What’s the Difference Between a Live Podcast Event and a Livestream?

A live podcast event is done in front of a live audience and doesn’t have to be recorded (though it can be).

A live stream, on the other hand, is a podcast recorded online on one or more platforms where listeners/viewers can consume it while it’s happening.

Live events usually take place in a small venue like a coffee shop or bar and live streams take place on YouTube, Twitch, Podbean, etc.

Yes, a live podcast event can also be a live stream, but that’s not very common, for technical complexity reasons you’ll soon understand.

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How Do You Plan For Your Live Podcast Event?

All too often, arranging the location and promoting the event so you have live listeners in attendance take the front seat when planning a live podcast event. And we get it, you want there to be a certain exciting energy in the room during a recording. But you are recording it for listeners to consume later, so it’s a good idea to plan this side of the event as well.

Get the Right Podcasting Equipment

I’ve not put on a live podcast recording, but I’ve attended a few. Also, I recently heard Rob and Elsie from Libsyn’s The Feed answer a question on how to prepare for a live podcast event. Here’s what they said about good equipment set up in this episode (at 54:07).

Use Dynamic Microphones for a Live Recording

For microphones, Rob suggested the Shure SM58 and Elsie the Shure MV7. Either way, you’ll want dynamic microphones so that the recording focuses on your voices and NOT the atmospheric sounds in the room.

One big difference between these two recommendations is that the Shure SM58 only uses XLR cables and the Shure MV7 can use either an XLR or USB cable. If you’re purchasing this equipment for live recordings, then this won’t make a big difference. But, if you often record on your laptop without a mixer, then you might want to go with the Shure MV7 due to its cord flexibility.

Record Into a Mixer to Keep Thing Simple

For the mixer, Rob suggested the Zoom H6 to plug the microphones into. The Zoom H6 does have four XLR ports, however, for your first live recording, you may want to keep things simple and only record two people. It’s always good to give yourself time to grow into a new recording environment before figuring diving into more complex situations. This is a live event, so there’s always the chance for unexpected factors that no one can predict.

Just Like in Your Online Recordings, Wear Headphones

It’s important to remind you that headphones are still important during a live podcast event. They might even be more important than in a remote recording because there is a lot more noise interference in a live event than in a remote recording. This could prevent the speakers from hearing each other. So be sure that each speaker has headphones on. This also prevents you from talking too loud because you’ll be able to hear yourself in the headphones.

How Do You Include Audience Questions in the Recording?

So far you’ve got two microphones in the Zoom H6, but you’ll need a mic for the audience members asking questions also. Elsie suggests a third XLR cable going into the Zoom. A very long XLR cable. This microphone will be in a location where the audience member can come up to the mic and ask their question. So the XLR cable needs to be long enough to go from the Zoom H6 to the audience area. Rob cautions that for audience participation, it’s important to get the audience member right on a microphone so that their voice can be heard.

Additionally, he recommended that the audience member might need to repeat their question if it’s not loud enough the first time. “Better to edit out the first time they ask the question than spending a bunch of time in post trying to boost a low volume question” Rob advised in this episode.

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Do I Need Two Sets of Microphones for the Podcast Event?

The thing that many podcasters might forget about is the double microphone situation. You’ll want one mic for each speaker so that the audience can hear them through the PA (public address) system AND another mic for the same speaker so that the recording device, in this case probably a Zoom H6, can capture their voice for the recording. So with two mics per speaker and the audience microphone with the super long XLR cable, how do you

• Matt Cheney of Kult Media in the UK suggested, “Have a lav mic setup on each speaker that is recorded but not transmitted and use standard mics for the live stream into the PA system.”
• Jeni Wren of Gritty Birds Podcasting cautioned to set your expectations right for the recording because “There will be an echo, that’s something you just have to deal with.” (Tip: Try Izotope for this)
• I attended a podcast event in a small bar a few years ago with a slightly different setup. They used standard mics for the recording and relied on the small space to carry their voices to the audience members. They were sitting very close by, and there weren’t many noises in the bar, so this worked. In this case, they were able to avoid using a PA system entirely.
• James Archer of The Miami Chronicles said that larger venues have staff to help with the PA system. He also suggested, “set up a mic that will capture the audience, that can be mixed in live or after.”

Remember to Test Out Your Recording Setup

Going back to Elsie from The Feed, she suggested testing out your recording setup well in advance. If possible, do the test in the exact place where the recording will happen. If that’s not possible, find a similar setting and do it there. “I’m not just talking about a few minutes,” Elsie admitted. She recommended doing at least a 10 to 20-minute test recording in this environment.

Since this is most likely a public space, I’d like to add a reminder as a common courtesy to those around you during your test recording. Always check with the venue staff beforehand to make sure that it’s okay to do this.

Next Steps

• Looking to try your hand at some live streaming to get a hang of podcast broadcasting?
• Here’s how to edit and produce your live recordings.
• And here’s our list of Podcasting Events in 2022 – sometimes, the best way to learn is to watch others doing it.

By Ann Young

As someone who loves listening to podcasts daily while driving, believe me, good images matter. A podcast cover photo always helps me decide quickly whether I will listen to a podcast or not.

Your podcast photo will follow you everywhere when you’re promoting your show. It’ll appear on social media, on your merch, and in any video content you post on video channels like YouTube. It’s important to create podcast artwork that looks good.

To help you create the best cover art for your podcast, I’m going to share the best tools for designing podcast images.

1. Adobe Express

Best for pre-made podcast image templates

Adobe Express is one of the leading design apps on the market, offering an array of podcast cover templates, including options for photography podcasts. It’s basically a simplified version of Adobe Photoshop.

A lot of creators say Adobe Express is the best podcast software for cover design because of the huge library of free templates and fonts. You also get access to royalty-free images, design assets and access to Adobe’s brilliant editing tools. They offer a large selection of podcast cover templates that you can edit however you like.

I like the fact you can view tutorials on creating podcast covers on the Adobe website or their YouTube channel. No one’s going to create the cover for you (unless you outsource the design), but tutorials can jumpstart the creation process.

2. Canva

Best for group collaboration

Canva is popular because it’s so easy to use and highly customizable. Canva lets you create professional layouts for podcast covers that you can easily adapt into images for Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher profiles.

If you already know the specific colors you want to use for your podcast photo, you can save their hex codes as brand colors. These colors will stay pinned to your account for future use too so you keep image colors consistent. Canva also has a decent stock image library too.

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Canva is particularly good if you have more than one person creating images for your podcast shows. All files are stored in the cloud and users can access the same workspace to view all previous images and add new ones.

A cloud-based image tool is also a great option if you tend to switch between different devices as it will save your work so you can pick up where you left off on any device.

3. Desygner

Best for an easy-to-use interface

Desygner is a free online design app that lets you create podcast covers in the comfort of your web browser. Once you register, you’ll get access to a range of templates for social media post images, blog images, profile covers, and more.

Learning how to use this editor is extremely easy; it’s really intuitive. The left-side panel features the available resources (logos, fonts, badges, clip art, backgrounds, etc.). 

The catalog is expansive and you can use the available elements to create an image that has all the components you need. There’s also the option to upload your own elements, which will be stored in the cloud-based user library.

4. Stencil

Best for access to a vast stock image library

Stencil is a graphic design app that offers an array of advanced features while still having a surprisingly simple user-friendly interface.

This podcast tool provides over 38 templates that can be used for covers, social media posts, blog publications, advertisements, and so on. Once you pick a preset, you can edit the font, text size, backdrop, and other aspects. You’re also not locked into any specific size and can set any resolution or aspect ratio you need. 

The stand-out perk about using Stencil to create podcast images is that it provides access to more than 1 million public domain, royalty-free images. All images are available in high resolution and can be freely used as part of your podcast photo design.

