Did you know it’s best practice not to record and edit your podcast episodes on the same day? This is because recording and editing require a different mindset. You can batch record or batch edit, but try to do them on separate days. (Batch recording or batch editing is when you record or edit multiple episodes on the same day.)
I know I’m not the best example because I only record interview episodes; I don’t record solo episodes. However, I do not edit on the same day; I record. When I record, I am in interviewee mode. This requires me to be able to actively listen to my guest, be curious about their story, and engage with what they are saying. If I were to edit right after each episode, I would be thinking about which parts of their story to remove or long pauses and filler words to edit out. This does a disservice to my guest and my audience because I am not fully engaging in the conversation.
Once I am ready to edit, I am focused on how to make this story, audio, and video the best viewing and listening experience possible for my audience. I usually edit a few days before the release date, months after recording the episode.
You can set up a recording schedule for batch recording and then an editing schedule for batch editing, but as mentioned above, doing both on one day requires different mindsets and takes a lot of energy. Keep in mind that we want to keep podcasting as enjoyable as possible.
So here are some tips to help you save time editing as you start your podcasting journey!
Have a Generic Intro and Outro Files Ready
I wrote a blog post explaining in detail what an intro and an outro are and what should be included in both. When you’re editing, you’ll have multiple files to put together as one file, which is what your podcast episode consists of. You’ll upload that one file to your podcast hosting site.
To save time when editing your audio file, have your intro and outro files ready. To do this, record a generic intro and a generic outro with your call to action and use those files for each episode. If you need to change your intro or your outro for any reason, then you’ll have to record a new file and add that to the episode file—but if you can keep it consistent, you’ll save more time editing your podcast episode.
Check Your Microphone Volume
One of the worst podcast listening experiences is when the volume is too high or too low, or it fluctuates throughout the episode, and your listener has to adjust their volume throughout the episode. When someone is listening to a podcast episode, they are usually multitasking, so their hands are busy, and having to adjust the volume multiple times is a pain.
To avoid this, check the volume of your microphone before you record your episode. To check the volume of your microphone, record a few sentences and listen back to how they sound afterward. If the volume sounds good, you’re good to go. If not, make an adjustment and record again until it is at a decent volume.
You can also adjust how far or close you are to your microphone. You want to make sure you’re at a good distance from it because this plays a role in the volume of the recording, too.
When editing your podcast episode, you can always run your audio file through Auphonic, and it can adjust the volume for you. Sometimes, I think the volume sounds good, and when I run it through Auphonic, it makes it louder, but it will be even throughout the episode.
Check Your Computer Audio Settings
If you have a MacBook and will use wireless headphones in addition to your microphone to record your podcast episode, please make sure that your computer settings are that the external microphone is what is being used to record and not your wireless headphones.
This happened to a client of mine – she sent over an audio file to edit, and it kept sounding far away, and the audio wasn’t of the highest quality. So I asked her to get closer to the microphone, but the audio sounded the same. We were trying to troubleshoot the issue, and I remembered about the audio setting on the MacBooks. And that was the problem, once she connected the wireless headphones to her computer it automatically switched the microphone too. It’s a great practice to review your computer audio settings before recording.
Let Others in Your Home Know You’re Recording
If you’re recording at home rather than in a podcast recording studio and you live with other people, whether family members or roommates, let them know you’ll be recording. This way, they can minimize the noise they make, which minimizes the background noise your microphone may pick up.
For example, my toddler makes a lot of noise at home. He’s usually running around, screaming, and yelling while I’m trying to record episodes, but my husband is with him to try to keep him as quiet as possible.
If all else fails and there are still background noises, you always have the option of Auphonic, which removes background noise and levels out your volume. Auphonic is truly a gem when it comes to audio editing.
Conclusion
These are a few tips that will help save time when it comes to audio editing. As you start this podcasting journey, please be patient with yourself and know that editing will take longer than you expect it to. Remember, you’re learning something new and it takes a while to get the hang of things. Once you’ve gotten used to the editing process, you’ll find it becomes more intuitive and the process will go over smoothly.
If you’ve realized that editing just isn’t your thing, you can always outsource this part of the process to a podcast editor. Let me know if you need an editor, and we can see if I’m the right fit for your show!
With Love, Heidy
Check out my SEO Guide and Free Podcasting Resources at – https://stan.store/heidydelacruz
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