These podcast recording tips will help you create high-quality audio on the first try.
The quality of your audio can make or break your podcast. If you have poor sound, listeners will stop listening to your show.
If you want to create high-quality audio for your podcast, you need to know how to record in the best way possible. The following tips will help you produce high-quality audio for your podcasts:
Use the proper equipment for recording
I’m sure you’ve heard from a lot of people about how important it is to use the right equipment for your podcast. It’s true—you can technically record a podcast episode with your laptop’s built-in microphone, but your listeners will not be happy with the sound quality.
To get started recording, you need to purchase a few pieces of gear. They don’t have to be expensive! Here’s what you should buy:
- XLR or USB microphone
- Mixer
- Pop filter or windscreen
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Microphone stand
- Software for recording and editing
If you want to boost the sound quality, add acoustic treatments to your walls and use a dedicated podcast hosting service (NOT your website host).
Choose the right place for recording
You're going to be recording a podcast from home. You have your microphone and a laptop, but where should you record?
The ideal recording space can be anywhere—as long as it's quiet and comfortable.
So how do you find the right room? Here are some tips:
- Make sure all the doors and windows are closed.
- Turn off any machines running in the room (like an air conditioner or ceiling fan).
- Don't have pets, children, or other people in the room with you while you're recording.
- Soft materials like couches, rugs, blankets, and carpeting will reduce reverb on your voice (and make it easier for listeners to hear what you're saying).
Warm Up Before Recording
Your mouth, throat and vocal cords perform better when they’re warm. Before you sit down to speak for 30 minutes to an hour, spend a few moments practicing your script and stretching your face. This will keep you from mispronouncing words and having to repeat yourself.
You can do this by yawning until your jaw pops, then opening wide and stretching the ligaments around your mouth. You can also do lip trills (a series of rapid puffs through pursed lips) for about 30 seconds to help limber up those muscles.
When it comes time to record, make sure you are in a quiet room with no background noise or distractions. Make sure the microphone is close enough so that you don’t have to strain your voice to be heard clearly—but not so close that it picks up any ambient noise or echoes.
Mute anyone who isn't speaking
A good podcast editing tip is to mute anyone who isn't speaking.
This will save you a lot of time in editing. The mic won't pick up their chair adjustment, desk creaking, or other background noises. It's just less to remove later.
Embed cues for mistakes
Editing can be a time-consuming process, but it doesn't have to be. One way to save yourself time is by leaving cues in your audio tracks to help you find mistakes.
There's an easy way to leave a cue in the track: Make a loud, high-pitched sound right after a mistake. Make a loud, high-pitched sound right after a mistake. This will force the volume level to spike up. Look for these spikes during your editing process to identify the flaws to cut out!
Additional Tip! Remove background noise as much as you can
As much as you can, eliminate background noise. You’ll save yourself a lot of time in editing if you do.
- Put a blanket or rug over hard surfaces.
- Record under a blanket if you have to.
- Put your phone on vibrate or silent mode
- Tell anyone that you'll be recording so that they won't make too much noise
It may sound funny, but recording on your closet for your podcast is effective. Because the space is compact and there are many soft fabrics, you can expect less noise and echoes.
Once you try all these tips, you’d be amazed on the quality of your audio recordings. Plus, if you like to know more about the future of podcasting, you can watch this video I made with Todd Cochrane.
