How can you record a podcast with great audio quality in a small space?

It's important to capture "clean" natural audio. This makes it much easier to polish the audio in post-production. Make sure you're in a quit place that does not have hard surfaces where sound can bounce around the room. I recommend using a dynamic mic as well as they are designed to pick up sound close to the mic.

Numbers are the perfect place to start. Go ahead and get them out of the way. But in my experience, it’s not these common setting that make or break the audio. Send some samples to people you trust and ask their honest opinion. If they’d listen to it, others will too. Also, spend some time listening to the same episode on different platforms to hear the difference.

Whilst compression can be useful to tame some of the more unruly dynamics, be careful not to overuse it and squash the life out of the person's voice. Retain some of the naturalness in the vocal recording by being slightly more conservative than you would be for say a music vocal performance. Also, be sure to use a de-esser to remove those harsh consonant sounds in words using 't, s and ch'.Chuck your audio into a spectrogram like that offered in Izotope RX and see where the sibilance is coming from to help when choosing your de-esser settings! I find that most of the time I am looking in the 7-10kHz range but this can vary from person to person.

Hire a human - use a locally sourced talent to capture, edit mix & master. Not as expensive as you think, save you a wealth of time and will deliver the project as envisioned. Many have compact mobile setups that can come to you with the expertise & tools to transform your environment into an audio recording friendly environment Oh yeah …. F_ck AI

Audio quality plays a vital role in podcasting, ensuring a delightful listening experience. While industry standards can seem intimidating, it's essential to note that technology is your ally on this journey. As a beginner, don't let complex audio engineering deter you from sharing your message with the world. As a beginner, utilize AI like Descript and Adobe Podcast AI to elevate your sound effortlessly. Focus on your message, and let technology handle the rest. Then once you have a few episodes under your belt, consult with an experienced podcast producer to help you elevate your show and take it to the next level! Your unique voice deserves to be heard. These tools are your stepping stones to audio excellence.

If you’re recording without a producer (someone to help listen to the audio live), set it to where you can hear your mic input. Hearing your own voice takes some getting used to, but it will help you catch other sounds your mic might be catching up. I recommend recording your space without your voice and see what pops up. There’s probably some background noise that you didn’t even know was coming through. There are 100 small, inexpensive changes you can make to gradually improve your space.

I recently edited a podcast conversation with some distant police sirens in the background. It didn’t overpower the voices at all, and I thought it added some interesting color to conversation set in NYC. Regarding unwanted sound reflections that make small spaces seem boomy or overly reverberant, the more diffusion there is, the better. That means be in a place with lots of stuff- furniture, decor, even wall art. These things break up reverb significantly when you’re not in a controlled environment like a proper studio.

As dumb as this might sound, add things to your walls! Bare walls, especially parallel bare walls, are terrible for podcast sound quality! Paintings, canvases, or even the odd medieval tapestry will help give your listeners a better experience.? Soft surfaces absorb echoes. Doing video with your podcast? Pick a great-looking tapestry for behind you or print up a custom-branded banner to hang. Branding and echo reduction in one? Score. As a bonus, hanging your child’s framed art projects up on the walls will both aid your audio quality and add flair to your recording room.

For so many years, the only option for creators was to use expensive and professional studios to ensure the audio quality was exceptional. However, there are so many options in today’s environment to record high quality audio at home. Microphone isolation shields are an affordable way to mimic the sounds of sound-proofed studios. You can even make your own versions of these at home by using blankets, curtains and cushions. It is pretty common practice for top-level voice actors to use this method while travelling. Reach out to professional audio specialists, who are more than willing to assist in this regard.

Your choice of microphone can help compensate for a less than stellar environment. For podcasting, I always urge my clients to buy DYNAMIC microphones. They pick up less background noise/echo and are less sensitive in general when compared to condenser microphones. That's a plus in untreated rooms. There are tons of great options ranging from $20-$100, but one of my favorites is the Samson Q2U. It retails for about $70 and can be connected via USB or XLR cable.

There are endless choices when it comes to recording equipment in today’s environment, which has created great competition between brands - which in turn benefits the purchaser. You do not need the most expensive microphone to create good sounding content.

When a pop screen is not available, try setting the mic off-axis, meaning not pointed directly at the mouth, but at a slight angle. This will allow the wind from plosive sounds to pass by the mic without directly disturbing the diaphragm. And it also gives a more natural vocal recording than talking directly into a mic.

