Our Guide on Audio Equalization for Podcasters: How to EQ Like a Pro

Quick Summary

Here, we explain how podcasters can use audio equalization to enhance vocal clarity and create a professional sound. We walk through three methods, from manual equalizing in a DAW to using AI tools like Cleanvoice.

You’ll learn which frequencies matter most, how to shape your mix, and when to cut vs. boost. Explore our blog to dive deeper into podcast editing, audio mixing, and voice processing.

Want to Master Your Podcast Sound with EQ?

Audio equalization (EQ) can either make or break how your podcast sounds, and most creators get it wrong. Done well, it makes your voice sound fuller, clearer, and easier to listen to. Done poorly, it flattens or harshens your audio.

In this Cleanvoice article, we’ll explore how to equalize your podcast audio along with some best practices.

Why Listen to Us

At Cleanvoice, we’ve helped 15,000+ podcasters improve their audio. Our tool efficiently removes filler words, background noise, and mouth clicks, enhancing audio quality and saving hours.

We also provide audio polishing tools that pair perfectly with manual DAWs, giving podcaster creators diverse editing in their workflow.  

What Is Audio Equalization?

Audio equalization is the process of adjusting the balance of frequency components in an audio signal. It lets you boost or cut specific frequency ranges, like lows, mids, or highs, to shape how your audio sounds.

EQ improves vocal clarity, reduces harshness, and creates a more balanced sound. It can help voices cut through background music, fix muddy recordings, and make different speakers sound consistent.

Why Audio Equalization Matters for Podcasters

• Improves Vocal Clarity: Audio equalization reduces muddiness in the lower mids and boosts presence in the upper mids, making speech easier on the ears.
• Balances Guest Voices: EQ fixes tonal mismatches from different mics, voices, and environments.
• Removes Harshness: Harsh "S" or "T" sounds (sibilance) or nasal tones can be controlled with targeted EQ cuts.
• Supports Better Mixing: Clean equalization makes it easier to add music or effects without crowding the voice.
• Improves Playback Across Devices: Audio equalization ensures your podcast sounds good on any device, be it headphones, car speakers, or a phone.

How to Apply Audio Equalization for Podcasting

Method 1: Using Cleanvoice’s AI Audio Enhancer for Automatic Equalization

Step 1: Log in and Upload Your Audio

Visit Cleanvoice.ai and log into your account to access our editor. From there, you can either drag and drop your audio file or import it. Our tool supports major formats like WAV, MP4 and MP3.

After choosing your file(s), click ‘Upload’. For best results, upload isolated voice tracks rather than full mixes, this allows our AI to focus exclusively on vocal tone.

Step 2: Select the Right Cleanup Settings

Once uploaded, choose the required editing options. To get a custom template to equalize your audio, click on the option below:

Then, enable features that directly affect tonal quality:

• Remove Noise: Removes loud noise, distracting hums, and ambient sounds.
• Remove Breath: Clears loud and harsh breathing.
• Normalize: Level volume throughout the audio, without distorting it. And making all speakers equally loud.
• Studio Sound: Brightens or smoothens your voice by applying EQ. Also removes reverb. And gives you studio-quality results.

Our Audio Enhancer uses AI-driven equalization to automatically balance frequency ranges, enhancing voice clarity and reducing muddiness. This gives your recordings a polished, studio-quality sound without any manual adjustments.

Once you’re done, create the template to proceed.

Step 3: Let the AI Process and Review the Output

Continue with your new custom template and start processing your audio file(s).

Our AI analyzes your audio, applying smart EQ curves behind the scenes. This includes spectral adjustments that reduce midrange mud, smooth harsh sibilance, and bring out vocal clarity.

Once the processing is complete, preview your audio directly in the interface.

• Look out for three key things:
  • Is the voice more open and clearer without sounding harsh or overly sharp?
  • Is the bass present without sounding muddy?
  • Are high frequencies smooth rather than piercing?

If you notice anything off, you can reprocess with fewer features enabled (e.g., turn off Studio Sound if it sounds too filtered). Most of our users won’t need to tweak settings more than once.

Step 4: Export and Finalize

When satisfied, click “Download” to save your enhanced audio. Choose from WAV, MP3, or other formats, which you can select under ‘Export’ while creating your custom template.

If you plan to edit further in a DAW, download the highest-quality version. Save your preferred settings as a template to automate the entire audio equalization process in future projects with one click.

Method 2: Using Manual EQ in Audacity (for Fine Vocal Tuning)

Step 1: Import and Isolate Voice Track

Open Audacity and load your vocal recording (File > Import > Audio).

If your track is in stereo, convert it to mono (Tracks > Mix > Mix Stereo Down to Mono). Make a duplicate (Edit > Duplicate) so you always have a clean reference.

Solo the voice track and mute everything else. This avoids misleading frequencies from music or effects during EQ.

Step 2: Sweep to Identify Problem Frequencies

Select a segment of speech and go to Effect > EQ and Filters > Filter Curve EQ. Enable “Graphic EQ” mode, then:

• Create a narrow boost (Q curve) and sweep from 100 Hz to 8 kHz.
• Listen for muddiness, nasal tones, harshness, or hiss.
• Note key issues to fix. Typical problem areas include:
• 100–250 Hz: Muddiness
• 500–800 Hz: Boxy or nasal
• 3–6 kHz: Harshness
• 6–10 kHz: Sibilance

Avoid correcting for every imperfection, only cut where tonal clarity is compromised.

Step 3: Apply Targeted EQ Fixes

Still in the Filter Curve EQ:

• Cut 2–3 dB at 120–200 Hz to reduce boom.
• Notch 600 Hz to reduce nasality.
• Boost 10 kHz with a gentle shelf if the voice sounds dull.
• Use narrow bands for cuts, and slightly wider ones for boosts for a more natural sound.

