Twenty years ago, “podcast” was an obscure term with minimal Google search queries. Today, the podcast industry is a $39 billion media powerhouse, supported by 584 million worldwide listeners who tune in to content from over 4.52 million unique podcasts, according to Podcast Statistics.
Podcasting’s rapid expansion has now encompassed virtually every industry and topic of interest. Its influence is especially evident in niche, high-value communities like crypto, where educational content mixes seamlessly with project shilling in countless hours of interviews and discussions.
Many crypto podcasts start with enthusiasm and good intentions, aiming to spread the word about crypto, blockchain, and everything in between. However, most fail within six months due to poor planning, inconsistent quality, and a lack of effective crypto marketing.
Their failure does not mean that crypto podcast production is a lost cause. On the contrary, there is a broad global audience eager to tune in to a platform that exudes trust, authority, and top-quality content. Build it with the right crypto podcast marketing strategy, and they will come.
This guide provides the essential roadmap for launching, scaling, and monetizing a crypto podcast, transforming your initial concept into a thriving platform that establishes authority and fosters a strong community.
The Strategic Benefits of a Crypto Podcast
Podcasts are popular due to their low-cost production, widespread availability, and convenience for multitasking. However, launching a crypto podcast has even more benefits. The recent crypto podcast growth proves there is a monetizable audience ready to do chores while listening to you discuss crypto projects, token presales, and infamous crypto scams.
Here’s why building a crypto podcast will help you tap into that community:
Building Unparalleled Trust
The podcast format is so popular partly due to the nature of audio content itself. Audio has the power to engage the listener’s imagination, facilitate direct mental processing, and evoke emotion. It creates a uniquely intimate connection with the listener, building deep trust into the platform and its guests.
The concept is not new. Radio has used similar principles for over a century. However, a blockchain podcast has an even greater impact, as it builds trust in an industry renowned for its unreliability.
Establishing Thought Leadership
The podcast is the ideal platform for spreading forward-thinking ideas and discussing fresh perspectives. It allows you to challenge conventional thinking, educate, inspire, and guide others. In doing so, your crypto podcast could become more than just another online discussion channel.
In time, your platform could become the go-to source of crypto expertise and unique, insightful information. With Web3 podcasting, you can shape industry narratives and not just participate in them.
High-Value Networking
After you establish a strong presence in the crypto podcast niche, your platform can provide a legitimate reason to connect with and interview top figures in the crypto space. Web3 dialogue is all about sharing ideas and discussing the impact of innovative technologies. More importantly, everyone involved wants to have their voice heard.
With effective crypto influencer marketing, the list of potential guests for your crypto podcast can become nearly limitless, including project founders, VCs, analysts, and blockchain developers. Their presence will enhance your brand and help you build a network of prestigious contacts. Moreover, inviting the occasional crypto-obsessed celebrity can help you tap into other audiences and expand your reach.
Content Repurposing Engine
Building a podcast community has long-term benefits, including the option to monetize your content to your loyal audience and beyond.
Think of your blockchain podcast as the top of the content funnel, repurposed in clips, articles, tweets, memes, and other content flooding the internet and social media. Each episode can be remixed into various formats for different platforms, reaching crypto enthusiasts or bringing in absolute beginners to the industry. This is done through efficient DeFi marketing strategies that help you grow and maintain a loyal audience.
Pre-Launch Blueprint: Planning for Success
The best crypto podcasts have one thing in common: easy brand recognition. Platforms like Empire, Bankless, Unchained, or What Bitcoin Did have clearly defined audiences with broader crypto community management. While each has its unique traits, they all share these fundamental blueprint elements:
A Particular Niche & Angle
Crypto podcasting spans a range of formats, including interviews, solo casts, news roundups, narrative, and investigative approaches. You can discover the one that suits you best based on your expertise and preferred way of conveying information. You have to ask yourself:
Do I want to interview guests or give out monologues every week?
Do I want to talk about the latest crypto news or the broader industry?
Do I want to discuss investigative content, conspiracy theories, rumors, etc.?
For example, podcasts like Empire and Unchained discuss the latest news in crypto. Meanwhile, The Defiant Podcast talks mostly about DeFi. Those who want to learn everything about Bitcoin can tune into What Bitcoin Did, while Ethereum supporters can find everything ETH-related on Bankless.
Crypto podcasts have been around for quite some time, so finding an absolutely unique niche is nearly impossible. Try finding the one you are most interested in, and that is better equipped to host in whichever format you choose.
