Podcast Audio Best Practices - Liam Gousios - Creating The Greatest Show - Episode # 005

The way your podcast sounds is the key to getting anyone to listen beyond the first 10 seconds! Liam Gousios is a Podcast Producer, Digital Media Specialist, and Audio Engineering Expert at Ringmaster. Liam pulls back the curtain on all the audio tips and tricks so you can make your podcast sound incredible. You learn why your recording environment is more important than your mic, how to use your microphone, and you’ll even get to hear a comparison of different types of microphones.   Takeaways:It’s crucial to start with the best possible audio quality that you can give your microphone. Because your microphone will pick up whatever sound is in your environment, you need to choose your recording location carefully.When looking for a recording room, look for the quietest overall space, then listen for any noise that could be there. Ask yourself if that noise is something you can control or not.Signal flow is the path that sound takes from your mouth all the way to the listeners’ ears. There are many steps along the way but your audio quality is unable to get better through each step. That’s why maximizing the initial audio quality is paramount. Treating your recording space can help, but you need to be intentional in your approach. A small amount of foam in the corners of the room is enough to help, so you don’t need to cover every square inch with it.Adding soft furniture, carpets, and wall art are easy ways to cut down on echoes from reflective surfaces like glass. If needed, you can also try hanging up heavy blankets around the room to improve your audio. While the general rule of thumb for positioning your microphone is about six inches away from your mouth, you need to play around and test out what works best for you. Make sure that you are comfortable because it’s easy to move your mic to the right spot.There are two major decisions you need to make when choosing a microphone. First, you need to choose between USB or XLR connections. Second, will you need a Dynamic or Condenser microphone? Choose your mic based on your use case.   Quote of the Show:“My most important strategy for creating a great podcast is knowing how to use your microphone properly” - Liam Gousios   Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-gousios-586045139/ Personal website: http://wgousios.com/ Company website: https://ringmaster.com/    Ways to Tune In:Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/12f108ea-018f-44a6-8bb0-9444e9cbf3cc Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creating-the-greatest-show/id1638399900Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1B7OnWCGoxBRzH2rbkEFIf Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NyZWF0aW5ndGhlZ3JlYXRlc3RzaG93L2ZlZWQueG1sPodchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/creating-the-greatest-show-4823789 YouTube: https://youtu.be/9_Cn_W_rL9E   Creating The Greatest Show is produced and sponsored by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/