How to start an anonymous podcast

Published on 2024-08-25 | Updated on 2024-09-01

While podcasting and privacy might not seem to go hand in hand, they can. Starting a podcast anonymously isn't the tough part; the tough part is remaining anonymous. But starting with a solid foundation will help set you up for success. I've worked in the computer security field for over a decade and have run a privacy/security YouTube channel for the past few years. I've seen firsthand the challenges and know what works and what doesn't. I'm here to share what I've picked up along the way to help you protect your privacy while podcasting.

  1. Start with a VPN

    While not necessary, I think it provides a solid baseline for privacy. I personally use Mullvad, but another popular one is ProtonVPN.

  2. Pick a pseudonym to use

    You won't be using your real name, but you'll still need something to go by. The goal isn't to give off an air of mysteriousness with a name like "The Hidden Podcaster"—that's how you stick out. Your goal is to blend in. Go with something generic. You can use a site like Fake Name Generator to help you come up with one.

  3. Dedicated, private email

    Unfortunately, you'll need an email to validate that you 'own' your podcast with the various directories (Apple, Spotify, etc.). What you don't want to do is use your personal email. You want to create a new email strictly for use with your podcast. I'd recommend either ProtonMail or Tuta. Both are privacy-respecting email providers and have a free option. I would recommend against privacy-invasive services like Gmail.

    From this point forward, only use this email for podcast-related things. Don't use it for anything related to your true identity.

  4. Payment methods

    There are a few factors to consider. The first is the amount of information you're required to provide for a given payment method and how much "filler" information you can provide.

    Crypto

    For remaining anonymous, this is the best option. Specifically, something like Monero, which is designed to keep you anonymous. Yellowball accepts both Monero and Bitcoin as payment methods.

    Credit Card/Debit Card

    For some people, crypto isn't an easy option. The most common payment method is a credit card, and with this, there are a few things to consider. Some hosting providers want you to provide a full name along with a complete billing address. This isn't required to process payments.

    Yellowball only requires what is necessary to process payments:

    • Credit card number
    • Expiration date
    • CVV code
    • Billing ZIP code

    Pre-paid Debit Card

    This is a great option to maintain anonymity while also having the convenience of using a debit card. You can purchase pre-paid debit cards from places like Walgreens, CVS, and Target. You can buy these in cash, and then have no personal information tied to them when you use them. Just make sure to only use them for podcast hosting. If you use them for something like gas or an online purchase that requires a shipping address, you can start to expose yourself.

    Privacy.com

    Privacy.com is a service that allows users to create virtual debit cards for online purchases. These virtual cards are designed to help protect your financial information. You need to complete KYC (Know Your Customer) when you sign up for an account. They are a financial institution, which means you need to provide them with the same information you'd provide a bank when opening a new account. The benefit is that you can generate a virtual, dedicated debit card number to use for online services, such as Yellowball. This adds a layer of privacy for you since you can use any billing and name information when using the card.

    Which method you decide to use depends on what level of anonymity you need to maintain.

  5. Podcast hosting

    You now need to pick a hosting provider. I built Yellowball with privacy and anonymity in mind from the ground up. When you sign up, all you need is a username and a password (no email or name required). Shows and files are stored in a way that prevents anyone from linking one show to another. Let's say you want to have two different shows—some podcast hosting providers use a common URL with your account ID, which easily allows someone to see the shows are stored under the same account.

    Nerdy example

    Other providers - file storage
    The way they structure their shows is that they're all under the same URL for each feed:

    https://your_unique_subdomain.podcast.audio/@name1/feed.xml
    https://your_unique_subdomain.podcast.audio/@name2/feed.xml

    And the files are stored in a similar manner:

    https://your_unique_subdomain.podcast.audio/audio/@name1/file1.mp3
    https://your_unique_subdomain.podcast.audio/audio/@name2/file1.mp3

    Yellowball - file storage
    On Yellowball, each show feed URL (regardless if they're of the same or different account) has a unique slug for the feed:

    https://feeds.yellowball.fm/8df8c
    https://feeds.yellowball.fm/pw9ed

    And the files are stored using unique show and episode UUIDs, which are globally unique:

    https://files.yellowball.fm/shows/df23121f-0ba3-40e1-a1e0-88f9f842e2f8/episodes/0a321d16-35d6-4ed8-baa3-e24347d4cbc7/audio/c6DHUkkqL123LJBrUQ43cuEOc6xDegg0BRBncjop.m4a

  6. Distribution - directories

    Most directories (Apple, Spotify) require an email to validate ownership of a podcast. This is why we have our dedicated email we created earlier. While Spotify doesn't require an account to submit your show, Apple does. If you have an existing Apple ID, don't use it. You don't want to associate your real identity with your show in any way. You'll want to create a new Apple ID using the new email you created earlier.

    At this point, you should now have a show that is not associated with your identity. This is an ongoing process—you need to make sure you're careful about all decisions you make along the way. If you have any suggestions on what I can improve in this guide, please let me know.