What is Podcast? Podcast is a form of digital media which is mostly downloaded or streamed on-demand. The content of the program is transmitted over the internet, so it’s just like your iTunes music library.
Podcast is gaining popularity and many people would like to create their own podcast. It is actually very simple. You can create an amazing quality podcast like the professionals right from the comforts of your own home studio. If you want to create a podcast, you will need some tools and equipment. You can choose different software for podcasting with the same objective, which is getting your message heard by as many listeners as possible.
Podcasts are becoming very popular nowadays. People are buying dedicated MP3 players especially to listen to podcasts. It’s really a great way to listen to radio shows without having to bother switching CDs or choose which station is playing what song you are interested in listening to. Podcasts have also pushed the internet to become the most effective media available today.
What do you need to record a podcast?
🎤 Microphone:
Podcasts are an audio medium — you can’t cover up poor sound quality with visuals. As such, viewers relate the quality of your sound directly to the value of your podcast. Even if you have the most innovative idea for a podcast that anyone’s ever dreamed up, few people will listen to it if it sounds bad.
To ensure good sound quality, you need a decent microphone. You can get a good starter mic for under $100 and gradually work your way up as your podcast progresses. When choosing your microphone, consider two characteristics: the type of connector and the way it captures sound.
🔗 Types of connectors:
In the connector category, there are USB and XLR microphones. USB microphones plug directly into your computer via a USB port and are simple to use. They tend to be less expensive for this reason. XLR mics, on the other hand, require some kind of audio interface, such as a mixer, to hook up. With XLR microphones, you have to buy an audio interface, which adds another piece of equipment to your podcast startup list.
🔊 Capturing sound:
There are also two types of microphones when it comes to capturing sound. Condenser mics are highly sensitive and will pick up on a lot of background noise, making them great for isolated recording environments. Dynamic mics are less sensitive to background noise, which makes them a better choice for recording more than one person at the same time in the same room.
Computer:
You need a computer to run your podcast recording software. The software will capture and save your recording as an audio file, which you can edit on your computer. It doesn’t matter which operating system you use, as long as your chosen software is compatible. Your computer should also be powerful enough to handle your digital audio workstation (DAW).
When you choose a new DAW, or recording software, always check the hardware requirements to ensure your computer has what you need. Specifically, check the CPU, RAM, and storage. Audacity, for example, requires 2 Ghz of processing speed or equivalent and 4 GB of RAM.
Recording software:
There are many options for audio recording and editing software, or DAWs. Some high-quality software is free, saving you money as you’re starting up your podcast. Audacity and Garageband are common free choices, and Adobe Audition and Logic Pro are some of the most popular paid recording software.
We’ll get more into the best audio recording software below, but keep in mind as you’re searching for a new DAW that the more expensive and complex a software is, the higher the hardware requirements are likely to be.
Other podcasting accessories:
A microphone, computer, and DAW are your basic podcasting setup, but you can add other accessories to make the experience better. Some of this extra equipment includes:
- Mixer
- Pop filters
- Shock mounts
- Stands
- Headphones
GarageBand
GarageBand is a free DAW (digital audio workstation) if you have a Mac. This is a great choice for first-time and even experienced podcasters.
You can easily create separate tracks for music, intros and outros, ad spots, and more. Then you can fade them in and out as needed, move them around, adjust levels, you name it.
For each track, you can enable various plug-ins like compression, noise gates, EQ, and more. For many people, this will do more than enough.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a full-featured music production and audio editing program.
The main reason I recommend it for podcasters is because the interface matches GarageBand and it’s very easy to upgrade. Even your GarageBand files will open seamlessly in Logic.
You also will have to enable Advanced Tools (it’s just a simple checkbox in the settings) to get the full suite of features. This lets you upgrade without getting overwhelmed.
The ability to link to the Logic Remote App for iPhone or iPad is really cool as well.
The cost for Logic Pro is a one-time purchase of $200.
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition started out as Cool Edit Pro but was acquired by Adobe back in 2003. It is part of the Creative Cloud suite, so if you already have a subscription to the full suite, you have access. You can also get it for $20/month separately.
It is designed for podcast production and editing and has advanced tools just for that. There are a number of noise-reduction capabilities, advanced compression and EQ, and a ton more.
One feature I love is batch processing, where you can apply various effects to one file, save it, then apply those same effects to a “batch” of other files. This saves a ton of time.
I highly recommend Audition for podcasting – and there are a ton of easy-to-follow tutorials online to help you get started.
Audacity
Audacity is a free cross-platform audio editor. It’s commonly used for podcasting and has powerful features. One of the downsides is that it can be confusing to use when first getting started, but once you get the hang of it, it’s great.
Some of the useful Audacity features include Sync-Lock, Truncate Silence, Silence Finder, and Silence. But there are a ton more including saveable EQ, fading, import and export options, and editing and saving chains of effects.
It is regularly updated and should work with all the latest versions of macOS and Windows.
Hindenburg Journalist
Hindenburg has several different audio editing programs, with journalists being their entry-level offering for $95.
