It truly is the halcyon days for creators looking to record a podcast remotely. There have never been so many brilliant online call recording options out there, and many go beyond simple recording.

All eight call recording apps were tested on this episode of Podcraft, the show that teaches you everything you need to know about podcasting. Subscribe or follow on your listening app of choice!

In this roundup, you’ll find options for every use case, need, and budget. So, let’s explore the best platforms for remote podcast recording.

A quick heads up that we use affiliate links for some of the tools mentioned here. This means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, though at no extra cost to yourself. Affiliates help to support all the free content we put out. On top of that, we only set up partnerships with services we’ve used and liked ourselves.

Record a Podcast Remotely With SquadCast

SquadCast is one of the big popular call recorder platforms. It has some cool AI tools, too, including filler word removal, overdub, and “AI-eye contact”, which means you’ll never look away from the camera again.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment. You can save on all of these tiers by paying yearly.
  • Free (an hour of recordings per month)
  • $19 (10 hours of recordings a month)
  • $35 (30 hours of recordings a month)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try SquadCast

Record a Podcast Remotely With Riverside.fm

Riverside.fm is another one of the biggest and most popular call recorder platforms on the planet, offering an impressive range of features for podcasters.

• Cost
  • Free (Record up to 2 hours total of watermarked files)
  • $19 (Record up to 5 hours per month)
  • $29 (Record up to 15 hours per month)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try Riverside

Record a Podcast Remotely With Alitu

Alitu is a podcast maker app with a built-in call recorder. It has all the features needed to run a podcast, including intuitive editing and production tools, auto-generated transcription, and hosting.

• Cost – $38 per month gives you access to ALL of Alitu’s editing, production, and publishing tools, as well as unlimited call recording.
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – Yes

Try Alitu

Record a Podcast Remotely With Iris.fm

Iris is an up-and-coming call recorder with some great offerings for podcasters looking to record multi-channel audio and video. With Iris, you’re not encouraged to use Chrome or any specific browser, either – it works on them all.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment
  • $9 (2 hours of recording time)
  • $19 (5 hours of recording time)
  • $29 (10 hours of recording time)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try Iris

Record a Podcast Remotely With Cleanfeed

Cleanfeed is a web-based tool for high-quality live audio recording, often used in radio and broadcasting. It allows multitrack recording and real-time collaboration. It’s one of the best options out there for folks looking to record calls for free.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment
  • Free (unlimited recording, up to two guests)
  • $34 (unlimited recording, up to 32 guests)
  • Annual payment savings available
  • Discount available for charities, schools, etc.
• Video – Yes, for $2500 per year
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try Cleanfeed

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zoom

Zoom is the conference call app that helped the world run during the pandemic. One of Zoom’s big pluses is that almost everyone has used it. The trade-off, however, is that the audio quality can sometimes be poor. There’s also a time limitation of 40 minutes with recordings on their free tier.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment
  • Free (40min max)
  • $14.99 per month (up to 100 participants)
  • $19.99 per month (up to 300 participants)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try Zoom

Record a Podcast Remotely With Streamyard

Streamyard is a live streaming and recording tool that enables professional-looking broadcasts with overlays and branding. It supports multistreaming to different platforms and easy guest participation. Streamyard is ideal for live shows, interviews, and social media streaming.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment
  • Free (with Streamyard branded logo and 2 hours per month limit)
  • $44.99 per month (10 on-screen participants. Unlimited streaming and recording.)
  • $88.99 per month (multistream to eight destinations simultaneously)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – No

Try Streamyard

Record a Podcast Remotely With Zencastr

Zencastr was the first multitrack call recording tool I ever used, and it’s still going strong to this day. They have an iOS app, a handy AI clip highlights tool for video podcasters, and you can host your podcast there, too.

• Cost – Tiered monthly payment with annual savings available
  • $20 per month (Unlimited recording hours, uploads, and hosting)
  • $30 per month (4k video, direct publish to YouTube)
  • $30 per month (Two shows, two teams seats)
  • Annual payment savings available
• Video – Yes
• Podcast Hosting – Yes

Try Zencastr

Use coupon code THEPODCASTHOST for 20% off the first three months of a monthly pro subscription with Zencastr. 

Okay, So What’s the BEST Podcast Call Recording App?

The good news is that there are many quality podcast call recording options. The bad news is that it can be hard to choose one. In podcasting, there’s rarely a single “best” option for anything. But here’s a quick rundown of some factors that might help you decide.

Remember, you’ll get a free trial with any of the call recorder apps mentioned here, too!

Going Free

If you need to go free, it’s hard to see past Cleanfeed. You might also consider the alternative “double-ender” option discussed below.

Multi-Track Options With Video

Zencastr, Riverside, and SquadCast are the current big three Zoom alternatives for video and multi-track recording, though you can save money using Iris if you record less than two hours a month.

These platforms record audio and video locally and upload separate speaker files to the cloud. This allows you to manually edit and clean up each speaker and avoids any potential call connection issues.

All-In-One Package at One Flat Rate

If you’re after pure simplicity and more of an “all-in-one” solution, then opt for Alitu. In addition to remote recording, it’ll allow you to do audio cleanup, volume levelling, editing (including text-based editing), add music, produce your final episode, and create transcriptions, all in one user-friendly interface.

Alitu’s automatic Noise Reduction in action!

Alitu also includes podcast hosting, so you don’t need to sign up for a separate account to upload and distribute your show to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever podcasts are found.

With Alitu, you can easily clean up, edit, and sync calls recorded with any other tool mentioned here, too!

What Call Recording Apps CAN’T Do

As you’ve no doubt learned by now, these tools can do A LOT. From cloud recording, backup, and storage to HD video, editing and production tools. Some can even host your podcast for you.

But, remote recording tools alone can’t make you sound good. The quality of any recording depends largely on equipment, environment, and mic technique.

You could use state-of-the-art call online recorder software, and it would still sound terrible if your guest were recording on a laptop mic in their bathroom.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a master audio producer to get this right. Or, to coach your guests to get optimal sound quality from them.

Check out some of the best entry-level recording kit for podcasters, our guide to mic technique, how to optimise your recording space, and our free online microphone test resource. That’ll help get you set up on those fronts!

An Alternative – “The Double Ender” – No Call Recorder App Needed!

If you’d like to know how to record a podcast without extra software, then let’s look at the ‘double-ender’.

In this method, each guest or co-host takes responsibility for recording their own audio at the source.

That might be opening up their recording/editing software and running that to record their voice as they talk to their fellow participants.

Or it might be using a completely separate mic and digital recorder to eliminate the risk of loss of audio due to computer issues.

In any case, with all being well, the producer will have quality recordings of each participant on independent tracks to work with in post-production.

This is a good way to record if one (or both) of you struggle to maintain a stable internet connection.

If you’re doing this, just remember to run a backup recording on something like Zoom. That way, if someone forgets to hit record, all isn’t lost!

Hardware Vs Software for Remote Calls

If you prefer physical equipment to software, there are a few great options for recording podcasts remotely. Check out the Zoom PodTrak P4 , Focusrite Vocaster, and Rode Rodecaster Pro II.

Other audio interface and digital recorder options are available, but those two have built-in call recorder features, so you don’t need to knock up some elaborate setup to make them work in this way.

What Next?

Hopefully you found a tool that works for you. Or, maybe you decided that remote call recording platforms aren’t a good fit for your podcast. If that’s the case, fear not. We have some more handy guides to help you on your way.

• How to Record a Podcast
• Best Podcast Recording Software
• Podcast Maker Apps

If you’re still at an early stage, we also have a full guide on how to start a podcast, which walks you through everything you need to know. And, if you’d like the help, support, and friendship of those in a similar boat, be sure to join us in the IndiePod Community.

To spare you the buzzwords, OpusClip uses AI to pick out video clips from your podcast that are most likely to “go viral.” Audio-only podcasters can also benefit, with a static image in the video. Some of OpusClips’ features are concrete, but curation’s quality is in the eye of the beholder.

Can OpusClip deliver on its promise? Let’s find out. 

Our link to OpusClip is an affiliate, meaning we’d earn a small commission should you choose to buy through it, never at any extra cost. Rest assured, though, that affiliates never stop us from giving our honest opinions about products or services – we always review fairly!

What is OpusClip?

OpusClip is AI-powered software that edits moments from your podcast episode into easy-to-share clips that you can repurpose to promote your show. Our guide to AI podcasting tools includes software like this: OpusClip stands apart from others because it uses OpenAI to assign a “Viral Score” to your podcast content.

Four aspects make up the overall score: Hook, Flow, Value, and Trend. Later, we’ll look at those qualities in greater detail. For now, all you need to know is that each element gets a letter grade to make up the overall score. 

Hover your cursor over each attribute to see why the software picked this particular clip and how it earned that grade. In this case, OpusClip picked a section with words that could get some audiences hot under the collar.

How Does OpusClip Work?

To work, OpusClip needs a video version of your podcast episode. You can add your video to OpusClip’s dashboard by uploading a video file or copying/pasting a URL. OpusClip accepts YouTube, Vimeo, Zoom, Rumble, or Streamyard links.

OpusClip transcribes the video, adds any prompts you’ve typed, analyzes the text, and picks the sections with the “most compelling hooks.” Then, it uses OpenAI to edit short clips from the video, adds the transcripts again, and calculates the “virality score” for you to evaluate.

Depending on the length of your video and how many people are talking, editing and processing can take 15-30 minutes.

OpusClip’s menu of options lets you edit manually in the software, download to edit and share on your own, and/or send directly to social media.

OpusClip’s automatic editing includes animated captions and emojis. At different price tiers, you can add “B-roll footage” or stock video (from Pexels, or AI-generated in OpusClip) to enhance your points. OpusClip’s stock video library could benefit audio-only podcasters. As it stands, the B-Roll feature is in beta and uses AI to match video to your audio. The automatic video editing feature relies on AI to frame the subject on-screen. Sometimes, it even works!

OpusClip can automatically post to all your social media platforms from its dashboard. 

How OpusClip Curates Podcast Content: A Test

When testing the tool, I used an episode of my podcast, The Audio Drama Writers’ Independent Toolkit (ADWIT). This episode discussed five-act structure and plotting a narrative arc over a podcast season.

When I uploaded the clip, OpusClip’s AI awarded the highest score to the least relevant section in the entire episode. Let me explain.

