We provide podcasting services for a number of clients, enabling them to reach new audiences via publishing their audio content on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Capturing your knowledge and wisdom and showcasing your thought leadership can be a fun and exciting prospect, but it can also be a bit overwhelming, check out our podcast set-up tips…
Here are our top 10 podcast set-up tips if you want to try and do it yourself, or let us know if you’d like us to take the stress out of it for you:
Set-up tips
1) Choose a room that is very quiet and doesn’t have lots of hard surfaces – you want carpets, curtains, ceiling tiles etc to cut out as much echo as possible
No-one wants to listen a podcast where the host sounds like they’re sat in the bathroom or a cardboard box! So if you need to, put down a rug, hang coats on your walls, put a duvet over your wardrobes – anything that helps absorb sound and stop it bouncing around.
2) Cover your table / desk with a towel or similar heavy cloth
This again cuts down the hard surfaces, but it also means you can put down your notes, or bottle of water, without a loud click.
3) If you can – set up your microphone at standing height – you’ll talk with more energy than when you’re sat down
Engaging content is not just about the words or the guests, it’s also about the enthusiasm and the passion you capture during recording. If you’re able to stand, you’ll find you are likely to sound more energised.
4) If you have multiple microphones, for guests etc, set them up in opposite directions, to avoid picking each other’s voices up
For instance, two microphones on either side of a table, or one on each of the four corners. Doing this will mean you have a cleaner recording for each microphone, making any editing much quicker and easier.
5) Ensure each person can see everyone else, you want to capture a natural conversation, so you need to see each other!
Making sure everyone can see over the top of their microphone and any stands or cables aren’t in the way will mean everyone will feel more relaxed and supported.
6) Set your microphone up in front of you, so your mouth can stay 3-5 inches away from it’s cover
Most people start to move backwards within seconds, making their recording quieter and picking up more background noise. So get comfortable being nice and close to your microphone, it’ll sound so much better.
7) Wear headphones / earphones to eliminate picking up any noise from speakers
Don’t listen to your guests through your computer speakers, as your microphone will pick this up too, meaning you’ll need to edit this out afterwards. Pop some headphones on, or if you want something more subtle, some small earphones, you can even run these up your back so they’re not hanging in front of you.
8) Use a foam mic cover to reduce any pops or booms from your voice
When you speak a word beginning with a P or B your mouth pushes out a lot of air, causing your microphone to record a loud popping or dark booming sound, not something you want to hear as a listener. So get yourself a good fitting foam microphone cover to reduce this.
9) If you have “pattern” settings on your microphone, choose the one called “cardioid”, sometimes shown with a heart shaped symbol
Firstly, getting yourself a proper microphone is essential to record something that is enjoyable to listen to. Second, make sure any settings are set correctly so you’re not recording on the other side of your microphone!
10) Have some water to drink
Keep your voice sounding its best by having a bottle of water nearby, so you can have a nice quiet drink by stepping back from your microphone and having a swig. You’re an artiste now darling, you must look after your most valuable asset! 😉
Conclusion
So there you go, 10 podcast set-up tips all designed to help you have a better recording session. If you want to explore how the team at Autumn could record your guests remotely, capture video footage at the same time for your social media, plus lots of other benefits that can feed into your marketing channels – let’s talk.
