Whether you’re a podcast host or not, you want to make sure you’re bringing the best quality audio to the show you’re recording for! In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 simple tips to upgrade and improve your recording quality as a podcast guest!
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin is produced by Gaffin Creative, a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. Learn more about our services at Gaffincreative.com, plus you’ll also find resources, show notes, and more for the Clocking In Podcast.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Mic Check Society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Come join us for educational trainings, a private member’s only community, and monthly calls! Get $10 off per month with code PODCAST at micchecksociety.com.
If you’re anything like me, you know how important quality audio is for a podcast. I have to have good solid audio in order for me to actually enjoy listening to a podcast episode. And that’s something that’s not just because I’m a Podcast Producer. It’s a preference I have just to enjoy listening to a podcast.
So today, what we’re talking about is specifically directed towards guests of podcast. So if you’re looking to pitch yourself to be on someone else’s podcast, I want you to be prepared, bring the best quality audio you have. This is also relevant for podcast hosts. If you are going on other shows, and you don’t have quality audio. I want you to reconsider how you’re doing this and how you’re approaching it. But also, are your guests bringing quality audio to you?
4 Tips to Have Quality Audio as a Podcast Guest
Invest in a microphone
There are so many microphones on the market. I’m going to include a few of my favorites. And the three that I’m going to include are mid range, they’re almost beginner level. We’re looking at a budget of $100 to about $250. But there are some really solid quality audio microphones out there that don’t break the bank. Because you can invest in a cheaper microphone, but it’s not going to sound that good. The biggest difference I’m seeing in microphone quality is a $60 microphone versus $100 microphone, that extra $40 can get you such better quality.
- Shure SM-58 (Haylee’s Microphone)
- Rode Podmic
- Shure MV7X XLR Podcast Mic
PS – Don’t forget to purchase or select the cord that works for your computer!
Wear headphones
A lot of times people will think that they don’t need to have headphones on because they have a microphone. That’s not the case. So why you need to be wearing headphones is because of feedback.
I cannot tell you how many podcast episodes I’ve edited where if I’m talking and the guest is talking and they don’t have headphones on. If we talk at the same time, the audio gets cut off for one of us. And it’s almost it’s not salvageable. When you have headphones on it eliminates any feedback, I can cut out any echo, there’s typically not any echo, versus when you’re not wearing headphones, there can be echo. So make it easier on your podcast host by wearing headphones so that there’s no feedback that they have to worry about because some podcasters are not editing their podcast.
Check your Internet connection & close programs you’re not using
Now the third thing I want you to do and this should come as an obvious tip, but I forget to do it all the time. Check your internet connection and close programs you’re not using. You would laugh at how many times I have gotten on a call and had 50 browser tabs open, I’ve had the script running in the background, notion running, slack running, my text messages are going off. When you are not running all of those programs you’re not going to get distracted, but also it’s not going to take up so much of your processor which can slow down your internet connection. It can lag your audio and your video, which results in some really funny conversations. You can’t understand yourself in a podcast recording.
And then in addition to that, make sure you are checking out your internet connection, because depending on the recording program that they use, it is recording on their end. And if you’re not coming through clearly, it’s going to record exactly what they hear, which causes a lot of delays and a lot of lags. So just check it and make sure that you have a solid internet connection so that your audio quality is coming through clearly.
Check your surroundings.
- Be aware of the room you’re in and how your mic pics up any echo. (you don’t have to record in a closet)
- Clean off your desk to remove distractions or bumping
- Notify those around you that you’re recording
Now, those are my four primary tips for solid quality audio. And like I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, I have a full training that walks you through all the details of these as both a podcast host and a guest.
So you can grab $10 off every single month inside of MIC CHECK society by using the code podcast.
