Breaking down a production workflow gives real‑world insight into how consistent content gets made. Podnews describes its process—from story research to publication—showing how creators can leverage modest tools and smart automation to maximise output.
Research & Writing
Story sourcing begins with an RSS reader (self‑hosted) and communities on Facebook, Discord, Slack and Mastodon. Writing is done in a Markdown editor (iA Writer) with no use of AI.
This shows that a lean editorial operation can run with minimal software overhead but clear structure.
Recording & Audio Production
The associated podcast uses a dynamic microphone (Lewitt Audio Ray), audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2) and closed‑back headphones (Bose QC35 II) for monitoring.
Audio editing is done in Hindenburg Pro v2. These choices emphasise reliability and studio‑style quality without ultra‑high‑end pricing.
Hosting, Infrastructure & Publishing
Podnews uses self‑hosted infrastructure: server hosting (Lightsail), relational database (Amazon RDS), dynamic image scripts, and domain with Porkbun.
Newsletter software uses Sendy and Amazon SES for sending. The RSS feed is managed with open‑source libraries (getID3, PHPMailer, Stripe‑PHP, Parsedown).
The workflow shows how a content‑centric operation scales by automating technical pieces behind the scenes.
Lessons for Creators and Small Businesses
- Prioritise core tools: Choose dependable gear and software that let you focus on content, not configuration.
- Automate where possible: Use scripts and tools to publish, resize images or generate versions so your time is used for strategy.
- Use scalable infrastructure: Even smaller creators can benefit from managed hosting and cloud services to avoid downtime or bottlenecks.
- Stick with a workflow you can repeat: Consistency in producing and publishing builds audience trust and operational momentum.
This peek into a daily content‑operation underscores that you don’t need a mega‑budget to publish professional‑level podcast and newsletter content. Thoughtful tool choice plus efficient workflow deliver the results.