Preview changes on different speaking sections (e.g., loud vs. soft passages) to check if the tone stays consistent.

Step 4: Compression + Reference Check

Compression can accentuate EQ tweaks, so revisit your Filter Curve EQ if the result feels unnatural. Apply a limiter after EQ and compression to catch sudden peaks and ensure consistent loudness.

To wrap it up, compare your processed audio with a well-produced podcast using similar voice types.

Pro tip: Use Cleanvoice before this step to automatically remove distractions like stutters, breaths, and silences, giving you a tighter signal to EQ. You can then simply export the file to Audacity for further check.

Step 5: Export Cleaned Audio

Once EQ and compression are finalized:

• Go to File > Export > Export and save your audio file as WAV for high-quality use, or MP3 for streaming.
• Save a copy of your EQ curve for future sessions with similar mic setups.

You can also send your cleaned audio back to Cleanvoice for timeline export or multi-track sync.

By combining our automated cleanup with Audacity’s hands-on EQ, you get a highly customized, broadcast-ready vocal track, without the need for expensive gear.

Method 3: Applying Audio Equalization with FabFilter Pro-Q 4

Step 1: Load Pro-Q 4 on Your Vocal Track

Open your DAW and insert Pro-Q 4 on your vocal track. The default view gives you a real-time frequency spectrum.

Switch to Linear Phase mode if you're editing post-recording for greater accuracy without phase distortion. Make use of Pro-Q 4’s spectrum analyzer to spot overlapping boosts that could introduce harshness.

Enable these features:

• Dynamic EQ: Automatically controls frequencies that spike, like harsh S sounds (sibilance) or popping Ps (plosives).
• Mid/Side Processing: Helps you EQ just the center (voice) or sides (stereo effects) separately. This works well if your voice is centered but the background audio isn’t.

Step 2: Sweep for Harsh or Problem Frequencies

Solo the vocal track and engage a band. Use the headphone icon to isolate frequencies as you sweep.

Use a narrow Q and boost by +12 dB while moving across:

• 150–250 Hz: Look for muddiness or “boom”
• 400–600 Hz: Boxiness or nasal character
• 4–7 kHz: Harsh upper mids or sharp “S” sounds

Once located, reverse the gain to –2 to –6 dB and adjust Q (width) to be as narrow as needed. Use the band bypass to compare before and after, and only keep the cut if it helps. Don’t remove too much or you’ll lose the voice’s natural energy.

Step 3: Add Gentle Boosts for Presence and Clarity

Switch to additive EQ with a wide Q shape. Use subtle moves to highlight vocal detail:

• 80–120 Hz: For warmth (go easy here)
• 2–3 kHz: Improves clarity and makes speech more understandable
• 8–10 kHz: Add air and polish (ideal for condenser mics)

If a frequency becomes fatiguing after boosting, convert the band to dynamic EQ mode and set the threshold to react only on peaks. Avoid stacking multiple boosts in the same zone.

Step 4: Save and Reuse Presets

Once your EQ curve fits your mic, voice, and room setup, save it using the Save As Preset function.

When saving your cleaned audio:

• Name presets by mic model or speaker type, and also by different recording conditions like treated room vs. untreated (e.g., “SM7B Untreated Room” or “Condenser—Female Voice”).
• Keep notes on voice type for easier recall across episodes.

You can then feed the cleaned, equalized track into Cleanvoice for extra enhancements like filler word removal or rebalancing.

The two tools complement each other well, with Pro-Q 4 shaping the tone, while Cleanvoice polishing the flow.

Best Practices for Audio Equalization in Podcasting

Start with Subtractive EQ

Cut problem frequencies before boosting anything. It preserves headroom and avoids harshness. Cutting resonant frequencies in the low mids (around 200–400 Hz) can remove boxiness, while taming harsh peaks in the 2–4 kHz range can reduce listener fatigue.

Always sweep gently to isolate unwanted tones without gutting your voice’s natural character.

Use Narrow Q for Cuts, Wide Q for Boosts

Precision cuts remove muddiness without affecting nearby frequencies.

When making cuts, a narrow Q (high Q value) lets you remove small problem areas without hollowing out your tone. For boosts, a wide Q (low Q value) smooths frequency changes, enhancing presence or warmth without drawing attention to specific frequencies.

Always EQ in Context

Don’t tweak a voice in solo mode only. Voices can sound drastically different when layered with background elements.

Listen to how it blends with intro music, ads, and guest tracks. That upper-mid boost that sounds perfect in solo may clash with your intro music’s guitars or cymbals. EQ with the full mix in mind, because you want cohesion, not just the polished voice alone.

Avoid Overprocessing

More EQ doesn’t always mean better sound. Excessive EQ can introduce phase issues, kill dynamics, and make your voice sound unnatural.

If you're constantly battling muddiness or harshness, check your mic placement, room acoustics, and gain staging first. Clean recordings need fewer fixes, letting your EQ work as polish, not damage control.

Match EQ to Microphone Type

Dynamic mics often roll off highs and can benefit from a gentle lift around 5–8 kHz for clarity.

Condensers, especially in untreated rooms, might emphasize sibilance or room reflections. A light dip around 7 kHz or a de-esser can smooth this out without dulling your tone.

Simplify Audio Equalization with Cleanvoice

Audio equalization is one of the most powerful tools in podcast editing, but only when used properly. Doesn’t matter if you're working manually, using presets, or relying on AI to equalize your audio, the goal is the same: clarity, consistency, and a professional finish.

At Cleanvoice, we help you get there faster, automating many of the tedious cleanup steps so you can focus on creating a great show.

Join thousands of podcaster creators leveling up their sound with Cleanvoice.