There’s a myth that since podcasts are an audio format, their visual design doesn’t matter. The reality isn’t as simple. Good graphic design can significantly strengthen the appeal of your podcast and make it more noticeable in your niche. To ensure your podcast looks like an actual professional project and demands respect not only with its content but design as well, carefully think about its visual component.

Ann Young is a professional vlogger & photographer. She lives in New York and has been engaged in such activities for over ten years. Ann studied at New York University and chose photography and remote retouching as an occupation after graduation. Today, she shares recommendations on how to use Adobe programs to make photos and videos look amazing. Currently, she partakes in the project devoted to design creation for different info products, including podcasts. 

Podcast Photo & Image Creation

Now that you’ve got a few options for which tool you’ll use, it’s time to think about the specs and requirements for podcast artwork, as well as some other design tips. Head on over to our podcast cover art guide for the full lowdown…

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• Take you through its main features
• Test how it performs
• Assess build quality
• And more!

I may sound like a broken record to anyone familiar with my reviews.  Nevertheless, I’ll say it once again. 

Good quality audio gear has never been more affordable than it is now.  

Back in the day, you used to have to spend close to a thousand dollars for an interface that was a cut above the home consumer level, which at the time wasn’t designed for professional use.  This is no longer the case as companies continue to innovate while bringing costs down.  Your audio interface plays just as big of a role in your sound quality/tone as your mic and physical recording space. 

Disclaimer: This kit was provided free for review purposes. We also use an affiliate link in our article, which means we’d earn a small commission, should you choose to buy via it!

The Volt 2: What Is It?

The Volt 2 is a 2-in/2-out audio interface that features:

• Stereo out via ¼ inch jacks for speakers
• Shared headphone amp for channel one and two
• Direct Monitoring
• Vintage Recording Mode
• MIDI in and out x1
• 48V Phantom Power
• Instrument In

You also get a handful of free software goodies! Better yet, the price tag is only $189 USD for the Volt 2.  Continue reading to find out why that is so mind-blowing!

Universal Audio has a nifty little comparison chart between the Volt 2 and Apollo Solo.

Front Perspective of the Volt 2 Audio Interface

Volt 2 Review: Recording Performance

I tested the Volt 2 with a condenser and dynamic mic, the Skylight and Limelight from 512 Audio.  No extra gear is required to get healthy recording levels for a dynamic mic! The preamps need to be pushed fairly high – however, they were still clean! No hiss from the preamps was introduced to the recording from using a higher gain setting.

This raw recording (okay I took out the mouth clicks; no one wants to hear my spit) is measured at -23.84 RMS or -24LUFS with a true peak of -3.36dB… perfect!

Volt 2: Recording With Vintage Mode

I found that Vintage Mode was more beneficial for the dynamic mic test. The dynamic mic sounds slightly muddy.  Vintage Mode opened up my voice, thus removing the slight mud from my voice when recording.

The opposite was true with the condenser mic test in Vintage Mode.  It adds a slight touch of warmth to my voice.

Volt 2 Review: Overall Findings for Recording

What Vintage Mode does to your audio is going to be dependent on your voice, mic used, and your room (condenser mics that are more sensitive).

The Volt 2 is great for people who maybe don’t have the best-treated recording space to use a dynamic mic and its many benefits for such a scenario. 

One thing that I didn’t really care for was that the Phantom Power (48V) is shared between channels 1 and 2.  This means you probably shouldn’t use a condenser and a dynamic mic together. Overall, though, the preamps perform and sound great for its price tag.  It really does maintain that quality expected from Universal Audio.

Recording Findings for Windows Users

Sometimes, when using an ASIO driver for your DAW, it was a common issue that audio outside of your DAW would be muted when the software was open.  This isn’t the case with the Volt 2. I had audio inside Pro Tools (my DAW), and I was still able to hear audio outside of the program without any special routing.

Headphone Amp

This interface only has one headphone jack input.  So if you are recording with a second person, depending on the recording setup of what you’re doing, you may need a headphone splitter.  This would allow the second person to use headphones as well, but the volume will be shared.  Not a big deal as this is common on units of this price range.

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The headphone amp itself, however, is quite impressive.  It was able to drive my DT990 250 OHM Pros no problem.  Meaning? These headphones require a lot of “power” to get them at a comfortable volume and maintain details.  The headphone amp was also clean of hiss while turned up – clean headphone amp, nice! Although, for the safety of your ears, only turn up to a comfortable volume!

Monitoring Through Speakers

The Volt 2 couldn’t drive my 5.5 inch driver speakers very well.  Even past the 12 o’clock position it still wasn’t the same loudness as my SSL 2+ at the 10 o’clock position.  This unit operates best in a headphone environment for playback.

Recording Latency

Latency is the time it takes the audio signal to leave the interface into the DAW and be heard through your headphones.  It’s usually measured in milliseconds.  For the Volt 2, it’s super minimal while recording.  You’ll hear slight “phasey-ness” but nowhere near an echo.  The Volt 2 has direct monitoring capabilities, so this will give you zero latency while activated for recording.

The Build

The body is solid and has some weight to it.  This gives it a sturdy feel.  At the same time, it’s relatively compact and still light enough for mobile travel.  The Volt 2 is typically USB powered. However, there is a separate DC power cable (no block included) that you can use to record directly into Apple-only mobile products, such as tablets or phones, while on the go.

The buttons are sturdy – no double pressing to activate or deactivate features.  These buttons light up in bright colours too, so you know exactly if onboard features are active or not.

• Sound Quality for Price Point: 5/5
• Features and Extras for Price Point: 5/5
• Build: 5/5
• Total: 5/5  

Conclusion: Volt 2 Review

All in all, the Volt 2 is a great means to tap into that Universal Audio quality without breaking the bank.  Overall, it performs exceptionally well and outpaces most competition in its price range of $189.00 USD.  It seems to be geared more towards solo usage in its compact design – perfect for a podcaster. 

The preamps are clean and strong.  Its headphone amp should be able to drive just about any headphones. The direct monitoring is nice, as well, for a podcaster, voice artist, or singer.  I would definitely recommend this as a podcaster’s first interface.

If you’re still looking to shop around, though, then check out our Best Audio Interfaces for Podcasters roundup!

I agree. The podcasting industry, especially its leaders, needs to take ownership of the podfade problem and implement strategies to support podcasters, especially members of marginalized groups. It’s time to live up to the ideals of podcasting— an open medium with no gatekeepers and access for all. Part of that means we must talk about safety, marginalization, and its impact on podcasters if we’d like to prevent podfade.

The Danger of Sharing Experiences

I’m known for wearing glitter cat ears for live streams and events, both in-person and virtual. But after my mother almost died last fall, I decided to lean into those glitter cat ears and who I am. Out loud. Where the people in the back can hear it:

A glittery, cat-loving, passionate podcast person showing up authentically not only for herself but for others. With that came a new outspokenness and renewed commitment to advocating for my community. Life is short, and legacy is long, a take-a-way from almost losing my mom.

Through the course of this year, a theme emerged as I did this work. Then a public, ahem, dispute with a popular podcast publication. Followed by an incident that occurred in my DMs, which changed everything.

I’m writing this because my husband asked me not to. Not because he wanted to silence me, but because of the inherent danger that comes with writing something like this.  

Safety: We NEVER talk about it in podcasting.

…outside marginalized communities. And for people of color, I know it’s more often top of mind… a regular, necessary conversation.

It’s the reason why we have Just Busters and She Podcasts and Women of Color Podcasters and all the other communities specifically for different sorts of marginalized people. Ya’ll, it’s scary out there—like living a version Them. (which is a great, but terrifying anthology)

Marginalized people are always thinking about protecting their professional, emotional, and physical safety. Hypervigilance: It’s like breathing, except it is exhausting.

We All Have a Story…

Here I am leaning into me, wearing cat ears, and speaking my mind. Naturally, I made a comment on something an industry person said. Many cis white men responded similarly. They got a high-five.

