Software You Need to Record a Podcast
Whether you record at home or outside, you still need editing software to smooth out your podcast’s audio. For this guide, we’re using Audacity. It’s free, easy to use, and works with Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. However, if you want to stretch your legs with something different then we recommend the following:
- Audacity: Free and easy to use, Audacity is the most used amateur recording software for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
- GarageBand: Widely used by musicians and podcasters alike, GarageBand is the defacto recording and editing software on Mac.
- Adobe Audition: Packed with plenty of cool features, this subscription-based service is a must for professionals (although it does come with a steep learning curve!).
Besides these well-known recording and editing software, there are lesser-known ones like Hindenburg and Pro Tools. Both are on the professional side of things, but worth checking out.
Choosing the Best Microphone
100% free hosting & distribution. No storage limits, no trial period, no catch. Automatically distributed to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major listening platforms. Download a suitable application for recording your podcast. Audacity is a free download, and it.
More importantly, you can’t record a podcast without a good microphone, but which one is right for you? Personally, you should start off basic and work your way up, starting off with whatever you have available like a built-in microphone.
- Built-in Microphone: Built-in mics were not designed for recording professional audio. Consider them as a temporary solution to record your first couple of episodes before you move on to something better.
- USB Microphone: USB mics, like the Rode Podcaster, are easy to start using from the get go. They connect directly to your computer and just work.
- Dynamic Microphone: Dynamic mics are designed to focus on your voice. Just like the Rode Podcaster, Shure SM7B is dynamic and ideal for spoken word as it ignores far away noises. If you have multiple presenters then a few of these hooked up to a mixer will be the perfect solution.
- Condenser Microphone: Considered the industry standard by professionals, the Rode NT1-A condenser records natural sounds. As a result, it picks up quiet audio, so you can use one of these to record multiple presenters.
Recording Your Podcast
Really simple podcast editing for people in a hurry. Alitu is a web-based tool that takes your raw recordings & helps you turn them into an amazing, audience-growing show. Try it for free Spend less time editing, and more time growing. The easiest way to record your voip podcast interviews in studio quality. Riverside.fm is another new product that offers an all-in-one solution for recording podcasts remotely. Unlike Squadcast, it lets you record both audio AND video. As far as we’re aware, it’s the only product on the market right now that lets you record in studio quality with.
You can’t go wrong with Audacity, the software of choice for this guide. Get started by downloading it here. Once open, it should look something like this..
By default, Audacity uses your built-in microphone to record. Make sure the one you want to use is selected from the drop-down menu next to the microphone symbol (in this case that's the Rode Podcaster).
Is it working correctly? Monitor your microphone’s volume levels by clicking the input level bar.
When you’re ready to start recording your podcast, click the red button. Then, when your show is at an end, click the stop button.
Forgot something you want to add to your podcast? Clicking the red button again starts a new audio track from the beginning. Instead, pause your recorded audio so you can pick up where you left off.
Podcast Recorder Free
Pausing and Continuing
Recordings don’t always go to plan. Even professionals podcasters fluff what they’re saying and need a breather. Collect your thoughts and save from editing loads of audio using Audacity’s pause feature.
Select the pause symbol to take a break from your podcast. When you’re ready to start back up just click the pause button again.
Once you’re finally finished, click the stop button to end your current audio track.
Exporting Your Podcast
When you’re happy with your recording, package up your podcast by exporting it. Go to File > Export Audio.
Add your podcast episode name and choose your file type. We recommend either M4A (AAC) or MP3 as they are industry standard and the most popular amongst podcast hosting platforms like iTunes.
If you have multiple audio tracks (from stopping and starting), then you will be asked to mix them down into a single mono channel. Confirm to continue. Next, enter your shows information (known as metadata) like artist, title, and year, then continue.
If you chose to export your podcast as MP3 then you need to install an
encoder known as LAME. You can download this from Audacity for either Windows or Mac. The same applies to M4A (AAC) files as you need the FFmpeg library to export. Add it in Audacity > Preferences > Library, then select Locate. Download the file by following the instructions and confirm in Audacity.
Finally, confirm to export your show. It should be available to listen to in your downloaded area.
Finally, confirm to export your show. It should be available to listen to in your downloaded area.
Editing Your Podcast
Podcasts rarely sound their best without a bit of editing magic. Whether you’re cutting out a misspoken word, trimming dead air, or reducing distant noises in the background, you’re better off cleaning up your audio before publishing it. Import recorded audio into Audacity by selecting File > Import > Audio.
One of the most common problems podcasters have is gaps of silence. Presenters may pause for a few seconds to collect their thoughts, but it doesn’t make for interesting listening. Cut sections out with Truncate Silence.
Highlight your entire recording, then go to Effect > Truncate Silence. Remove dead air by using the following settings:
One of the most common problems podcasters have is gaps of silence. Presenters may pause for a few seconds to collect their thoughts, but it doesn’t make for interesting listening. Cut sections out with Truncate Silence.