The Essential (and Affordable) Equipment List
The next must-have feature for your crypto podcast is high-quality audio, which you can only deliver with professional equipment. You may not believe it, but audiences can instantly tell when a podcast is recorded on cheap microphones, subpar mixers, and cut-rate audio interfaces.
Excellent audio quality is key to making your podcast sound polished and professional. It helps build loyal audiences and attract potential sponsors and advertisers. Here is a short list of crypto podcast equipment you should consider:
Microphones
A professional podcast microphone delivers the clear audio quality listeners expect. It reduces background noise and captures nuanced vocals, creating a more intimate connection with your audience. Some of the most used podcast microphones include:
This budget-friendly microphone is usually priced around $70 and is ideal for beginners, delivering the quality you would expect for the price.
This microphone is usually priced around $100 and offers slightly better sound quality than the Samson Q2U. Its high-performance features make it ideal for both beginner and expert podcasters.
One of the most popular and widely used podcast microphones typically costs around $400. The Shure SM7B is renowned for its high audio quality, versatility, and sensitivity to vocal cues. It is also the same microphone used by famous podcaster Joe Rogan.
Audio Interface/Mixer
Top-quality audio mixers are crucial for a podcast’s success. They act as a central hub, allowing you to combine and control multiple audio sources in real time, including microphones, music, guests, incoming phone calls, and more. A professional audio interface lets you control volume, tone, and noise to deliver a seamless audio experience.
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a reliable audio mixer choice for novice and experienced podcasters. It is compact, beginner-friendly, and has an easy learning curve. Many podcasters and even music recording studios use the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for its reliable quality and versatility.
Headphones & Accessories
You will need professional headphones and various accessories, such as pop filters, to complete your crypto podcast equipment.
Top-quality headphones ensure real-time audio monitoring, enabling you to catch and fix issues such as peaking, echo, and background noise instantly. You can tweak the audio experience in a heartbeat and save yourself hours of post-production editing. Moreover, closed-back headphones prevent audio leaking into your microphone, eliminating feedback loops, echoes, or the dreaded Doubled effect.
Podcast pop filters may seem unnecessary for beginners, but professional podcasters don’t start recording without them. These filters eliminate harsh “popping” sounds generated by heavy breathing and thick pronunciation of the letters P and B. Additionally, pop filters protect the microphone from moisture, dust, and saliva, potentially extending its lifespan.
Software & Hosting
The quality of your podcast extends past the hardware equipment to the software you use to edit episodes and the platform that eventually hosts them.
Recording & Editing
Here are three software options you can use to edit your recordings into professional-sounding podcasts:
Audacity is a free, open-source audio software with a user-friendly interface and intuitive controls. It is ideal for beginner podcasters, allowing you to record and edit multi-tracks with noise reduction, compression, and support for numerous plugins.
Beginners can also rely on Descript to record and edit their crypto podcasts. Descript is an AI-powered audio/video editor that streamlines podcast production with a unique text-based editing feature that makes recording, transcribing, and refining episodes incredibly fast. Unlike Audacity, Descript is not free. However, it offers a free podcasting plan, limited to about 1 hour of transcription per month.
Adobe Audition is the professional podcaster’s choice for recording and editing. It has robust tools for recording, editing, mixing, and restoring sound. Additionally, it offers features like advanced noise reduction, multitrack editing with templates, EQ/compression, and seamless integration with other Adobe apps. Adobe Audition is not free, but it offers a 7-day free trial with complete access to the application.
Podcast Hosting
Hosting is the final fundamental piece of the blueprint for a successful podcast. After creating, recording, and editing your crypto podcast on high-quality, professional equipment, you will need a dedicated host service to share it with the world.
A podcast host is the gateway through which everyone will listen to your podcast. It is not an application like YouTube or a platform like Apple or Spotify. Instead, it functions as an underlying service that stores audio files, generates an RSS feed for distribution to apps, provides listener analytics, and manages bandwidth. Here are a few podcast hosts to choose from:
Buzzsprout is a user-friendly podcast hosting platform that simplifies publishing, distribution, and management for beginners. It offers several features, including easy uploads, automatic optimization, directory distribution, analytics, AI tools, and monetization options. While it is not free, Buzzsprout offers a 90-day free plan with limited features.
Transistor is a professional podcast hosting, distribution, and analytics platform with features such as easy management, directory distribution, customizable websites, and detailed listener insights. It is not a free service, but it offers a 14-day free trial.