I didn’t get a high-five. Instead, the industry person slid into my DMs to ask me if they were participating in marginalization. I give a gentle yes. I explain it was a common unconscious bias, adding that I’d be happy to help them work through it or assist them in finding someone else.

I respected this person and was impressed they cared enough to ask the question. A meaningful conversation with a recognized podcasting authority. What an opportunity for growth!  

They didn’t care for my answer.

Hmmm. Perhaps I need to clarify. Hard, inner work takes time, patience, and empathy. So, I clarified. I let them know I was rooting for them. This work is important.

The clarification was not appreciated. Their response had an undertone of verbal violence.  The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

They blocked me. Removed me from all their things. I’m sure if they could’ve denied me access to their RSS feed, they would’ve. I feared for not only my career but my physical safety. They had power and influence. I am sure to see them in person if I choose to attend industry events. My head starts spinning with all sorts of scenarios where I am hurt in some way. And what I can do about it.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

The Silent Conversation

I questioned myself. What did I do wrong here? How did I cause this reaction? I asked a friend for an objective opinion. I still wasn’t sure.

I questioned my own voice, my instincts, and what I felt in my bones. Despite the whole of my being on red alert, I worried about how he felt. The internal klaxons were blaring. I still had to reconcile that disconnect. A trusted person I respected essentially left me feeling crazy and fearing for my physical safety.

That’s the Point of Marginalization: Silence.

I changed my behavior. Encouraged by family because they wanted me to be safe, I retreated.

This is how I was silenced.

The more vocal you are, the more people, whether for power or for fear, will want to silence you. It works. Controlling via privilege and power.  It’s how inequity is sustained. And it’s why a lot of podcasting is male and white.

People share their own stories like this with me regularly. If you aren’t a member of a marginalized community, now you know why we seek extra support in private, protected spaces. We aren’t always safe in the wider industry communities.

The other day, I was crafting an Instagram post about how you should put yourself out there. Show up on socials for your podcast and for your business. Get in front of the camera. Yay, you! If I can, you can, too. #beyou

But then I acknowledged it was hard… and it took me back to this safety issue. Hard is the wrong word— DANGEROUS. Dangerous is the correct word. Of course, marginalized people aren’t showing up in droves. Being public facing can kill you.

I discarded the post.

I don’t want to encourage podcasters to put themselves in the public eye before they are ready. That is not sustainable. You must be prepared for what that means, no matter who you are. But for the marginalized, it’s especially critical to address how to deal with danger. Podcasting shouldn’t be unsafe, but sometimes it is.

Marginalization Can Cause Podfade. And No One Is Talking About It.

I’ve read a thousand articles about how podcasters (and entrepreneurs) should show up, be authentic, and so on and so forth… You MUST be public facing. You need to engage. Share. Post. Promote. All the things to grow your audience and revenue. Your audience shows up for you. Even I’ve said it a lot.

I haven’t seen one on how to protect yourself while doing that. Not one post on the danger of doing so. Or what to do if you feel unsafe.

Not one conference session on what to do when someone slides into your DMs or sends you a d-ck pic. Or spams you with negative ratings. Or makes subtle but inappropriate comments. Or calls you the n-word. Or threatens to rape you. Or makes you feel like you’re in physical danger. Or is a guest on your show but then berates you? Or tries to take over. Or makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Or anyone who threatens your safety to silence your voice.

Where are those guides? Where are how-tos? Why is it not Podcaster 101 material?

I know there are readers nodding their heads right now. Because those readers know it’s not an if, but a when thing. And it drains your energy until there comes a time when you’re wondering if podcasting is worth it.

How many times have podcasters answered no? If seventy-five percent of podcasts are no longer in production, how many put down the microphone because they’ve experienced a threat to their mental, physical, or emotional wellbeing?

No, We Can’t Simply Ignore It.

“Just ignore it” is not a solution. All that does is isolate you on top of silencing you. Which, by the way, is one of the intended outcomes of marginalization. That’s like expecting gasoline to put out a fire.

You may hear “That’s what happens when you put yourself out there.” It’s part of the deal. My response is always, “so I was asking for it?”

My personal favorite is “you knew the consequences when you showed up.” As in you knew that being you was dangerous so why did you bring yourself into a public space? Don’t.

The responses are not only shallow, they do nothing to solve the actual problem. In an industry about access, equity, and the power of your voice the irony is not lost on me.

The Data We Do Have

Recently, Sounds Profitable released a study (The Creators) that shares exactly who podcasters are in the United States. 14% are Black. 2% identify as non-binary or other gendered. 5% are Asian. 24% are Latino. Only 30% of podcasters today are women.

While ethnicity largely mirrors the US population, gender does not. We can reasonably infer that the number of BIPOC women doesn’t reflect the population, either. As a woman in podcasting, I get it. It’s scary out here.

The data tells me that for many marginalized groups, podcasting isn’t worth it. It’s too unsafe, still.

Industry Crickets.

It’s not rocket science. Conversation is what we’re skilled at. Why is conversation only happening during certain months? More specifically, Industry leaders, especially white-cis men, need to lead in the area. This discussion should occur more than three months a year and outside of national tragedies.

We need the data on podfade from the actual podfaders and the marginalized groups. Podcasters LOVE data. So why is this missing?

Does Being a Member of a Marginalized Group Make You More Likely to Podfade?

I strongly suspect it does. So what do we do about it?

It must be acknowledged that when we talk about showing up and being authentic, that not only is hard, but it’s also dangerous. We need to prepare podcasters to deal with that danger. While we’re at it, let’s drop the idea that this only happens to the famous because you don’t need a huge audience to be silenced. 

Finally, we must educate podcasters on what to do when they encounter these situations, especially the ones that involve the threat of physical harm. I have an inbox full of stories like the one I’ve shared with you. That’s a problem. As a community leader, what resources can I use to help community members through these situations?

We talk a great game in this industry, but are we truly playing one? How many voices are silenced each day because as an industry we’re silent on this issue?

So, without further ado, here are some of the #PodsWeListenTo.

Fall of Civilizations

Stephen says: “I really like Fall of Civilizations Podcast. It looks at the rise, success and fall of ancient civilisations, how we came to find these civilisations and goes really in-depth into how they eventually fell. Very interesting to learn about the history of civilisations you never even knew about, and it’s very well produced.”

We Can Do Hard Things

Allegra says: “I really like We Can Do Hard Things, with Glennon Doyle. I started listening at the beginning of the pandemic because I loved Glennon’s books and wanted the right-now encouragement she offers. I love how she shows all her warts and finds magic in small, simple things.”

Startups For the Rest of Us

Colin says: “One of my ‘must listen’ shows is Startups For the Rest of Us with Rob Walling. Learned more from this show than any other, I reckon, and Rob’s always down-to-earth, honest and funny with it. He brings on some great quality guests and always digs into the detail of how they got to where they are.”

Neutrinowatch

Lindsay says: “Neutrinowatch is a generative semi-fictional podcast. It uses dynamic content insertion to adapt each episode in the series daily so that each episode is never the same twice. The dynamic content insertion is seamless, so you can’t tell which parts have been changed until you’re emotionally invested. The show asks questions about the nature of the universe and how we perceive it. It’s a deep-thinking podcast with immersive sound and innovative publishing.”

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Sean says, “Recently, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to Dan Carlin – Hardcore History. The episodes can be 3-4 hours long, and he brings history to life in a way that’s very captivating. It’s a unique podcast, and I highly recommend it!”

In Our Time

Stephen says: “I got into In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg before it was a podcast, back in 2006. It was a radio show back then and still is every Thursday. They cover everything and anything, from late poets to the birth of the solar system and even the concept of “self”. Very enlightening and a good podcast to just stick on when doing the dishes or housework.”

Diary of a CEO

Jacob says, “The Diary of a CEO is a pretty fun way to listen to one successful person interview another successful person about the trials and tribulations of becoming ‘successful’. Steve Bartlett, the host, is a really nice guy. Really honest and, most importantly, asks, sometimes tough questions to answer. It’s a great pod to listen to while commuting!”

