Imagine if Fox Sports only aired Monday Night Football in standard definition. All the technology for HD is available, but they decide to cut costs and air the game’s in early Standard Definition. Would this make any sense? Do you think their ratings would drop?
Well obviously! The same applies to podcasting. Why publish an episode with standard post recording quality over a professionally produced show?
Here are a few different aspects to improving audio quality for your show. I kept it pretty simple to understand:
1. Audio Noise Cleaning.
Recording audio can be incredibly unpredictable. Even the best microphones can pick up unwanted background noise, static, etc. This significantly decreases the value that you have to offer your audience. When putting out content you want to always provide your listeners with the best quality possible to ensure that they have a great experience, and therefore clean audio is the number one place to start.
2. Voice Levelling.
Often times we get a little eager and excited when we talk, especially when we are passionate about the conversation or content. When this happens, odds are you aren’t thinking about how close or how far away you are from the microphone. Or, perhaps you have a guest on your show and when listening back through the recording, you notice your guest’s voice sounds muffled because they were speaking to far from the mic. Voice levelling can help equalize the two voices, allowing for a more even flow of the overall sound of the podcast episode.
3. Removal of Filler Words (the um’s and ah’s.)
Getting lost in thought can sometimes lead to dropping an “um” or an “ah”. Some of us struggle with this subconsciously, and it has become part of our speech habits. On occasion, this is fine but when it’s a consistent filler, it can really become a distraction to the listener. Since podcasts are mostly focused on solely audio content, your audience is much more tuned in to every word that you say and therefore become much more observant of our specific speech patterns. Removing these filler words can help clear of the message and provide crisp, direct content to your audience.
4. Removal of Dead Space.
Similar to filler words, dead space can become a huge distraction. Interviews and recorded shows don’t always flow as smoothly as we’d like, leaving the listeners with awkward pauses that can feel well, awkward. Carefully selecting the right amount of time and pause throughout the episode can create an overall smooth flow, and place emphasis where it is truly warranted.
5. Cutting Irrelevant Content.
In an ideal world, all content should be valuable. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Most content is mixed with a lot of “fluff” sections that can once again take attention away from what it is that you’re trying to offer. Clear and concise messages have been shown to have the greatest impact on the listener. Therefore it is always important to review the overall message to ensure that you are communicating it clearly, and excluding irrelevant tangents.
Conclusion
I do have to note that a lot of podcasters also focus on keeping the RAW aspect of recording. They don’t want to touch their conversation or audio files as they believe the untouched garners the best result and that’s great. It evidently comes down to what your personal preference for your show is.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
