12 – How Can I Ensure That My Audio is the Best Possible Quality, and Does it Really Matter?

Hello there and welcome to Podcaster Plus, the podcast offering tips and tricks to simplify and automate your podcast. Find all the episodes and subscribe at podcasterplus.com/show. 

Today, we’re tackling a crucial aspect of podcasting that sometimes can get overlooked, and that is audio quality. Many new podcasters will wonder if crystal clear audio is truly essential, and if so, how can you achieve it? Well, we’ll dive into all of that during this episode. 

As always, we’ll divide it up into various sections. And the first section, which you’ll want to know about is, does audio quality really matter? And the short answer is yes, absolutely it does. 

While content is king, audio quality is the throne that it sits upon. Poor audio can significantly detract from even the most engaging content. Listeners are more likely to abandon a podcast with distracting background noise, muffled voices, or inconsistent levels, than one with slightly less polished content, but excellent audio. 

Think about it like this. Would you rather read a beautifully printed book, or a blurry photocopy of the same book? The content is the same, but the experience is vastly different. 

High quality audio creates a professional and immersive listening experience, keeping your audience engaged and coming back for more. 

So section two, identifying audio problems. Before we jump into solutions, let’s identify some common audio issues.

These can include background noise. This could really be anything from traffic noise, to keyboard clicks, perhaps it’s air conditioning, humming in the background. 

Poor quality microphone. Using a low quality microphone will result in muffled, or tinny, sounds. You don’t need to go crazy, but it does at least need to sound good. 

Inconsistent audio levels. Sudden loud or quiet sections can be pretty jarring and unpleasant for listeners. 

What about echo or reverb? These can make your voice sound distant or pretty unclear. And then you’ve got the real problem, which is very difficult to get rid of sometimes, pops and clicks. These are usually caused by microphones handling the audio improperly, and also you sounding your Ps and your Ss. Well, they’re called plosives and they’re the air expelling from your mouth and hitting the microphone with those particular sounds. You can learn techniques to minimize that, and it’s not hard to do. 

Section three, achieving high quality audio. Now let’s discuss how to improve your audio quality and here are some steps.

So invest in a good microphone. You need something that’s decent because it’s the foundation of good audio. Research different types of microphone, dynamic, condenser, USB. These are all things you need to look out for, and find the one that suits your budget and needs best. Like I said, you don’t need to spend a fortune, but basically a rule of thumb is the more you spend the better it will be.

Optimize your recording environment. Find a quiet spot with minimal background noise. Consider using sound absorbing materials like blankets or acoustic panels to reduce reflections and echoes. 

Use good recording software. Recording software allows you to monitor your audio levels in real time, preventing clipping, distortion from audio being too loud, and ensuring a consistent volume.

Proper microphone technique. Hold the microphone at the correct distance from your mouth, and avoid touching it unnecessarily. 

And then finishing off this section, audio editing. Even with careful recording, some editing is usually necessary. Software like Audacity, which is free, and Descript can help you remove background noise, adjust levels, and eliminate pops and clicks. 

So section four, I’m just entitling additional tips. So here are some extra tips which might help you elevate your audio game. 

Here we go. The first one is use headphones. This is really a must. Monitoring your audio through headphones will allow you to hear what your listeners will hear, helping you identify and correct problems during recording. 

Regularly check your equipment. Ensure your microphone, cables, and audio interface are functioning correctly. That’s a bit of a no brainer.

And the last one, which might seem strange, but is practice. The more you record the better you’ll become at identifying and avoiding audio problems. This has certainly been the case for me. The more that I have podcasted, the better I have become at the intuition of figuring out how it will sound, and how I need my voice to be adjusted to the environment, the distance from the mic, and a whole bunch of other factors as well.

Okay, so the last section is really just the conclusion. Investing time and effort in achieving high quality audio is definitely worthwhile. It’s a great investment in your podcast success. It’s not just about sounding professional. It’s about creating a positive listening experience that keeps your audience engaged, and coming back for more. Remember, even small improvements can make a big difference. 

So there you go. That’s what I’ve got for you this time around. Don’t forget that we will put some links into the show notes so that you can find out all of the different bits and pieces that we have been talking about.

Thank you very much for tuning into the Podcaster Plus Podcast. You can find it at podcasterplus.com/show, where you can subscribe as well. 

And we’ll see you next time for some more tips and tricks to simplify and automate your podcast.