Recording a podcast is only half the battle. A well edited podcast is one that sounds professional while remaining easy on the ear and conversational. Eliminating flaws in the audio, mistakes and other blemishes can be hard work, but it’s worthwhile if you want to grow your audience. These tips should make the process more straightforward.
#1 Test before you start
The editing process starts before you’ve even pressed record! Record snippets of dialogue and experiment with the results. Microphone positioning is important, so experiment with it closer/further away from you. Similarly, pay attention to how your location affects the sound. Heavily carpeted rooms, for example, will have a muffling effect whereas wooden floors and bare walls make for a more “clinical” soundscape. Conducting these tests now makes editing much easier. Don’t forget to get your pop filter in place either!
#2 Choose the right software
Most computers, tablets and even smartphones come with some kind of audio editing software, but this is usually basic and only useful for making very early, test podcasts. This kind of free software is extremely limited in scope and not suitable if you plan to make your series more professional. Instead, opt for Podcast Software with a wide-ranging editing suite, overlay options, an inbuilt tipping system and preferably some social tools. This is the only way to grow your audience in the long term.
#3 Turn the volume up
It’s tempting to edit your podcast at the volume you would expect to listen to it, but this can mask mistakes and audio blemishes. Crank the volume up and you’ll hear everything from heavy breathing to unwanted mouth sounds (which will creep through even the best pop filter). These might not be discernible at normal volume, but you never know how loud your audience will listen. Watch the sound waves for any unusual patterns and then edit accordingly.
#4 Be ruthless
This applies especially to podcasts involving interviews. When editing a podcast, most people adopt a microcosmic approach, tweaking individual sectors while leaving larger parts intact. It can save a lot of time and effort to be more ruthless, though. For example, if your guest gives a long, rambling and repetitive answer, it sometimes pays to cut the whole section. Remember, if you’re bored editing, then listeners will probably be bored listening.
#5 Build editing into the recording
Trawling through an entire recording to find a part that you want to edit is time consuming. You can do yourself a favor by leaving editing clues within the recording. You might be talking to a guest and come to a part that you know will require editing later. Rather than continuing, go silent briefly and then click your fingers. This gives you a clear and easy to find audio tag, leading you towards the section that needs to be edited. Leaving these pointers in the audio file saves enormous amounts of time and makes editing a far smoother process.
