How to Use EQ to Improve Podcast Audio: With AI + Manual Tool

Quick Summary

Learn how to use EQ to transform muddy, inconsistent podcast audio into a clean, professional sound. Our guide covers the essentials of audio equalization, advanced techniques, and two detailed workflows. One using Cleanvoice’s AI-powered tools, and the other with full manual control in Audacity. Whether you're polishing interviews or shaping your show’s identity, our article gives you the tools to do it right.

Struggling to Make Your Podcast Sound Clean and Balanced?

On-demand audio now accounts for 50.3% of daily U.S. audio consumption, which shows the need for making stellar podcast audio more essential than ever.

And one great way to do that is with equalization (EQ), without which, even great content can sound muddy or fatiguing.

In this Cleanvoice guide, we’ll show you how to use EQ with confidence. But first…

Why Listen to Us?

We’ve earned the trust rof over 15,000 podcasters by delivering fast, AI-powered studio-quality results, like removing filler words, reverb and echo, background noise, mouth sounds, stutters, silences.

Clients like Heartcast Media and Podflow praise us for boosting workflow efficiency, enhancing audio clarity, and improving podcast discoverability with automated show notes and SEO-ready summaries.

What Is Audio Equalization?

Audio equalization adjusts frequency components in recordings. It reshapes sound by boosting or reducing select frequencies to produce a balanced, natural tone.

You can use EQ in podcast production to reduce harshness, enhance clarity, and boost professionalism. These frequency adjustments improve recording consistency.

All in all, EQ is essential for producing crisp, intelligible podcast sound that resonates with listeners.

Why Should You Use Equalization to Improve Your Podcast Audio?

Clarifies speech: Boosting midrange frequencies makes voices sound fuller and easier to understand.
Reduces harshness: Cutting high frequencies smooths out sibilance and sharp tones.
Balances tone: EQ helps match voice levels across guests or segments, maintaining a consistent sound.
Removes muddiness: Cutting low-end rumble clears up overlapping background noise or mic boom.
Shapes podcast identity: EQ customizes your show’s sound—warm, bright, or neutral—to suit your brand.

How to Use Equalization to Improve Your Podcast Audio

Method 1: Using Cleanvoice

Step 1: Upload Your Podcast Audio

Start by dragging your episode file into the Cleanvoice editor.

You can upload mono, stereo, or multi-track recordings. Our system automatically processes supported formats and prepares the waveform for cleanup.

You can also add more files. Multi-track upload is especially useful when editing interviews or panel shows.

Cleanvoice separates speakers for more accurate noise and filler removal. This also ensures voice-specific cleanup without artifacts from overlapping audio.

Once you’re done selecting your file(s), click the upload button to continue.

Step 2: Select Cleanup Features

Once your audio loads, choose which cleanup tools to apply.

Each tool targets a specific type of imperfection that would otherwise require EQ or manual edits.

For most podcasts, enable the following:

Filler Word Remover – Removes umms, uhs, and similar clutter without cutting too deep.
Mouth Sound Remover – Detects and deletes lip smacks, clicks, and saliva noise.
Stutter Remover – Smooths repeated syllables for more fluid speech.
Deadair Remover – Tightens pacing by trimming long silences.
Background Noise Remover – Reduces static, hums, or ambient room tone.

Each feature can be toggled individually based on your production style. Cleanvoice applies edits non-destructively, so nothing is lost until you approve it.

Step 3: Activate “AutoEQ” or “Studio Sound”

In the Enhance section of your Cleanvoice template, enable AutoEQ listed under Legacy Settings.

You can also select Studio Sound, which now handles most EQ-related enhancements, but it’s best to not use both together, since Studio Sound is meant to replace AutoEQ.

Choose any one of these options.

Step 4: Generate and Review the Timeline

After selecting tools, Cleanvoice generates a visual timeline showing every edit. You’ll see markers for removed filler, silences, stutters, and more.

Focus on reviewing edits that might affect timing or delivery. In some formats (e.g., storytelling or branded content), natural pacing is key, and automated cuts may need adjustment.

Step 5: Export Cleaned Audio

Once edits are reviewed, download your final mix.

