18 Podcast Recording Tips to Produce High-Quality Audio

Do you want high-quality audio for your podcast? Definitely “Yes”. 

While you’re working on a podcast, you must be sure that you produce a podcast that has professional and clear audio else you may lose the audience. Nobody will be interested in listening to an episode that is full of crackles, echoes, and distracting noises. 

To produce a podcast with great sound is a challenging task, especially when you are a newcomer in the field. Don’t worry! UNION Recording Studio, a professional recording studio, is a great place that helps you in the production of podcasts. We also offer tips and tricks that help you in producing your podcasts. In this blog, we’ll learn about 18 podcast recording tips to produce high-quality audio.

1. Use the right equipment

Before you start to record a podcast, you must keep a few pieces of equipment handy with you. These include a good quality microphone, mixer, pop filter or windscreen, noise-canceling headphones, microphone stand, and recording/editing software. These are easily available in the market in various configurations. And don’t worry: they don’t need to be expensive.

2. Create the right environment for recording

Create a space to record that supports you in getting the best possible audio. You can make a good recording room by following these suggestions.

• Sel ect a room or space that has the minimum ambiance. 
• No outside noise should enter the room. You can close all the doors and windows to keep the noise out of the recording room. 
• No extra equipment, except your podcasting equipment, should be present in the room.
• Use materials such as couches, rugs, blankets, carpets, and other objects made of soft materials to reduce reverb.

3. Warm-up yourself

Warming up yourself before the actual recording is helpful as your mouth, throat, and vocal cords work well when they are warmed up. You can spend a few moments practicing your script and stretching your face before the actual recording to avoid mispronouncing words and repeating yourself.

4. Mute all those who are not speaking

Mute whoever is not speaking. In this way, the participant’s mic will not pick up their voice, chair adjustment, desk creaking, or other background noises. This helps you can make podcast editing simple.

5. Use audio cues for marking mistakes

While recording, you make lots of mistakes, which can be easily edited. However, what is challenging is finding the mistakes while editing. To make your task easy, you can leave a cue on the track that helps you find mistakes later.

One of the easiest ways to leave a cue is by making a loud, high-pitched sound right after a mistake. This forces the volume level to rise. Search for these rises in the volume level to identify the mistakes.

6. Minimize the background noise

During recording your podcast, you must ensure that all the background noise is eliminated and that what is there in the room is only the sound you want. To make a good space, use objects made of soft materials. Turn off the notification sounds on your phone, let no one enter the room, and cover the hard surface with rugs or blankets.

7. Resolve audio issues before recording

Before starting the podcast, you must resolve your audio issues. Often these audio issues ruin the podcast episodes. Either you have to edit a lot or have to trash the file and start again. Help yourself to avoid frustration by testing records beforehand and if you find any problems resolve them. 

8. Take strategic breaks during recording

It is tough for anyone to record an episode in a single go. Taking strategic breaks throughout the recording gives the opportunity to drink something, have a snack, stretch yourself, talk to your guest, and check for audio issues. It also gives you a chance to check what you have already recorded. If you find any issues, resolve them.

9. Drink water

Before the actual recording session, you should hydrate yourself by drinking at least six to eight ounces of water. In this way, you settle your nerves, loosen your mouth and throat, and help you to concentrate. Dry mouths lead to natural clicking and popping noises. Drinking water eliminates those noises.

10. Make a noise profile

A noise profile is created by recording a four to five-second sample of audio fr om a silent room. Your editing software can make use of this sample and on its basis remove what is not required in the audio. 

11. Record each participant on a separate channel

Since we all speak differently, it becomes difficult to edit multiple voices on a single channel. However, it is far easier to record everyone on a separate channel. For this, you can use podcast recording software tools that come with a multi-track recording feature. 

12. Increase your bandwidth

As a podcaster, when you’re conducting a remote interview, make sure you have a strong connection. In case, your bandwidth is low, your recording software will be unable to capture clear audio. For this reason, you must increase your bandwidth as much as possible. You can ask your internet provider to upgrade your internet or plug directly into your router or may use other methods. Remember, slow internet can ruin your podcasting. Try everything to improve your bandwidth.

13. Use the microphone properly

A microphone is the most essential equipment during podcasting, learn to work with it properly. This will make your task easier while editing your audio. Here, are a few tips to use a microphone

• Keep your microphone at the same level as your mouth and at a stable distance
• Use a pop filter between your mouth and the microphone
• Sit up straight to make your breathing easier
• Do not make extra noise, else your mic will pick up those noises

14. Use headphones during recording

Wearing a headphone during recording allows you to hear your own voice as is heard by everyone else. When we don’t use a headphone, we hear a version of our voice inside our own heads. Using a headphone enables you to review your audio even at the time of recording. 

15. Remain quiet if it’s not your turn to speak

Avoid the phrases such as “yes”, “right”, etc. during podcasting. Though these phrases in normal conversations show your involvement in the conversation they can be distracting and confusing for podcast listeners. 

16. Keep a watch on your volume levels

During the recording session, keep a watch on the volume level. Most tools show green, yellow to red to scale your volume. Keep your voice level in the green. To add emphasis, stay in the yellow but never wander into the red.

17. Don’t overdo your sound effect

Sound effects help to make your show effective and add personality to it. However, overdoing it makes your show seem cheap. Use the sound effects judiciously.

18. Listen to yourself and follow your instincts

It is important that you listen to everything you record. Analyze how it sounds. If anything needs to be improved, try to improve it. Much improvement can be done through editing but make sure to improve yourself in the next recording. 

Conclusion

The success of your podcasting depends a lot on the quality of your audio. Following the tips mentioned in the article will help you to get a high-quality podcast.

At UNION Recording Studio, a professional recording studio, we help you with several audio services such as recording, mixing and mastering. Connect us to avail of our services.