Now if you’re a podcast host looking for the best way to communicate these four tips and more to your guests, I have created a set of copy and paste email templates to help you communicate with your guests. In one of those templates, it helps prepare your guests for recording by sharing all of these tips in one email. Not only that it does communicate every step of the way for your podcast guests, so make sure you grab them today at gaffincreative.com/shop.
Check the Show Notes:
Invest in a Microphone (2:55)
Wear Headphones (3:45)
Check your Internet Connection & Close Programs You’re Not Using (4:45)
Check Your Surroundings (6:05)
Review the Transcript:
If you’re anything like me, you know how important quality audio is, for a podcast, I have to have good solid audio in order for me to actually enjoy listening to a podcast episode. And that’s something that’s not just because I’m a Podcast Producer. It’s a preference I have just to enjoy listening to a podcast. So today, what we’re talking about is specifically directed towards guests of podcast. So if you’re looking to pitch yourself to be on someone else’s podcast, I want you to be prepared, bring the best quality audio you have. This is also relevant for podcast hosts. If you are going on other shows, and you don’t have quality audio. I want you to reconsider how you’re doing this and how you’re approaching it. But also, are your guests bringing quality audio to you?
Hey, y’all, welcome to the clocking in Podcast, the podcast for podcasters entrepreneurs and professionals making their way in the working world while building their own personal brand in the podcasting industry. I’m your host Haylee Gaffin, owner of Gaffin creative a podcast production company for creative entrepreneurs. If you’re a podcaster, or even just dreaming about launching your own podcast someday, this show was built to help you merge your love of conversation, education and business. You can find resources, show notes and more for the clocking in podcast at Gap and creative.com.
Today’s episode is brought to you by MIC CHECK society, a community that was built for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great, scale your podcasts, improve your processes and connect with your listeners through our educational trainings, our private members only community and our monthly calls. Not only that, but we have specialized trainings every single month, one of which includes how to create solid audio quality for your podcast. And we’re walking you through every single detail of setting up to recording to even editing your podcast so that you have great quality audio. If you’re ready to join us, you can head over to Mic check society.com and enroll today. And you can get $10 off per month with the code podcast. Now let’s clock in and get to work. Whether you’re a podcast host or not, You’re likely listening to this because you want to make sure that you’re bringing the best quality audio as a podcast guest to the show that you’re on.
Whether that’s your own, or when you’re being interviewed on. I want to highlight that I believe that quality audio is so important on a podcast. And that’s why I’m sharing this information with you today. You as a guest Do you have a slight responsibility to bring quality audio to a show. So let’s talk about what you can do in order to ensure that you’re bringing quality audio. Now the first thing is invest in a microphone, there are so many microphones on the market. And what I’m going to do is I’m going to include a few of my favorites. And the three that I’m gonna include our mid range, they’re almost beginner level, like we’re looking at a budget of $100 to, it’s probably going to go up to 250, I need to look at the latest on these microphone prices. But there are some really solid quality audio microphones out there that don’t break the bank. Because you can invest in a cheaper microphone, but it’s not going to sound that good. The biggest difference I’m seeing in microphone quality is a $60 microphone versus $100 microphone, that extra $40 can get you such better quality. So make sure you head to the show notes. I will link some of my favorites in there. And some of the ones that I’ve been recommending to my clients as well. Now the second thing I want you to do is wear headphones. So let me explain the importance of these. Because a lot of times people will think that they don’t need to have headphones on because they have a microphone. That’s not the case. So why you need to be wearing headphones is because of feedback. I cannot tell you how many podcast episodes I’ve edited where if I’m talking and the guest is talking and they don’t have headphones on. If we talk at the same time, the audio gets cut off for one of us. And it’s almost it’s not salvageable. When you have headphones on it eliminates any feedback, I can cut out any echo, there’s typically not any echo, versus when you’re not wearing headphones, there can be echo. So make it easier on your podcast host by wearing headphones so that there’s no feedback that they have to worry about because some podcasters are not editing their podcast.
