A GUIDE TO NAILING YOUR PODCAST AUDIO

Learn how small professional touches can all add up to a great pod.

It’s always fascinating to listen to a successful, long-running podcast and look at it from the perspective of a sound engineer, producer or editor. Go back to the earliest recordings, and you often get to trace its evolution from its raw beginnings to the smooth production you hear today. Discovering where the best in the business started out can be really encouraging if you’re just getting acquainted with the idea of creating your own podcast.

Here, we’ll look at a few tips for handling your audio to bring an extra layer of polish to the final sound. We’ll cover simple tools and techniques to make your vocal work sound better, and deal with those finishing touches like podcast audio effects and music.

 

How to get the sound just right

Podcasts come in all forms, from one or two people having a chat, to dramatized stories with actors, Foley sound techniques, and atmospheric music. But no matter what the format, all podcasters can face common audio problems such as tinny, echoey sounds or hiss and background noise. Thankfully, these can be eliminated pretty quickly with the right equipment and technique.

• Technical equipment

As a general rule, the more you pay for a microphone, the better quality it will be. Names like  Shure, Audio-Technica, AKG and Sennheiser will be a guarantee of quality, if you’re on a budget, spending a little less and improving your technique can get you through that formative stage.

Cardioid mics are the best type to use in a controlled studio environment. Essentially a cardioid mic has a “heart-shaped” (hence the name) area of reception in front of it, which means there’s a sweet spot a few centimeters in front of it. In less controlled environments, such as outdoors or in a busy building, a condenser mic can work better, especially if you’re recording yourself and others with a single mic.

• Microphone technique

Mic technique is something you will pick up over time, especially after listening back to your own recordings. In general, in the studio environment, keep the mic on a stand and have it a few centimeters away from your mouth if you’re using a cardioid type. Make sure you have a foam cover to cut down on background noise, and to avoid “plosives” (popping noises caused by blowing into the mic when you make P or B sound), aim your voice slightly to the side of the mic, or use a pop filter.

• Studio set-up

Echo and reverberation are the enemies of good sound quality. Good technique can reduce these to a certain extent by ensuring a high signal-to-noise ratio, but your room will also make a big difference. You don’t need to completely soundproof the room, but having soft things lying around certainly helps. A carpeted room is a good start, but soft furniture will absorb reverberation. If you’re still getting echo, try leaving cushions lying in corners, or hanging sound absorbers up in the walls to stop standing waves.

• Post processing

If you’ve got time to edit (i.e. you’re not casting live), you should look at using compression, a noise gate and playing with the EQ to get the sound exactly as you want it, while eliminating unwanted low-volume noise during pauses. Typically, a raw recording will lack bass and treble, so you can boost these a little and get a more professional sound in post. If you’ve got lots of time to edit, you can get rid of all the “ums”, “ahs”, coughs, pauses, shuffling sounds, unwanted breathing noise and background sounds for a more polished result.

• Choosing your podcast theme music and other sounds

Just like TV and radio shows, podcast intro songs and theme tunes help to bolster your brand. A good tune will encapsulate the mood of your pod, and get the listener excited about it. There’s also a practical purpose for an intro and podcast ending music – they simply let listeners know when it has started and finished. Some podcasts are only 15–20 minutes in length, and listeners might take in several episodes in one sitting, so it’s good to book-end each one with the theme tune.

Your choice of music intro for the podcast is pretty important as it sets the scene, especially for new listeners, as to what they can expect. If it’s a fun, upbeat pod, go with something quirky and lively; if it’s serious news reporting, a solid, important-sounding tune usually works best; true crime can take more of a sinister, chilling tone, and so on. It’s not necessarily about putting yourself in a box – it’s more about giving the listener some mental cues about the genre in those all-important first few seconds.

How long should podcast intro music be?

Anything over 20 seconds starts feeling superfluous, while below 10 seconds probably doesn’t give you enough time to build an identity and set the scene. Around 15 seconds is generally about right, but if you choose a piece that’s about 25 seconds long you can fade it out and start talking over it. You can then do the opposite at the end of the podcast – fade it in as you’re making your final statements and it lets the listener know the podcast is coming to an end.

That’s how to make podcast intro music that sounds professional and builds up the sense of anticipation in your listeners. You might also want other sounds, especially if you’re creating more of a dramatic podcast. There are sound effects such as wind and footsteps,  you might also want background music and small sections to open and close scenes or chapters. It’s probably a good idea to use such sounds sparingly unless the audio experience is a big part of the podcast. It will also add many hours of production to each episode, ruling out a fast-turnaround of podcasts covering news or sports.

 

Are you ready to commit to starting your podcast?

Get all these basics right from the get-go and you should have a product that you’ll still be able to look back on proudly in a few years’ time. All you need to do now is find the perfect theme tune for your pod – so take a few hours to get inspired by our all-encompassing collection.

 

Browse our catalog and get unlimited access to over 50,000 fresh new tracks and 200,000 SFX.