Morning Cup of Murder

Becca says, “Morning Cup of Murder is a super interesting daily podcast. The episodes are pretty short, so perfect for your journey to work in the morning. Korina talks about true crime stories from all over the world across all time periods AND there are hundreds of episodes, so plenty to keep you going.”

Monocle on Design

Peter says: “Very interesting topics covered for anyone who’s interested in design. Great production quality from Monocle too, as always. And a good amount of episodes per month for a relatively niche subject – other shows are either discontinued or updated once in a blue moon.”

Event Horizon

Stephen says, “John Michael Godier’s Event Horizon is a podcast about the latest breaking Physics, Astronomy and groundbreaking research into the Cosmos. Including esteemed guests, such as Nobel Laureate in Physics, Sir Roger Penrose, Isaac Arthur from Science and Futurism and the distinguished Professor Avi Loeb, who chairs the Advisory Committee for the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative, to name just a few. Amazing guests, amazing subjects and an amazing presenter.”

3D Escape Room: Frequency

Lindsay says, “3D Escape Room: Frequency is immersive, binaural audio, so when you listen, you feel like you’re in the room with the participants. They’re trying to solve a mystery and provide clues for the listener. When the listener solves the puzzle, they pick which episode in the series to listen to next. If they’re right, the story continues. It’s a challenging, invigorating series that can keep you up all night if you’re not careful.”

Everyone Hates Marketers

Jacob says: “Everyone Hates Marketers… well, it’s hard to disagree with the name right? Marketing can be a dirty word. The host, Louis Grenier, breaks down ethical modern marketing by interviewing some of the best ethical modern marketers today. Louis’ inquisitive and dulcet French tones are a breath of fresh air in a world that is so full of… unscrupulous scamps… that call themselves marketers. Some podcasters cringe at the thought of having to market themselves – but it’s not all about spam emails and junk mail! Marketing is about relationships, solving problems for people, and building audiences. Something the most successful podcasters know a thing or two about.”

True Crime Obsessed

Donna says: “If you don’t have an hour to dedicate to sit in front of the TV and watch Dateline or the latest crime documentary, True Crime Obsessed is perfect because you can do your chores or take a relaxing bath while listening to two hilarious people recount certain true crime documentaries and TV episodes. They are LGBTQIA, broadway fanatics, instantly feel like your besties.”

The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry

Peter says: “The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry is a BBC Radio 4 production podcast, and the production quality shows. As a foreigner, this is quintessential Britishness for me. Super funny hosts that have built an engaged audience. I will, too, be a curio of the week one day! Interesting science topics are explained and showcased in an energetic way. And no ads – thanks license payers!”

Blank Check with Griffin and David

Jenny says, “Blank Check with Griffin and David is a podcast where they discuss movies that have just come out but also do mini-series deep dives into directors and discuss each of their movies. I like it because they are always knowledgeable about the movies, directors and Hollywood in general and they are funny, so an episode is never dull.”

How to Take Over the World

Sean says, “How to Take Over the World is excellent, a very accessible way of learning some history. A lot of research goes into these and a very good balance for those who are interested in history but get bored at the site of a historical textbook. It focuses on individuals (or families) who have dominated their domain in order to effectively ‘take over the world’. Caesar, Napoleon, Disney, Steve Jobs etc.”

The Prancing Pony Podcast

Jacob says: “I’ve been binging The Prancing Pony Podcast. Maybe a bit niche… It’s a weekly podcast about Tolkien’s legendarium. Essentially it’s a book club, chapter by chapter, working currently through the LOTR series. Really great fun because I’m re-reading the series now. So it’s like a companion series. It’s a great format idea; you could really do it with any big series. They analyse almost line by line, so it’s great for picking up on little details and even etymology that you might have otherwise missed.”

The Golden House

Lindsay says: “The Golden House is an audio fiction puzzle podcast. On its surface, it appears to be the branded promotion podcast for a scientific think tank in a secluded historical estate. When you find the clues in the text and solve the puzzles, it leads you to another website where you can hear a secret podcast about what this deadly cult doesn’t want you to know. It’s exciting, engaging, and the audience participation makes you want to share it.”

The Last Podcast on The Left

Becca says: “The Last Podcast on The Left is an amazing podcast for anyone interested in horror. The guys talk about everything from serial killers to war crimes and from hauntings to slashers. Not for the faint-hearted, I suppose, but if you’ve got a dark sense of humour and like a laugh, then this is the show for you. ALSO, there are literally hundreds of episodes if you fancy a binge.”

Science and Futurism with Isaac Arthur

Stephen says: “True to form; I’ve another science-based podcast for you. Science and Futurism with Issac Arthur. He is a physicist (with an Elmer Fudd voice which he points out) who explores sci-fi concepts and ideas for the future of humanity. He does this based around natural laws and pushes the boundaries of known physics. Really interesting to learn what could be possible, from Dyson rings and Star lifting to future biotechnology and colonising the galaxy. Very interesting podcast.”

Growth Marketing Stories

Sean says: “Growth Marketing Stories is a proper marketing podcast that you’ll want to keep coming back to listen to. With rich stories from experienced marketer Aazar Ali Shad and extracts from the best of his guests. It keeps each episode goal focused with actionable insights.”

Interdependence

Andrew says: “I have been listening to everything from Interdependence with Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurst. Alumna of the CCRMA at Stanford, her perspectives on music technology have been really inspiring. Web 3 is just emerging, and the interviews with other entrepreneurs in the space have been crucial for keeping pace with the tech.”

Financial Times News Briefing

Peter says: “I like to get part of my news from podcasts, and I’ve been through a few shows, but I always keep coming back to Financial Times News Briefing. The production quality is amazing; the show is well scripted and keeps me up to date on the latest happenings in the (financial) world. The only drawback to this show: ads. So when it comes to news podcasts, that’s the one I’d recommend.”

Victoriocity

Tom says: “I love Victoriocity – a murder mystery comedy set in steampunk Victorian London, where London has expanded to take up most of the UK, and Queen Victoria has been ‘upgraded’ to become a part steam-powered robot. The sound design is top-notch, and it builds up amazing visual pictures inside your head as you listen. And the characters are hilarious – it has a Terry Pratchett feel to it.”

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More Podcasts We Love

Just as new podcasts launch every day and old pods improve, we’ll keep adding to this article. There’s always something new to learn from and enjoy in the podcasting world.

What is Alitu?

Alitu is a web-based app which aims to make it as easy as humanly possible for you to create a podcast.

You start by uploading your audio, or recording yourself or a call right into the app.

Then, Alitu cleans up your audio, performing processes like noise reduction and volume levelling, before popping it into the episode builder.

You can set up your theme music so it’s added automatically. Fades are added between sections, and you can drag and drop in regular clips, such as adverts or segment intros. You can edit clips here, too, to remove any mistakes.

When you click ‘Preview My Episode’, Alitu creates your final file, perfectly optimised in the right format for podcasting. To finish off, you just download your shiny new episode and then publish it to your hosting platform of choice. OR, use Alitu’s own podcast hosting, now in Beta!

What Makes Alitu Unique?

Alitu is unique because it simplifies the process, but also offers you as much control as possible over the content and the distribution. So, while some podcast maker tools handle hosting, too, and really cut down on editing options, Alitu gives you control over both.

For example, Alitu has a full editing tool – simplified and podcast specific, compared to normal audio editors.

And for publishing, it links directly to nearly all of the most popular podcast hosting platforms. Even if your favourite host isn’t listed, it’s super simple to download your finished episode, from Alitu, and then upload it directly. And, once more, Alitu now has its own hosting feature in Beta.

Alitu can also save you a lot of time in the editing phase because you can listen back through recordings at up to double the speed. That means if you’re combing through an hour-long interview to find bits to chop out, it’ll literally take you half the time!