My favorite communication tool is “the weird example.” I explain how something works, then illustrate it with… a weird example. Case in point: using the train analogy to explain how RSS feeds work. Once you read or hear the example, you know:

• what I meant, with a clearer mental picture
• not to take the substance of the example too seriously
• a human wrote the article. AI would never say anything weird, right?

In this case, OpusClip latched onto “the weird example,” treating it as the episode’s thesis. Again, the episode was about the five-act narrative structure, not social issues.

I’ve been digging through OpusClips’ support documents and promotional copy, and I can’t figure out how the tool selects clips or determines scores. The company’s most sensible explanation was that they compare your podcast episode to other videos that users share organically across social media platforms.

OpusClip added this list of bullet points for clarification: 

• “There’s a ton of really complicated AI stuff going under the hood that might make your head spin.
• We’ve machine-learned all the sweetest tricks of short video editing at every turn by collaborating with top-notch video editors.
• Ultimately we’re only serving up the dopest results straight to you with no fuss.”

Well, thank goodness. I certainly wouldn’t want my podcast promotion strategy to use anything less than the dopest. Or to have my head spin, for that matter. 

What Kind of Results Can I Expect from OpusClip? 

I tested OpusClip on several different kinds of files:

• audio-only podcast episode with a solo host
• co-hosted audio-only podcast episode
• audio drama audio-only podcast with multiple speakers and dialects
• a video podcast episode with three speakers.

Here are the positive and negative attributes that I found from testing OpusClip.

OpusClip’s Good Results

• For audio-only podcasts with a static image, OpusClip is predictable and fairly quick. If you’ve used Headliner or other audiogram software, OpusClip won’t be too different.
• The transcription is reasonably accurate. I’d call it trustworthy, though it never hurts to check the details.

OpusClip’s Poor Results

• OpusClip uses some automated editing features to shorten silences. As a result, my audio included skips, adding jarring pops to the background sound. Automatically shortened silences can throw off a speaker’s cadence, too. Comedy podcasters, you know what the secret of comedy is, right?
• The automatic framing feature extended to the B-roll. Instead of selecting video clips from Pexels that matched the aspect ratio of the video OpusClip generated, the AI would try to make a relevant part of the selected image fit in the frame. In most cases, it didn’t. The AI-generated images fit in the frame but tended to be incongruous.
• As I said earlier, yes, OpusClip’s transcription is very good. Proofread it anyway. Though OpusClip had no trouble transcribing words like “Jotunheim,” (pronouncing the J as a Y sound),  Jarnsaxa Rising was spelled Yarn Socks Arising.
• Opus Clip uses AI to title each clip: you can’t edit the titles manually. If you want to make any changes to the title, click “Re-Title,” and then choose whether you want the title to be “interesting,” “catchy,” “serious,” or a “question.” So much for your innate understanding of your own podcast, right?

To sum it up, OpusClip selects clips from your podcast that resemble other examples of viral videos. Then, OpusClip edits and captions the clips. It’s fast, and transcription is mostly accurate. 

OpusClip Pricing and Features

OpusClip’s pricing is reasonable and offers a free tier. Here’s what’s on offer:

Free ($0)

OpusClip’s free tier provides 60 processing minutes per month, up to 1080p rendered clips, and AI captions with emoji and keyword highlighter. The interface can re-frame the video automatically. This level has an OpusClip watermark on the video. No editing options are available. OpusClip will save the video clips in your account for three days, so export them as soon as possible.

Starter ($15)

At $15 per month, OpusClip’s Starter tier offers all the features from the Free tier, plus 150 processing minutes per month, AI animated captions in over twenty languages, AI clipping with Virality Score, automatic posting to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, or you can download the clip. The editing tools can remove filler words and silences, and you can remove the OpusClip watermark. Users have thirty days to edit or download any unsaved projects.

Pro ($29)

OpusClip’s Pro tier offers everything the other tiers offer, plus 300 processing minutes per month, two users in the team workspace, and two brand templates. You also get access to the AI B-roll generator, the option to export to Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, multiple aspect ratios, a social media scheduler, and the option to add custom fonts. Pro is the only tier that gives you access to customer support via Intercom chat.

Currently, the Pro tier is $14.50 a month if you pay for the year up front ($174).

You can also purchase additional credits if needed.

Clip Curation: The DIY Method

If accuracy matters more to you than speed and you enjoy editing, you can pick out clips and share them yourself, using human intelligence. OpusClip’s stated criteria can help. If you want to extract clips from your own podcast, OpusClip’s four scoring elements – Hook, Flow, Value, and Trend – provide some guidance.

This clip from Colin’s interview with Arielle Nissenblatt of Earbuds Collective shows the four criteria clearly, so let’s use that as an example.

Here’s OpusClip’s criteria, and how this video illustrates each:

Hooks

Open with a hook. In other words, a short sentence with a strong emotional and/or dramatic element. Here’s where you can make a bold statement and back it up with lived experience. In this case, Arielle says, “In July of 2021, I had a tweet go viral,” and tells why this tweet is still shared today.

Coherence

Make sure the information in the clip flows coherently. As OpusClip says, “Clear transitions between statements enhance overall coherence and lead to a more satisfying conclusion.” Arielle talks about her tweet, how nearly everyone in podcasting has had an experience similar to the content in her tweet, and how consistent posting of relatable, useful content keeps her audience responding. If you understand paragraph structure, you’ll be fine.

Value

Provide value, such as the answer to a question or solving a problem, illustrated by personal experience that means something emotionally. Along with the consistency Arielle mentions, she says, “I see myself as an anti-gatekeeper, I guess a gate opener: I just think if I know something, you should probably know it too.” The values she shares are openness and a willingness to help others succeed. Anyone can benefit from that.

Trends

Align the information in the clip with current social media trends. In this case, OpusClip said that “podcasting” and “content creation” are trending themes. Be careful with this tactic: don’t let trends overrule your content. There’s a difference between relevance and repeating popular buzzwords.

Much of this is common sense. While listening to your recordings (or, better yet, transcribe your episode and read along in the editing stage), you can keep your ears open for moments that match OpusClip’s criteria. If you know how to make a cogent proposition, you can pick clips from your podcast episode that will matter to your audience.

Can OpusClip Promote Your Podcast?

OpusClip examines and edits your podcast episode into bite-sized, palatable samples. This saves time in your overall podcast promotion strategy. Right now, nearly every Instagram reel uses OpusClip’s default font, so it may seem like “everybody’s doing it.” But, going back and listening to your audio attentively, then editing, helps you stop mistakes before publishing and spark ideas for future work.

I’m sceptical about the claim that OpusClip’s artificial intelligence can pick what parts of your content are most likely to be shared. Every podcast is different. No two audiences or podcast niches are alike. How can one company insist their software can pull clips from different podcasts, whether Gardening with the RHS or This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and get the same kind of engagement?

Are you faithful to your content and audience if you’re copying trending videos? As I write this, “Taylor Swift” is a trending topic on Google. If Arielle and Colin had started talking about Taylor Swift, it might have grabbed attention, but only because it was disingenuous. I think you catch my drift.

If you’ve ever bought a piece of clothing that says “one size fits all,” you know what that means – it’ll fit, but not very well. That works for hats but not trousers. If you’re strapped for time, with many videos to edit and post, and need a high degree of transcription accuracy, then yes, OpusClip can save you time and promote your podcast.

However, a one-size-fits-all strategy may lead to producing clips that go viral for the wrong reasons.

Would you rather have many people notice your podcast, whether they like it or not, or develop a smaller audience of fans who care about your ideas? Before you invest in the latest AI-driven fad, check out our guide to 9 Ways to Measure Your Podcast Audience Engagement. When you know more about the people in your audience, you can build community and create word-of-mouth recommendations. AI might be able to pick the dopest clips, but it can’t make friends.

In this article, I’ll cover the key considerations and various options for setting up your own home recording space. The aim is to get you recording pro-sounding audio as soon as possible and for as little money as possible. After all, we don’t want poor sound to prevent you from doing what matters most—actually launching your show.

Let’s kick off by looking at a few terms you’ve probably heard before…

Sound Proofing, Or Sound Treatment?

Firstly, it’s worth clarifying something that many podcasters tend to get confused over.

There’s a big difference between sound “proofing” and sound “treatment”.

To “soundproof” a room means you are isolating it from any unwanted external noise elsewhere in the building.

There’s a misconception that putting up foam acoustic tiles on a wall is “soundproofing” the room. But that isn’t going to impact noise bleeding through from outside.

We’ll talk about soundproofing further on. But first, what about sound treatment?

To “sound treat” a room means improving its audio quality. So why might you want to do that?

Acoustics & Reverb

Buying a top-of-the-range podcast microphone or premium podcasting gear is all well and good, but if you’re recording your show in a bathtub, it’s still going to sound bad. Here, we need to focus on the sound quality of the space and choose a space to find the characteristics of a recording studio rather than a squash court.

Excessive reverb or echo on your voice can make your show sound amateurish. A room with a lot of hard and bare surfaces will have your voice bouncing around like a pinball machine.

On the other hand, a room with many soft and furnished surfaces will prevent that from happening. Think of how your voice sounds in the bedroom compared to in the bathroom.

Finding the best-sounding room or podcasting space in your house is a great starting point if you can’t get a dedicated podcast room set up. For most people, improvisation is key.

Improvising Your Home Podcast Studio

There are numerous reasons why you might not be able to create your own dedicated podcast room or podcast home studio. Whether you share the house with your family or flatmates, or you simply don’t have the space, a permanent setup isn’t an option for everyone.

So what are your options?

1. Use a preexisting area. This might simply be the best-sounding (softest furnished) room in your house, or it might be a walk-in wardrobe full of hanging clothes—anything to cut down on ambient noise.
2. Localised treatment. Instead of worrying about the sound of the room as a whole, create a small ‘studio’ around yourself and your audio equipment. Here, you can pop your mic into a cat bed or surround it with pillows. Or, you could drape a duvet over a clothes rack and get inside it with your microphone. Granted, with these setups you might look a bit silly when you’re recording, but that’s not an issue when you’re working in audio.

Whatever setup you put together though, just make sure it’s comfortable enough to actually record a full podcast episode in. High-quality audio is one thing, doing yourself a back injury is another!

Semi-Permanent Setups

If you have a bit more room in your house, you can set up a home podcast studio that can still be used for other non-audio purposes.

