If you've ever tried to launch an online course, you know how it usually goes. First you pick a platform. Then you spend six hours wrestling with the Stripe integration. The next day you're fighting with your domain. Two days later you're still figuring out why the video won't play. Three weeks in, you still don't have a first customer.
This guide is here to help you skip all of that. I'll show you how to set up a working online course in under 30 minutes on audienced — from sign-up to a shareable link you can send to your audience.
We're not talking about a polished, perfect product. We're talking about a minimum viable course you can start selling today and improve module by module. That's how every creator I respect works — they don't wait for perfection, they launch and learn from real feedback.
In this guide I'll walk you through the exact steps I use on demo calls with creators migrating from Kajabi, Teachable or a WordPress stack.
Before you start: what you'll need
Before opening audienced, get these ready so you're not hunting for files mid-flow.
- Course title — short, concrete, in the style "How to [result] in [time]".
- Short description (2–3 sentences) — what the learner walks away with.
- Price — one-time or monthly. For a first course, I recommend one-time.
- 1–3 video lessons for the first module. Screen recordings or phone footage are fine. Polish can come later.
- Cover image — anything 16:9, a Canva template works.
- Short author bio — one line: who you are and why you teach this.
With that in hand, you're exactly 30 minutes from launch.
Step 1: sign up and basic profile (3 minutes)
Head to create.audienced.io and register. 14 days free, no credit card required.
During onboarding you'll be asked a few basics:
- The name of your platform (it can be your own name, e.g. "The Ana Novak Academy").
- Primary language.
- Currency (EUR).
You can change all of this later, so don't overthink it. When you're done, you're in the admin panel at yourname.audienced.com.
Step 2: create the course (5 minutes)
In the left menu click Courses → Create course. You'll see three types:
- Blank / Online course — classic modules and lessons, learner watches at their own pace.
- Collection — for fitness programmes or libraries without a set order.
- Drip course — content unlocks on a schedule (daily, weekly).
For your first course, pick Blank. It's the simplest and fastest.
Enter:
- Title — e.g. "Instagram Marketing Basics for Small Business Owners".
- Short description — the one you prepared earlier.
- Cover image — drag and drop.
- Price — e.g. €49 (one-time). In the Merchant of Record model, audienced handles VAT based on customer country.
Click Save and you're in the course editor.
Step 3: upload your first lessons (10 minutes)
This is the most technical step, which is exactly why we simplified it.
In the course editor click Add module → name it (e.g. "Module 1: Basics") → Add lesson.
For each lesson, pick a type:
- Video — most common. Drag in an MP4 or MOV. Bunny.net transcodes in the background into multiple resolutions, so the course plays smoothly on phone and desktop alike.
- Text — rich-text editor for reading material, notes, transcripts.
- PDF — for attachments, worksheets, recipes.
- Audio — for podcast-style lessons or meditations.
While the video uploads (anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes depending on length), you can already edit the lesson title and description.
Practical tip: for your first course, aim for 3 short lessons (5–10 minutes each). Long 45-minute videos feel intimidating to buyers at the start and give you less flexibility later when you want to update pieces.
Step 4: checkout and payments (5 minutes)
Click Settings on the course → Price & checkout. Here:
- Confirm price and currency.
- Choose your payment model: Stripe Connect (your own Stripe) or Merchant of Record (audienced handles VAT).
- If you don't have Stripe yet, go with MoR and you're collecting payments in 30 seconds.
In the Checkout page section there's already a default template with your title, description, price and payment button. You don't need to touch anything — it works out of the box.
If you want a bit more polish, open the preview and edit:
- The hero headline.
- Three to five "what you get" bullet points.
- One image or a short promo video.
Step 5: publish and share (2 minutes)
In the top right, click Publish. The course status jumps from Draft to Published.
Copy the public course link — it looks something like yourname.audienced.com/p/instagram-marketing or, if you've set up a custom domain, yourdomain.com/p/instagram-marketing.
You now have a live sales page and working checkout. Next steps are simple:
- Share the link on your Instagram bio through a Link in Bio page.
- Email your existing list.
- Post on every channel you own.
What if I don't have the content ready?
The most common blocker I hear isn't technical. It's: "I don't have the course ready. I need to record everything first."
That's the wrong order. I recommend the pre-launch model:
- Set up the course with title, description and price — no lessons yet.
- Turn on an intro price (e.g. 50% off for the first 10 buyers).
- Open pre-sales with a one-week deadline.
- Only once you have 5–10 paying customers, record the first module.
- Release lessons gradually (Drip course) — this also gives you a feedback loop with early buyers.
Doroteja from Fitmeal Slovenija used exactly this approach and hit 140+ sales in her first few weeks.
Common mistakes with a first course
Before you publish, check you haven't fallen into these.
- Videos too long. Three 8-minute lessons beat one 24-minute lesson.
- Too many modules. For a first course, 3–5 modules is plenty. A 20-module mega-bundle looks like an empty promise.
- Price too low. A €9 course signals the content isn't special. For a first course aim for €39–79.
- No cover image. Without a hero image your course gets no clicks from social. A Canva template takes 5 minutes.
- Vague outcome. "You'll learn Instagram marketing" is fuzzy. "In 2 weeks you'll hit your first 1,000 followers" is concrete.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be registered as a business for my first course?
Not necessarily — if you use the Merchant of Record model. audienced becomes the official seller, you're the creator. audienced collects VAT across the EU, you receive a monthly payout. For beginners and creators without a business registration, this is the fastest path to sales. Once you're consistently above ~€1,500 monthly, many creators switch to their own business entity and Stripe Connect.
How fast can I get my first payment?
As soon as you publish the course and share the link, the first payment can land within minutes. Creators with an existing audience (Instagram, newsletter) typically see 2–10 sales in the first 24 hours if they communicate the value clearly.
How does invoicing work?
audienced generates invoices automatically for every purchase. For creators selling across the EU, VAT is applied based on customer location through Stripe Tax, and invoices include all the legally required details.
Can I edit the course later or add lessons?
Yes. You can edit a course at any time, add modules, replace videos. Existing customers automatically see updates. With a drip course, you can even add lessons in later weeks without confusing early buyers.
How many lessons do I need for a first course?
Minimum 3 lessons in 1 module. Realistically: 6–15 lessons across 3–5 modules. Fewer than 3 feels empty, more than 20 scares people off.
Can I run a course in both English and another language?
Yes. The platform supports multiple languages. Your course itself can have one language version, or you can run two separate courses targeting two markets.
What if I get stuck during setup?
Book a 30-minute demo call with us — we walk through your specific case and help you set up your first course live. Support for European creators is in English and is always free during the trial.
Closing thoughts
Your first course doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be published. Every successful European creator I've worked with has followed the same pattern: build a minimal version, get the first 5–20 buyers, listen to their feedback, then polish.
If you've read this far, you already know the tech isn't what's holding you back. It's just the decision to begin.