GET STARTED ON SOUNDING LIKE A PODCASTING PRO

A surefire way to sound like a podcasting pro and improve your podcast lies in stellar podcast production. Of course, no one wants to listen to a podcast that sounds like it was made out of your mom’s garage.

A podcast’s production quality also reflects on the time and effort you put into refining and improving your show. It’s important to pay attention to different production aspects of your podcast, so that you can improve on areas that may be lacking, and set (or exceed!) the bar on what makes a quality-sounding podcast.

If you’re already doing a great job putting out content that your listeners love, delivering it all in a nice well-produced podcast can help take your show to the next level. Here are a few production tips and hacks that can help you and your podcast shine. 

 

  • INVEST IN GOOD SOUND QUALITY

Sounding like a podcasting pro starts with some nice, crisp audio. You don’t have to break the bank doing so, but investing in a solid microphone can do wonders in improving your podcast’s sound quality.

Not only will your voice come through nice and clear, but also, choosing a mic that’s equipped to reduce background noise will make your life a lot easier in post-production.

Gone (or at the very least, least minimized) is the need to edit out your dog’s non-stop barking, or the random car alarm blaring somewhere in the distance.

If you’re working with a strapped budget, there are some great microphones for podcasters that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. If you’re also trying to moonlight as an ASMR mukbanger, your new mic will help check that box off nicely, too. 

 

  • MODULATE YOUR VOICE & STAY DYNAMIC

Make sure your audience is engaged and locked in to your episode by keeping your voice interesting. You don’t have to sound like a cartoon character, but without the expansive colours and potentialities of visuals, you need to be dynamic and really play with your audio landscape.

Since your audience can’t see your mouth moving, either, it’s important to enunciate and watch out for mumbled or half-finished words that may be difficult for your listeners to understand.

If you’ve got the time and the dinero, you can check out vocal lessons on how to modulate and make use of your voice on-air. Otherwise, YouTube has got some great tutorials on how to improve your podcasting voice. Sounding monotonous may just encourage your listeners to tune out, and then your podcast becomes about as good as a white noise machine.

A voice that’s clear and enticing to hear is a must in keeping your audience hooked, and establishing yourself as a podcasting pro. 

 

  • MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MUSIC BED & POST-PRODUCTION EDITS

It’s amazing how a catchy jingle or intro can stay stuck in our heads. So, jazz up your intro music and be the tune that people can’t stop humming!

It’s worth it to sit down and take the time to figure out intro and outro music that fits with your podcast’s overall vibe and branding. It’ll be a gratifying auditory experience for your listeners, and can end up as part of your podcast branding in the long run.

In contrast to music that can liven up and invigorate your podcast, periods of awkward silence can be deafening to the ears. Sometimes, more is more. Take the time to edit out the dead air and unnecessary noises that may reduce the clarity of your podcast.

That being said, ‘um’s and ‘ah’s are still a natural part of human speech! Being overly meticulous with cleaning up your episode is not only time consuming, but can turn out more hurtful than helpful.

Veer away from edits that make your interview, conversation or storytelling flow sound unnatural and robotic. 

 

  • PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR PODCAST DATA

Here’s a tip that applies well beyond the podcasting sphere: numbers don’t lie.

If you’re not already using analytics to improve your show, this is your sign to start. You can use important data points to re-evaluate and reorient your podcast to the benefit of your audience.

For example, if we take a look at listener retention rates, you can see where your podcasters skipped ahead or dropped out of your episode.

The next big question is why? Was your intro spiel a little too long? Could you have placed that mid-roll ad during a better cut?

This is where Podmetrics comes in handy. With aggregated data, you can also find common denominators across successful episodes to better understand the kind of content your audience is drawn to.

Using your analytics information, you can make smarter data-based decisions on how to grow and evolve your podcast. An easy way to get started on using your podcast data to sound like a podcasting pro is through Podmetrics. 

 

  • BONUS: DON’T FORGET TO PLUG THOSE BRANDS AND SPONSORS 

 

 

Monetizing your podcast isn’t simply a great way to diversify your income; it’s also helpful in adding some credibility to your show and letting your listeners know that you’re working with some interesting brands.

Inserting that pre-roll and mid-roll ad into your podcast sends a sign of professionality to your audience, and suggests that your podcast overall is growing enough to be monetized.

If this is all sounding a bit tedious, taking advantage of Podmetrics’ affiliate marketing opportunities is a quick and easy way to get started on monetizing your podcast. While you earn some extra income, you can connect relevant brands to your listeners and, most importantly, sound like a podcasting pro. 

 

YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY!

These are just a few production tips and hacks that can help get the ball rolling on elevating your podcast and establishing yourself as a podcasting pro.

As always, be sure to tweak the advice you get to suit what’s best for your podcast and branding. If you’ve got a production hack we haven’t mentioned, that you think could help out your fellow podcasters, let us all know in the comments down below!

 

Get started with Podmetrics here. For more industry insights and ways to make the most out of your podcasting experience, check out the Podmetrics blog here.