createIntermediate4-6 hours

Produce a Podcast Episode, Start to Finish

Maps to: Content Creator · Journalist · Audio Engineer · Show Host · Podcast Producer

You're going to record a 15 to 25 minute podcast and put it up on Spotify. Most of the work is cutting: you play back your own recording and delete the ums, the parts where you wander off, and the silences, until nothing is left that a stranger would skip. That last part is the real skill, and almost nobody does it.

You're done when: Your podcast is up on Spotify, it explains one small thing clearly, and you cut the slow parts out of your own recording. You can name the bit you deleted even though you liked it. Recording it is not the work. Deciding what to delete is.

How this shows up on a resume or college app

I researched, recorded, and produced a podcast episode on topic, published on Spotify, scripting it, then cutting the filler and rambling down to something a stranger would finish. I learned the gap between knowing a topic and explaining it cleanly, and that the episode is made in the edit.

When you finish, BuildMe drafts your Common App activity description from what you actually built.

Not sure yet? Play 5 minutes as a content creator first and see how the work feels.

The plan

1
Step 1
Pick one small topic, and 5 things to say
Pick a topic, then cut it down small, and list the 5 things you'll say about it. 'Why X happened' beats 'everything about X.'
2
Step 2
Write your notes, not a script
Put your 5 things in order, with a few short notes under each. Full sentences make you sound like you're reading.
3
Steps 3-4
Record it, then delete the boring parts
Record it, then play your own recording back and delete the ums, the parts where you wander off, and the silences. Deciding what goes is the hard part, and everyone hates hearing themselves the first time.
4
Steps 5-6
Finish it and put it on Spotify
Add a short opening and ending, then put the episode up on Spotify for free. Then send it around and see who finishes it.