You can buy or make sound-treated baffling boards or partitions on stands. These can be set up to form a mini ‘dead room’ around your recording area and tidied away afterwards—though you’ll still need a reasonable amount of room to store them.

Another option is to use acoustic blankets or curtains which can be hung on rails or hooks.

Though these are easier to tidy away, they are a bit more permanent in the sense that you’ll probably have to attach something to your wall to support them. For more on this, check out our review on using acoustic blankets for podcasting.

Permanent Setups

If you do have the luxury of commandeering a spare room or walk-in cupboard, then life immediately becomes a whole lot easier.

I converted a walk-in cupboard in my house into a home studio/vocal booth a few years ago. I measured the walls, ceiling, and door, before ordering an equivalent amount of 12″ x 12″ acoustic foam tiles.

I deliberated over how I was going to attach them to the wall. There were a few different options.

• Velcro tape – not the cheapest, and I had visions of the tiles falling off too much.
• Specialist adhesive – designed specifically for these tiles. Quite expensive and a bit too permanent.
• Glue – far too permanent. If I move house I want to take my tiles with me, and without leaving bits of them all over the walls.

We were decorating the rest of the house at the time, so I tried some wallpaper paste. It worked a treat holding the tiles firmly in place, and when I peeled one off it left very little foam stuck to the wall.

None of the tiles have fallen off (over 5 years later), not even the ones on the roof.

If you have this luxury, you might want to think even more about the aesthetics so that the space can double as a video studio or a place to grab photos to help promote your show. Video can be a great way to promote a podcast as part of your content stack. Here are some good ideas on how to level up the look of the space for video.

Sound Proofing a Room

Maybe you have a spare room that you plan to turn into a permanent home podcast studio. Before you go ahead and dive in though, there are a few things to consider.

Will sound treatment alone be enough?

Unless you’re custom building a room from scratch, soundproofing is very much about prevention, rather than cure…

External/Internal Noise Considerations for Your Home Podcast Studio

Here are some considerations when aiming to make your home podcast studio silent from unwanted noise.

• Are any of the walls of the room external or joined to your neighbour’s house? Does your neighbour tend to play the drums, watch the television at a high volume, or have a dog that never stops barking?
• Is there a window in the room? Does it back onto a busy street with lots of noise outside?
• Does the room have anything in it that might make noise? By this, I mean anything that can’t be moved. A boiler, a gas meter that clicks sporadically, that sort of thing.
• Are you recording near an AC unit, or even, a loud fridge? You can turn a fridge off, but it’s almost certain that you’ll forget to turn it back on. One great tip for this comes from Ric Viers (The Sound Effects Bible) who suggests putting your keys or wallet in the fridge when you unplug it. Be warned, this is always a good one to have to explain when someone else inevitably finds them in there!

Though you can deaden a room from reverb, external noises are a different matter, so take this into consideration before you buy $200 worth of sound treatment.

If the bulk of unwanted noise comes from outside, you might get away with blocking the window. But if the building has paper-thin walls that bleed sound, you’d probably be better off just recording in your car or even outside.

Don’t Forget the Sound Quality Basics of a Home Studio

Sure, you can spend days, weeks, or even months developing the right space or surroundings for your studio. But don’t neglect the absolute basics. While I probably don’t have to remind you, here is a quick list of things to prioritise in your home podcast studio.

• Remember to use a quality microphone, whether it is a USB or an XLR mic. Ultimately, the input you use affects the output you get. 
• Buy or make a pop filter for your microphone. No one likes going deaf from exuberant plosives.  
• Headphones are an absolute must-have. Quality is less important here, but headphone comfort is key for longer recordings. 
• Choose the software package that works best for you. It might be a Digital Audio Workstation like Audacity or Audition or a Podcast Maker app like Alitu.

By the way, Redfin reached out to several podcast experts (including us!) to get the best advice on how to create the ultimate podcast space in your house. From installing noise buffering materials to helping you create a cosy, quiet, and welcoming environment, these tips can help take your space and your podcast to the next level. Check out 12 Expert Tips to Create the Ultimate Podcast Space.

Summary: Home Podcast Studio Considerations

The bottom line is deciding on what best suits you, your home, your budget, and your podcast.

Is it vitally important that you have no reverb or background ambience at all? This might be the case if you’re running a business show and want it to sound really professional. Or, if you’re recording an audio drama.

If not, your home podcast studio might take the form of a bedroom, with a few cushions propped around the mic—or even the aforementioned cat bed! That’ll do just fine for most.

If you need to get the cleanest sound possible but have no permanent space, then it might add a bit of time to your podcasting schedule. This will allow you to set up and dismantle your temporary ‘home studio’, but the audio quality results can be worth it.

External and internal sounds that you have no control over can creep into your recordings, so you need to decide which ones you can live with and which ones you’d really rather not hear in your podcast.

Finally, do you have any money to spend on foam tiles or acoustic blankets, or do you need to use household items (duvets, towels, etc) for your sound dampening? The latter can be just as effective, even if they don’t look as good, so don’t worry if you’re working with a small to non-existent budget.

Need More Help Improving Your Audio?

Prevention is always better than cure, and recording the best possible source material is key to running a great-sounding podcast.

However, things don’t always go to plan, and we can’t control everything. Sometimes, there might be a bit of ongoing background noise you just can’t eliminate, from an AC Unit to a hissing guest microphone. Other times, it could be loud, jarring, intermittent noises, like dogs barking, phones ringing, or alarms going off.

So, what can be done about it?

Well, there are tools out there that can help strip out unwanted noise and clean up your recordings. They can also boost and level up the volumes and generally make the vocals sound more “broadcastable.”

Noise Reduction in action, with Alitu

One such tool is the ‘Podcast Maker’ Alitu. With Alitu, you can record, edit, produce, and publish your podcast from within its dashboard, and it’s easier to navigate than your average social media site. If this sounds well up your street, why not try it out for free and see (hear!?) for yourself?

When recording a podcast at home, background noise, like passing traffic, can be a big problem. That’s before we start looking at all the potential unwanted noises inside your house, too. Let’s face it: if sound control was easy, why would we need hi-tech recording studios?

At the end of the day, short of the aforementioned podcast studio, it’s very difficult to get rid of background noise altogether. But, here are seven tips to help you reduce, if not eliminate, non-constant background noise in your podcasts.

1. Choose a Dynamic Mic in Non-Studio Podcasting

Dynamic microphones tend to pick up a narrower range of sounds, both frequency and amplitude. This means they’ll pick up fewer sounds from far away and less annoying, non-voice-frequency audio.

Here’s a deeper look at what makes Dynamic mics different from their Condenser alternatives.

A Dynamic microphone, like the ever-popular Samson Q2U, has a heart-shaped pickup pattern. That means it’ll be much more responsive to you in front of the mic than to anything going on behind it.

The great thing about the Q2U is that it works as both a USB and XLR mic. This means that you can plug it into your computer and start recording right away, with the option to upgrade to a mixer or interface further down the line.

If you can afford to pay a bit more, the Shure MV7+ is another USB/XLR mic, and it’s marketed as offering “perfect recordings for imperfect rooms.”

2. Sound Treatment & Podcast Background Noise

Most sound treatment options on the market are designed to combat echo and reverb, as opposed to blocking out the sound of a phone ringing. With that said, the more absorption you can get between your mic and the source of any noise, the better. Sound blankets can be a great way of building an extra layer of protection into your recordings. Acoustic treatment won’t kill podcast background noise, but it can help.

3. Get Close and Cosy with Your Mic

If you’re close, then you’re also loud. This means you’re much louder than the surrounding sounds, so you drown them out effectively.

If you’re quiet, you’ll have to boost your voice up in the production and editing phase. With that comes the background noise. So, get close, record loud and make sure you’re creating a big volume gap between you and that traffic.

Here’s how to set your levels for recording a podcast and our guide to mic technique. These will help you to record the best possible source material, and that’ll go a long way to helping you eliminate podcast background noise.

4. Go All-Out and Create a Mock Studio

Many podcasters think that to “create a studio”, they need to annex an entire room. The family and pets are sent packing to the kitchen, whilst the living room is converted into a recording space big enough to record the next Live Aid effort in.

Here’s the secret, though: you don’t need to turn an entire room into a studio. You only need to build a localised recording space around you and your mic. This can be done with everyday household items such as duvets, drapes, or towels. It doesn’t need to look amazing if you’re working purely in audio – it just needs to be practical and comfortable.

On that last point, you obviously need a setup that’s pleasant to use. Being too warm or too cramped won’t lead to very enthusiastic content. Check out our guide on creating a silent home studio for a deeper dive into all of this.

5. Extra Protection Against Podcast Background Noise

This is essentially recreating some of the effects you get with double glazing. It takes a bit more effort, but if you’re struggling with excessive background noise, it can be worth it.

For some, the best solution is actually to take your mic and your recorder and head to your wardrobe. This is similar to the duvet but might be a little more sustainable.

Getting in amongst all of your hanging clothes can have a significant effect on your recordings – they’ll dampen out tonnes of the background noise and create a nice silent bed for your voice.

6. Plug the Gaps

Double glazing was mentioned above, and it does have a big effect on background noise within a house. But if you don’t have that, you can at least keep out some of the noise by fitting rubber or foam seals to windows and doors.

This will help control the airflow into your house and keep a bit of the noise out with it. You never know, it might even help with your energy bills, too!

7. Podcast Background Noise Tips: If All Else Fails…

What if you’ve done everything you possibly could to keep background noise out of your podcast, yet you can still hear the sounds of passing cars, air-con units, and the neighbour’s television? Fear not, weary podcaster, all is not lost…

Do Your Listeners Really Care?

First up, you’d be surprised at how many podcast listeners don’t even notice, let alone mind. Most consumers listen using cheap earbuds and in busy environments, such as buses or trains. If they ever do happen to notice the odd bit of background noise in your podcast, they’re unlikely to take offence at it. Fans of your show will know that you don’t have access to a top-of-the-range studio and are doing your best with your own resources. Above anything else, they’ll appreciate the content you’re putting out – that’s why they’re listening, after all.

Try Some Music

If you’re a perfectionist, though, why not try adding some gentle background noise to segments of your show? Music can help mask background noise, and it can add in that extra layer of professionalism, too. Here’s where to find music for your podcast that’s safe and legal to use.