One final feature, loved by many Alitu users, is the ‘video export’ option, where you can create a video version of your episode, right inside the app. An image, a title and a moving waveform are laid over your audio, so you can use it on YouTube, or any other social platform.

What’s New With Alitu in 2022?

New features for podcasters are being added to Alitu all the time. It’s in a constant state of enhancement and improvement

Two of the latest features we’re really excited about are hosting and transcription.

• Podcast hosting is now in Beta – now you can have one single place to record, edit, publish, and distribute your show.
• Alitu will transcribe your episodes for you – a much-requested feature that’s essential for accessibility, discoverability, and growth!

How to Make a Podcast Episode in Alitu

Let’s take a look at the process, to show you how Alitu works. Nothing like a proper case study to give you the full rundown!

Here’s my episode plan, for today:

1. Episode intro – just me, recording solo
2. Main content – guest interview via online call
3. Sponsor slot
4. News segment – me and a co-host, recording in person

You might not need to do all of these, but it’ll help me show you all the different ways there are to get audio into Alitu. Let’s get making!

Step 1: Recording My Interview

So, I start by scheduling a call with my guest and sending them an Alitu call recording link.

At the right time, I pop onto the link, as do they, and I see the call recording screen, like so:

Here, I can record my call, with all the normal features you’d expect. I can mute my mic if I need to. I can get the invite link again, to invite more people. I can lock the room, so no one else can enter. And I can type things into the call chat if I need to share some written info with my guest.

Once the call’s done, I hit ‘End Call’ and the recording is finished up. At this point, Alitu will clean up the recording – applying noise reduction, volume levelling, hum reduction – and pop it into my library for use in any episode in future.

Step 2: Creating the Episode

Now, I’m ready to put the episode together. So, I click ‘Add an Episode’ on the Alitu dashboard. This takes me to the episode details screen. This set the ID3 tags for the episode, and the info carries over onto your Podcast hosting platform, once you publish.

If you don’t have this all ready right away, though, you can add it or change it later, so let’s move along!

Next, we add our recordings to the upload screen. This is where we put clips into the app, in various different ways. The first option is to upload directly, as you’ll see below.

But clicking ‘Add Your Audio’ shows the other methods, including recording into the app and adding from your library.

So, I can start by adding my call recording, from above, into the episode first. I click ‘add’ above, on the latest call recording. In the library, you can rename these files, so you can make them a bit easier to find and keep a track of, too.

Next, I want to record my episode intro right into the app. I’ve got a bullet point script I made for this, based on the call we recorded, so I pull out the script and hit record.

Final one, I upload a pre-recorded news segment, made using my Tascam DR05, in person, with a friend. To do that, I just click on the upload box, and select the file from my computer, or drag it right from my desktop into the Alitu window.

You can do this with any externally recorded clip, from a Zoom call to a conference presentation, and Alitu will clean it up and add it to your episode, just like the rest.

At this point, you can even merge clips, if you happen to have a recording which is split for each participant. You often get these from double-ender type tools, which record each speaker separately. As long as the clips are synchronised (meaning each is the same length and the speakers are in sync) Alitu can clean them up separately, and join them together for you.

Now, I click upload, and the files are all on their way into Alitu, to be cleaned up!

Step 3: Episode Builder for Music & Extra Clips

The episode builder is where you add theme music, rearrange your clips and add any regular clips from your library (such as adverts, segment intros, music transistions, etc). You can also access editing, here, but I’ll show you that next.

For the episode builder, you can see that my theme music has been added automatically and a fade is added from music to voice, both for the intro and outro music. You can edit the music length and fade length using the little round fade icons. And, you can add new clips to the timeline using the + icon.

So, I’ll start by adding my sponsor slot for the week. I recorded that weeks ago since it’s running on my show for two months. I just add it in from my library, then, I can drag it into the right position. I can also add our musical transition for the new segment in the same way, so I end up with seven clips on the timeline.

And that’s the episode constructed. Music is added, fades are in, and all clips are included. Almost ready to publish!

But, first, there were a couple of things I need to edit out…

Bonus: Free Music Library

Quick Aside: It’s worth noting that Alitu includes a big free music library which all Alitu members can use within their podcast, with no limit. Each track has a number of variations, including full-length theme music and short two to ten-second transition clips, stings or bumpers. There’s even a loop, for each track, so you can create voiceovers with a music bed behind it of any length.

Step 4: Editing out Silence & Mistakes

When I was recording my call, I know we had a bit of a chat at the start, to introduce each other, and then again at the end, when I thanked the guest for coming on. I want to edit these out.

So, I find the call recording on the episode builder and click edit. This is what I see.

I can easily click around on the clip and play any part, to find the sections I need to edit. I can zoom in for the detail, and then I click and drag to select sections to edit out.

This is commonly used to edit out the silence at the start and end of each clip, as well as any big mistakes within a recording, or noises, silence, etc.

The end result, after you’ve made a few edits, might look like this.

To finish up, click ‘Save all Edits’ and you’re taken back to the episode builder. Now that we’re finished editing, we can export the episode!

Remember, too, that you can listen back through any audio file in Alitu at 1.25x, 1.5x, or even 2x speed. This means you can edit your show in half the time it would take with most other audio production packages!

Step 5: Publishing Your Episode

You have a few options when it comes to publishing. Alitu now has its own podcast hosting in Beta, or, you can connect to a bunch of the most popular hosting sites, as shown in the screenshot below.

Once you’re connected up, then a ‘Publish to XYZHost’ button appears below the preview player, and you can publish with just a few clicks using that. You can see, here, that I’ve connected up Captivate and Podbean, even though it’s very unlikely you’d be posting to more than one hosting platform. If you’re wondering about hosting, you can check out our favourite podcast hosting platforms here.

So, now, I’ll just click ‘Publish to Captivate’ and send the episode right over. Done!

Alternatively, I can download my finished episode, and upload it anywhere else I like. This is useful if you use a hosting platform that Alitu hasn’t integrated with yet, or you want to publish elsewhere, like Soundcloud.

Finally, there’s the option to publish a video version of the episode, using the ‘Create Video’ button. This produces a visual version of your episode by adding a background image, your title and a moving soundwave. You can publish this to YouTube or even make a video podcast.

New: Alitu Will Transcribe Your Podcast Episodes

Providing written episode transcriptions is an essential part of your show’s accessibility and growth. Podcast transcription can be expensive, though, and you can easily end up paying upwards of $20 per episode.

The good news? Alitu will now automatically generate transcripts for you, at no extra cost. This is yet another feature we’ve been excited to add to Alitu’s many offerings, and the feedback has been great so far.

Summary: How to Make a Podcast in Alitu

And there you have it! How to make a podcast episode in as little time and with as little stress as possible, using Alitu.

Get a 7 Day Free trial of Alitu now

Here’s a summary of what Alitu does to help you make your podcast:

• Audio cleanup, including noise reduction, hum reduction & levelling.
• Upload external recordings, including double-ender clips
• Record yourself or a call, right inside the app, ready for editing
• Adds theme music and fades
• Free music library, with full-length tracks, stings & loops
• Add a teaser clip before your theme music
• Edit podcasts in half the time by changing the playback speed
• Create pro-sounding music-backed clips using the Music Clip maker
• Access your library of regularly used clips, such as ads or segment intros
• Podcast specific audio editor to remove silence & mistakes
• Split clips to insert another in-between
• Add id3 tags/metadata and send that to your host
• Creates the final file – correct format, bitrate and standard loudness
• Transcription – auto-generates a written transcription of your episode
• Publish direct to your hosting provider (including Buzzsprout, Captivate, Transistor, & more)
• OR, host your podcast – Alitu’s dedicated podcast hosting is now in Beta
• Create a video version of your podcast for YouTube and elsewhere

And remember, if you’re still at the stage of launching your show, then be sure to check out our full How to Start a Podcast guide. That’ll take you through everything else you need to know, from planning, to equipment, to promotion.

