FAQs
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Video editing is out of my wheelhouse - so that’s a “no” from me. I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to podcasts, so I help produce audio-only content.
Also - if you are a musician looking for help to produce music for your album - I’m not your guy … I love editing audio, but my specialty is in podcasts or other similar projects where the focus is on conversations or voice overs.
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Editing: Taking the time to remove those unwanted background noises, de-ess, de-reverb, getting rid of awkward pauses in conversation, extra “uhms” - “ahs” - and other unwanted words or sounds. This is also the phase where music and other sound effects can be added.
Mixing: Adjusting and balancing all of the tracks included in a project to help make a more consistent listening experience.
Mastering: Putting the final polish on the overall mix - aka the tiny tweaks before formatting for distribution.
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Generally speaking - and this is keeping things really simple - condenser mics have a better sound and can pick up more subtle changes in your voice - BUT - they tend to be more expensive. It’s important to keep in mind that a more sensitive mic will also catch more unwanted background noise. That’s why a dynamic mic is so convenient! Dynamic mics tend to be a little more durable, less expensive, and are not as sensitive to picking up extra noises. For this reason, unless you have a proper room that has been treated for sound, I recommend starting with a dynamic microphone. Both kinds can be found in USB or XLR options to accommodate your audio interface.
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Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when searching for tips on how to make an audio recording sound better. Here’s a few things that I’ve learned the hard way, from my own experience:
1) Have good microphone technique: It doesn’t matter how awesome your mic is if your technique stinks! When researching microphones, make sure to find out what the manufacturer recommends for how to use it. Depending on the microphone, the distance you sit from it, how the mic is positioned, what kinds of sounds it can filter out - and more - can be different.
2) Be mindful of your recording environment: Echoes and other unwanted sounds can be a major nuisance when you are trying to record your best work! Hard floors, empty rooms, and a general lack of sound absorbing objects can lead to a lot of extra echoing! Sound likes to bounce around a room when it isn’t absorbed.
3) Make sure you’re ready to rock before you hit RECORD: If you’re really tired, rushed from events during the day, or distracted by what you still have to do after the recording - this can all keep you from being fully present (mentally) for the recording. If you aren’t enjoying the process - and dare I say having fun - then you might want to pause and potentially record at a different time.
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Here’s my big disclaimer: Make sure you always read the terms of use for anything you want to use in a podcast. Depending on where you download and/or purchase things from, there may be different rules for who can use the music and how. Some websites also require specific attribution in the show notes, or somewhere similar, so that proper credit is given to authors.
Below are a few places that I have used for music and sound effects. Some offer free items, others are paid. At the end of the day, you often get what you pay for …
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Similar to my recommendations for music sources - I’m going to throw out a quick disclaimer: Make sure you always read the terms of use for anything you want to use in a podcast. Depending on where you download and/or purchase things from, there may be different rules for who can use things and how they can be used. Also, some places require specific attribution, so that proper credit is given to authors.
Here are a few resources (free and not-so-free) to check out when creating artwork:
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Short Answer: Absolutely. That’s what I will always recommend.
Longer Answer: A podcast hosting service lets you have a “homepage” for your show, and also allows for easy distribution to all the major podcast applications out there - like Apple, Spotify, Amazon, etc.
There are a few links below for podcast hosting services that I would recommend evaluating. Each one has a little bit of a different feel for what is offered - and at different prices. Personally, I have used Buzzsprout and Transistor for podcasts that I run. Regardless of the choice you make - be sure to read the terms of use and confirm that you always retain all the copyrights for whatever you upload.
Blubrry ( I promise it’s spelled like this … )
If you have any other questions about how this whole process usually works, don’t hesitate to ask!