What are the steps to becoming an audio editor for a podcast?

Becoming a skilled podcast audio editor involves mastering technical tools, honing a sharp ear for detail, and continuously improving. It starts with learning editing software and practicing extensively. Perfecting the art of precise sound manipulation and attentive listening is crucial. Networking, gaining experience, and staying updated are vital steps. Building a strong portfolio and marketing yourself play key roles in success. It's a journey that blends technical expertise with creative finesse, demanding dedication and adaptability in this ever-evolving field.

Start by checking out YouTube tutorials for guidance. Choose a DAW like Audacity if you're on a budget [it's free and quite robust]. Look up experts like Mike Russell for tips and tricks. Practice a lot, learn new techniques, and get creative with your editing.

As an instructor at CSB Media Center, one of the first things I stress to my students in my Digital Audio Production class is to create a filing system they can follow. As you accumulate multiple individual audio and session files over time it's very important to park them and title them in a way you can manage them. Frankly this is true for video files as well. There have been so many times where a student was unable to recall a file to continue or revise a project because they did not properly install a storage system in their workflow. Upon saving....never assume the destination, always create one.

Doing the research is obviously helpful, but one of the best pieces of advice is to play around with things yourself. Get different kinds of audio and experiment how the different effects manipulate it. It doesn't have to be such a rigid process. Just throw some audio into an editor and have fun with it. If you don't enjoy that process at all, it's probably not for you.

Becoming an audio editor for podcasts intertwines technical prowess with the artistry of sound. It begins with learning software and delving into audio fundamentals, mastering the balance of equalization and compression. Yet, it's more than wielding tools—it's crafting experiences, stitching moments seamlessly, and enhancing quality. This journey entails constant improvement, staying updated, and building connections within the podcasting realm. Ultimately, it's a captivating blend of technical expertise, artistic finesse, and a passion for creating audio that captivates audiences.

Descript has been a big help for our producers, but really it's great to start by doing your own editing and learning how to edit with hosts on different tracks. Again, do lots of work, make mistakes, learn. You will get better!

I use Audacity, a) since it is Open Source, and b) has more functionality than I'll ever need. There are online communities where I collaborate with others and get most of my questions answered. Audacity For Dummies is also a great resource.

You are more important than specific tools. A WAV file is a WAV file, as far as content, so focus on the content (and what needs to be removed), not the file itself. Any basic modern computer will be able to do what you need. For example, a Mac M1. Easy. And if you don't have quality external speakers, get headphones, so you can hear what's happening.

AI based tools are fine for a good enough solution. Yet, for tougher noise reduction or with shifting around phrases to tell a compelling story, and audio editor with proper software is going to win every time. Storytelling and quality will come ahead in 2024 for those who want to stand out; however, AI-based tools are great for those who only want the basics covered.

If you can master working on Storytelling podcasts, everything else is a breeze. They demand a lot of edits and sound design. Push yourself.

Make sure you have examples of different formats and only show your best work, which will not be the first things your work on. Be patient before putting your stuff out there and have trusted people listen and give you feedback.

No clients? Want to build a portfolio? Grab some of these long "interview" podcasts and start chopping. Joe Rogan, Tim Ferriss, etc—they are way too long and it's easy to make them better by removing things. Want some paid work? Try Fiverr. Obviously, this isn't where you want to stay, but you'll get plenty of bad audio that will challenge you and give you something to grow on.

Shameless plug. Podle.co will be out soon and it's a marketplace for all podcast producers to find gigs. The site is focused only on podcasting and podcasters who need help. Should be done in January.

The best way to market yourself as an editor is the work you do. Podcasters talk to each other. And this is magnified when you focus your work within a single genre/niche.

I have been working in audio my entire life, first in music and now podcasting and radio. One of the things I've seen is that, as you get deeper, you start hearing new things that you didn't notice before ... and you want to improve on those things. If you keep at this, you're going to have A LOT of things to keep you stimulated and working on.

I have been producing podcasts since 2004 when no one had heard of them. I have made some money producing them, mostly in the news space from my experience in radio journalism. It’s easier to produce than to market, I have found