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I should start by clarifying what I mean by “app.” In this article, we won’t be covering fully-fledged podcast software, like Audacity or Audition. Instead, the focus here is on dedicated apps that were designed to take at least a couple of the recording, editing & publishing trifecta, and make them really easy for podcasters.

List of the Best Podcast Making Apps

So if you’re looking for the best podcast making app, what options are available to you currently? And which one is the best fit for you? Read on and find out…

A quick disclaimer that we sometimes use affiliate links to products or services we think you might find useful. We earn a small commission should you choose to sign up through any of them, though at no extra cost to yourself!

Editor’s Note

Our ‘Best Podcast Making Apps’ guide was originally written in 2019. We update this post periodically to reflect changes in technology, our recommendations, and because we’re always learning new things!

1. Alitu: The Podcast Maker Tool

Alitu is a web app that we developed ourselves because so many of our readers told us that they hated editing, processing, and publishing. Or at the least, found it tricky and time-consuming. It seemed like loads of people were procrastinating over starting a podcast because of the thought of learning something like Audacity or Audition.

Alitu was designed to make recording, editing, and publishing super-easy. The outcome is that you can create a podcast without knowing the slightest thing about audio production.

You can record a call (or a solo audio track) inside Alitu. Or, you can simply upload your recordings – anything from a SquadCast interview, to a phone recording, to a Zoom webinar, and Alitu does the rest. It’ll do the conversion, EQ, compression, levelling, noise reduction, and more, to get your audio sounding great.

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Then, you can jump into Alitu’s editing tools – offering you top and tail functions, plus the ability to easily remove any mistakes from your audio.

Once that’s done, the episode builder lets you piece together as many clips as you need, from solo segments, to ads, to listener call-ins, and it’ll add your theme music automatically at the start and end.

Finally, you can either download the finished episode or publish it directly from the app. Alitu now has built-in hosting in Beta, or, it lets you pair it with a dedicated hosting platform to act as a home for your content, instead. If you’ve signed up for one of those services already, you can link it to your Alitu account so that publishing can be done automatically.

Alitu will also automatically create transcriptions of your episodes, which is a big step towards making your podcast accessible for all.

One of my favourite features is the edit playback speed. If you’ve recorded, say, an hour-long call, you can listen back through it to make any edits in literally half the time.

Your Alitu account gives you access to a free library of music and transitions, as well as video courses on launching your podcast and choosing your equipment. New features and perks are being added all the time, too!

App Type: Browser (mobile coming soon!)

Price: $32 monthly subscription. 7 day free trial available.

You Might Use It If: You’re looking to focus on creating content, rather than learning the ins and outs of remote recording and audio production. But at the same time, you still want to be putting out a professionally produced show, mixed to podcast industry loudness standard levels, with any fluff or mistakes removed.

Also, Alitu is perfect if you’re looking for a single place to do everything: from recording and editing, to transcriptions and publishing.

2. Podbean Podcast App

Brought to you by media hosting veterans Podbean, this app is a fully-fledged listening and discovery app first and foremost – but it has some handy creation and publishing tools, too.

Those making a podcast inside the app can record their content, mix in sound effects, and have the option of using music from an extensive library or simply importing their own.

What the Podbean Podcast App lacks in editing and production capabilities, it makes up for with its recording features. You can record up to eight participants in multitrack, though each person will need to be signed in to the app to make it all work.

Recording is done “as live,” but you can pause and re-start your recording at any point. With Podbean Live you can record guests, co-hosts, and even take listener calls.

As Podbean are a media host, you can publish directly to their platform once your episode is created, or you can download the file to use elsewhere.

App Type: Desktop or Mobile

Price: You can use the app for free, but storage and bandwidth will be limited. Paid tiers offer more options and start from $14 a month ($9 per month when billed annually). 

You can get a month’s free hosting with Podbean when you sign up using the coupon code podcraft

You Might Use It If: You want multitrack and live-streaming capabilities on your mobile device. Also, if you’d like to use Podbean as your show’s media host. They have a lot of really cool features including monetisation and premium content options. For more, see our full Podbean review.

3. Spreaker Studio

Spreaker is another top media hosting and monetisation platform for podcasters. Their Spreaker Studio app is a great tool for creators, too.

It comes as either a desktop or mobile app and works in a similar vein to an online radio station, with the option to go live and interact with your listeners in real-time through its chat function.

If you don’t want to go live, you simply select ‘Offline Mode’ to record your episode, then publish it manually once you’re happy with it.

Like Podbean, you can play effects and clips as you go. On the editing front, Spreaker Studio offers a trimming function that lets you top and tail your recording, prior to upload.

Spreaker really shines as a “live production” tool, allowing you to act as the DJ, creating a media-rich episode all on the fly. It’s great fun playing the music as you record and mixing in listener call-ins, effects, and more. The desktop and mobile versions have mic controls and an “auto-ducking” feature that lowers the volume of the music bed whenever you speak.

App Type: Desktop or Mobile

Price: You can start for free, but storage and session duration will be limited. Paid tiers offer more options and start from $8 a month.

You can get a month’s free hosting with Spreaker when you use our link to sign up.

You Might Use It If: You’d like to do live shows with audience participation, as well as podcast on the go from your smartphone.

4. Anchor

Spotify-owned podcast maker app Anchor is a popular choice amongst folks looking to test the water with podcasting.

Like the other apps in this roundup, Anchor makes it very easy to create and launch a podcast. Being a media host, you can publish directly onto their platform too.

One of their USPs is that you can play Spotify music within your episodes. There are a few caveats here – your music show will only be available inside Spotify, and tracks are inserted so you can never talk over them or shorten them in any way. It’s still a really nice feature for the aspiring DJs out there, though.

Anchor’s editing tools have improved a lot in recent years, and you now have the ability to make internal cuts to your audio files. They have a library of music and transitions that you can mix in there too

Anchor’s podcast hosting also now lets you upload video files to create video podcasts on Spotify.

Their recording feature is perhaps the least reliable in this roundup, though. I’ve had lots of sync issues when testing it out, especially recording anything longer than about half an hour.

App Type: Browser or Mobile

Price: Free

You Might Use It If: You’re a hobbyist not looking to spend any money at this stage. If you’re starting a show with the approach of “Let’s just see how this all works”. Or, if you’d like to run a (Spotify only) music-style show or video podcast.

5. Descript

Descript is a podcast making app with a few groundbreaking features.

This is a tool that ventures beyond audio-only content. There are screen recording, video editing, and transcription features, too.

With Descript, you can actually edit your audio via their text-based transcription.

On the Pro payment tier, there’s a filler word detection feature that can help you eliminate those annoying uhms and ahs. You’ll also find the Overdub voice generation tool there, and it’s a pretty remarkable piece of AI software.

Descript shines in a lot of ways, though the act of simply editing a podcast on the platform remains a wee bit clunky. There’s no hosting feature yet, either. Like the others in this roundup, though, improvements are being made all of the time.

Check out our full review of Descript for a deeper dive into this podcast making app.

App Type: Desktop App

Price: Limited free tier. Subscriptions start from $12 a month, with the Pro tier at $24.

You Might Use It If: You want to expand your content beyond audio into video and transcriptions for your podcast. Also, if you want to try editing by text, or want to automatically remove most of your Uhms and Ahs.

Other Great Podcast Making Apps?

More and more people are starting a podcast every day. Very few of these new podcasters are experienced audio engineers, or have any interest in becoming one.

This means that we’re going to see constant improvements made to existing podcast making apps, as well as new ones popping up on the market from time to time.

A couple of honourable mentions – and ones to keep an eye on – are Libsyn Studio and Cleanvoice.