Use ‘Noise Reduction’ Software

Finally, ‘Noise Reduction’ software (the clue is in the name!) has made some incredible advancements these past 18 months. Noise Reduction has always been decent at stripping out constant sounds such as distant traffic or loud AC units, but it was never any use at pulling out intermittent background noise.

However, all that has changed recently, and Noise Reduction software can achieve pretty incredible results. Check out the clip below for an example of Alitu stripping out some really distracting background noise.

Having access to such powerful Noise Reduction technology doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about recording the cleanest source material possible. But it is great to know that your recordings are often salvageable, no matter what distracting background noise happens to pop up during your recording sessions!

Not only that, but Wondercraft’s Parrot Mode can also imitate your speaking style and translate your text into another language. And, you can publish an episode with one click.

Before building a bunker to protect yourself from the coming android coup, remember: AI isn’t better than humans; it’s just faster. If you want to make a simple podcast very quickly, Wondercraft’s AI-fuelled script tool, Parrot Mode, translation, and one-click publishing can make you the Speed Racer of podcasting.

Our Wondercraft link is an affiliate, meaning we’ll earn a small commission should you sign up via it – never at any extra cost to you. Affiliates help support all our free (human created!) content, but, rest assured, they never stop us from reviewing fairly and honestly.

In this Wondercraft review, I won’t cover everything the tool can do, as that would require a small book. Instead, I’ll focus on a handful of features that’ll be of particular interest to podcasters. Let’s go…

Wondercraft’s AI-Generated Script Tool

Got something to say, but you’re not sure how to say it? Wondercraft has specific AI prompts for almost any use case. Or, if you have notes, press releases, blog posts, or any text you can copy and paste into the editing window, Wondercraft can use it to generate a podcast script. This software can generate a script from a URL, pulling text directly from the web page and including the information as it edits.

The AI script generator can even generate an advertisement script from an image. Upload a picture and type in a call to action, and the script tool will provide a short script based on both.

Accuracy seems to be based more on the typed prompt than the image, though. I tested this by uploading a picture of my dog taking a nap. When the CTA prompt said, “Give your dog an ABC treat,” the script said, “Imagine that tail wagging even more enthusiastically because of these tasty rewards.” But when I changed the CTA to “Give your dog a Soporific treat,” the script’s text emphasized calm and relaxation.

Wondercraft’s Parrot Mode (Say It Like This…)

The most frequently repeated criticism of AI-generated voices is that they lack nuance. Often, the cadence and intonation don’t sound natural. Now, with Parrot Mode, you can show the AI voice what inflection to imitate. Even if you whisper, the AI-generated voice will follow your manner of speaking. The sample below shows you what Wondercraft’s voices typically sound like. See if you can find the spot where I used Parrot Mode.

The Parrot Mode feature alone is a breakthrough. Coaching the artificial voice to emote is about as close to puppetry as podcasting gets.

Generate Your Voice with AI

Podcasters can train Wondercraft to generate a voice that sounds like theirs. But, when we tried to make an AI-generated version of Colin’s voice, Wondercraft made him sound American. Perhaps he was all along, and this Scottish thing was just a gimmick?

On the one hand, Colin’s American doppelganger sounds great. On the other hand, Wondercraft eliminated all the unique nuances of Colin’s voice that make it special, which I find depressing. Not only did the tool change his accent, but the occasional bass gravel in his voice (that shows a throat produced these sounds) is gone.

Wondercraft’s Translation, or “Dubs”

Can’t wait to take advantage of the growing Latinx interest in podcasts? Is your podcast big in Japan? Wondercraft’s Dubs feature can translate from eleven languages into any of eighteen languages. Some have separate settings for regional dialects: for example, the Spanish it chooses can be Castillian or Mexican. Upload an MP3 or MP4 file, and select the origin and destination languages.

Wondercraft offers the option to have a human translator check the dub for accuracy for an additional fee.

Publishing & Analytics

Wondercraft can generate an RSS feed for your podcast, which you can submit to directories. This means you don’t need to have a separate podcast hosting service, though if you prefer to download your file and upload it to your favorite media host, you can. Or, click “share,” and Wondercraft will generate an episode link.

What podcasters gain in ease and speed with Wondercraft, though, they lose in knowledge. Nothing in the (otherwise extensive) Help Center shows how to find your podcast’s download numbers or any statistical measurement. To measure your podcast’s impact, you’d have to log into each directory (e.g., Apple Podcasts Connect, Spotify for Podcasters, YouTube), take notes, and combine each data set. Even then, you wouldn’t get the full picture. Wondercraft can do a lot, but at this moment in time, choose a dedicated hosting provider if you’re serious about your podcast.

Wondercraft Pricing

Wondercraft operates on a credit system. Each credit is equal to one minute of audio. The free tier gives users ample time to experiment with all of Wondercraft’s features. If you pay annually, the prices are as follows:

• Free: This tier gets four monthly credits, use of the AI Script Assistant, a voice library with ten standard voices, and a shareable web page for your podcast episodes.
• Creator: For $29 per month, you get everything from the Free level, 60 credits per month, voice cloning for one user, 40 premium voices, access to the Music Library with over 200 pieces of music, and access to the video editor.
• Pro: For $99 per month, you get one seat and 300 credits per month, with everything from the Creator tier, and Parrot Mode, professional voice cloning, team collaboration, and access to all premium voices. Coming soon to the Pro tier: a library of sound effects and timeline view. 

On Wondercraft’s pricing page, the Pro tier displays a slider to adjust so you can see how the price changes based on the number of monthly credits and seats per account. For example, if you need two team member logins but only use 150 credits per month, the price would be $108/month when you pay annually.

Translation with human quality assurance costs 15 credits per minute of audio.

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Wondercraft Is Quick and Simple, Like a Brick Through a Window

I barely needed an introduction to Wondercraft. Despite the helpful tutorials and descriptions, the interface is intuitive and straightforward. In fact, Wondercraft is so quick and easy to use that podcasters’ enthusiasm could run right over details. Making podcast cover art or taking time to fact-check was never mentioned.

Remember, Wondercraft’s AI Script Generator can pull information from a blog post with only the URL. If a podcaster skimmed the text on that page and didn’t check it for accuracy (or even hyperbole), they may publish an inaccurate podcast. The FTC pays attention to influencer marketing, so you want to make sure your information is correct, especially if you plan to monetize your podcast.

Considering that Google’s launch of AI Overview has been full of problems (i.e., suggesting glue as a pizza topping), trusting AI to summarize a lot of information in broad strokes can be dangerous if you don’t check the details.

And, not knowing where or how often a podcast is downloaded is like performing with no audience response.

Wondercraft is a good tool for: 

• podcasts where you have standardized and vetted source information, such as a press release
• private podcasts, where you don’t need to use a directory to share it, and analytics aren’t vital
• when timing is crucial: for example, if you’re a journalist where breaking news is happening, publishing the story quickly may be more important than the nuance of voice or environment
• a situation where you have to protect anonymous sources by using AI voices.

When a service does almost everything for the user, ease kills individuality. It’s the difference between a mass-produced machine-knit sweater and a singular hand-knit sweater. But Wondercraft provides an opportunity for you to bring as much of your own unique voice and vision to your podcast as you like. With all the structure Wondercraft provides, it’s much simpler to make a clean, straightforward, and quirk-free podcast.

Use our tool below to record a microphone test, then listen back to ensure you’re sounding your best self! Afterwards, look below for dozens of tips on improving your audio, editing your audio or buying the best microphone for your budget. You might even want to upload your audio and publish it as a podcast – here are the best podcast hosting platforms where you can do just that.

Anyway, let’s get to the microphone test!

Online Mic Test Tool

Here’s how our online mic test works:

1. Click the ‘request microphone access’ button
2. Click ‘allow’ on the popup that appears.
3. Click ‘Record’ to start recording your mic.
4. If your mic is working, you’ll see a moving sound wave as you speak
5. Click ‘Stop’ to finish your recording test
6. Click the play button to listen back and review your sound quality.
7. If your sound quality isn’t as good as you’d hoped, consider Upgrading your Equipment.

Now that you’ve done your online mic test, we’ve got a few more things for you. First, if it didn’t work, look at the troubleshooting section below. If it did work, then check out how to improve your audio. And finally, once you’re all tested and top quality, have a peek at our resources on doing better recordings and editing your audio in the best way possible.

How to Improve Your Recordings, from Audio Quality to Content

It doesn’t matter what you’re using that microphone for; from online meetings to top-notch narrative podcasts, there are always ways you can improve how your voice comes across online. Here are some tips.

Upgrading your Equipment

• Find the best microphone for top audio quality
• Microphone boom arms can make recording much easier

Planning and Recording

• Best apps for recording an online call
• Planning for audio recording
• Mic technique for podcasters
• How to eliminate reverb in any room

Cleaning up & Editing Your Recordings

• How to edit a podcast (applies to all audio editing)
• Alitu, an app for audio recording, cleanup, editing, & publishing

And, working with a mic but not using it to run a podcast yet? Crazy Learn how to start a podcast right here.

Testing a Mic on Windows 11

Most of the questions we get about testing a microphone are related to the computer (or mobile device!) you’re recording on, in which case an online mic test is no good! So, let’s look at how to test a mic on Windows 11 first since it seems to be the most common. Having that elusive ‘browser error’ or, worse yet, the ‘microphone access error’ popup before a high-profile meeting can be… stress-inducing, to say the least

First job is to make sure the right microphone is selected. Quite often, if your mic isn’t working, you’ll find you just haven’t got the right device set as the default.

On Windows 11, find the audio icon on the bottom right (looks helpfully like a speaker!) and right-click it. Then, click ‘Sound Settings’.

Next, look down to the ‘Input’ section of the settings page. This is the easiest place to do a mic test on Windows 11.

Ensure the right mic is selected. Start speaking into the mic, and watch the blue volume bar. This flickers up and down as you speak, showing that the computer’s detecting an input just fine. If you see that blue bar jumping left and right in time with your voice, then great! You’ve tested your mic, and it’s detecting sound.

If the volume is on the low side, simply drag the slider (shown here at 40%) further to the right to increase your signal.

Hit ‘Start Test’ to double-check you’re definitely coming through via your intended mic and not through your device’s built-in mics, instead.

How to Change Your Microphone Browser Settings

The infamous’ allow’ popup is the most common problem when recording in your browser. This is so easily missed; when you do, your microphone won’t record, no matter what.

