Here are 8 Practical Podcast Recording Tips for Creating Engaging Episodes

Quick Summary

This guide shares eight practical tips for improving podcast recording quality. From choosing your recording space and microphone to mastering editing techniques, we cover the essentials of producing professional episodes.

Tools like Cleanvoice help streamline your workflow by automating editing, transcription, and social media tasks, letting you focus on creating engaging content.

Need Practical Tips for Producing Professional Podcasts?

Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing content mediums, with creators everywhere looking to perfect their production process. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting, achieving high production quality is crucial.

So, how do you create a well-produced podcast that stands out? In this Cleanvoice guide, we share eight helpful tips to take your podcast recording to the next level.

But first…

Why Listen to Us?

At Cleanvoice, we’ve helped over 15,000 podcasters improve their audio quality and storytelling. Our robust AI tools and hands-on experience in the podcasting industry give us unique insights into what it takes to create engaging and successful episodes.

We understand the nuances of effective podcast production and are here to guide you in perfecting your recording process.

Our Top 8 Podcast Recording Tips

1. Choose the Right Recording Environment

Preparing your recording environment is the first step for high-quality audio. Follow these guidelines:

  • Minimize Background Noise: Select a space with minimal distractions and sound-dampening features to prevent echoes and reverb.
  • Use Soft Furnishings: Incorporate carpets, curtains, and cushions to absorb sound and reduce background noise.
  • Consider Alternative Spaces: If you don’t have a quiet room, try recording in a closet filled with clothes. This surprisingly effective method can help capture clean audio.
  • Utilize Soundproofing: Use portable soundproof panels or foam shields if your recording area isn’t acoustically treated.
  • Avoid Hard Surfaces: Steer clear of rooms with bare walls or windows, as hard surfaces can negatively impact audio quality.

2. Invest in Good Microphones

Your choice of microphone has a significant impact on your podcast's audio quality. Built-in microphones from laptops or phones typically produce low-quality sound and capture excessive background noise.

To achieve clear and crisp audio, consider investing in a reliable podcast microphone, such as:

  • Shure SM7B
  • Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB

These options capture vocal details with minimal distortion and provide excellent value for their price.

When choosing a microphone, keep the following factors in mind:

  • Type of Microphone:
    • USB Microphones: Easy to set up and ideal for beginners.
    • XLR Microphones: Offer higher audio fidelity and greater control over your recording setup.
  • Polar Pattern: Cardioid microphones are most common for podcasting as they focus on capturing sound from the front.
  • Sensitivity: A more sensitive microphone can pick up quieter sounds but may also be more prone to noise.
  • Frequency Response: This determines the range of sounds the microphone can capture. A good microphone will have a wide frequency response to capture both high and low frequencies effectively.

3. Plan Each Episode Thoroughly

Good planning is the foundation of a smooth podcast recording session. Drafting an episode outline helps you stay focused and organized while delivering your content. Cleanvoice offers tools to assist with your planning:

Here are some key steps for effective episode planning:

  • Outline Your Content: Write down the main points you want to cover and the order in which you'll present them.
  • Prepare for Interviews: Research your guests’ backgrounds and prepare a list of questions to ensure meaningful conversations.
  • Gather Necessary Materials: Collect any documents, props, or other materials you'll need for your recording session.
  • Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your content to ensure you can deliver it smoothly and confidently.

By following these steps, you’ll create a structured approach that keeps you on track, ensures a logical flow, and reduces the amount of editing needed later.

4. Master the Art of Editing

A major part of podcast production is editing. Editing is what takes your podcast from amateur to professional.

It’s not just about removing mistakes or awkward silences; editing ensures your content flows smoothly and sounds polished. Tools like Cleanvoice make editing simpler by automating common tasks.

We offer a suite of features that includes:

  • Filler Word Removal: Automatically removes unnecessary filler words like "um" and "uh."
  • Noise Reduction: Enhances audio quality by minimizing background noise.
  • Multilingual Support**: Ensures editing across different languages remains seamless.
  • Batch Editing: Lets you edit multiple episodes simultaneously, saving you time.

These features ensure that your podcast is clean, polished, and ready for release while saving you significant editing time.

When editing your podcast, consider the following tips:

  • Remove Mistakes and Awkward Silences: Cut out any blunders or pauses that disrupt the flow.
  • Adjust Volume Levels: Ensure that all audio tracks sound balanced and clear.
  • Add Music or Sound Effects: Enhance your podcast's atmosphere with appropriate audio elements.

5. Utilize a Pop Filter and Shock Mount

To enhance your podcast's audio quality, it's essential to use accessories like a pop filter and shock mount, even with a high-quality microphone.

A pop filter helps prevent sharp "p" and "b" sounds, known as plosives, from distorting your audio. By placing it between your mouth and the microphone, you can maintain clarity and avoid unwanted pops.

A shock mount isolates the microphone from physical vibrations, such as bumps or desk movements, which can interfere with your recording.

Ensure you securely attach the shock mount to your microphone stand to prevent vibrations from being transmitted to the microphone.

Both tools are affordable yet highly effective at improving audio clarity. They minimize interruptions that could detract from the listener’s experience, ensuring a clean, professional-quality sound without requiring extra effort in post-production.

Tips for Using a Pop Filter:

  • Distance: Position the pop filter about 6 inches away from your mouth for optimal results.
  • Angle: Experiment with different angles to find the best position for capturing your voice clearly.

6. Monitor Audio While Recording

Real-time audio monitoring is crucial for catching issues before they affect your entire recording session. Here’s how to make the most of this practice:

By using closed-back headphones, you can listen to what the microphone picks up while you’re speaking.

This setup allows you to immediately identify and correct problems such as background noise, microphone positioning issues, or fluctuating volume levels.

7. Record in Separate Tracks for Multiple Speakers

When your podcast includes co-hosts or guests, always record each person on a separate audio track. This approach provides greater flexibility during the editing process, allowing you to:

  • Adjust individual voice levels for balance.
  • Cut interruptions without affecting the rest of the conversation.
  • Remove background noise from one track while preserving the audio quality of others.

Recording everyone on a single track can complicate editing, as overlapping voices or ambient sounds are harder to isolate.

Thankfully, most podcast recording software supports multi-track recording, making it easy to manage multiple voices during production.

8. Choose a Suitable Recording Format

The recording format you select plays a key role in determining both the audio quality and file size of your podcast.

  • Lossless formats like WAV or AIFF offer the highest audio quality, preserving every detail of your recording. However, they result in much larger files.
  • Compressed formats like MP3 reduce file size, making storage and distribution easier, though they may introduce slight audio compression artifacts.

See our detailed comparison of MP3 and WAV podcast audio formats.

For most podcasters, MP3 strikes a great balance between quality and file size, offering clear audio without taking up too much space.

If you prioritize the best possible audio quality, though, and your audience is willing to download larger files, formats like WAV or AIFF might be more suitable.

When saving in MP3 format, aim for a bitrate of 192kbps or higher. This ensures good sound quality while keeping file sizes manageable. Higher bitrates can enhance audio further, but they also increase file size.

Streamline Your Podcast Workflow with Cleanvoice

Creating a professional podcast requires careful planning, quality equipment, and smart editing techniques.

By following the tips we’ve shared, you’ll be well on your way to producing engaging and professional podcast episodes.

With Cleanvoice, you can automate time-consuming tasks like editing and transcription. Our summarization tool creates social media content to promote your episode, and our podcast question generator takes care of creating interview questions for your guests.

Ready to streamline your podcast production? Get started with Cleanvoice today!