90-Minute Podcast Workflow: Record to Published — Nina's Exact Steps

Look, I don't have all day to overthink a podcast episode. You probably don't either. So here's exactly how I go from idea to published in about 90 minutes — sometimes less if I'm locked in. This is the same workflow I use for In Da Streets Radio interviews, solo commentary, all of it. No magic, just the right tools in the right order.

Step 1: Recording (25 minutes). I use Riverside.fm for remote guests because the audio and video quality stays crisp even if someone's wifi is trash. If it's just me solo, I'll pop open Audacity (free) or Adobe Audition (paid, part of Creative Cloud). I record in a quiet room with a Shure SM7B mic running through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface. Nothing fancy — this setup runs about $500 total and lasts years. I always record in WAV format at 48kHz, 24-bit. Higher quality now means less cleanup later.

Step 2: Quick Edit (30 minutes). I drop the audio into Audacity or Audition. I cut dead air, coughs, long pauses. I use a noise reduction pass to kill background hum. Then I normalize the levels so it's not too quiet or peaking into distortion. If I had a guest, I'll use a compressor to even out our volumes. I don't overthink this — podcast listeners forgive rough edges, they won't forgive bad sound. I export as MP3, 128kbps stereo, which keeps file size manageable for streaming.

Step 3: Show Notes & Metadata (15 minutes). I open Notion (my content hub) and paste in my episode outline. I write a 2-3 sentence description, pull timestamps for key moments, and list any links or resources mentioned. I also create a quick graphic in Canva — I have a saved podcast cover template, so I just swap the episode number and title. Export as PNG, 3000x3000 pixels (that's the sweet spot for podcast artwork).

Step 4: Upload to Host (10 minutes). I use Buzzsprout as my podcast host ($12/month for up to 3 hours of content). I drag the MP3 into Buzzsprout, paste my show notes, upload the cover art, and set the publish date. Buzzsprout auto-distributes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, all the majors. I also grab the embed player code and drop it on ninacapone.com so people can listen direct.

Step 5: Promotion Push (10 minutes). I schedule social posts in Buffer (free plan works fine for starting out). I pull a 60-second clip using Descript (which also does auto-transcription if I want captions), export as MP4, and queue it for Instagram Reels and TikTok. I send an email blast through Resend to my subscriber list with the episode link. Done.

Real talk: The first time you run this, it'll take 3 hours. By episode 10, you'll be under 90 minutes easy. The key is having your template set — same tools, same file structure, same Canva layout. Don't reinvent the wheel every week. Consistency beats perfection every single time.

Cost breakdown if you're starting from zero: Riverside free tier works for solo, $15/month for guests. Audacity is free forever. Buzzsprout starts at $12/month. Canva free plan is enough. Buffer free tier handles 3 social accounts. You can literally do this whole workflow for under $30/month. Add the mic and interface when you're ready to level up the sound.

Drop a comment or DM me at ninacapone.com — what's YOUR biggest bottleneck in your podcast or content workflow? Let's break it down next.