Don’t use these 5 things when recording a podcast

It makes sense to spend some effort and resources to present yourself in a professional manner, don’t you think? Despite what we’re told, people do judge a book by its cover. The way you dress, the way you show up, your home or your office reflects well or poorly on your brand.

 We’ve spent more time than ever meeting people on Zoom meetings. We don’t (or shouldn’t) rock up for a video conference in rags. We make an effort with our surroundings, so that people feel confident in us and our professionalism.

We’re visual creatures and we judge on appearances.

But, have you thought about the way you sound? If you don’t have your own podcast, perhaps you’re being invited as a guest to speak on one. If so, have you considered how professional you sound?

It actually makes a difference. I’ve written about it before: the quality of your recording affects the way people conceive of you and what you say.

So, when it comes to equipment, whether you’re hosting a podcast or whether you’re a guest, don’t use these five things!

1. Don’t use headsets!

By his rapturous smile, you can tell this dude just loves the new headset he’s been given. It’s because he’s secured a new job in a call centre. It makes sense: he’ll be on the phone all day, and so it’s easier for him to not have to pick up and put out down a receiver. That’s the purpose with the design of the headset. It’s NOT designed for podcasting. In fact, they’re awful for a podcast recording.

The microphone is tiny, plasticky and as a result his voice sounds “small” and tinny. It doesn’t capture the lower bass of his range, and so it loses the authority his voice conveys.

Furthermore, it’s very difficult to position the microphone in the sweet spot. Often the mic arm is too close, and so it’s subject to those awful popping noises. If he moves it away from his mouth, then it makes his voice even smaller and tinnier.

2. Don’t use earbuds!

Yes, I know, I know, you see people on TV being interviewed all the time wearing the Apple AirPods. That’s no reason or excuse to use them yourself. The mouthpiece to the AirPod isn’t anywhere near the mouth. Unless you have a mouth just below your earlobes, the inbuilt microphone at the stem of the AirPods is just not going to pick up the quality of your voice as it would from a proper USB microphone positioned right in front of you.

The AirPod was designed as a more convenient way to speak to someone on the iPhone, without having to tangle yourself up in cords. It wasn’t designed for a podcast recording.

3. Don’t use wireless headPHONES.

 In fact, don’t use wireless anything when it comes to a podcast recording. You’re opening yourself up to a world of trouble when using wireless. Wireless headphones are not nearly as reliable as corded headphones. They have a habit of skipping or not connecting properly.

Often, they have a built-in microphone, which can override the other microphone you have plugged in to your computer. If you don’t think that’s a problem, well it’s the same issue as AirPods , in that the microphone is far from your mouth.

There can be serious issues trying to sync the headphones when using online recording software that you’re not familiar with. Just don’t use them.

(And, fellas, don’t wear braces.)

4. Don’t use Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams

These platforms were designed for webinars and video conferences. They don’t record audio at studio quality – they don’t have the capacity to do that. They record automatically in the cloud, which results in jilted, skipped audio. The automatic echo-cancellation exacerbates the poor audio quality.

Instead, use SquadCast or Riverside. Both were designed for podcast recording. They each record the host and guest separately and locally. Only once the recording is finished, do they send the high quality audio (wav files) to the cloud to be downloaded.

5. Don’t use a large unfurnished room to record in

Think of your surroundings when you record. Not everyone has a fitted recording studio, but it doesn’t take much effort to find a carpeted space to furnish and to reduce the amount of bare walls and windows. Put some heavy drapes over the window, for instance.

Use a quality dynamic microphone, like the Shure MV7, which focuses on the audio closer to your mouth and not the tiny noises around the room, like a condenser mic will.

And remember…

With so many podcasts to choose from now, it doesn’t cut it anymore to sound ordinary.