How to create rundowns for your podcast? step by step guide

If there is something all your favorite podcasts have in common is the next: passion for what they do. It is for this reason that you can connect with this type of program, beyond the theme or content that is developed, It is the passion that you notice in these projects that makes you connect even more with the information and content received.

Of course, if you have all the passion in the world but there isn’t one well-organized structure, a cohesive work team and the organization of ideas with a good structure, chances are that podcast won’t do well. So, how to make a podcast that meets all the basic requirements for this project to be successful? Keep reading.

In this step-by-step guide, you will know the secrets to be able to create your scripts or rundowns in the best possible way and how you can apply them to your podcast format, and don’t worry, you will know it easily so you can understand these concepts and apply them immediately in your projects.

What is a ladder?

If you thought that podcasts were made completely spontaneously, you should know that this is not entirely true. There is a lot of improvisation in each of the programs or episodes of a podcast, since this allows the dynamics of the conversations and naturalness to reign at all times and that the public can perceive it. However, every podcast must contain a structure or order that allows the moderator to have a guide that orients it and thus prevents the thread of the program from being lost.

A script is the writing that contains the dialogues, points to develop, names and other references that the host of the program must take into account to mention them in the episode. Instead, a rundown is a kind of index or table of contentswhere the different stages of the program are placed and which may contain the technical details.

That is to say, the rundown is born from the script, since it will summarize the main aspects that the latter contains and you will be able to review the order of the program in a much faster, simpler way and without so much content. In a rundown you can add the title of the different segments of the programadd technical details such as the name of the songs that you want to place in each content block, if you want to add an effect, transition or any other aspect that you want to include at specific moments of the program.

This will facilitate the post-production work once the program has finished. The rundown is used both by the podcast hosts and by the technical and audiovisual staff, since this it is the guide so that the whole team is in tune with what happens in the program and know when there is a pause, when there are important changes in the development of the conversation, if there are any special guests or any surprise for the public and what are the moments used for publicity.

Types of scripts or rundowns for podcast

The scripts either rungs used for podcasts they can have an infinity of styles, designs and colors. It will depend on your creativity and the way you feel more comfortable so that you can define what its format will be like.

There are two types of scripts or rundowns for the realization of the podcast:

• Technical script: It contains all the details that will allow the team in charge of audio and video editing to add the number of effects and cuts that the team requires. The titles to be used, the musical themes, transitions, pauses, special effects, emoticons, headlines, videos, references and also the cut times between one scene and another are included.
• Continuity script: It is widely used by program moderators, since it does not require many technical elements in its creation. It is based only on the content that will be given in the episode, this also includes the questions that will be asked of the guest.

It depends a lot on the category your podcast is in so that your format is more or less rigid. For example, a rundown or script of a comedy category program can be much more flexible and open to improvisationas opposed to an educational category program.

Importance of rundowns in podcasting

Can you imagine a professional soccer team without a technical director? Surely its performance would not be the best, because something like that happens with the rungs, these are a fundamental tool for a podcast to be the most professional and organized as possible. the rungs they allow the team behind the production of the program to be in tune with each of the aspects that take place in the recording and you can avoid or reduce the chances of errors occurring in the program.

the rungs they are in charge of summarizing the entire podcast process on a sheet of paper, which will facilitate the tasks of the moderator and those in charge of making the recording as perfect as possible. If this support tool is not used in your podcast, it is most likely that you will depend on improvisation and you will be exposed to any inconvenience that arises due to a lack of order in the planning of the recordings.

Learn how to create a rundown for your podcast

Now that you know what a rundown is, its differences with a script and its importance, you will know what the steps are to create it:

Set ideas and goals

The most important thing when putting together your rundown is to take into account the main idea of ​​the podcast, the objectives you want to set in each episode and that are related to the title or topic you want to develop in the program.

Create the structure and documentation

Once you have the main idea and the objectives to be fulfilled in each episode of the program, you go on to create the structure that is made up of an input, the development of the program and the closingthese three segments must be very well defined in the rundown, you must take into account the different segments that your program will have, which must include a welcome, a small introduction of what you will talk about in the episode, advertising space (if you wish) , conclusion and farewell.

Title and review

It is very important to have a title that is attractive to the eyes of users who see your content, without neglecting honesty, today there is a term called “clickbait” To refer to all those news or sensational titles that seek to deceive the people who see it, for the sole purpose of generating views and revenue. Your titles have to be far from this, but also not boring or too technical.

Best platforms to learn how to write podcast scripts

There are platforms that can help you improve your writing and creation of scripts and rundowns for your podcast, these platforms consist of writing software that will allow your writing to be cleanerorganized and in this way you will be able to detect any errors in the grammar or spelling of your scripts, in addition to having a series of advantages that each platform brings to your writing.

The main platforms where you can learn to create the best scripts and rundowns for your podcast are:

Celtx.com

If you are looking for a platform where you can work with different co-workers simultaneously, then this portal will be very helpful. Celtx is cloud based and make regular backups that will allow your information to always be safe and updated.

Writerduet.com

This is one of the best options the script writing market has to offer. It has a fairly wide number of tools, formats and compatibilityin addition to having a mobile application and a desktop version where you can work without an internet connection if you wish.

FinalDraft.com

The interesting thing about this platform is that it has a quite friendly tutorial to learn how to make the scripts for your audiovisual projects, where you can make use of the specific templates that it includes in its system and you can make a better description of the characters, themes and other content of your podcast.

StudioBinder.com

If what you need is a website that is based on segment programming, structuring cut times and other technical details of your script, then StudioBinder is the ideal program for you. This platform is widely used by podcasters when they need to structure the pre-production of the program.

Scrivener

This software is ideal for writing notes, brainstorm and structure the first draft of your podcast. The platform has a series of very interesting tools for content creators such as screenwriters, novelists, poets and a host of professionals who aim to develop well-organized scripts and rundowns with many details and notes that serve as a guide for the team of worked. Follow this access link https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview