Post Production & Your Podcast

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Including music in your podcast
• Including sound effects and atmosphere in your podcast
• Editing the spoken word
• Adjusting sound levels, multi-tracking and mixing audio for your podcast

By Jonathan Halls

Some of my former colleagues at the BBC may roll their eyes when they see me writing about post production for audio.

That’s because most broadcasters spend more time in pre-production.  That is, getting audio elements ready for the program such as jingles and actuality.

With some notable exceptions such as PBS, Radio 4 (BBC) and BBC World Service, most radio is broadcast live so there is not much ‘post production’ to do.

Traditionally, post production is something done in television.

However, I want to use this term as a catch-all phrase for things you consider after recording the core components of your podcast when you are pulling it all together.

These things are:

• Music
• Sound Effects
• Editing spoken word
• Sound levels and mixing

Sound Effects on your podcast

Sound effects are powerful tools for painting pictures in people’s minds.  However, they can also lose their power if not used well.

When you choose a sound effect, make sure your listener will understand it.  I played the sound effect of an air raid siren to a young fellow who grew up in the Pacific Islands.  He thought it was an ambulance siren.

Avoid using too many special effects.  A sure sign of an amateur is using five sound effects when one is enough to paint that picture in your listener’s mind.

It’s tempting to over-produce your sound effects.  Only use what you need to use.

If you’re recording your own sound effects, make sure the sound quality is good.  Think carefully about where you place your microphone in relation to the sound.

Your microphone location is where your listener “virtually” stands or sits when hearing the effect.  Do you want the sound to be off-mic or on-mic?

Including music in your podcast

Unless you are making a music program, use music carefully.

The best purpose I can see for music in a spoken word, factual podcast is for pacing (especially if it is a lengthy program), and creating mood or atmosphere.

You’re not playing music to entertain but to keep energy levels up or create an atmosphere.

So you don’t need to use the whole track – just use the first two or three seconds of a theme or jingle then fade it to a voice over will be all you need to create the mood.

When choosing your music, think about your audience.  What sounds good to one audience can be repulsive to another.  Make sure you choose music based on your audience’s preferences, not yours.

When it comes to voice-overs, make sure the level of your music bed is neither too low or high.    It needs to be high enough to be heard but not too high that it robs attention from your voice.

Remember, the voice is the most important factor, and your music is there to support it, not overwhelm it.

Editing spoken word for your podcast

If you’re using a digital editor such as Audacity, you have a powerful tool to tighten your podcast.  You can cut out stumbles and cleanly cut in and out of an interviewee’s comments, making it sound smooth and professional.  But make sure you edit carefully.

When editing, don’t just edit visually by recognizing shapes on the sound wave in front of you.  Listen to all your edits to ensure they sound smooth and natural.  Listen out for breathing, intonation and reflection.

Sound levels and mixing

Tools like Audacity make sound correction so easy.  When you have finished your podcast, check that the sound levels are uniform across the timeline.

If it’s an interview, you don’t want your voice to sound louder than your guest. Or if you have several segments, you don’t want one soft and the other booming.

Use the amplification effect in Audacity’s Effects menu to adjust your levels.  Make sure that they are consistent.

Finally, keep an eye on your music and sound effects levels.  They should be as loud as you can make them without their drawing attention away from what is being spoken.

Post Production

So we may not officially have a “post production” for audio or radio.  But these are just a few things to consider after you’ve recorded your pod.  Good luck!