How to Edit a Podcast Properly

The Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built It, and Everyday Life what do these podcasts have in common? Quality editing. If you want to take your podcast to the next level, you need to learn how to edit your podcast so it looks more professional.

Podcast editing, sound design, mixing and mastering are separate arts that take time and practice to master, but it’s not rocket science. In this comprehensive 10-step guide, we explain what podcast editing is and how to do it. You can create high-quality broadcasts that are just as good as professional broadcasts. You also hire podcast editors to get your videos edited professionally.

The post-production process for podcasts

All podcasts can be taken to the next level with post-production. This includes the best podcast editing software to help you get the job done right. If you have the right tools and have prepared them properly, post-production becomes much easier and you can take your podcast from mediocre to great.

Watch this video for the best way to edit your podcast. Learn 10 easy steps to edit your podcast.

Step 1: Edit your podcast

This part of the post-production process involves editing and arranging your audio to create a compelling story for your listeners.

Setting the length of your podcast

Before you start editing audio files, you need to know how long you want the show to be. This will help you edit and make it easier to cut out the unnecessary stuff from the conversation.

Podcast episodes can be 20 to 60 minutes long.

If you are a beginner, spend 20-30 minutes on this exercise. That way, you’ll have enough time to tell listeners the whole story, and you won’t have to worry about losing listeners because of overly long content. If you don’t make long episodes, you’ll save time in post-production.

Create a compelling story through podcast editing

When editing podcasts, think about the story you want to tell. When editing, focus on what’s important and remove what doesn’t make sense.

Let’s say you’re interviewing a film industry professional. You want the audience to know what it’s like to work in the entertainment industry, what celebrities they’ve met, how they write and make movies, and how they got where they are today.

When you choose content for the final version of the show, you must constantly ask yourself, “Does this contribute to the story I want to tell?” Of course, there is no need to introduce interviews before and after the show or random digressions, such as discussions about the weather.

Start a podcast

When you edit the audio for the podcast, make sure the dialogue is natural and flowing. Always make sure the show sounds natural and not too orchestral when editing in this way. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind.

Eliminate unnecessary words, moments or pauses.

Omit punctuation (“you know”) or pause to add (yes, yes) as long as it doesn’t interrupt the natural flow of the conversation.

Shorten long pauses.

Avoid obvious mistakes or awkward moments, such as when talking about guests or when coughing, sneezing and loud noises can be heard in the background.

Plan a healthy lifestyle

The sound design focuses on using audio elements that captivate the listener emotionally and enhance the overall experience of the event. You can use tools such as soundtracks and sound effects to enhance your podcast. This area of post-production takes practice because it is partly a matter of taste and partly a matter of understanding your audience and what they want.

Create memorable input and output

Recall some of your favorite television programs. The first thing that comes to mind is probably the show’s music. Whether it’s a special theme song at the beginning of the show, a few words to the music at the end, a unique introduction, or anything else that leaves a lasting impression on viewers, it can be a great branding tool for your show. Make sure your podcast is memorable with a unique introduction and conclusion.

Use music to illustrate the story of the podcast

Themes from movies like Jaws or Jurassic Park or suspense songs from horror films are good examples of music that evokes strong emotions.

The same can be done with podcasts. If you use music strategically in a show, you can enhance the story even more. It can enhance the atmosphere, create drama, and make the audience identify with the guests and the story you want to tell.

Use sound effects strategically in your podcast

Sound effects can liven up the podcast, such as a bardic “shhh” after a joke; however, be careful not to overdo it. Too many sound effects can distract listeners from the content and give a negative impression.

It is therefore necessary to strike the right balance. If you need advice on how to use sound effects effectively, listen to successful podcasters and try them out yourself. Experience will show you what works.

Mixing

Mixing refers to the sound quality and technical aspects of the podcast. Mixing means going through all the tracks and adjusting elements such as EQ, reverb, pitch, and recording levels (which we will discuss later) to achieve the best sound quality for the podcast.

Arranging tracks and audio clips

Before you start mixing, make sure your tracks and audio clips are organized. This will save you a lot of time during mixing. We recommend arranging the tracks in the following order.

• Sound Editor
• Soundtrack
• Space sounds
• Music

After setting up the tracks, make sure that each track contains only similar sound clips. That is, all clips in the host track must be yours, all clips in the guest track must be from your guests, etc.

Improve podcast audio with equalization

You can use an equalizer or EQ to adjust the frequency balance of the recording during mixing. By adjusting EQ, the sound becomes more natural and annoying high frequencies disappear from the recording. It is recommended to eliminate any timbre problems from recordings before using a compressor, as the compression can sometimes accentuate timbre problems in recordings.

Using a compressor to improve the audio of a podcast

A compressor reduces (or compresses) the dynamic range of a recording. Using a baseline, the compressor brings louder and weaker sounds closer together within a certain range, making it easier to listen to the recording as a whole.

Without compression, the overall sound of the podcast would be altered, making the sound unpleasant for the listener. You may have noticed this in movies where action scenes are very loud while dialogue is quieter. You need to constantly adjust the volume.

What does this mean for your podcast? Suppose you have a guest who speaks more quietly than the chatty host. In this case, the listener must constantly adjust the volume. The compressor equalizes the level between the two speakers so that the listener does not have to turn the volume up and down to hear well.

Use noise reduction to make your podcast clearer

If your studio is not fully soundproofed, you may experience background noise while recording your podcast. You can take steps to reduce noise before recording, but it is almost impossible to completely eliminate unwanted noise. There are several ways to reduce unwanted noise in a podcast.