Here’s what you’ll see:

Note the popup right below the website address. It’s attached to the security padlock icon. This happens when a website asks permission to record from your mic. If you click ‘Allow’, then all should be well. You can then select which microphone to use.

But what if you click Block Microphone by accident, or you want to check you’ve given permission to your software or online tool?

Then, you can click the video camera icon on the other end, to edit, check or test your microphone settings:

Clicking the camera icon brings up the following popup. Here, select ‘Always allow’, giving the current website permission to record. Remember, this is just your setting for the current website, so you’re still safe on other sites. And, if you want to permit other sites to record, you still have to allow it, either with the first ‘Allow’ popup or by clicking the settings icon above.

So, make sure this setting is correct, and then try another mic test to check your mic is working.

How to Test a Microphone on Discord

Here’s one for the growing world of Discord users. Discord is a great tool, akin to Slack, for chatting online. But, how do you test your microphone in Discord since an online mic test won’t cut it here? Quite easily, it turns out!

Find your username and avatar on the bottom left, and then click the audio settings icon. It looks like a cog, next to the mic and headphones icon.

Next, make sure you have the correct microphone selected on the “input device” setting. Finally, use the handy discord mic test itself to make sure all’s working well. Look for the “Mic Test” header, and click the “Let’s Check” button. You’ll hear Discord testing your mic by playing it back to you and showing a volume indicator on the bar to the right. You can adjust the controls on both the input and output functions to achieve optimal volume levels for your setup.

This is great because you can check the quality simultaneously through the playback. Mic tested!

Summary: Online Mic Test

I hope that’s given you everything you need to know to go ahead and run a mic test whenever you need it.

If you’re looking for more help or guidance too, be sure to check out:

• Our full ‘How to Start a Podcast‘ guide
• Our ‘Best Podcast Microphones‘ guide
• Our IndiePod Community

With that in mind, here’s a quick summary of how to record a podcast. Let’s break it down into three main parts:

1. Planning: what prep do you need to do so that the recording goes smoothly?
2. Equipment: what gear do you need to be able to record a great quality show?
3. Software: what tools do you need to be able to capture your audio?

By the end of this article, you’ll know everything you need to record a podcast. All that’s left is to hit that big red button, and get your voice out into the world!

Planning to Record a Podcast

It’s tempting to miss this bit out… You know the subject, after all, and you’re raring to go! Why not just wing it?

Well, as much as I’m a fan of the seat-of-the-pants approach, an episode plan can make a huge difference to the quality of your show. Don’t worry; this doesn’t need to take up your whole day. A small plan can make a big difference.

Plan the Topic

First thing, what are you going to talk about? This is the gold. If you choose the wrong episode topic, then your $500 Heil mic and your pro-level Zoom H6 recorder don’t matter a whit. Listeners won’t care about the show, perfect audio quality or not.

So, do your research. Figure out your ideal listener, and particularly what they care about. Then, for each episode, think:

• What questions are your listeners asking?
• What problems are they experiencing?
• What are they struggling with right now?

For every episode, you should tackle one of them.

How do you figure that out? Good old-fashioned keyword research, tailored for podcasting. Check out that article for a full rundown of tools that can help you find a bunch of questions that you can answer.

You can also use a tool called the Alitu Showplanner to generate episode ideas (along with potential podcast names, an elevator pitch, suggested formats, an ideal audience profile, a trailer script, and ideas to make your show unique!). It’s totally free, no signup or login required.

Finally, if you’re into physical notebooks or journals, too, then you might fancy getting yourself a copy of The Podcast Host Planner. This journal helps you plan out everything – from big-picture goals to individual edit timecodes. It acts as a great tangible reminder that you take podcasting seriously.

Script the Episode

Scripting is an oft-debated topic. Should you go super-detailed, or might you go quite light and off-the-cuff? I answered that in a full article on how to script a podcast with a few examples. But let’s cover it in brief.

On the one hand, a detailed script can make for a really tight, value-packed episode. It cuts the rambling and ensures you cover every single thing you need to.

The only trouble is that a detailed script can cut the spontaneity and drain your personality from an episode. It does take quite a bit of skill to read a detailed script and still sound natural and conversational. But it’s possible.

Plus, of course, it takes quite a lot of time to put together something so detailed.

On the other hand, a light script – just a collection of bullet points, really – can provide enough guidance, but not tie you down. You can be more engaging, more free-flowing, and more personable, and it takes much less time to prepare.

But, again, the downsides… with a light-touch script, you can much more easily lose your way, forget things and repeat yourself. The waffle factor increases dramatically, and your episodes will tend to be longer. That’s not necessarily a good thing…

It often comes down to personality and practice. Start with a detailed script until you get more comfortable on the mic. Then, reduce the detail, bit by bit, until you find that balance between time spent, benefits gained and recording style.

What Equipment Do I Need to Record a Podcast?

You could have the best topic and plan in the world, but without the equipment needed to record a podcast, it’s all just going to remain at the ideas stage. So what do you need?

You Need a Microphone

First, let’s capture that voice. That’s what the humble microphone is designed to do. You can find a collection of the best microphones here, so have a browse through and pick something that fits your space and budget.

If you want to keep things simple, go for a USB microphone. You’ll plug that right into your computer and record there. No other equipment needed, just software. I’ll cover the recording software below, too.

A USB mic is ideal for anyone who’ll be recording a solo show, or if you’ll be recording with others over the internet (more on software for this below, too). And, let’s be honest, that’s 90% of the podcasts out there!

Our favourite (and most recommended) mic is the Samson Q2U. It’s a very affordable piece of kit which works in both USB and XLR form. Check out our full review of the Samson Q2U if you’re in the market for a microphone.

Do You Need a Digital Recorder?

If you think you’ll be recording a podcast with others in person, though, a digital recorder comes in handy. It’s tricky to record with more than one USB mic on a single computer.

In this case, the ideal setup is one digital recorder and two (or more!) XLR microphones. For example, I use a Zoom H5 and two Samson Q2Us in this way.

For another cracking option, the Zoom PodTrak P4 is a dedicated podcast recorder. It lets you record multiple mics and remote calls (online and phone), as well as play live music, clips, and effects in your episodes. Check out our full review of the Zoom PodTrak P4 to get the lowdown.

How About a USB Audio Interface?

An audio interface is something of a middle ground between a USB mic and a digital recorder. A USB audio interface connects to your computer like a USB mic, but you plug in and run XLR mics into it. This is a great option for computer-based podcasters who want to improve their audio quality whilst increasing their range of flexibility and control. Here are the Best USB Audio Interfaces for Podcasters.

Do I Need Any Other Podcast Recording Gear?

If you opt for a USB mic, then a cable will always be included in the box. If you’re going XLR and running into a digital recorder or USB interface, you’ll need an XLR cable for each mic you use. Sometimes XLR cables come with mics, but it’s good practice to have a spare one kicking around anyway. You can pick up a decent one for less than $20. Check out our complete guide to audio cables for more on that.

Elsewhere, you might want to mount your mic on a boom arm for more flexibility and a better all-round feeling of professionalism. You’ll also definitely want to use headphones for recording your podcast. A simple pair of earbuds will do the trick, but investing in a great pair of podcast headphones costs much less than you think.

Would You Like to Record on a Smartphone?

For solo recording or a two-person interview, an option I really like is the Rode Smartlav+. This is a lavalier mic (tie mic or lapel mic – those wee ones you see clipped to a presenter’s shirt on TV!), and it plugs right into your smartphone.

If you add a Rode AI Micro adapter to this setup, you can plug in two Smartlavs and record an interview with someone right next to you! See the whole Smartlav interview setup here if you think this might suit you.

And that concludes our whirlwind tour of the gear needed to record a podcast. But be sure to check out our Best Podcast Equipment guide if you’d like to do a bit more shopping around on this front.

What About My Podcast Recording Studio or Environment?

Good question! You can employ the best gear and software in the world, but if you’re using them in a sub-par environment, your podcast will sound bad.

Excessive reverb will make even the most thorough and well-planned content sound amateurish. And hearing your flatmate playing Grand Theft Auto in the background is going to distract from your message, too.

The good news is that creating a pro-sounding podcast studio doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Check out our full guide there for a load of different options on that front.

A final pointer on this front is that the way you use a mic also impacts its sound quality. We can help you sound your best in front of whatever mic you use with our microphone technique for podcasters’ guide.

What Software Do I Need to Record a Podcast?

The final ingredient is software, presuming you’re not using a digital recorder. In this case, we’re talking about recording software, not editing (though the two can often double up as one). You can read our full guide to podcast software for the entire range, but we’ll stick to podcast recording software here.

Recording Solo into your Computer

Let’s take the simplest option first: recording a podcast alone.

If you’re flying solo, the easiest choice is to record right into a ‘DAW’ (this means Digital Audio Workstation) like Audacity, or Audition. Audacity is the first choice for many, for one very good reason: it’s free!

There are a few reasons to pay for Audition or one of the other paid editing packages, though, and you can find out more about that here: Audacity vs Audition. You’ll get a lot more tools, features, and options, but those obviously come with a trade-off of steeper learning curves and more complications.

If you’re just starting, there’s no risk in trying out Audacity first. It’s simple for recording, though it can get a little clunky beyond that.

But, the main problem with Audacity, Audition, and any other ‘Digital Audio Workstation’ is that they can take a bit of time and effort to learn. Most aspiring podcasters aren’t interested in training to become audio engineers, and many don’t have the slightest interest in the inner workings of audio production – which brings me to my final choice…

If you’re looking to tie recording into the wider process, then you might opt for Alitu: the Podcast maker.

Alitu is designed to take care of the tech in creating your podcast, and recording is one major part of that. With Alitu, you can easily record remote calls or solo segments for your show.

As a bonus, it’ll polish, clean, and level up your audio automatically, add your music, piece together all the clips (you can upload your other recordings, too, such as an interview that was recorded elsewhere), and publish your final file.

Here’s more info on how to make a podcast with Alitu.

Alitu makes everything super-easy, for sure. It’s a subscription product, but it actually does the job of a handful of different subscription services (recording, editing, hosting, transcription, and music), so it’ll save you a lot of money, as well as time and stress.

We’ll talk more about Alitu’s editing features in the post-production stage shortly. But for now, let’s continue our look at how to record a podcast with various types of software.

How to Record a Podcast Remotely

If you run an interview show, there’s a good chance you’ll need to record your podcast online at some point, if not every week! Similar if you have a co-host and they’re not local to you.

