Our Guide on How to Use Podcast Compression for Clear, Balanced Audio

Quick Summary

Podcast compression is essential for delivering clean, balanced audio that keeps listeners engaged. Our guide breaks down how to use compression effectively, with step-by-step methods using both Cleanvoice and Audacity.

You'll learn advanced tips, avoid common pitfalls, and discover how cleanup tools can streamline your workflow. Whether you're polishing solo episodes or multi-speaker interviews, our article shows you how to make every word count.

Struggling to Get Consistent Volume in Your Podcast?

With 505 million podcast listeners globally, delivering clear, compressed audio is a must-have, not a nice-to-have.

But with a hundred tools out there, it’s easy to get confused about how and where to get started with using compression to improve your podcast audio.

That’s why, in this Cleanvoice guide, we’ll explore two tools that you can use to compress your podcast audio and dive into some best practices too. But first…

Why Listen to Us?

Used by over 15,000 podcasters and having worked with brands like Heartcast Media and Veed.io, our platform is credited for clearer audio and tighter edits.

Our AI automatically removes filler words, mouth noises, background sounds, stutters, and long silences—saving hours of editing while delivering studio‑quality results.

What is Audio Compression?

Audio compression reduces the dynamic range of a recording—the difference between the loudest and quietest parts. This makes the overall sound more balanced and easier to listen to.

In podcasts, compression ensures voices stay consistent in volume. It tames peaks and raises quiet parts without introducing distortion. This then creates a smooth listening experience.

When you use it well, compression helps your podcast sound polished and professional, even if it was recorded in a non-studio environment.

Why Should You Use Compression to Improve Your Podcast Audio?

• Balanced voice levels: Compression keeps soft-spoken and louder speakers at a similar volume, avoiding any jarring shifts.
• Reduced listener fatigue: You’ll be able to smooth out harsh peaks that can tire listeners over time.
• Improved clarity: Enhances quieter moments so nothing important gets lost.
• Consistent playback: Ensures your podcast sounds good on any device or app.
• Professional sound: Proper compression gives your show a studio-polished feel, even when you’ve recorded with basic gear.

How to Use Compression to Improve Your Podcast Audio?

Method 1: Using Cleanvoice

Step 1: Upload Your Audio to Cleanvoice

Begin by preparing your raw audio file, no music, no effects, just dialogue. Cleanvoice works best with unprocessed audio, where distractions like filler words, mouth clicks, breaths, and long pauses haven’t been edited out yet.

Upload directly through the Cleanvoice dashboard. You can drag and drop your file, or select it from your device. Our tool supports standard formats like MP3 and WAV, so there's no need to convert.

If you’re working with multiple speakers or remote tracks, upload them as separate files. This allows Cleanvoice to process each voice more accurately before compression.

Step 2: Select Cleanup Features

Once uploaded, choose the specific audio issues you want Cleanvoice to address. These cleanup options remove nonverbal noise and inconsistencies that can trigger unwanted compressor behavior later.

We recommend enabling the following tools:

• Filler Word Remover: Cuts “umms,” “uhs,” and similar hesitations.
• Mouth Sound Remover: Eliminates clicks, lip smacks, and saliva noise.
• Deadair Remover: Trims long silences that disrupt pacing.

Skip breath removal if you plan to compress heavily because compression can amplify edited breaths unnaturally. Tuning this step ensures your compressor only works on meaningful audio.

Next, in the Enhance section of your Cleanvoice template, enable Studio Sound (Audio Enhancer). This feature pre-processes your recording with advanced noise suppression, EQ, and spectral cleanup.

By reducing ambient noise, de-essing, and evening out frequency imbalances before compression, it ensures the compressor works on a clean, consistent signal. This reduces artifacts, improving clarity, and yielding more natural, balanced dynamics.

Step 3: Process the File

Click “Start Processing” to run the selected tools.

Cleanvoice processes your audio server-side, so the file size and system specs won’t bottleneck the workflow. Most jobs finish in under five minutes, depending on length and complexity.

Once it’s done, you’ll receive an email or see a status update in your dashboard.

Review the waveform preview to confirm edits before downloading.

Step 4: Download the Cleaned Audio

Once processing is complete, download your cleaned file.

Cleanvoice exports in standard formats, so there’s no compatibility issue when moving the file into your DAW or audio editor. Keep your sample rate and bit depth unchanged.

Method 2: Using Audacity

Step 1: Import Your Audio

Import your cleaned and edited audio into Audacity.

For best results, use a file that has already gone through noise reduction and dialogue cleanup. Preferably processed with a tool like Cleanvoice to eliminate elements that interfere with clean compression.

Audacity supports multitrack editing. If you have individual speaker tracks, import them separately to apply targeted compression later. This prevents one loud voice from triggering global gain reduction.

Use lossless formats like WAV or FLAC when importing to preserve full dynamic range during processing. Avoid compressed formats like MP3 at this stage—they introduce artifacts that affect compressor behavior.

Step 2: Highlight the Section You Want to Compress

Select the region of audio you want to process. Compressing only speech-heavy segments gives you tighter control and avoids unintentionally affecting music beds or transitions.

For multitrack sessions, apply compression individually to each speaker’s track. This preserves vocal clarity and prevents uneven dynamics across voices.

