Hot podcasting tips!
Minimize background noise. That means everything from cars on the street to ceiling fans to other people and things in the room with you.
Make voices the same volume! If you’re recording in the same room with someone else, that means speaking equally loudly and sitting the same distance from the microphone. If you’re recording two sides of a conversation separately, that means adjusting the volume of both tracks in your editing software afterward.
Don’t just upload Skype recordings! Phone or Skype-quality audio is OK sometimes—especially for interview shows, where people might be calling in who don’t have good equipment themselves - but your whole show shouldn’t sound like a FaceTime call.
some equipment we like
AmazonBasics Desktop Mini Microphone Gen 2 ($55): A good basic mic, which should work for multiple people recording in the same room or recording audio individually. Includes
Audio Technica AT2005USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone ($80): A better mic if you’re recording audio individually, or if you want a USB microphone that can also be plugged into a traditional audio mixer.
Aokeo Professional Microphone Pop Filter ($10): Helps reduce audio popping from some consonants. Not necessary but a cheap way to bump up your professionalism. If this specific model isn’t available, there are tons of similar filters available for the same price.
A desk-top mic stand, and a larger microphone arm with more flexibility.
SOME EDITING SOFTWARE THAT’S GOOD
Audacity, a free audio editing app that works in Windows and macOS. Powerful, but a little janky.
GarageBand, which is free for macOS and iOS/iPadOS.
Reaper, a more polished audio app available for Windows and macOS for $60.
Hosting a podcast
Libsyn offers a variety of plans, with cheaper plans for monthly/biweekly use and more expensive plans for weekly or twice-weekly shows. Has statistics so you can see who is downloading your show, and makes it easy to submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else podcasts are available.
For basic or temporary use (if you’re putting a podcast together for a class, for example), BuzzSprout offers free hosting for up to 2 hours of audio per month. The audio will be accessible for 90 days after being posted.
Other Resources
Zencastr costs $20 a month, but is an easy way to record interviews with a guest who’s not familiar with recording software.