New York State is alive with True Crime, Dark History, and so much more; this podcast aims to explore it all!

I am a lifelong New York State resident with a passion for podcasts, true crime, and history. My podcast blends my passion for learning about history and true crime deep dives and gives me a voice to share what I've learned with my listeners. Listeners join in from all around the United States and from all around the world.
 

I had been interested in starting a podcast for a while, and early on in 2023 just decided to go for it. The first episodes launched on March 17. Initially I wanted to mainly focus on true crime, but when I actually launched I found that there is a lot of connection to dark history and it's been incredibly interesting to research and share. I researched my first couple of episodes for a few weeks before actually launching.
 

I release episodes weekly on Sunday's. As far as how long it takes to put them together, it depends on the episode topic. Some I have spent as much as 40 hours researching, writing, recording, and then editing the podcast so it can be a full time job. I run the podcast solo, so I do all my own research, writing, editing, marketing, and producing. For now, it's fully funded on my own, but I am working on building up my Patreon presence and am hoping to have support to help further grow the show. I have a full time day job so it can get a little stressful with deadlines both at work and with the show, but I try to budget my time accordingly and set priorities.
 

I don't have any sponsorship at the moment and currently podcasting for me is purely a hobby and not gaining me any revenue. I gain a lot of benefit from what I have learned and I truly enjoy having the show because it's very different from my day job (I'm a nurse). I'm amazed at the community I have started to gain with my listeners and with other podcasters. I'm currently seeing close to 500 downloads a month which was something I never expected when I started the show.
 

I conduct my research through multiple sources- books, newspaper articles, documentaries, etc. I build up my notes and then I write a script to help keep me on track. My show is mainly a single host narrative style for now, though I am looking to start to bring on guests. I record on my MacBook using a software called Audacity and that's where I do my editing as well.
 

I have a growing social media presence. I do a lot of posts on Facebook, I've started putting clips of my episodes on Youtube shorts, Reels, and TikTok. I also post on forums like reddit. I don't know if any one way works better than another, but whatever I am doing it seems to be working and the audience is growing which is amazing.
 

Just go for it! I've learned a lot since I started and I think the best approach is just to start out and learn as you go. Since starting, I've learned a lot about editing and producing episodes. I've spent some time going back and updating past episodes to make sure they sound better with what I've learned along the way. Be consistent- set a schedule and do your best to stick to it. There's going to be times where it's hard and you might need to step away for a mental break- be transparent with your audience.
 

My show's website is www.nydarksidepodcast.com. If you're interested in learning more or connecting with me by email, reach out to nydarksidepodcast@gmail.com.