If your entire episode is on a single track, zoom in and scan for problem areas—sections where the waveform spikes or dips dramatically. Targeting these zones lets you fine-tune compression without flattening your whole mix. Use markers or labels to isolate and compare adjustments efficiently.

Step 3: Open the Compressor Effect

Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Compressor. This opens Audacity’s built-in compression interface, where you'll define how the plugin responds to dynamics in your selected audio.

If you're compressing multiple tracks, keep settings consistent across similar voices to maintain tonal balance, especially if you’ve already cleaned them with Cleanvoice.

Step 4: Adjust the Threshold

Set the threshold to define when compression starts. For most podcasts, -20 dB to -30 dB is effective. This range catches loud consonants, plosives, and volume spikes without crushing natural speech dynamics.

Monitor peak levels using Audacity’s meter before choosing a threshold. If you used Cleanvoice earlier to remove distractions, you can push the threshold slightly lower with less risk of over-compression.

Avoid one-size-fits-all values. Tailor thresholds to voice tone and mic proximity. This is because closer mics typically need more conservative settings. Always preview changes with and without compression to identify unintended flattening.

Step 5: Set the Ratio

Compression ratio controls how aggressively the signal is reduced once it crosses the threshold. For spoken audio, a ratio between 2:1 and 4:1 keeps voices natural while tightening dynamics.

• 2:1 – Subtle control; ideal for already-cleaned dialogue (e.g., Cleanvoice-processed).
• 3:1 to 4:1 – Stronger control; smooths more volatile speakers without sounding flat.

Avoid going beyond 5:1 unless you're targeting specific problem peaks. Higher ratios risk choking vocal tone, especially when applied across full-length tracks. Use conservative settings when applying compression globally or stacking it with other effects.

Step 6: Tweak Attack and Release

Set your attack time to 1–5 ms to catch sudden peaks without cutting off transients. For release time, 100–200 ms works well to maintain natural speech flow and avoid pumping artifacts.

Use longer release times when dealing with slower speakers or compressed tracks from Cleanvoice. This helps maintain breath and pacing continuity.

Avoid fast release on high-energy segments—it exaggerates level jumps and sounds mechanical. Instead, preview multiple spots with varied pacing to dial in a setting that adapts smoothly across your content.

Step 7: Normalize the Final Audio

After compression, normalize the track to ensure consistent loudness without exceeding safe peak limits. Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Normalize, and enable peak normalization to -1.0 dB. This prevents clipping during export or streaming.

Skip DC offset correction unless you're working with raw, unbalanced recordings. If Cleanvoice handled earlier cleanup, the signal should already be centered and stable.

Normalization isn’t a fix for low-level audio, only apply it after compression. Avoid stacking with limiter plugins unless you’re prepping for a platform with strict LUFS requirements (e.g., Spotify or Apple Podcasts). Keep loudness adjustments subtle and intentional.

Step 8: Export Your Compressed Audio

Once you’ve normalized and finalized levels, export your audio via File > Export Audio. Use 192–256 kbps for MP3s to maintain clarity without inflating file size.

Label your files with a consistent naming system to streamline archiving and uploads. Example formats:

• PodcastName_EpXX_Compressed.mp3
• GuestName_RawVsProcessed.wav

If you used Cleanvoice earlier, your exported file should now reflect a clean, tight, and leveled result, ready for publishing or further mastering. Always listen back once more post-export to catch any artifacts or export mismatches.

Best Practices for Using Compression for Your Podcast

Avoid Stacking Compression Across Tools

If you’re using tools like Cleanvoice that apply light automatic compression or leveling, adjust your DAW settings accordingly.

Stacking compressors without recalibration can lead to over-flattened audio, pumping effects, or tonal loss. Always verify what processing has already been applied before adding more.

Use Compression Presets Only as a Starting Point

Presets save time, but they rarely match your specific recording conditions. Treat them as a baseline.

After selecting a preset, review and tweak threshold, ratio, and release settings to better fit your speaker’s vocal tone, energy, and mic technique.

Listen at Multiple Volumes

Compression artifacts may not be obvious at your usual monitoring level. Play back your audio at low and high volumes to catch signs of over-compression, like pumping, clipped breath sounds, or flattened speech cadence.

This ensures a clean experience across devices.

Reference Against a Trusted Master Track

Keep one or two high-quality podcast episodes as a reference. Compare dynamics, presence, and tonal balance periodically while compressing.

This helps maintain consistency across episodes and avoids drifting toward either overly compressed or too-flat mixes.

Apply Multiband Compression Only When Needed

Don’t default to multiband compression unless you're addressing specific tonal issues, like muddy low end or sibilance.

Misusing multiband tools can fragment your mix and exaggerate minor imbalances. Use them sparingly, with intent and precision.

Streamline Podcast Compression with Cleanvoice

Compression turns raw podcast audio into something polished, listenable, and professional. When paired with proper cleanup, it ensures your message cuts through clearly—without distractions or volume spikes. That’s where Cleanvoice fits in.

Our tool streamlines the pre-compression process by removing filler words, mouth sounds, stutters, and dead air. It gives you a clean foundation, making your compression workflow faster, easier, and more effective.

Join thousands of podcasters using Cleanvoice to sound sharper, faster.