How To Improve Podcast Audio Quality – Top Tips & Techniques

Podcasts are audio media, which essentially means the one thing you cannot afford to go wrong with is the sound quality.

The boom of the podcast industry in recent years has narrowed the margin of errors for producers. You have to deliver unique and interesting content and bring innovations in your style to ensure the audience remains hooked. That said, while designing the content structure and planning the guests, it must be remembered that all of it means nothing if the sound quality is subpar.

Quality audio is essentially the foundation that ensures everything else that you build on it does not fall off. In this guide, we will go over some of the tried and tested tips to make your podcast sound professional.

However, before going further it is important to understand;

What Constitutes High Quality Audio?

It is often said that sound quality is a subjective parameter and it is true for some parts, but there are certain aspects of the quality of sound that can be gauged objectively. These include the following:

• Audio recording should be free of all sorts of distortion including clipping, interference, handling, or crackling noise.

• The voice of each speaker should be transmitted via their respective mics and the sound should not interfere with the mics of other speakers.

• Vocals should not have echo or reverb unless intended.

• The audio files from all mics should be free of background noise and sound clear.

• Volumes of speakers should remain consistent throughout the podcast production.

How To Improve Podcast Audio Quality – Tried and Tested Tips

Now that you understand exactly what makes a good sound quality podcast, let’s go over some tips to help you get there.

1. Get The Right Equipment

Acquiring the right equipment is the key to achieving the best audio quality. You should have an idea about the type of content you want to deliver prior to purchasing the equipment to make the right choice. For example, if you want to invite some musicians over, you will want a microphone designed for recording music, so it captures all the notes efficiently. In contrast, if you want to bring people for simple conversations, you should focus on mics that deliver natural output.

You must understand several factors that influence the performance of a mic, some of which include the type of microphones i.e., condenser and dynamic mics, frequency responses, sensitivity, microphone polar patterns, and maximum sound pressure. 

As a general rule, remember that XLR mic and Cardioid mic deliver better podcast quality than USB microphones and omnidirectional mics respectively.

While a microphone is an important part of your recording equipment, other accessories such as shock mount to absorb sound from vibrations, pop filters, and windshields are just as vital. You should also invest some time and resources to get the best accessories for your setup to achieve professional audio.

2. Designate a Recording Area

Individuals who want to record great-sounding podcasts generally prefer condenser mics because of their ability to produce natural and crisp sound. While these microphones deliver excellent quality they require a dedicated recording space which should have certain features.

Like a mirror reflects light, hard and flat surfaces reflect sound which can then be picked up from another microphone, leading to interference and unwanted noise. Even if you record in a quiet room but it has hard surfaces like closets, the sound will bounce off. The professional technique is to get the room treated, but because of the price not everyone can afford it.

There are some DIY tips that should help you such as putting a blanket or other soft materials on such surfaces. While it may not look aesthetically pleasing, it gets the job done. Another aspect of noise reduction is to remove all the electronics that can potentially interfere with the microphones. Turn off the fans and fix the air conditioners if it is making any noise.

3. Microphone Placement

Microphone placement plays an instrumental role in defining sound quality. Every mic has an optimal range of detecting sound waves which can be ensured by the right placement. You will get plosive sounds if the microphone is too near to the speakers and lose out some sound bits if it is too far. 

Furthermore, the polar patterns of the microphone should also be taken into account while positioning a microphone. A cardioid microphone must have its active part facing towards the speakers. 

As a general rule, the microphone should be at least six inches away from the speaker. It ensures the mic does not get overwhelmed while the speakers speak loudly and do not lose the notes if the speakers faint their voices a little. 

4. Monitor The Recording In Real Time

No matter how good you think your post-production techniques are, it is better to record good audio during the production and avoid using them. It can be ensured by monitoring the recording in real time which can be carried out by using headphones or monitoring the recording software.

Almost all microphones designed for professional recordings come with a 3.5mm port for headphones. You can plug the headset in and listen exactly to what is being recorded. You can also keep an eye on the recording software and watch out for sudden spikes and drops in volume levels. If you experience any problem during the recording, the equipment can be manipulated to fix it.

5. Leave Cues For Mistakes During Recording

Even with the perfect equipment and techniques you will make some mistakes and if you do not leave the cues for them, it will be harder to spot them in post production. So, whenever you make a mistake during the recording, leave a cue right after that such as making a loud sound which can be easily identified in the editing applications. It will help you quickly identify the mistakes and remove them from the final audio.

6. Invest In Right Editing Software

The editing process of podcast episodes is easier than other forms of content such as music and voice overs. Thus, you do not need specialized software because the additional features will only overwhelm you and not offer any value. You will be better off with a basic audio editing tool that allows you to create separate audio tracks, each corresponding to the audio file of a particular microphone.

It must be mentioned that while you can record a podcast with multiple USB  mics using some applications, in Windows laptop and desktops you will only get a single file. In contrast, multiple audio files can be created using MacOS for the USB  mic. 

7. Sound Levels of Different Speakers

If you are recording with only one guest, it is advised to keep the volume of your mic lower than the guest. Thus, even when you interrupt the speakers during their time, your voice will not sound annoying. 

Similarly, when you have multiple guests over, the volume of the microphone should be consistent for each microphone. Having inconsistent volume will cause the sound to distort when all speakers try to speak up at the same time.

8. Mute Mics When Not In Use

If the aforementioned tips are not working, you should switch off the microphones of speakers who are not speaking. While it is not a good practice on the part of the host, it helps compensate for the lagging in your podcast setups. Budget and mid-tier microphones are not as good as premium mics at rejecting unwanted background noise. Thus, they will start capturing the sound of the other speakers and produce interferences leading to poor audio quality. Muting the microphones when not in use fixes the problem to a good extent.

9. File Format

While the audio format influences the podcast quality, it often goes unnoticeable by the audience. Pretty much all podcasters release their episodes in MP3 format, which can be recorded and uploaded at different bitrates. The higher you go the better a track will sound, but lower bitrates files such as 96kbps are easier to download and stream compared to track encoded in 192kbs.

You should go with lower bitrates if the target audience of your podcast resides in regions with slow internet or prohibitive data costs. 

10. Post-Production Techniques

While there are several post-production techniques to edit out an audio file, you will need only two for your podcasts, EQ and Compression. EQ offers complete control over the sound of the audio by letting you reduce or boost the volume of certain frequencies. Compression, on the other hand, blends the loudest part of the audio with the quietest bits to make the audio more balanced and achieve a consistent volume throughout the podcast episode. Mastering these techniques will go a long way to making your podcast sound professional and natural.

Frequently Asked Questions