Before you start: Start Your Podcast: Plan, Record and Grow pretest

About 10 minutes. Not graded. 12 questions, plus 3 quick confidence questions.

This is not a test you pass or fail. It is fine not to know these answers. Many people will not, because you have not taken the course yet. Your answers show your starting point, so at the end you can see how far you came.

Why we ask: it shows what you already know and which ideas are new to you. When you finish the course, you will see your before and after for each skill, so you can see where you grew and what to review.

How sure do you feel?

Rate each line from 1 (not at all sure) to 5 (very sure). There is no right answer.

I can define a show and record clean audio in a low cost space.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

I can edit an episode to a simple standard and publish it through a host.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

I can follow music rights and sponsor rules and plan growth and income honestly.

1 2 3 4 5

1 = Not at all sure5 = Very sure

Questions

1. A new host is choosing a show idea. Which one is most focused?

A. Short weekly tips that help new gardeners grow food on a balcony. B. Gardening, cooking, travel, money, and pets, all in one weekly show. C. A show about whatever is on my mind each week, for anyone.

2. Your target listener listens during a 15 minute walk to work. Which plan fits?

A. One long episode a year with many guests. B. Short weekly solo episodes of about 15 minutes. C. Three hour episodes released at random times of the year.

3. A test recording sounds hollow, like a bathroom. What should the host try first?

A. Speak much louder into the device. B. Record in the largest, emptiest room in the home. C. Record in a small space with soft things.

4. A host records on a phone. Where should the phone be?

A. Pressed against the lips for the loudest voice. B. Across the room so it catches the whole space at once. C. About 6 to 12 inches away, a little to the side.

5. Which step comes last in the five step edit standard?

A. Cut mistakes and false starts. B. Listen to the whole episode once. C. Trim dead air at the start.

6. Which export fits Apple's guidance for a spoken word show?

A. AAC mono at 96 kbps, named myshow-ep01. B. MP3 at 16 kbps, named my show #1!!. C. A very large WAV file, named final final 2.

7. How do listening apps get a new episode?

A. They copy it from your phone. B. They read the RSS feed your host makes. C. You email the audio file to each app, one at a time.

8. A new host is nervous about strangers hearing the first episode. What does the course allow?

A. Only a fully public release on every app, starting on day one. B. A password on the feed, then a submission to Apple. C. An unlisted or private pilot shared with trusted listeners.

9. A host wants a hit song as intro music. What does the course say?

A. Use it only with a written podcast license. B. Use it as long as the clip is under ten seconds long. C. Use it if the artist is named in the notes and tagged.

10. A brand sent a host a free product to review. What should the host do?

A. Mention it only in a social post later that week. B. Say nothing, since no cash was paid. C. Say so clearly before the review.

11. An ad says a brand new show can earn platform ad money after one episode. What should you do?

A. Check the program's official rules yourself. B. Believe it, since it is in an ad. C. Pay the fee the ad asks for so you can skip the rules.

12. Which growth plan matches the course?

A. Ten new tactics tried in the same week. B. One growth step, measured once a week. C. No plan; wait for listeners to find it.

Save my starting point

Next up

Go to Lesson 1: Your show idea.

This self check is not graded.