You can also export your equalized podcast audio to your preferred DAW:

Method 2: Using Audacity

Step 1: Import Your Audio File

Drag your recorded audio into Audacity’s workspace. The waveform appears immediately, allowing you to assess peaks, gaps, and background content before editing.

Use separate tracks for each speaker to enable isolated EQ and dynamic adjustments. This minimizes any bleeding and lets you process voices independently.

Before making any changes, label key sections (e.g., intro, ads, guest). This helps track edits across segments and ensures consistency when applying EQ later.

If working with stereo recordings, split to mono if needed to avoid phasing issues during EQ. Group tracks to keep your session organized as edits accumulate.

Step 2: Use “Noise Reduction”

Select a short, isolated section of background noise—no speech, just room tone or hum. Then go to Effect > Noise Reduction and click “Get Noise Profile.” This captures the unwanted frequency signature.

Next, select the full track and reopen the effect. Apply with conservative settings to avoid artifacts:

Noise reduction (dB): 6–12
Sensitivity: 6.00
Frequency smoothing (bands): 3–6

Preview before applying. Excessive reduction can introduce distortion or digital harshness, especially in high-mids. For complex noise, apply multiple passes at lower intensity instead of one aggressive sweep.

Step 3: Normalize levels

Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Normalize. This prepares your audio for EQ by aligning peak levels and removing DC offset.

Keep your settings tight and intentional—normalizing without strategy can mask problems rather than fix them.

Recommended settings:

Remove DC offset: Checked
Normalize peak amplitude to: –1.0 dB
Normalize stereo channels independently: Unchecked (unless speakers are panned deliberately)

This gives you a consistent base for EQ, especially across multi-segment episodes.

Step 4: Open the “Filter Curve EQ”

Navigate to Effect > Filter Curve EQ. This tool gives you full control over your frequency spectrum.

Use it to sculpt tone, remove problematic frequencies, and emphasize vocal presence with precision.

Start with a flat line and adjust manually. Avoid presets unless you’ve tested them on similar voices. Key vocal edits typically occur in three areas:

Low-end cleanup (below 100 Hz)
Midrange shaping (300 Hz to 3 kHz)
High-end control (5 kHz and above)

Use the preview button constantly. Subtle shifts matter—3–5 dB moves are usually more than enough.

Step 5: Apply a High-Pass Filter

Cut everything below 80 Hz using a steep high-pass curve. This removes low-end rumble, mic handling noise, and other subsonic clutter that doesn’t serve spoken word.

In the Filter Curve EQ, drag the left end of the line downward starting at 80 Hz. Set a steep slope—around 24 dB/octave—for effective removal.

You may push the cutoff higher (100–120 Hz) if your speakers have high-pitched voices or poor mic proximity. Just be cautious not to thin out the vocal body. Always A/B test before committing the change across multiple segments.

Step 6: Cut Harsh Highs

Identify sharp sibilance or hiss in the 4–8 kHz range. Use the Filter Curve EQ to apply a gentle dip, no more than 3–4 dB, with a narrow Q to avoid dulling consonants or vocal clarity.

This step is especially useful when dealing with aggressive mic techniques or inconsistent remote recordings. You’re not removing presence—you’re smoothing spikes that fatigue listeners.

If harshness varies between speakers, apply EQ per track. Use preview to check articulation before finalizing adjustments.

Step 7: Boost Vocal Presence

Enhance speech clarity by applying a slight boost between 1–3 kHz. This range supports vocal articulation and helps dialogue cut through music or ambient sound without relying on compression.

In Filter Curve EQ, add a 2–3 dB peak centered around 2 kHz with a gentle Q. Avoid excessive boosting because it can exaggerate nasal tones or emphasize mouth clicks.

Use this selectively across speakers. For deeper voices, shift the boost closer to 1 kHz; for brighter ones, stay nearer to 3 kHz. Always preview in context with background elements to maintain tonal balance.

Step 8: Balance Tone Across Speakers

If voices were recorded in different spaces or on different mics, tonal inconsistencies will surface. EQ each speaker individually to match brightness, body, and clarity across the episode.

Focus on adjusting:

Low-mids (200–500 Hz): Reduce muddiness or boxiness.
Highs (5–8 kHz): Soften harshness or add sheen.
Presence (1–3 kHz): Equalize clarity without overemphasizing.

