already talk about whenever you meet up with them.

4. Creator Podcast

From clothes and furniture designs to watercolours and fantasy novels, the creator shares their love of what they do: the process, their inspirations, the techniques, the challenges, and the joys of turning ideas into a reality. Your podcast could combine talks of your latest obsessions, influences, creations, and topics of interest with interviews with other creators and people in the same field.

Some possible ideas here include:

• Art and Design (e.g., sculpture, painting, performance, interiors)
• Non-fiction writing (e.g., subjects such as landscape, history, travel, religion, relationships)
• Music (e.g., folk, sound recording, punk, guitar, jazz)
• Crafts (e.g., embroidery, origami, knitting)
• Food and Drink (e.g., beer making, wine making, baking)

If you’re not an expert, then come at it from the point of view of a “seeker”. If you’re a writer or artist, rather than doing a podcast about writing, also think about doing a podcast on your subject. For instance, if you write about travel, then do a travel podcast. If you paint seascapes, then consider a podcast about the love of the coast. This way you can bring a variety of other writers, experts, and bloggers into the podcast.

5. Champion Podcast

You are so passionate about a certain product, service, business, or industry that you feel compelled to share it with others. Your podcast will contain news, breakthroughs, interviews with key players. It’s about sharing your belief and passion with others.

Examples:

• Media (e.g., TV, radio, journalism, newspapers, social media)
• Industry (e.g., automotive, telecommunications)
• Professional (e.g., teaching, accountancy)
• Health and Fitness (e.g., a specific diet, sports training method)
• Spirituality and self-help (e.g., a methodology or belief system that’s helped you)

If you’re in a business or industry, this could be a great way to raise your credibility and employability within your sector. It would also work well if you are a consultant or offer services (for instance you’re a homeopath, IT advisor or relationship counsellor).

6. Persuader Podcast

This is for not-for-profit crusaders looking for solutions to social, environmental, spiritual, or political issues. Your podcast could very well be the mouthpiece of your campaign – announcing the latest news, challenging stories in the mainstream media, rallying other interested people to your cause, and debating the issues.

Topics you may wish to consider:

• Environmental (e.g., stopping a new development, cleaning a river)
• Political (e.g., campaigning for a referendum, supporting a party, or lobbying for an interest group)
• Social (e.g., challenging a perception, fighting for rights, creating a community)

Perhaps you’re a parent of an autistic child who feels that people misunderstand the condition? Perhaps you’re sick of ageism in the workplace – or society on a wider level – and wish to address that? If there’s anything that gets you riled up and ranting about the world, then why not get it onto a podcast and attempt to right it?

7. Professional Podcast

This is for distinguished experts willing to share their stories and insights freely with those who are in the same field or industry. For instance, you are the CEO of a company, a published author, a professional accountant, a bookie, a university professor, a marketer, doctor, accountant, architect, or teacher. Your podcast will no doubt be authoritative, offering advice, or maybe inviting credible guest interviewees and speakers to share their views and wisdom.

Subject areas this could apply to:

• Media (e.g., TV, radio, journalism, newspapers, social media)
• Industry (e.g., automotive, telecommunications)
• Professional (e.g., teaching, accountancy, legal)
• Arts and Culture (e.g., poetry, design, publishing)

This could be applied to almost any professional job and used to create a legacy for yourself, make yourself known in your field, increase your credibility and find a higher level of recognition or influence.

This downloadable application allows you to record and edit the audio (for blips and mistakes, but also to add in jingles, clips, and music). The software allows you to tidy up mistakes and turn it into an audio file ready for uploading. That’s it.

You don’t have to create a slick, professional radio quality production. In fact, the simpler and more personal podcasts are the better. It’s the best way to show you’re a genuine person trying to help the listener (rather than some big marketing outfit). Everything else, like a musical jingle or coming up with a front cover for the podcast can be outsourced cost-effectively to designers on online marketplaces such as Fiverr.

I hope my 7 Podcast Subject Ideas post has given you lots of ideas to think about. Good luck with creating your first podcast.

To Your Success!