So you want to make it as simple and seamless as possible for them. Now the third thing I want you to do and this should come as an obvious tip, but I forget to do it all the time. So that’s why it’s included is check your internet connection. In closed programs you’re not using, you would laugh at how many times, I have gotten on a call and had 50. browser tabs open, I’ve had the script running in the background, notion running slack running, my text messages are going off, when you are not running all of those programs, when you’re not going to get distracted, but to it’s not going to take up so much of your processor on your computer, which can slow down your internet connection, it can lag your audio and your video, which results in some really funny conversations, you can’t understand yourself in a podcast recording. And then in addition to that, make sure you are checking out your internet connection, because depending on the recording program that they use, it is recording on their end. And if you’re not coming through, clearly, it’s going to record exactly what they hear, which causes a lot of delays and a lot of lags. So just check it and make sure that you have a solid internet connection so that your audio quality is coming through clearly. Now the fourth tip I have for you is to check your surroundings, be aware of the room that you’re in and how your mic picks up any echo. And I’m going to share an unpopular opinion here. But I don’t believe that you have to record in a closet. I don’t when you invest in a good solid quality microphone, you do not have to record in a closet. I’m currently recording in the middle of my office on a Shure SM five, eight, I believe it’s what I’m recording on. And it will be one of the microphones I link in the show notes. So just I want to give you that, that permission to get out of your closet, especially when you upgrade your microphone. Now, another way to check your surroundings is clean off your desk and remove any distractions or bumping because your microphone is going to pick it up. I edited out so many like paper rustling and phone’s vibrating and all the things. And it’s because we don’t realize what’s being picked up because you as a guest, or you as a host are probably not the one doing the backend work of your podcast. But when you’re doing those things while you’re talking, it’s almost impossible to remove that.
So I just want to highlight that you you want to make sure that you’re not creating those distractions from what you’re saying, by bumping into things. And this could also mean your microphone, if you have a desk stand for your microphone. I started that way. And I very quickly realized that every time I hit my desk by my microphone vibrated. And then that caused a vibration and a sound and a glitch. So if you are someone who does talk with your hands a lot like I do, you may want to invest in a microphone arm that could be a floor stand arm or like one that attaches to the side of your desk, that one will still have that bumping if you bumped the desk too hard. But I personally am using a floor stand now. And then the last thing is to notify those around you that you’re recording. It’s so easy for people to walk in, in talking turn on TV and turn on music if they don’t know that you’re recording podcast episode, so make sure that you notify those around you. Now, those are my four primary tips for solid quality audio. And like I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, I have a full training that walks you through all the details of these as both a podcast host and a guest. So you can grab $10 off every single month inside of MIC CHECK society by using the code podcast. Now if you’re a podcast host looking for the best way to communicate these four tips and more to your guests, I have created a set of copy and paste email templates to help you communicate with your guests. In one of those templates, it helps prepare your guests for recording by sharing all of these tips in one email. Not only that it does communicate every step of the way for your podcast guests, so make sure you grab them today at Gaffin creative.com Ford slash shop. I hope today’s episode has helped you reevaluate what your microphone setup looks like what your podcast recording setup looks like, and prepares you a little bit more for pitching yourself to podcast hosts. If you enjoyed today’s episode, I would absolutely love it if you would leave a rating and review. We are ramping up our content here on clocking in and I’m excited to share even more with you in the coming weeks, especially as we approach two years of the clocking in podcast. Talk to you soon.
Thank you so much for listening to clocking in with Haylee Gaffin for resources mentioned in today’s episode. Go to head to Gaffin creative.com. If you’re a podcaster looking for a community that will help you improve your podcast, make sure you check out my check society, our community for podcasters who are looking to take their podcast from good to great. Enroll today at Mic check society.com and use code podcast for $10 off per month. If you love this episode, I’d be honored if you’d leave me a review in the Apple podcast app. Until next time, I’m your host Haylee Gaffin clocking out