The former offers hosting and distribution, automatic levelling, and a free music and sfx library. Cleanvoice, on the other hand, is a clever AI filler word editor. We’ll have more in-depth reviews on both for you in the near future.

What Can Podcast Maker Apps (Typically) Do?

Now that we’ve run through the options, I wanted to try and answer some frequently asked questions about this genre of software.

Each podcast maker app has its own unique design and set of features. But when you’re using a tool like this (as opposed to more general audio production software, podcast recording software, or a Digital Audio Workstation) there are a few common themes that pop up.

Record & Store Audio

What’s a podcast if you can’t actually record the thing? It’d be difficult to claim anything was a “podcast making” app if it didn’t have a record feature. At a basic level, this means recording yourself talking, but the ability to record calls is a much-used feature on a tool like Alitu.

Cloud storage is another key feature of podcast maker tools, so you should be able to log in anywhere and find all your audio files and existing episodes. Tools like Dropbox and Google Drive can be great for podcasters, but the fewer places you need to hunt around for things, the more streamlined your workflow will be.

Add Other Audio Files, Music, Etc & Edit Them All Together

Podcast episodes are rarely one single spoken-word track. Most creators want to stitch together various audio files, add in background music, etc. Post-production tools vary in flexibility and features, but most podcast maker apps will at least give you a basic editing process. With Alitu, we like to think we provide advanced features paired with extreme simplicity.

Publish Your Finished Episode for the World to Hear

Once all the hard work has been done, you want your finished episode to be available in podcasting apps on mobile devices all around the world. Most podcast making apps will provide hosting built-in, or, the ability to pair with a separate hosting account.

What Podcast Maker Apps Can’t Do for You

There’s no podcast making app out there that’ll make you a coffee or a sandwich (as far as I know – yet!). There are still a few things that you’ll need to do yourself, though. Or, at least, partly yourself…

Nail Down Your “Why” & Your USP

Successful and professional podcasters all have one thing in common – they know exactly WHO they want to reach, as well as WHY. They also have a USP (a Unique Selling Proposition). This can sound a bit corporate or salesy but it really doesn’t have to be. Here are some essential resources to help you on your way.

• How to Find Your USP
• How to Hone Your Unique Podcast Topic
• Our FREE Podcast Planner Tool (get a personalised plan tailored to you and your show)

Substitute Good Microphone or Environment Quality

There’s no podcast recording software out there that can guarantee you a good level of sound quality. Equipment and environment are the key factors, here. You should aim to record somewhere free from excessive reverb and background noise. An external mic (even a basic USB microphone) is going to drastically improve your audio quality if you’ve been recording into your phone or computer’s built-in mic.

Record good source material and your software can really polish it up, but anything else is just going to be a patch-up and repair job. Check out our guide on how to record a podcast for a deeper dive on this.

Grow Your Subscriptions or Audience in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc

Your podcast maker app may enable you to publish to all the podcast directories out there, but the tasks of discoverability, marketing, and growth still lie with you. There are tools in your app that’ll help with this aspect of content creation, but podcast promotion is a whole topic of its own (we literally wrote a book about it).

The good news, though, is that a podcast making app will save you time, so you can dedicate more of it towards finding new listeners and growing your show.

Summary: So What is the Best Podcast Making App?

The standard podcasting answer to any such question is, “It depends,” and this one is no exception.

Each of these apps brings its own unique flavour, and offers something a little different for its users.

Let Alitu Take Care of Your Podcast Editing

Alitu is a tool that takes your recording, polishes it up, adds your music, and publishes the episode, all automatically.

Learn more about Alitu

• Alitu gives creators much more control and flexibility in the sound and content of their end product, while still making things very easy. It’ll appeal the most to small business owners and solopreneurs who want to put out high-quality sounding episodes without getting bogged down in production. With hosting and transcriptions now in beta, Alitu is a great “one place for everything” option.
• Anchor’s big draw, of course, is that it’s free. You can also use it to publish video and music podcasts to Spotify. Their editing tools have improved a lot, though, their recording function remains a bit unreliable at times.
• Spreaker will be appealing to those who want to run live shows with audience participation and monetization.
• Podbean offers an all-in-one podcast app for listening and creation, as well as some handy monetisation and premium content tools as part of its hosting service. It has a handy multitrack recorder option, too.
• Descript are an attractive option if you want to venture into the realm of video. They have some groundbreaking AI features like filler word removal and overdub, though you’ll still need a separate podcast hosting account at this moment in time.

Only you’ll know which one seems more relevant to you, if any.

Maybe you’ll decide that a podcast making app isn’t the right fit for you or your podcast after all. If that’s the case, it’s also worth checking out our Complete Podcast Software Guide to explore your wider options!

Podcasters are jacking the popular microformat of ‘daily briefing’ news podcasts (think: The Daily) and using it as a way to engage listeners who have less time to commit to a full long-form podcast episode when listening on the go. 

If you’re like more than half of all other podcasters, it’s likely your episodes last between 30-60 minutes. But when you think about it, most of the common daily tasks we perform while listening to podcasts take less than the duration of an episode to complete; walking the dog, doing the daily commute, eating breakfast or getting ready for work in the morning. 

So why do we feel the need to stay loyal to long-form audio content? Here’s a (suitably) quick dive into mini-podcasting and why you might want to give it a try.

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What is Mini-Podcasting?

Mini, micro, short-form, bite-sized, pocket-sized, whatever-you-like-to-call-it-podcasts are short episodes lasting anything between 1-20 minutes. 

This type of short, deep-dive audio content was popularized by The Daily, which was Apple’s most downloaded podcast of 2018. Since then, daily shows have raged in popularity. By 2019, they’d already earned their own discoverability tag on Apple podcasts.

While daily news podcasts make up just 1% of all those podcasts produced, they account for more than 10% of downloads in the US. So clearly, there’s a huge demand for short-form audio content like this, and it doesn’t need to be limited to news content either. 

Why You Should Try Micro-Podcasting 

The benefits involved in mini-podcasting (for you and your listeners) are pretty vast. 

For listeners, there’s less commitment involved. They can consume more information in less time, and this really taps into the global productivity obsession. New tools are even emerging on the podcasting market where micro-podcasts are sent to your smartphone by SMS so you don’t have to waste time looking for mini-podcasts you might like. 

For podcasters, the benefits of micro-podcasting are huge too. One report by Reuters suggests micro-podcasting can help increase loyalty amongst listeners and reduce subscriber churn. And if that’s not enough, the same report suggests that producing short-form podcast content is a good way to engage younger audiences too.  

We’re living in an age of micro-content, and there’s no reason why audio shouldn’t get a slice of the pie. Short snippets are easy to repurpose and cross-publish on other social platforms to promote your show. Posting these on Tiktok, Instagram and twitter could see you tap into a whole new audience. 

And as you don’t need to delve too deep with micro audio content, this can make these shorter episodes easier to plan and produce.

Which takes us on nicely to the next point…

How to Start Mini-Podcasting with Mini-mum Effort

The good news is, you don’t need to start producing new podcast content every day to take advantage of this new trend. 

In fact, when we tested it out, we found that we could create a week’s worth of podcast content (episodes lasting a few minutes each) in around 3 hours.

Check out this guide on how to create your own daily show and mini-podcast content. 

Like almost everything else in podcasting, the answer is, firmly, “it depends.” Obviously, the best thing to do is ask an expert, so I asked Stephanie Fuccio for help. She’s the creator of Global Podcast Editors, and she has loads of experience with independent contractor obstacles and opportunities. Plus, she’s a valuable part of our content team.

How Much Should Podcast Freelancers Charge?

I asked Stephanie how podcast freelancers know what to charge. She said,

“To be honest, they usually start by charging too little because they don’t know where to look for rates. Then as they build up community, they ask folks and they find information from these groups as well as from other sources. If they’re in the U.S., the AIR rate charts might be helpful, but not completely because freelance versus network podcast services rates don’t always align.”

