Audio editing is a MUST for your podcast
You’d expect to hear this from a guy who edits podcast audio for a living, but I’m going to say it anyway – your audio quality matters.
Why?
Audio editing for your podcast matters, because first impressions matter.
Like it or not, people make quick estimations about the resources they find on the internet, which means that their first listen to a less-than-quality podcast might easily be their last. In my experience (and the experience of many people I speak with), it’s exactly that.
Compare your podcast to a movie
Think about the last “C” grade movie you saw.
Did you rush out to find more films by that producer or director? Doubtful.
Did you immediately begin gushing about the movie to your friends and family? Laughable.
You probably told everyone how terrible the movie was.
The same thing can happen to a podcast with less-than-great audio.
Your goal should be to make your podcast audio of the quality that people will eagerly rave about it in nothing but glowing terms.
You want your podcast to be the best, the most accessible, and the most pleasant to listen to.
Audio editing is about setting yourself apart
In the crowded podcasting space, you want to stand out. Audio editing can make that happen!
There are so many podcasts to choose from. Last time I checked iTunes (for example) there were over 250,000 shows on iTunes!
How are you going to make YOUR show one of those 5 or 10 that a person wants to listen to regularly?
Settling for poor quality audio is an unnecessary wedge between you and a potential fan. And why settle at all when great sounding audio is not all that difficult to attain.
There might be a niche audience in some obscure realm of the internet that really doesn’t give a hoot whether you record in a studio or a cave, but you know as well as I do that’s the exception rather than the rule.
The average podcast listener will not endure hissing, echo-y rooms, pops, and harsh “S” sounds for very long. Not only is it irritating, it can literally cause pain to the ears when headphones or ear buds are being used.
Then there’s the “ummm” and “uhhhh” filler-words that are common.
I’m not throwing stones, we all do it (yes, even me). But why settle for the amateur feeling those speaking habits give to your show when you could remove them?
You’d sound more authoritative and professional and make the listening experience easier and more enjoyable.
Who are you podcasting for, anyway?
Approaching it that way is keeping the end-user in mind. THAT is what drives the “connection economy” nowadays.
If you stick to your guns about “not doing any audio editing” simply because you don’t care about it (or you’re too lazy), you’re way too self-absorbed.
Get outside yourself. Think about your listener.
But that’s a LOT of editing
Too much audio editing is like too much makeup. There may be something pretty underneath, but you can’t be sure!
And I know what some of you are thinking:
“Doesn’t that level of editing make the conversation sound stilted or wooden? You know, like too much makeup on a pretty woman?”
It doesn’t have to.
A good editor has the intuition and skill to create the right spacing and pacing to keep that from happening. Maybe you could be that kind of editor…
For most podcasters, the problem with what I’m saying is that they don’t have the expertise to do their own professional audio editing (“Which of the thousand audio effects should I use?”) or the time it takes to develop it (“I’m busy enough already!”).
I get that. It’s a hard balance to achieve. You’ve got to make the decision based on your answers to a few important questions.
How to know if you should edit
- Is this the right timing for me to upgrade the sound of my show? (Do I have the time or budget to make it happen?)
- Is the audio quality I would receive from professional editing really needed in my case? (It may not be… you have to decide).
In the end… you’ve got to make the choice that is best for your podcasts audience.
Always keep THEM in mind.
Hope this helps – Carey
And if you decide you NEED some help with your audio editing…
Here’s two options:
DONE FOR YOU: www.PodcastFastTrack.com – Professional podcast editing and production
LEARN AUDIO EDITING YOURSELF (using Audacity) – www.AudacityForPodcasting.com
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