Libsyn is a professional podcast hosting platform ideal for expert creators. It provides tools for uploading, distributing, and monetizing audio/video content, along with detailed analytics. Libsyn is not free, but it has budget-friendly starting plans and occasional first-month-free offers.
Branding & Artwork
The early days of podcasting saw numerous platforms surface on the internet with little to no brand recognition. Some podcasts still survive to this day with rudimentary cover arts and uninspiring names. However, in today’s highly competitive podcasting environment, you cannot afford the luxury of a half-baked, forgettable brand.
Your cover art is often the first visual impression a potential listener has of your podcast. That tiny thumbnail carries your entire brand identity and must convey the user’s instant legitimacy and desire to discover more.
A memorable crypto podcast name communicates your show’s topic, tone, and brand to attract listeners in a heavily crowded market. Moreover, a finely tuned podcast SEO strategy can build an easily recognizable brand name, incorporate strategic keywords, and make it easier to connect with the right audience.
You can leave podcast branding in the hands of marketing professionals, who can create a visually impactful art cover and an impressive name that summarizes your brand and helps you attract a wider audience.
Content is King: Creating Episodes People Actually Want to Hear
The first goals for your blockchain podcast should be to build trust and establish authority from the very first episode. You can do so by creating high-quality content that delivers value and answers essential questions. Here are a few podcast elements that will help you generate great content:
Content is king in podcasting because high-quality, valuable audio builds trust, establishes authority, fosters deep listener connection, and drives loyalty, making it the foundation for audience growth and business success, especially in a crowded digital space where listeners seek genuine value over mere promotion.
The Art of the Interview
As a beginner crypto podcast, your first guests will most likely be the developers of a new project seeking to build brand reputation. In this case, research their work and the project beforehand. Identify unique questions that go beyond surface-level topics, showing you’ve done your homework. At the same time, guide the conversation to deliver genuine value rather than mere promotion.
Solo-Cast Mastery
One of the great things about podcasting is that you don’t need to have guests. You can sustain a monologue with expertise and knowledge, delivering valuable content without a podcast guest strategy. Generally, self-mastery podcasts focus on engaging, single-topic episodes in which the host’s expertise takes center stage. Solo-cast podcasts are increasingly popular in the Web3 space.
Batching & Consistency
Podcast batching is a content creation strategy in which you complete similar tasks across multiple episodes in a single session. Tasks may include planning, recording, editing, or marketing. This strategy helps you save time, reduce stress, and record several episodes back-to-back. It also helps maintain a regular publishing schedule, which is crucial for audience growth. Keep in mind that podcast batching does not work for time-sensitive content, such as news or market updates.
Show Notes & SEO
A significant part of crypto podcast distribution is how you present it online. More precisely, how easy it is to find your podcast once you release it, and this aspect boils down to your podcast SEO strategy.
Conduct thorough keyword research and treat your podcast episodes as if they were a crypto blog you would want to rank high in Google searches. Write keyword-rich show notes. Optimize titles and descriptions, such as episode titles, meta descriptions, and summaries. Include a full transcript and timestamps to allow easier user navigation.
If you don’t know or don’t have the time to perform all these tasks, a crypto podcast marketing agency can do it for you and help grow your audience faster.
Growth Hacking Your Crypto Podcast
Here are five easy steps to get your podcast off the ground and help it grow fast without diminishing value or sustainability:
Launch Strategy
Don’t launch your podcast with only one episode. Instead, record, edit, and optimize several episodes, then launch them all at once to encourage binge-listening. Consider it the 8-Episode Burst technique, which enables your crypto podcast to gain momentum. This strategy also gives you the time to record new and improved episodes based on feedback from your first batch.
Distribution & Promotion
Once you have a backlog of podcast episodes, submit them to all the major directories, such as Apple, Spotify, and Google. After the crypto podcast distribution ends, promote the episodes heavily across relevant social media platforms, such as X, LinkedIn, and relevant subreddits.
Podcast Guesting (The Podcast Tour)
You may have built a solid podcast guest strategy for your first batch of episodes, but now you have to swap places with them. One of the most effective ways to grow your podcast is to pitch yourself as a guest on other established crypto podcasts. This strategy allows you to tap into their audience, showcase your expertise, and drive listeners to your podcast.