To clarify, AIR is the Association of Independents in Radio. They are a “global community of independent audio producers.” They share information about compensation, contracts and fair practice, job alerts, and more.

Another option she mentioned is to look up podcast editors online and find their rate sheets for ideas. For example, Rachel Hanson has packages listed on her website.  Puneeth Shenoy of Podcast Pundits lists services on theirs.

Stephanie also recommended online podcast editing groups, such as Just Busters, WOC Podcasters or Podcast Editors Academy. Groups like this can provide a community for podcast freelancers, as well as helpful information.

Don’t undervalue yourself. Some freelancers may advertise at low rates to get more clients. Unfortunately, this brings the average rate down. It also misinforms people that podcast production services are cheap and easy to come by.

How Can Podcast Freelancers Work Successfully?

Podcast freelancers need to clearly describe what they provide for clients and how much time it takes. If you say, “I will make your audio sound great and get it back to you soon,” it’s too vague. Honesty about what tasks you do and how much time it takes to complete the job helps your client understand the process and lets you create your best product. I asked Stephanie what the best way to communicate the work process and the time frame is. She said,

“The debate on listing versus not listing your rates is one that rages on in these podcast service groups daily… One of the things I’ve found the most helpful is Lauren Wrighton’s Podcast Manager Program. I’m much more of an audio and video editor than a podcast manager, but I find the clear and specific breakdowns that she has in a number of sessions in that course are lifesaving. She’s also got some podcast episodes on the Podcast Manager Show that cover pricing, but again with a podcast manager perspective.

The Podcast Editor Academy does a survey every year with its members as well. It’s good to keep in mind that the sample size of this survey is I believe below 200 editors and very North America based.”

Make a statement of what you’ll do, in how much time, and how you will deliver the finished product.

How Can Podcast Freelancers Build Productive Working Relationships?

Be clear about what you need to do your job and when. For example, you can tell your client when you’re available and when you’re not. Explain what kind of files you need. Make sure they know your preferred method of contact. This way, you avoid confusion or miscommunication when you’re on a deadline.

Stephanie said, “Packages are common, but there are also one-off services like consulting as well. It truly is the wild, wild west still. In general, many podcast service providers have some info on their services and a free consultation call to go over any questions. So much of this is customized that it’s difficult to offer one service and one service alone that folks will want. The quickly changing landscape of the podcasting scene is also a factor in service and prices being a moving target. For example, I’m seeing many podcast editors offer more podcast manager services like creating marketing assets, uploading the audio file to the podcast host and so on. It’s the most dynamic market I’ve personally ever worked in. I love it for this characteristic, but it does make a steep learning curve when first trying to get into it.”

Many podcasting tasks are intertwined. For example, an episode’s show notes might depend on information in a transcript, and so on. The Podcast Taxonomy can help you describe the tasks you’ll do and what you need to do them with.

Make a Podcast Freelancer Menu

It’s best to create a statement of services and rates, just like a restaurant menu. Put it on your website, and make a backup copy to keep in your notes app on your phone. Include your preferred method of contact and when you’re available. This way, you can copy and paste it into a message or quote from it whenever necessary.

Use Your Client’s Podcast Aspirations

Ask your client what their podcast niche and ideal audience are. Who is this for? What category? Jot that information down and let it inform you as you work. For example, there might be a hundred podcasts about golf. But, there’s a big difference between a golf podcast meant to relax women over 40, and one meant to motivate men under age 35.

Keep Your Client Informed

Provide updates to your client. Give them the same progress reports you would want if you were the buyer. Like ordering dinner on a food-delivery app, podcast freelancers and clients both need to know what’s in the box and where it is.

Be Punctual, Deliver Quality, and Be Pleasant

Neil Gaiman’s commencement address at The University of The Arts inspired creative people enough to become a book titled Make Good Art. For podcast freelancers, this part is especially useful. Gaiman said, “People keep working… because their work is good, and because they are easy to get along with, and because they deliver the work on time. And you don’t even need all three. Two out of three is fine. People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. They’ll forgive the lateness of the work if it’s good, and if they like you. And you don’t have to be as good as the others if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”

Communicate in advance how you’ll deliver good work on time, and you can build a relationship where it’s easy to be pleasant. Then you can be all three, and get more podcast freelancer work that you enjoy.

Use a Harmonizer

Most of us have seen a news interview where a person agrees to participate in exchange for anonymity. They appear as a blurry silhouette, with their voice distorted. You can disguise a voice using pitch correction with a harmonizer plug-in.

One example is the Eventide H3000 Factory. This software goes with your existing DAW. It mimics the algorithms of a much more expensive and complex device, Eventide’s H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer^® effects processor. It changes the pitch of the person’s voice to sound different enough that it’s unrecognizable.

To hear an example, try listening to Laurie Anderson’s fictitious male alter ego, Fenway Bergamot, from her 2010 album, Homeland. She uses Eventide for much of her experimental audio pieces and multimedia shows.

Garageband has pre-set vocal filters, such as Robot or Helium. If you already use Garageband but haven’t played with these filters yet, why not? Why not let go and have fun once in a while? Seriously. Okay, back to protecting your podcast guest.

Pitch correction isn’t difficult but can be distracting for your podcast audience. The vocal distortion stands out more than the words and content. Plus it may make it harder for the audience to understand (transcription is your friend).

Your Own Virtual Voiceover

In 2015, the BBC launched an AI tool called virtual voiceover translation. When the reporter interviews a non-English-speaking subject, the tool transcribes the audio file automatically using AI. Then, the editor re-records the audio with a synthetic voice, speaking English. In the final broadcast, the audience hears the original speaker’s voice, overlaid by the translation.

You can do something similar with Descript. Import the audio file of your guest to a project, transcribe it, and export the transcription to disk. Then, create a new project using the text that you transcribed, and select one of their synthetic voices. Save this and use this as your podcast episode audio.

This is faster and less expensive than hiring a translator. But, Dmitry Shishkin, digital editor at the BBC World Service, said the initial launch of the tool had “incredible pushback.” Artificially intelligent translation services can be inaccurate. “Google translate is not perfect, but workable. It is a good starting point,” Shishkin said. He added that the BBC editors called it a “robots’ invasion.”

Synthetic voices never sound as convincing or motivating as a real human voice, no matter how much you train it. Again, this can be a distraction for your audience, but it will protect your podcast guest.

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Voice Acting

Once you’ve completed the interview, transcribe it, and then hire a voice actor to record your interviewee’s dialogue. Collaborate with someone of similar age, gender, and background. Provide them with the transcript, and work with them to ensure they understand the original speaker’s intention and motivation. Then edit the voice artist’s audio into your recording. Before the interview, tell the audience that the voice in the program is a performer to protect your guest’s identity. Put this in the show notes as well.

The voice performer reads the translation with similar emotion and cadence. The audience has a more visceral connection when the voice performer shares the original’s age and gender. This is less distracting than a synthetic voice or filter and can feel more honest.

Analysis and Discussion

The easiest way to protect your podcast guest’s identity is to avoid playing their dialogue at all. If you don’t already have a co-host, call in someone who’s knowledgeable about the topic. Use your notes or transcript of the interview to discuss what your guest said. Discussing it with a co-host provides a little bit of distance and air between you and your guest’s answers. This lets you show sympathy for the guest’s information without bias bogging you down.

A drawback here is that for all anyone in your audience knows, you could be making it up. However, keeping your source safe is better than taking extra time with harmonizers or actors if you’re on a deadline.

Deflect and Protect, Don’t Distract

Ultimately, your goal is to share your guest’s story and message. Whichever method you choose to protect your podcast guest, the words need to be clear. Pitch correction can make the audience think, “Wow, that sounds weird,” instead of focusing on your content. Transcription is extra work and cost but makes the information in your podcast accessible to a wider audience. When you have a guest controversial enough to raise the alarm, it’s worth it to give extra effort and attention to make a memorable episode.