It is designed for radio broadcasters and podcasters with a higher production value. If you have a bunch of different clips or interviews that you need to piece together, this might be a great choice.
There is automated levels, loudness, EQ, and a unique clipboard feature for staying organized. It also integrates with certain podcast hosting providers.
Restream
With our most recent updates, Restream has become a full-fledged audio recording software. You’ll have all the tools you need to record, customize, and promote your show. With our Record Only feature, you can record audio or video through the Restream dashboard without going live. We’ve also upped the ante on audio quality, allowing hi-res 48kHz. Restream recently developed split-track recording to keep audio with multiple guests clean and now allows up to 100 GB of cloud storage for recorded audio and video content.
Features:
- Record without going live
- Save recordings in the cloud with up to 100 GB of storage
- Hi-res 48kHz audio
- Split-track recording
- Echo cancellation
- Noise suppression
- Stereo sound
Compatibility: web-based
Pros:
- Great podcast features available on the free plan
- All features available in web-based version
- Podcast features complement Restream’s live streaming and multistreaming capabilities
Auphonic
Auphonic is podcast editing software for people who don’t like to edit. You can upload your recordings (Auphonic doesn’t record), and the software will analyze and enhance them with level audio and noise reduction. It also provides a transcription of your recording. Auphonic has a free version that lets you upload up to two hours of audio per month. For nine hours of audio, you have to pay $11 per month.
Features:
- Transcribes in over 80 languages
- Exports to YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, and SoundCloud
- Automatic audio ducking and noise gate and cross-talk removal
- Adds metadata and chapter marks to podcasts and audio files
- Desktop and mobile apps
Compatibility: web-based, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Pros:
- Speech recognition audio transcription
- Affordable
- Exports to common cloud storage systems
Cons:
- No recording
- Not all features available in the desktop version
- Still need a DAW for some edits
Zencastr
Price: Free, pricing plans start at $20,00 per month
Compatibility: web-based
Having new guests for each new episode of your podcast can be difficult at times since their schedules can be too busy. Zencastr resolves this issue by enabling its users to conduct interviews online.
You just have to send a link to your guest and this web-based podcast recorder will capture the interview in lossless 16-bit 44.1k quality. Zencastr separates tracks per guest which prevents quality drop-offs throughout the recording. The app’s Soundboard lets you add intros and outros to each new podcast your record in just a few clicks. All interviews you record with Zencastr are edited automatically, so you don’t have to spend time adjusting the file’s audio levels. However, the free version of Zencastr offers only limited capabilities, since you can only invite up to two guests and record a maximum of 8 hours of audio each month.
Pros
- No installation process
- Captures remote interviews in studio quality
- Zencastr enables users to voice chat directly from the app
- Offers 10 hours of automatic post-production each month
Cons
- The free version of Zencastr offers only limited capabilities
- Sharing an audio file recorded with Zencastr directly to a podcast hosting platform is not possible
Alitu
Price: $28,00 billed monthly or $280 billed annually
Compatibility: web-based
This online platform simplifies the process of creating a podcast by offering automatic audio editing services. You just have to upload the files you would like to edit and the Alitu is going to improve their quality.
The app’s theme maker lets you create soundtracks for your podcasts, while the id3 tags are added automatically to each audio file you process with Alitu. In addition, you can create a solo recording from the app, and post them on Podbean, Libsyn, Blubrry, and other podcast hosting platforms. Even so, Alitu’s automatic audio editing features are not powerful enough to compete with more advanced and more affordable podcast recording software products. The app’s selection of audio filters and plugins is also quite limited, especially when its price is considered.
Pros
- The short and simple podcast production process
- Support for a broad spectrum of audio file formats
- Uploading podcasts directly to Libsyn, Buzzsprout or any other podcast hosting platform is easy
- Excellent noise removal capabilities
Cons
- Adjusting file’s audio settings manually isn’t an option
- Offers limited audio recording and editing features at a high price
ProTools
Price: Pricing plans start at $29,99 per month
Compatibility: Windows, macOS
This is probably one of the oldest DAW software products on the market, and certainly one of the best. ProTools is a professional audio recording and editing software that offers all features you can need while recording a new episode of your podcast.
Mixing multiple tracks or adding effects to your recordings are only a few out among the countless options you are going to have at your disposal if you choose to make your podcasts with ProTools. Furthermore, you’ll be able to collaborate with other members of your team through the cloud or share your work via the Avid Link app. The audio recording features ProTools offers can be overwhelming for newcomers to the world of podcasts, so if you don’t have previous audio recording experience it is better to opt for a less demanding podcast recording software.
Conclusion
Podcast is a form of media. Podcast recording and distribution have become easier over the years because the internet has opened up new ways to reach people through this medium. The main purpose of podcasting is to share information, stories, entertainment, etc., through the means of the internet.
Podcast, as a form of the internet-based audio programme, has been a useful tool for disseminating knowledge and information to a large audience. Having been introduced several years ago, among the online community, it is a well-established one today. Just like other forms of broadcasting, podcast allows you to produce programmes and deliver them directly to your target audience via the internet.