Highlight your entire recording, then go to Effect > Truncate Silence. Remove dead air by using the following settings:
- Level: -20dB
- Duration: 2
- Truncate to: 0
Your waveform length should be shortened. The settings removed any audio that’s lower than -20dB and longer than 2 seconds.
The guest you’re speaking to may not have access to a mic, but listeners will be willing to forgive poor audio on their end as long as you (the host) sound clear and crisp.
Tip: If possible, get a pop filter for your microphone. This helps eliminate the hard plosive sounds “p’s” and “b’s” make when spoken into a mic.
Use Headphones
Online Podcast Recording
Headphones are really important for remote recording. Both you and your guest need to use them to prevent your mics picking up feedback. The quality of your headphones doesn’t matter as much as the quality of your mic, so if you already have a pair of earbuds, feel free to use those. However if you do want to invest in a dedicated pair, you can check out our recommendations.
Headphones also give you more control over the sound so you can make adjustments on the fly. If things sound a bit muffled, move away, or draw the mic closer if your voice sounds distant. Your headphones will also let you know if you’re picking up any ambient background noise.
Setting Up Your Home Recording Environment
You don’t need to soundproof entire rooms. But make sure you choose a nice quiet space where you’re unlikely to pick up pesky background noises. Move fans and other things that make a lot of noise into another room, or switch them off if possible. Recording in a room that’s carpeted can also help as it dampens echoes.
You might want to put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door when you’re recording to stop others in your home accidentally walking in during your recording (although we can’t guarantee young kids will pay any attention!).
If you want to achieve more professional audio at home, we recommend buying a reflection filter. These can be fitted just behind your microphone to eliminate echoes, giving your recordings a studio-quality feel.
Finding Great Guests
Even David Letterman can’t do much with a guest who’s stiffer than a plank of wood. You can’t magically make someone interesting through the power of questioning alone. So half the art of recording great remote interviews comes down to selecting compelling guests.
MatchMaker.fm simplifies the booking process. All you need to do is sign up and fill in a few details about your podcast. You’ll then be able to browse a database of thousands of guest profiles and book the most relevant ones to appear on your show.
Tip: Use a scheduler like Calendly or Harmonizely when booking in guest slots. It makes life easier for you and your guests by cutting out any email ping pong.
Recording Audio Only vs Video
Once you’ve got some guests booked and your equipment set up in the right space, you then need to decide whether you want to record audio only, or audio and video. The required software and processes will be different depending on the option you choose. Voice over changer.
If you want the best possible sound quality, go with audio only. Recording video is important if you need to publish your interviews to YouTube or social media, but keep in mind the sound quality won’t be quite as good.
It’s up to you to decide what’s best for your podcast. Below we’ve outlined the best options for recording audio only as well as the best options for video too.
How to Record Podcast Audio Remotely
Here are 5 different options for recording high-quality podcast audio remotely:
1. Double Ender Recording
For a double ender, both you and your guest record each end of the audio locally. After the interview, your guest sends you their audio file and the two ends of the conversation are stitched together in post-production. This is the gold standard in terms of audio quality.
You’ll need some recording software like Audacity or Adobe Audition and a platform to connect with your guest like Google Hangouts or Whereby. By recording locally rather than over the internet, it prevents audio compression and stops connectivity issues affecting your interview.
But there are some significant downsides. Firstly, your guest needs to have a local recording setup on their end to capture their side of the conversation. And if they haven’t done many interviews before, they probably won't know what to do. Double enders are only appropriate when interviewing experienced, tech-savvy guests.
Secondly, this method is labour intensive. The two ends of the conversation need to be stitched together, edited, and mixed. This takes time and requires some degree of audio editing skill. So if you’re just getting started with remote recording, it’s probably not the best option to go with.
2. Cleanfeed
Cleanfeed is a free internet browser application that allows you to record high-quality audio from multiple people simultaneously. It only works on Google Chrome though - so make sure you tell your guests before inviting them to the recording!
For remote recordings, simply create your account and send invites to guests to join the call. Guests will receive an email with a link that will let them join your session (again, remind them they’ll need headphones). Even on Cleanfeed’s basic free plan you can invite multiple guests to join you, making it perfect for roundtable-type podcasts.
Free Online Podcast Recorder
Once your guest has joined and you’re ready to start the interview, simply hit the record button on the top right. You’ll be asked to name your file and select a recording format. For simplicity, we recommend sticking with the “Everyone” option.
When the recording is running you can pause and restart at any time by pressing the red record button. When you’re finished, just hit the download button on the left side of the recording bar to get your audio file.
Online Podcast Recording Software
Note: DO NOT close the Cleanfeed browser tab until you’ve downloaded your audio file! Doing so will cause you to lose the recording and there’s no way of restoring it.
Online Podcast Recording Software
If you want unlimited, high-quality remote recordings without having to pay, Cleanfeed is a great option. The functionality is basic but it gets the job done well. At Podcast.co we use Cleanfeed to record episodes of Meet The Podcasters. So you can check out the episode below to hear the sound quality for yourself: