With over 2.4 million podcasts available to listen to, you may be hesitant to start your own. After all, how will you attract an audience with so many available shows on the market?
Editing is the key when learning how to make a podcast! You may have a brilliant idea for a show, but if it’s unbearable to listen to due to the quality of audio or production, you won’t get the recognition you deserve.
If you’re unsure how to edit a podcast, it may be the last thing holding you back from pursuing your idea. However, you can keep reading for some of the best tips and tricks to help perfect your podcast.
Many Ways Edit a Podcast
1. Do: Invest in Good Equipment
One of the best tips to help you edit a podcast actually comes before you even press record! If you’re serious about podcasting, investing in the right equipment will help make the editing process much simpler.
For example, if you have a high-quality microphone, you won’t have to worry about it picking up any background noise. This helps save you time when editing, as you won’t have to figure out how to isolate your voice and change the volume of the background noise.
Though it seems simple, avoid using the microphone built-in to your computer or phone. While convenient and free, they can make your audio a nightmare, as they’ll pick up ambient noise. Instead, investing in an external microphone is ideal.
2. Don’t: Splurge on Pricey Software
If you’re investing in good equipment for your podcast, there’s no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on editing software. After all, the tools will do the bulk of the work!
There are many free podcast editing tools and programs available, making it easy to find the best one for your needs. You can try the different programs to see which one you’re most comfortable with and which has the easiest interface to navigate.
If you’re just starting out, try to find a user-friendly program with clearly marked tools. This helps make the process easier, as you won’t blindly click around the program until you reach the desired result.
3. Do: Listen in Full Before Editing
Before you start editing, you’ll want to listen to your podcast one time through. This helps give you an idea of where you want to make edits.
Write down the time stamps and any notes you have about the edits you plan on making while you listen.
Though it’s tedious to relisten to the podcast you just recorded, this is a crucial step in the editing process. Avoid speeding up the playback to make the process faster, as you won’t have an accurate canvas to work with because you may miss areas that need to be tweaked.
4. Don’t: Overedit
One mistake many first-time podcasters make when editing their episodes is to overedit.
If your show is more conversational, completely cutting out any short pauses in the discussion will make the talk seem robotic and too fast-paced to keep up with. Similarly, when you edit out filler words like “uhm” or “like”, it can make your episode sound overedited.
Similarly, you don’t want to include too many sound effects when producing a podcast, as that can also distract from the show’s content. Deleting long pauses, mistakes, and background noise, while including short sound effects when appropriate will make your podcast great.
5. Do: Consider Hiring an Editor
If the idea of editing your process has you scared to begin, don’t worry! You can hire a podcast editor to do the heavy lifting, meaning you can focus on scripting and creating great content for your listeners.
Though it seems hard to find a podcast editor for hire, the process is relatively simple. Like any other job looking for employees, there are steps you can take to ensure you hire a competent and reliable editor for your show.
You can begin by souring websites where editors looking for work can post their skills and portfolio. This helps you find the best options for your needs and budget.
When working with an editor, it’s essential to clearly communicate your needs and expectations to reduce the amount of time spent sending audio clips back and forth. Be sure to be as specific as possible!
6. Don’t: Forget to Edit the Trailer
Finally, you don’t want to forget to edit the content of your trailer for the show! This is a crucial aspect, as the trailer is where many will discover you, your podcast, and the quality of work you put in.
Generally, podcasting platforms allow shows to put a short trailer or introduction at the very top of their episode list. Ensuring your clip is up to standard is crucial!
Similarly, if you’re providing the short trailer as an advertisement on another show, you’ll want to ensure the quality is up to your standard. This is a great way to get new listeners and appeal to an established audience, so you’ll want to make a good impression!
How to Edit a Podcast, Made Simple
Though podcast editing seems like a scary part of the production, it’s relatively simple once you get the hang of it. However, you can always hire a podcast editor if you’re not confident in your skills!
If you’re ready to start recording, thanks to this guide on how to edit a podcast, you’ll want to visit the rest of our site. You can discover more of the best technology and entertainment tips and tricks.
