How To Produce A High-Quality Audio Podcast

A lot of people are trying their luck in the world of podcasting. Although the podcasting arena offers immense opportunities, very few of them are able to make the best podcasts. The key reason behind the success of these few podcasters is they create amazing podcasts that intrigue their audience. So, how to produce a high-quality audio podcast that will deliver desired results? If you are seeking an answer to this question, read below and you could be among the pro podcasters within no time.

Value your listeners

Blogs and podcasts are similar in many respects. A good website design goes a long way in drawing and retaining blog readers. In the same way, quality audio sound attracts and keeps the listeners around. Remember, quality audio is just not about making you sound good, it is more about engaging your audience.

Get a top class microphone

While microphones are the most important parts of quality audio, you don’t actually need expensive ones. A dynamic microphone is all that you need in case you are recording an interview-style or monologue podcast in a room. You will find an array of microphones for your needs. All you should do is check out the reviews, features and prices of these products in view of your specific requirements to make the right selection.

You can fins some great suggestions on this article that focuses on the best usb microphones for podcasting.

Use a microphone stand

Many podcasters prefer to record with the microphone in their hands. It is advised to avoid this technique unless holding the microphone is absolutely necessary. Make sure to mount the Mic on a piece of furniture where your hands or feet don’t touch. The reason is small movements that you make while recording could transfer into the Mic, thus producing distracting sounds.

Find a good place for recording

A good recording place is in itself a win for good audio. Before recording, be sure that the room does not reflect your voice back into the Mic. Carpet, wall decorations and furniture can calm the reflections. Also, try to keep outside noises to minimum. Noises originating from fans, furnaces, refrigerators and open windows are common mentions in this regard.

Speak close to the microphone

Many folks shy away from the microphone. However, you should be really close to the Mic when recording; otherwise, it will make you feel as if you are in a case. Being near the Mic will not only improve the sound quality, but it will also deliver clarity for your final podcast.

Set up a pop filter

While speaking near the microphone is highly recommended, it has one particular downside that you may want to do away with. The drawback of speaking close to the Mic is it causes “plosives.” Plosives are the air from the consonant sounds that disrupt the sensitive components of your microphone. You can get rid of this issue with the use of a pop filter. No matter which model you choose, a good quality pop filter will eliminate the problem of plosives.

Select an audio interface

Although many people suggest the use of a mixing board, the never ending knobs on a board generate more headaches instead of giving you the freedom. The best solution is to plug your Mic into an audio interface. It converts the analogue microphone sounds into digital, which makes it easy for your computer to understand when recording.

Record separate tracks

Tap on the benefit of using multiple tracks to ensure that each voice has its own separate recording. In a 2-person interview, it is simple to pan the guest to the right track and the host to the left track. If the guest joins you through video chat, it is helpful to capture a separate track of their local recording. Earlier, this was only possible if the guest was recording in a radio station or well versed in audio recording. The good news is technology has advanced a lot to ease your chores. With a tool such as Zencastr, it is simple to record via the web browser and upload the best audio to your drop-box account.

Back up the recordings

Some folks choose to avoid a computer and do the recording into a small device. Even professionals and established podcasters do this to prevent the ruining of recording sessions by computer glitches. There are also instances of authors who lost many hours of audio recording due to power outage. It is pretty easy to avert such a scenario by doing the recording into the external recorder.

You can also carry out the recording into a computer for your convenience and include an external recorder for a backup. One of the quickest ways is the usage of an XLR splitter; it can split the signal into both the external recorder and the audio interface. In case you have multiple sources, you could run an output from the audio interface into a recorder to use it as a backup.

Edit and produce the content

You may have created a good quality audio podcast, but your work doesn’t ends here. You ought to do quality editing and production to wrap up the package. If you have adequate audio experience, you may go for production and editing. However, taking the help of a professional would be advisable if you lack necessary experience and expertise. Even if you don’t intend to hire producers who particularly work with podcasts, their advice and wisdom can help you avoid expensive mistakes and come up with quality audio.

You may also go for a software application such as Auphonic for producing podcasts on your own. This particular piece of software can level audio and remove background noise and hiss, which are essential for quality production. In addition to this, you need to opt for a top quality editing tool to refine your audio podcast for betterment.

Bottom line

Making great content is the key to producing intriguing podcasts. Yet, there are folks who lag behind despite generating quality podcasts. If you are one of these desperate podcasters looking to get audience, learn how to produce a high-quality audio podcast as mentioned above. Over time, you could drive a big stream of potential audience for your intended podcast.