My fellow audiophiles will itch for days when they hear this, but for those of you without the audio savvy and extra time to spend, go with the Shure SM7B. I'm the king of Magyvering systems for cheaper. See my book on a million duct tape uses, co-authored by Red Green. And there are a plethora of more cost-efficient options out there (go with one if you're cash-light too). But unless you've got the gumption to roll through options, go with the standard. Also, Quincy Jones used the SM7B to record most of MIchael Jackson's Thriller, so there's a good talking point for your podcast when someone inevitably asks about your microphone. Don't forget to pick up a Cloud Lifter as well to boost the signal and you'll be off to the races.

Ask your audio editor what they prefer. I'm a huge proponent of separating the recording and editing task. It's not that you can't be the one to both record and edit your podcast, especially when you're just getting started and may be cash strapped. However, the audio fatigue involved in both recording the content and incessantly edit it will lower the overall quality of what it could be. Having a savvy editor listening not only gets an extra set of capable ears on your audio listening direclty for audio quality, but also frees you up to be thinking about what's coming next. Also, audio engineers are some of the best people out there and are usually very affordable or will work with newbies to help find an arrangement that works.

Poor microphone positioning will make even a great mic sound muffled, distorted, or just plain bad. There’s an easy way to see if your microphone positioning is successful. Record some test audio! On the play back you’ll be able to hear if your microphone placement needs to be adjusted. If your voice doesn’t sound natural, try changing your seating position or the distance the mic is from your mouth. Like so many things about creating a great-sounding podcast, trial and error work.

Podcasts are made or broken in the preparation. Diligently do your prep work and the recording itself will go smoothly. Neglect it at your own peril. You can't record well if your mind is constantly on best practices, mic placement, audio quality, etc. during the call. Setting up your environment beforehand and doing some practice runs to ease your mind and get everything more automatic is key. During the recording, especially if you have a guest, your mind needs to be in the game. You will miss some of these things. But proper practices makes almost perfect. Recording a podcast is just like any other skill. It has to be developed, it takes time, and if you're diligent, you'll get better. Your audience will appreciate that journey.

Try this! Minimize the background noise! Start by switching on the microphones in your small space, hit record, and then play it back. Notice the noise? Consider reducing it with foam panels. Explore additional options like adjusting microphone placement, using noise-canceling software, or even investing in acoustic curtains to create a cleaner audio environment. Your ears will thank you!

Welcome to the fun part! Not to scare you, but distribution, engagement, and traction will make recording the podcast seem like a breeze. Take a distribution-first mentality to your podcast. Think about what hooks, ideas, content, value, entertainment, etc. will get the most traction with your intended audience, and then work back from there. Not knowing is a crapshoot. And for the love of Pete, if you have a guest you're interviewing, please don't forget *your* contribution to the conversation. Guests are awesome! But they're also varyingly unpredictable. Make sure you're leading that content. Finally, for the best chance at discoverability, be prepared to repurpose much of your content into different forms to get it out there!

Don't let perfection stop you from putting something out there. It won't be perfect. Ever. And especially at the beginning, you'll be surprised at how much more you want to do. Audiences love to grow with you. So pull the band-aid off and get started, ensuring that you're making the effort to grow throughout your journey – in skill, gear, and setting. Remember that CONTENT is king. It's about what you're saying – your differentiated and strong POV – and not primarily about the quality. The best quality podcasts without something to say or provide are just polished terds. Recording your voice is a small piece in the overall vision of becoming a trusted voice that people want to listen to every day. Have questions? Ask and begin.

Make your podcast space about YOU. Your video background can either say very little about you or it can tell people your story. For example, I have pictures of my wife and nieces, a small collection of pocket watches, an Ocarina from the Legend of Zelda, two hand painted Warhammer 40000 figures, my old podcast logo and a number of books I've found either enjoyable or helpful in my podcast journey behind me. I could blur and hide all this, but I'd much rather build a relationship with my guests by having them know the real me and ask me about that ocarina or why there's a dude in sci-fi knight armor on my shelf. Relationship building isn't just verbal, it's visual.

Here’s an idea! Reduce the noise. Minimize the background! Start by switching on the microphones in your small space, hit record, and then play it back. Notice the noise? Consider reducing it with foam panels. Explore additional options like adjusting microphone placement, using noise-canceling software, or even investing in acoustic curtains to create a cleaner audio environment. The quieter your room is, the better. Your ears will thank you!