I’ve already mentioned Alitu, which lets you record online calls as well as edit, produce, and publish your episodes. This makes Alitu the ideal all-in-one podcasting solution.

Alitu is far from the only online call recorder option, though; here are a couple of others…

Zoom.us – Free, Lower Quality

One of the most common these days is zoom.us. Zoom is, at a basic level, a video conferencing tool. You set up a room, give out a web link, and anyone can sign into the call via that link.

As a bonus, Zoom automatically records the call and sends you an audio and video file at the end. You can even set it up to record two speakers on separate channels so you can process your interviewee separately during editing. Good for folks who love the control!

Zoom is free to use if you only record one other person, and your calls will be limited to 40 minutes. It’s fine to dip your toe into podcasting, but if you plan to stick at it, you might want to upgrade to something better.

In the meantime, pop through to this link to see our guide to using Zoom for podcasting.

‘Double-Ender’ Call Recorders – Paid, Higher Quality

The term ‘double-ender’ refers to recording both ends of the conversation separately, directly on the speaker’s computer. So, your mic is recorded on your computer, and your interviewee’s mic is recorded on their computer. This gives you audio tracks for each speaker and bypasses the usual internet-phone issues of call-dropping and audio glitches.

There are a few good double-ender call recorders on the market these days, making it pretty easy to run. You’ll simply set up a new call and send your interviewee a link, similar to Zoom.us. But, this time, the software will record each side independently and stitch it all together at the end. That just leaves you to download the final result and use it in your episode. Easy!

Our top choices at the moment are SquadCast and Riverside.fm. Our links here are affiliates, which means we may earn a small commission if you sign up through them – though at no extra cost to yourself.

As I say, though, there are a few other quality options on the market today. So, if you’d like to shop around a little more, check out our guide to recording a podcast remotely.

Smartphone Recording Software

If you’ve decided that the Smartlav microphone above might suit you, then a final option is to record a double-ender call on your Smartphone. Ringr and Riverside.fm have good mobile apps that let you record on your phone, whether iOS or Android.

And be sure to check out our best podcast-making apps article if you want to go beyond recording and create the podcast entirely on your phone.

How to Record a Podcast in the Same Room

Many podcasters these days take advantage of call recording tools and have remote co-hosts and guests. However, some folks have the luxury of being able to get everyone in the same room together. If this is your own situation, how do you record a podcast in the same room?

We’ve touched on this already in the digital recorder section. You’ll want something like the Zoom PodTrak P4 with an XLR mic like the Samson Q2U for each person.

The PodTrak P4 will record each person on their own unique audio track. However, if you’re in the same room together, there can still be some ‘bleed’ onto other folks’ tracks. The Q2U being a dynamic and cardioid mic will help with this. You should also try to position each person so they’re not sitting side by side, and shield their mics as much as possible, too.

Is Background Noise an Issue When Recording a Podcast?

Alright, so there are really two types of background noise in audio – electronic and environmental.

Electronic Background Noise

“Electronic” background noise is like the ghost in the machine. It’s the sound of your equipment working, and if it’s noticeable at all, it usually manifests as a low steady hiss or hum.

Typically, dynamic mics are worse for this because they tend to require a bit more gain. It’s rare that this type of noise will actually distract from a conversation, though. And because it’s constant rather than intermittent, any background noise reduction tool can clean it up without too much fuss.

Environmental Background Noise

Environmental or ambient noise is the sound of the world around you. This could be anything from a bustling city square to an attic home studio.

There tend to be a lot more variables with this type of noise. In many cases, though, this type of background noise can enhance the audio in a podcast. For example, the low murmur of a crowd, the birds chirping in a park, or the waves lapping against the shore.

Distracting and unwanted background noise in this category are things that happen intermittently. Someone using a drill on and off, a dog barking, or the doorbell going. You want to minimise or avoid this sort of stuff as much as possible.

Does It Distract From the Vocals?

The bottom line with any background noise, whether electronic or environmental, is to ask yourself, “Is this distracting?”. Your listener’s attention should never be drawn fully away from the voices in your podcast recording.

Can I Feature Music & Sound Effects in My Podcast Recording?

You can add as much or as little music and sound effects to your podcast as you like. The beauty of podcasting is that you’re also free to add none at all.

Music and sound effects can give a podcast that wee bit of extra polish and production value, though. At minimum, it’s a good idea to have a set intro and outro theme to help listeners immediately identify your show. Don’t go overboard with this, though – just 7-10 seconds will be more than enough.

Here are our full guides to finding podcast music and sound effects. Most podcasters edit these in after they have recorded. It’s worth pointing out here that, as well as having a free music library, Alitu makes it easy to automate adding your music during the post-production phase.

Some podcast recording gear is set up so you can play music and effects in real-time, too. This is ideal if you’re doing a live broadcast or if you just find it more efficient than mixing it all in later on.

What About Editing My Recordings?

It’s entirely up to you whether you do any editing at all. But uploading a raw, unedited file won’t make for a very good listening experience.

On the other hand, do loads of editing, and you might find that your podcast becomes unsustainable in the long run. Naturally, there’s a balancing act to be found here.

In our Minimum Effective Editing approach, we share some tips and techniques for finding that balance. Here, you can do enough to stop yourself from sounding like a total amateur, but it isn’t going to take all of your time away from actually creating more content.

Software-wise, some recording platforms also double up as editing and production suites. I’ve already mentioned Audacity and Audition, for example, though it’s worth pointing out that they are not call recorders.

Then there’s Alitu, which offers recording (call and solo), editing, production, music, transcriptions, and hosting. The editing tools in Alitu are easy, intuitive, and fast. It even has text-based editing where it auto-generates transcripts, and you can delete text to delete audio in your episode – perfect for folks new to editing audio.

Alitu can also automatically remove filler words (ums, ahs), breath sounds, and overly long silences – these features alone can save you tonnes of time.

By the way, you can try Alitu for seven days if your interest is suitably piqued. See all this recording and editing magic in action for yourself.

And, be sure to check out our main guide on how to edit a podcast to get the full lowdown on how (and where) to edit your podcast once it’s recorded.

Where Do I Upload My Files When They’re Done?

The final destination for any podcast recording is a podcast hosting platform. Creating an account with one of these services gives you one single place to upload your episodes, then it’ll help you make them available everywhere podcasts are found – from Spotify and Apple Podcasts, to Amazon and YouTube.

If you’re using Alitu to record and edit your podcast, then you’ll already have hosting included. But there are loads of great podcast hosting services on the market, and we run through them all in our dedicated roundup.

Do you Know How to Record a Podcast?

I hope that’s answered any questions you had about how to record a podcast. I know it can look a little intimidating at first, but really it’s down to just three parts: the planning, the equipment and the software. Start simple, and work up from there!

As mentioned, the low-cost way to start is to grab yourself a USB Microphone and just start recording solo into Audacity. Then, if you want to try and record a call, you can test the water with Zoom.us

From there, you can upgrade your online interviews by switching to a dedicated ‘double-ender’ call recorder. Or, you can grab yourself a mini podcast studio like the Zoom PodTrak P4, which will let you record both remotely, and in person.

But, if you want to keep things as easy as humanly possible, go for Alitu. With Alitu, you can record your podcast (be it solo eps or online calls), edit, produce, and publish it all in one simple-to-use interface. You don’t need to know the slightest bit about audio production, as Alitu automates all of the complicated stuff for you. Try it free for 7 days and see for yourself.

Whatever path you choose, remember that this is where the magic happens! It just takes the nerve to hit record, and the motivation to keep doing that every week. With that, you’ll find your audience!

Whether you’re walking your audience through a system you’ve built or you’re giving a step-by-step tutorial, recording your screen has never been easier. 

First, let’s walk through the built-in tools for each platform…then I’ll share my favorite tools. 

Built-in Screen Recording Tools

One of the reasons screen recording has never been easier is most devices have a built-in way to do it. 

Screen Recording on iPhone

If you’re an iOS (or iPadOS) user, you can access the screen recorder by opening the Control Center and pressing the record button: 

If the record button doesn’t show up in your Control Center, you add it by going to Settings -> Control Center, and dragging it into the “Included Controls” section: 

Screen recordings will automatically be saved to your Photos library — though it’s worth noting that audio will not get captured. 

Screen Recording on Mac

If you’re on a Mac, you can use QuickTime. Open the app and go to File -> New Screen Recording.

From there, you’ll be able to choose if you want to record the full screen, or just a portion of the screen: 

Much like iPhone, no audio is captured, but you will have the opportunity to make light edits, and save it. 

Screen Recording on Windows

If you’re on Windows, there’s a great app called Snipping Tool that comes pre-installed. It’s also available from the Microsoft Store. 

It works very similarly to QuickTime, and there’s a great tutorial here, from Microsoft. 

Advanced Screen Recording Tools

If you’re looking for something beyond the stock recording apps, don’t worry! There are lots to choose from. 

While this isn’t a comprehensive list, these are some of my favorites—and I’ve been around the block multiple times. 

Lightweight Screen Recorder Apps

There are some single (or…basically single?) purpose apps that do a great job of recording your screen and immediately prepping it for sharing. 

Loom

Loom has long been a standard bearer for the industry. It’s fast, versatile, and available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. It even has a Chrome App! 

It allows you to record your screen or your screen and camera. Then, it uploads the video to its servers and gives you a link to share. You can even have viewers comment and react, and you have privacy and password settings. 

Loom is free to get started. 

Tella.tv

Tella.tv is a relative newcomer with a slick interface and some cool features. While it can do almost everything Loom can do, it touts some advanced editing features, like creating clips and multiple layouts. 

The biggest drawbacks are that it’s not free (though it offers a free trial), and it’s Mac and Chrome only. There are no native Windows, iOS, or Android apps. 

Vimeo Recorder

If you’re looking for the very basics, you can try Vimeo Recorder. This is a free tool, though it will contribute to the uploads in your Vimeo account, so you may need to pay for that if you record a lot. 

It will allow you to record your screen, or your screen and camera, though I’ve found it’s not very flexible for your camera view. 

If I had to pick (and I have), I’d go with Loom. It’s tried and true, flexible, and available everywhere. 

Heavy Duty Screen Recording Tools

Now, if you’re looking for something to record your screen, and camera, and give you full flexibility while editing, you want a video editing tool. 