Reference a consistent voice—usually the host—and align other speakers to that profile. This maintains a cohesive sound across segments and avoids jarring shifts in tonal quality between contributors.

Step 9: Export the Final Mix

Once EQ and edits are finalized, export your mix under File > Export Audio.

Choose your preferred format—WAV for mastering or MP3 for distribution. Match sample rate and bit depth to your project specs to avoid conversion loss.

Before exporting, double-check:

Loudness: Aim for –16 LUFS for stereo podcasts.
File integrity: No clipping or DC offset.
Track structure: Flatten multi-tracks unless further mixing is planned.

You can also export your cleaned up audio from Cleanvoice to Audacity. This allows for further editing and fine-tuning of your existing workflow.

Best Practices for Using Equalization in Your Podcast Audio

EQ in Context, Not Isolation

Make EQ adjustments while listening to the full episode, or at least while hearing your mix bus. This ensures each voice holds its place without stepping on others or clashing with the sonic texture of your background elements.

Even minor changes to one track can shift how everything else is perceived. Prioritize cohesion over perfection in isolation.

If you must solo, do it briefly to locate specific issues like low-end resonance or sibilance. But always toggle back to the full context to finalize your edits.

Match Tonal Balance, Not Volume

Equal loudness doesn’t mean equal presence or clarity. A deep voice with too much low-mid energy may still sound boomy next to a brighter, quieter speaker.

To fix this, train your ears to recognize tonal mismatches. Focus on qualities like warmth, crispness, or boxiness—terms that refer to spectral content, not volume level. Use EQ to adjust those characteristics.

For example, cut muddy low mids (200–400 Hz) in one voice, or add clarity in another with a subtle boost around 2 kHz.

Use Subtractive EQ First

Subtractive EQ clears clutter and makes voices naturally stand out. Start by identifying problem frequencies.

Harshness often hides between 4–8 kHz, muddiness between 200–500 Hz, and rumbles below 80 Hz. Once you reduce these issues, you may find that boosts aren’t needed or need to be much more subtle.

Use narrow cuts (high Q) for surgical edits and broader curves for tonal shaping. Always preview before and after to avoid overcorrecting.

Print Rough Mixes Regularly

Export rough mixes early and often, especially after key EQ passes. Play them on a variety of playback systems, like headphones, car speakers, phone speakers, or smart TVs, to check how your EQ holds up.

Each system reveals different flaws. Small speakers might exaggerate harsh high frequencies, while studio monitors might underrepresent them. The goal is to strike a tonal balance that sounds clear and consistent across formats without introducing fatigue or imbalance.

Also, take notes while listening passively. Let the episode play during a walk or while doing another task. This reveals pacing or tonal issues you might miss while editing. Sometimes, EQ that sounds fine in a focused edit session feels tiring or “off” in a casual listen.

Commit in Stages

EQ is best approached incrementally. Break the process into focused stages: cleanup, tonal shaping, and final polish.

First, do surgical EQ. Remove harsh frequencies, control rumble, and smooth out sibilance. Then move to tonal EQ, adjust the color and body of each voice. Finally, apply any mix-wide EQ, like gentle high-end lift or low-mid scoop, to glue everything together.

Between stages, take breaks and come back with fresh ears. What sounds “perfect” after 30 minutes of looping the same clip may sound processed or unnatural the next day. Committing gradually lets you dial in EQ with precision, keeping each stage purposeful and restrained.

Staged EQ also pairs well with automation. For example, if a guest shifts mic positions mid-interview, you might need separate EQ snapshots. Layering EQ with clip-based or envelope automation lets you adjust dynamically without baking compromises into the whole track.

Streamline Podcast Equalization with Cleanvoice

Equalization shapes your podcast’s tone, clarity, and consistency. We’ve covered why it matters, how to apply it using manual and automated tools, and best practices that elevate your edits. For faster, smarter cleanup, EQ-related tasks are already built into Cleanvoice.

Our platform uses AI to remove filler words, balance voice levels, reduce harshness, and deliver a polished, listen-ready result—without the need for manual EQ curves or endless tweaking.

Join 15,000+ creators using Cleanvoice to streamline their podcast audio editing.

Here’s How to Use EQ to Improve Your Podcast Audio