Community Engagement
Look beyond conventional social media platforms to build communities where your podcast listeners can discuss episodes and suggest future topics. Platforms like Discord and Telegram are ideal for creating spaces where fans can engage with one another. Also, you can share exclusive content here, which is why crypto Telegram marketing is becoming increasingly popular.
Audiograms & Video Clips
Use tools like Headliner or Veed.io to create shareable video clips for popular social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. These apps allow you to transform audio clips into engaging content with waveforms, captions, and other visuals, drastically boosting discoverability and audience growth.
Monetization & ROI
The final step in our guide on how to start a crypto podcast is also the most exciting, since it involves monetization. Crypto podcasts can be profitable, and you can see all the hard work that goes into it pay off with the right crypto social media marketing campaign.
Here are two ways to monetize your crypto podcast:
Direct Monetization
Startup podcasts don’t have many earning options beyond the podcast itself, which usually comes from ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. Crypto podcast sponsorships are the most difficult revenue streams to get. You will have to wait until your platform reaches a solid, engaged audience and an easily recognizable brand before you can approach sponsors.
Sponsorships & Ads
Advertising is the primary revenue source for beginner podcasters. You can periodically interrupt the discussion to present a third-party product or service, either by reading the ad yourself or playing a pre-recorded one.
An effective way to attract well-paying ads is through the CPM (Cost Per Mille) rate, which is the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand views or impressions of an advertisement. CPM for niche podcasts varies, but typically falls in the $18-$50+ range.
Alternatively, you can ask listeners for donations or crowdfunding, such as through a Buy Me a Coffee campaign. And, if you have the time and resources to create exclusive content, you can sell it on Patreon to donating listeners.
Affiliate Marketing
You can use affiliate marketing in podcasts by recommending genuinely useful products. Generally, you would introduce the product in your podcast, provide listeners with unique links/codes, and include show notes for easy purchase. You can go a step further by creating dedicated landing pages for listeners and leveraging social media and email marketing for multi-channel promotions.
Indirect ROI
Professionals agree that monetizing a crypto podcast boils down to the indirect return on investment (ROI). This stream consists of most of the generated revenue and can be derived from three sources:
Lead Generation
Once your podcast establishes trust and authority, it can expand its audience, transforming listeners into customers and driving leads for your core business. Web3 marketing agencies like Coinpresso have a dedicated web3 content marketing team that helps you improve your podcast SEO strategy to generate more leads and potentially higher revenue.
Networking & Deal Flow
Networking is another aspect of the podcast landscape that you should never neglect. Building strong relationships can be consistently profitable for your crypto podcast business in the long run. A robust industry network is essential for reaching broader audiences, attracting high-profile guests, and securing profitable monetization opportunities that are difficult to secure independently.
Brand Authority
Brand authority in crypto podcasting helps build deep audience trust and establishes you as a thought leader. More importantly, it humanizes your brand and creates a cost-effective marketing asset that drives organic leads, sales, and opportunities. These advantages lead to long-term, sustainable revenue streams from higher-paying ads, substantial sponsorships, and donations.
Conclusion
Podcasting is a powerful tool for any crypto project or individual serious about building a long-term brand and community. The best crypto podcasts rely heavily on web3 social media management to build an online presence fast and generate revenue from day one.
Launching a professional podcast requires a significant investment in time and strategy. Coinpresso can help you develop and grow your crypto podcast business.
FAQ Section
How much does it cost to start a crypto podcast?
You can start a crypto podcast for under $100. A good quality USB microphone (like the Samson Q2U) and free editing software (Audacity) are all you need. Monthly hosting costs are typically $10-$20.
How long should a crypto podcast episode be?
There’s no magic number. It depends on your format. News roundups might be 15-20 minutes, while in-depth interviews can be 60-90 minutes. The key is to provide value for every minute.
How do I get big-name guests for my new podcast?
Start by building a high-quality show with a clear niche. Have a professional-looking website and a few significant episodes published. When you reach out, make your pitch personal, show you’ve done your research, and explain the value they will get from being on your show (e.g., access to your unique audience).
How many downloads should I be getting?
Don’t get discouraged by low numbers initially. According to Libsyn, if your new episode gets over 130 downloads in the first 30 days, you’re in the top 50% of all podcasts. In a niche like crypto, an engaged audience of a few thousand listeners can be incredibly valuable.
What’s the biggest mistake new crypto podcasters make?
Inconsistency. They post sporadically and give up after 10 episodes. The key to success is committing to a consistent release schedule (e.g., one episode every week) for at least a year. This builds trust and habit with your audience.