Screenflow

Screenflow is a fantastic option for the Mac. It’s been around a long time and works super well. It’s purpose-built for recording screencasts/tutorials, but it can also import video, highlight mouse clicks, completely erase your cursor, and even record from your iOS device. 

I’ve been using it for years and have never been disappointed. 

Screenflow starts at $169. 

Camtasia

If you need something that also works on Windows, Camtasia has become an industry standard—especially in higher education. It tracks cursor data, has a bunch of templates to work from, and allows for some fantastic animations. 

Camtasia starts at $179.88. (Our link here is an affiliate!)

Descript

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Descript. While it’s known for podcasting and editing via transcript, you can record your screen directly into the app. And while it’s not as robust as Screenflow or Camtasia, it gets the job done and can be a great solution 

It’s worth noting that these are primarily desktop applications — full editing suites that have ways to record a mobile screen. But your best bet here would probably be to record using the built-in recorder, and import…unless you’re using Screenflow!

So Many More Screen Recorder Options!

We covered a lot of tools here, but there are many more out there. If you’re looking for something more bespoke, or with a specific use case in mind, you’ll no doubt be able to find the perfect solution for you. 

But from basic and free, to more advanced and robust, there’s no shortage of ways for you to record your screen.

On a final note, if you’re looking to sharpen your video podcast game, here are some follow-up resources:

• Best Video Editing Software
• The Ultimate Video Podcasting Guide
• How to Put a Podcast on YouTube

And, if you’re at an early stage in your podcasting journey, here are another couple of important guides worth bookmarking for future reading;

• Podcast Equipment: What Do I Need, & Why Do I Need It?
• How to Record a Podcast

A quick heads up, too, that we sometimes use affiliate links to products and services we recommend. Buying through these links means we may earn a small commission, though at no extra cost to you. Affiliates help support all the free content we put out on the site!

With that all said, let’s dive into the meat of the article. First up, you’re going to learn more about the various types of podcast recording software to help you make a more informed choice. But if you’d like to jump straight to the recommendations, then have at it!

What is Podcast Recording Software?

There are a lot of ambiguous terms in podcasting – most notably, people who refer to their podcast episodes as “podcasts” – so it’s always helpful to kick off with a bit of clarity.

Podcast recording software comes in many forms, and most will do a bit more than simply record audio. Here are the three most popular types we see:

The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

Digital Audio Workstations (or DAWs) are sophisticated programs. With a DAW, you can not only record audio, but you can also do all your editing and production inside them. This can be as simple as a single voice with some intro music, or it can be as complex as a cinematic soundscaped audio drama.

The Call Recorder Tool

Most podcast interviews happen remotely. This gives podcasters the freedom to bring on interesting guests from anywhere in the world. Call recording tools do exactly what they say on the tin. A few of them even offer live broadcast and production features. Typically, users run them within web browsers, though some do offer dedicated desktop apps.

The ‘Podcast Maker’ Tool

‘Podcast Maker’ tools tend to fall somewhere between the two types listed above. They’ll let you record your episodes, then provide a range of simplified options for editing, producing, and publishing them.

Best Podcast Recording Software Options

As I’ve mentioned already, the “best” option for you will depend on your own unique needs, budget, and setup. You’ll find something for everyone in the following roundup. Options are listed in alphabetical order, and are hopefully nice and skimmable for you

Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is like a bigger and better version of the popular free DAW Audacity (mentioned further on). With Audition, there are many more options, and you’ll have much more flexibility and tools at your disposal. On the flip side, these extras raise the barrier to entry, too.

• Type: DAW
• Price: $21 a month
• Editing & Production: Yes
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Steep

Additional Resources

• Adobe Audition Review
• Audacity Vs Adobe Audition
• Editing an Audio Drama Podcast on Adobe Audition

Alitu

Alitu is our very own ‘podcast maker’ tool. We built it because so many people told us they were struggling with the editing and production side of things. You can record your podcast with Alitu, whether a local/solo recording or an online call. You can publish your episodes from within Alitu and push them out to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other podcast listening platforms. Alitu will automatically transcribe your episodes, and you can even edit your audio by deleting chunks of text, too!

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: $38 a month
• Editing & Production: Yes, including text-based editing
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resource:

How to Make a Podcast With Alitu

Audacity

Audacity is a popular and free open-source DAW. If you are running a solo show or recording a guest or co-host locally, then it has everything you need. On the flip side, two common criticisms of Audacity are that it looks a bit clunky and can seem complicated to beginners. That said, the price tag of Free is a big plus for many on a tight or non-existent budget.

• Type: DAW
• Price: Free
• Editing & Production: Yes
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Moderate

Additional Resources:

• Audacity Vs Adobe Audition
• Noise Reduction on Audacity
• Compression on Audacity

Cast

Cast lets you record yourself and up to three guests. There are editing and production options available. It also doubles up as a media host, so you can upload and publish your episodes, too. Google Chrome is the recommended browser for recording on Cast.

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: From $10 a month
• Editing & Production: Yes
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Simple

Descript

Descript is an innovative platform for creating and editing podcasts. It’s most famous for its overdub feature, which uses AI to learn your voice, and you can type out lines or entire scripts and have your “own voice” read them. Descript isn’t a call recorder, but it now owns SquadCast, and you can link the two together.

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: Get started for free
• Editing & Production: Yes
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resources:

• Descript Review
• Descript Alternatives for Text-Based Editing

Hindenburg

Hindenburg is a unique DAW because it’s actually designed with podcasters, radio people, and audiobook producers in mind. Most other DAWs are primarily for music production but just so happen to lend themselves well to spoken-word content. Hindenburg is definitely the DAW with the lowest barrier to entry for folks new to audio production.

• Type: DAW
• Price: From $12 a month
• Editing & Production: Yes, including text-based editing
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Moderate

Additional Resource:

5 Ways That Hindenburg Will Save You Podcast Production Time

Podbean Live Stream

You can run Podbean Live Stream on desktop (Chrome) or mobile (use Podbean app for Android/iOS). It’ll let you host up to five active co-hosts and guests at any one time. Your audience can tune in and listen along live, as well as call in to participate. Conversations will be recorded onto one single track. You can play music and audio effects during your show, and once it’s finished, upload and publish directly to Podbean.

Get a month’s free hosting with Podbean when you sign up using the coupon code podcraft.

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: Get started for free
• Editing & Production: No
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Moderate

Additional Resource:

• Recording With Podbean Live Stream

Podcastle 

Podcastle is an all-in-one content creation platform that allows you to record high quality audio/video with a minimal skill set. It boasts an intuitive interface, and with a range of AI-powered tools at your disposal, creating a publication-ready show is even easier. You can record with up to 10 guests, transcribe your episodes and create audio from text. With Podcastle’s Revoice feature you can create a digital copy of your voice and generate audio that sounds just like you. The software is available both on the web and iPhone allowing for greater flexibility. 

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: Get started for free
• Editing & Production: Yes
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Ringr Podcast Recording Software

Ringr is an app that lets you record calls on your mobile or desktop.  You can record yourself and four guests on the $ 19-a-month premium package. They recommend that participants use Google Chrome or Firefox. Use the coupon code podcraft when you sign up for a paid plan for 10% off monthly or 25% off annually! 

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: From $15 a month
• Editing & Production: No
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Simple

Riverside.fm

Riverside is a top-quality piece of call recording software with a lot of flexibility. You can record up to eight people on individual tracks, and it’ll record video as well as audio. You can also run live streams on Twitter, Youtube, or Facebook Live, as well as accept live call-ins from listeners. They have a mobile app for iOS and Android, too!

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: From $9 a month
• Editing & Production: Basic editing, includes text-based editing tools too!
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resources:

Riverside.fm Review

Spotify for Podcasters (Anchor)

Spotify for Podcasters is formerly Anchor’s Record With Friends tool. The branding has changed, but not much else. Spotify for Podcasters offers call recording, basic editing, and hosting options – all for free. It can be used with up to five remote guests who can join via mobile (Spotify for Podcasters app) or desktop. Conversations are recorded onto one single track, with time limits of two hours (app), 30 minutes (Chrome), and 5 minutes (Safari).

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: Free
• Editing & Production: Basic
• Transcription: Yes, though limited
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resources:

• Spotify for Podcasters Review
• Best Podcast Maker Apps

Spreaker Studio

Spreaker Studio comes as either a desktop or mobile app and works similarly to an online radio station. You have the option to go live and interact with your listeners in real time through its chat function. Conversations will be recorded onto one single track. Being a media host, you can upload and publish directly to Spreaker, too.

You can start for free, but some features will be limited. Paid tiers offer more options and start from $20 a month. 

• Type: ‘Podcast Maker’ tool
• Price: Get started for free
• Editing & Production: Basic Top & Tail
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: No
• Learning Curve: Moderate

SquadCast

With SquadCast, you can record yourself and up to nine guests on individual tracks in audio and video form. It’s one of the best call recording tools on the market, and comes with some cool AI features like overdub, Filler word removal, AI-Green screen, and AI-Eye Contact.

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: Limited free tier or $15 per month
• Editing & Production: Integrates with Descript
• Transcription: No
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Zencastr

One of the original online multitrack recorder options on the market, Zencastr allows for five guests and one host. There’s an auto post-production option that’ll mix these all together and level them up afterwards. You can generate transcriptions with Zencastr, and publish directly to the platform, too. Use coupon code THEPODCASTHOST for 20% off the first three months of a monthly pro subscription with Zencastr.  If used for a yearly subscription, it will be 20% off for the entire year!

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: $20 per month
• Editing & Production: Basic post-production
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: Yes
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resource:

Zencastr Review

Zoom

Zoom is the go-to video chat option for millions of people around the world. It can also be used as podcast recording software. You can capture remote conversations in both audio and video form. The overall quality will struggle to compete with the other options in this roundup, but for many, the fact that so many people are familiar with Zoom makes it their ideal option. With the free tier, your calls will be limited to 40 minutes.

• Type: Call Recorder
• Price: Limited free tier or $13 per month
• Editing & Production: No
• Transcription: Yes
• Hosting: No
• Video Recording: Yes
• Learning Curve: Simple

Additional Resource:

• Recording a Podcast on Zoom

Summary: Best Podcast Recording Software

I know I said at the beginning, “Sometimes too much choice is as bad as none at all”, and then followed up by listing a whole load of choices. But I’ve tried my best to make it ‘skimmable’, highlighting things like cost and main features.

So take a quick look over it, and make a shortlist of the 2-3 that most fit your needs. Then, take a deeper dive into the additional links under those sections.

If you’re still struggling, though, here are my closing recommendations…

Best Podcast Recording Software: Final Recommendations

For most folks looking to record remote convos (co-hosts and interview guests), it’s a coin toss between SquadCast and Riverside.

On the other hand, if you just need to record audio straight into your computer, then Audacity is completely free, which makes it appealing to many.

And a final shout-out to our own tool, Alitu, which is one of the ‘podcast maker’ tool options mentioned above. It pulls everything you need to podcast into one simple interface and subscription.

You might opt for Alitu if you consider yourself “non-techy”, want to run remote calls, and don’t want to learn the ins and outs of editing, production, noise reduction, compression, etc. It also has hosting (publish directly to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc), auto-generated transcription, and text-based editing. New features are being added all the time, too. Why not give it a try, free, for seven days to see what you think?

And remember to check out these two essential guides, which will help give you a clearer view of exactly how everything fits together when recording your podcast…

• Podcast Equipment: What Do I Need, & Why Do I Need It?
• How to Record a Podcast

• The terms “condenser” and “dynamic” refer to two different ways microphones are built and function
• Both types of microphones have their potential pros and cons
• Dynamic mics are often more durable and can handle high volumes without distortion
• Condenser mics are often capable of recording a more crisp and detailed sound
• Most vocal USB mics are condensers
• But the ultra-useful Samson Q2U is a dynamic mic
• So which type of mic is best suited to you? Read on and find out…

Searching for a new microphone can be a daunting task. There is no shortage of info and options out there, and, sometimes too much choice is as bad as none at all.

When searching for a new mic, you’ll have a few “this or that” choices, too. XLR Vs USB is one. Condenser Vs Dynamic is another. It’s the latter we’ll be focussing on in this post, so let’s find out exactly what these terms mean and why they matter.

Related Article

The Best Podcast Microphones for All Abilities and Budgets

You know what you’d like to talk about on your show – now, you just need something to talk into…  Find out more »

Condenser vs Dynamic: Transducer Types

Microphones are a form of transducer. This means that microphones convert energy from one form (acoustic or kinetic energy) to another (electrical energy). There are three transducer types commonly associated with microphones: condenser, dynamic, and ribbon transducers. However, for most vocal applications dynamic and condenser microphones are used. Ribbon microphones, while excellent in quality for sound reproduction, tend to be very expensive and extremely delicate.

So what’s the difference between dynamic and condenser mics? Let’s take a closer look at how they each work.

Dynamic Mics: How They Work

Dynamic microphones operate by suspending a coil of wire connected to a diaphragm inside a magnetic field. When sound vibrates the diaphragm, the coil vibrates and produces an electrical signal.

Dynamic Mic Characteristics

• durable
• handle heat and humidity well
• high volumes without distortion
• rougher, but usable, audio signal

Dynamic Mic Applications

Dynamic microphones are good for general vocals that don’t necessarily need accurate and smooth reproduction, such as interviews, hosting, and live venues.

Due to the rougher sound characteristics, dynamic microphones with a cardioid pattern (more on polar patterns in a bit) tend to eliminate more background noise, although they may lose some nuances in a performance. This makes them well-suited to podcast hosting, general voice recording, and recording voices outdoors for voiceover or interviews. They are also suitable for recording very loud items, such as drums, guns, and explosions.

Condenser Mics: How They Work

Condenser microphones operate by vibrating a conductive diaphragm against a charged backplate to convert acoustic energy to electrical energy.

Condenser Mic Characteristics

• smooth frequency response
• clear, detailed sound with crisper highs
• excellent low-frequency response
• not suited to extremely hot or humid environments

Condenser Mic Applications

Condenser microphones are good for most studio applications, including voice acting. They produce a clarity of voice while giving it both warmth and presence.

Condenser microphones are the industry standard for voice actors. The Neumman U87 (pronounced NOY-man for you lubbers) is iconic and has defined the sound that the voiceover industry and producers look for. If you have around $4000 to spend on one microphone, I highly recommend it. For the rest of us, there are comparable mics that offer exceptional quality. We’ll talk through some affordable recommendations a bit further on.

Finally, condenser microphones are also excellent for field recording. They are more sensitive than dynamic microphones and have a flatter response that is suited to capturing detailed audio.

Condenser Vs Dynamic: Which To Choose?

If this is all a little overwhelming, don’t worry about it. You’ll find many podcasters out there who’ve been using the same mic for years and couldn’t even tell you if it was a condenser or a dynamic. Ultimately, you don’t need to know how your mic is built. You just need to judge it on how it sounds to you.

As I’ve said, we’ll be pointing to some recommendations shortly. But this next section on polar patterns is worth a quick look. If you own a mic with multiple polar pattern settings, then choosing the right one for your situation can make a big difference in your audio quality.

Vocal Mic Factors Beyond Condenser Vs Dynamic

The choice between dynamic and condenser microphones is only one chapter of a bigger story. There are other factors, too. One of the most important is actually what’s known as polar or pickup patterns.

Polar Patterns

Polar patterns illustrate how a microphone reacts to sounds coming from different directions. There are several polar pattern types, but our main focus for vocal microphones is on omni and cardioid polar patterns.

Omni

An omnidirectional microphone receives sound with equal sensitivity from all directions. This means that audio coming from the rear and to the sides of the microphone will be picked up with equal volume and clarity.

Omni Characteristics

• pick up of room reverberation
• extended low-frequency response
• lower cost

Omni Applications

Omni microphones are good for recording situations where sound isolation is not needed or wanted. They are particularly useful for interviews and situations where more than one vocal needs to be recorded, but sound isolation is not a factor.

Cardioid

Cardioid microphones are most sensitive at the front of the microphone, typically about 6dB less sensitive to the sides, and around 20dB less sensitive to the rear of the microphone.

Cardioid Characteristics

• less reverb pickup than omni
• less room noise pickup than omni
• minimises off-axis pickup

Cardioid Applications

Cardioid microphones are ideal vocal microphones for one-voice-one-microphone applications. Voice actors and show hosts benefit from off-axis pickup reduction focusing the sound on what matters most: the speaker’s voice.

The majority of studio-based professional audio requires unidirectional microphones (cardioid, hypercardioid, or supercardioid). Voice actors and podcast hosts (and vocalists!) are likely to find that microphones with a cardioid polar pattern will suit their needs best. Hypercardioid and supercardioid mics work well, too, depending on your voice and application. However, they tend to be more expensive and lack the warmth that a large-diaphragm cardioid delivers to more resonant male and female voices.

Here’s our full guide to microphone polar patterns, if you’re in the market for some geeky audio engineer tattoo ideas.

What Is Frequency Response?

Another key factor beyond the dynamic vs condenser discussion is that of frequency response.

Frequency response refers to the range of frequencies your microphone can accurately reproduce at an equal level. Understanding frequency response is one of your best tools when researching audio gear.

Simply put, frequency response shows how a microphone affects the way your voice sounds. In general, when looking at a frequency response graph, you want the graph to be as flat at possible in the frequencies the microphone is being used to produce. In terms of voice, we are most concerned with the frequencies between 80Hz and 12kHz: the human vocal range.

Some microphones will have slight peaks in the 5–12kHz range to improve presence, or some lift in the 500–800 Hz range to improve warmth. These characteristics can be desirable, depending on your production and scope.

In order to reduce low-frequency rumble and high-frequency hiss, microphones that roll off below 80Hz (high pass) and above 12kHz (low pass) are best suited for voice. This is especially helpful in cutting down on noise from vehicles and HVAC systems. However, this can also be accomplished by using an EQ highpass and lowpass to filter out these frequencies.

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Other Factors Beyond Condenser Vs Dynamic

Beyond the questions of condenser vs dynamic, polar pattern, and frequency response, here are some other factors to consider when researching and purchasing a microphone.

Impedance

Impedance is a measure of a microphone’s resistance. Higher resistance in a microphone introduces hum and reduces high frequencies, making the recording sound noisy, or thin. Low-impedance, or low-Z, microphones allow long mic cable runs without introducing noise or reducing frequencies.

Sound Pressure Levels (SPL)

Sound pressure levels indicate the maximum sound intensity a microphone can handle before distorting. In general, a spec of 120dB or greater is preferable. For podcasters miking loud instruments, such as brass or drums, microphones with a higher maximum SPL are best.

Equivalent Noise Level

Also known as self-noise, the equivalent noise level is the electrical noise or hiss a microphone produces. In general, a self-noise specification of 28dB and lower is acceptable for quality recording.

Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N)

This is the difference (in dB) between a microphone’s sensitivity and the equivalent noise level. 64dB and higher is good.

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Do I Need to Know All This?

Let’s be honest; most people don’t get into podcasting because they want to become audio engineers.

And whilst this is all useful knowledge, it’s understandable that you might find certain things a bit too technical, or even just a little boring. That’s totally fine!

With that in mind, we try to review as many different vocal mics as we can on the site. This hopefully means that we can give you the lowdown of each at-a-glance. We can run you through the key points. How does it sound? How does it look? How much does it cost?

That should be much easier than pouring over the intricacies of mic specs on Amazon. But, if that’s the sort of thing that does interest you, then be sure to bookmark this article.

Editor’s Note

There’s no doubt that some people go right down the rabbithole with mics, and with good reason. Vocals are one thing, but imagine having to record instruments, too, or even a full drum kit! Rather than one mic, you then need a whole set, and to cover an enormous range of frequencies. To see what I mean, check out the photo of a 7-mic setup at the bottom of this drum mic kit article.

Condenser Vs Dynamic: Mic Recommendations

Here are some reviews and guides worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new microphone.

• Best Podcast Microphones
• Best USB Microphones

Great Condenser Mics

• AKG Lyra
• Samson Satellite
• Shure MV5

Great Dynamic Mics

• Samson Q2U
• Rode Procaster
• Rode Podcaster

Bonus Resource: Free Online Mic Test

Need More Help?

Whether you need advice on equipment or guidance on any other aspect of podcasting, you’ll find the help you need in the IndiePod Community, where no podcaster is left behind.

And, if you’re feeling clued up on the podcast equipment side of things, it’s time to start thinking about software. Our podcast maker tool Alitu lets you record, edit, produce, publish, and host your show, all within one easy-to-use interface. Try it out free for seven days at alitu.com.