In this article, I am excited to introduce to you a new reverb tool from iZotope/NI, Equinox.  This tool has the potential to elevate your podcasts to the next level, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro.

What is Equinox?

Back in the not-too-distant past, soundies worldwide drooled over the sound of the reverbs from Exponential Audio. Equinox is reviving the sound of these reverbs by utilizing the Exponential Audio algorithms and combining them with the adaptive unmasking technology we’ve seen from Aurora. 

Equinox boasts 1,250 presets geared toward giving you a lush, immersive sound for dialogue, soundscapes, or experimental music. 

The best part? Equinox is a multichannel reverb, which means it supports immersive formats like surround/atmos/binaural for mixing.

For individuals with a license for the Exponential Audio reverbs Stratus and Symphony, Equinox allows you to replace these plugins in a Pro Tools session with Equinox while carrying over plugin settings. At this time, only Pro Tools is supported for this feature.  Automation and auxiliary output information is currently not supported at the time of this review.

Zotope provided me with a review build of Equinox.  Some elements may differ slightly from the official release.

Crafting Reverb in Seconds

The team at iZotope has taken care to assist users who are new to more complex tools like Equinox without hindering control for more experienced users. Equinox features a “Filter” section where users can select what “flavour” of reverb they would like to have. 

For podcasters, you’ll mostly focus on the Space and Size filters, but you may want to play with the Effect filter if you are doing sound design for audio dramas. 

So, what do these filters do exactly? They suggest factory presets based on your needs. For example, under “Space,” I clicked “Tight,” and for “Size,” I selected “Small,” which brings up the Smooth Vocal Booth preset.

As you can see, the settings are changed, but you can make manual tweaks, add more effects for more complex textures, or enable unmasking. If you’re ever unsure what a setting does, hovering over it will give a brief explanation.

Equinox and Unmasking

Equinox has an unmasking function, but what exactly does that mean?

Frequencies need a lot of coaxing to “play nice” with each other.  When you have the dry signal of say a voice recording and add reverb, you are adding frequency content to the overall signal.  This can lead to frequency build-up, also better known as “mud”. This can have an ill effect on the intelligibility of both the dry audio and the reverb.

Did you know you’re supposed to EQ your reverb? This is how audio professionals deal with frequency buildup issues. However, now, with unmasking tools, you no longer need to listen for this manually, saving you a tremendous amount of time and leading to cleaner-sounding mixes. Equinox uses a simple UI to set up unmasking between the dry and reverb applied to the audio. 

What Does This Mean for Me?

Your dry audio will remain intelligible with little to no loss in transient details, while your reverb will be more defined. That means you can have a large reverb with a long tail without the source audio sounding washy or muffled, or with tight/short reverbs to make a voice-over recording sound “larger”.

Now, is it 100% effective? Not always, but the unmasking technology has vastly improved since I first came across it in Neutron 4 Advanced from iZotope. With letting Equinox unmask the reverb applied to a source sound in real-time, there is definitely a noticeable difference!  Equinox allows a user to make manual adjustments if needed.  Having this tool built-in also helps with plugin insert clutter. This can help simplify plugin chains inside a DAW.

Equinox: UI

The UI has a lot going on, but iZotope did a good job of balancing sections that separate features so as not to overwhelm the user and keeping it concise enough that there’s no need to constantly flip between windows to make adjustments. It uses a “dark mode” colour pallet, which is great for people with screen brightness sensitivity.

Equinox: Performance

It’s always recommended that if you haven’t built your own PC for audio productions, at the very least, use a laptop that is advertised as a gaming laptop to meet the minimum hardware specs of the audio processing applications you’ll be using. 

In my testing, Equinox wasn’t a glutton on CPU/RAM and ran quite smoothly. The version of the plugin I tested was in its review build, and I didn’t run into any time crippling glitches or performance issues. I was running it in a 100-track session with multiple occurrences on auxiliary sends (FX sends) with no issues. 

This is a breath of fresh air for a Windows user, as QC for tools on the Windows side has started to take a downward hit again as developers favour Mac stability.

Sound Samples

Here’s a quick spoken-word before-and-after. I used a darker-sounding mic, and Equinox opened it up, making it brighter and livelier, but the effect is subtle in this use case. The tool will undoubtedly shine more with multi-sound source sessions like audio drama.

Equinox Cost & Conclusion

Equinox is set to be priced at $249 USD. A special discount price of $149.20 USD will be available until April 30^th, 2025. 

This plugin is a great addition to a toolset for time-saving capabilities with professional results. Its filter feature can help a less experienced user zero in on where to start with a preset, yet it has enough manual functionality for tweaking for a more seasoned user.

Reintroducing the sound of Exponential Audio for reverbs is very exciting, as those sounded amazing! They were an industry favourite for many years. With Equinox, a user will be able to easily create ear candy for their listeners! 

A quick heads up, this article includes affiliate links to some of the services mentioned to help support the free content we produce.

TLDR – Just Find Me a Podcast Producer!

Quick answer, eh? Well, here are four of the best options for you:

1. Full-service production ($1000+):

Castos Productions

Post-production of your audio podcast episodes can be frustrating and time-consuming. The good news is – it doesn’t have to be that way! Outsource your whole podcast production to expert audio producers – with full training in producing professional shows – all you will have to do is record each episode and send the unedited files to Castos for further production.

2. Detailed editing in your Creation Platform (from $295): Alitu

Alitu Productions

Podcast-maker tool Alitu is designed to make DIY editing & publishing as easy as clicking a few buttons, no technical knowledge needed. But now, the Alitu Productions tier offers an editing service, too, so you can record in the app, have it edited for you, review it, and publish, all in one place.

3. Limited budget pick: Fiverr (Sub-$100)

Go with freelance sound engineer and podcast editor adamglider on Fiverr. We’ve tried him, and he’s great. You’ll get podcast production packages there for as little as $64, depending on what you need.

4. Got very specific needs?

Work with us!

At The Podcast Host, we don’t just teach podcasting – we’ve been editing and producing them for more than fifteen years. If you’d like us in your corner when it comes to making your content shine, get in touch and tell us more about your needs, plans, and ambitions.

Why Hire a Podcast Producer?

Most people get into podcasting because they have something to say. They have a message, and they want to share it with the world.

And, though there’s more to podcasting than just getting behind the mic and hitting record, all of these other tasks are often seen as necessary rather than enjoyable.

Of all the jobs involved, there are two that seem to cause the most grief among podcasters of all levels of experience.

Fed Up Editing?

Whether you call it editing, mixing, or post-production, there are a few reasons why you might dread this stage of making an episode.

Some find it difficult, time-consuming, or just flat-out boring.

Even taking a minimum effective editing approach involves opening up a DAW or editing software program, and just the thought of that can lead some podcasters to procrastination and even “podfading”.

Bored Writing Shownotes?

You probably didn’t get into an audio medium like podcasting for the thought of sitting down and knocking out 400-500-word blog posts every other week.

And whilst some podcasters love to write, others could really do without it.

Even in a world where AI can generate show notes for you, some podcasters still want that human touch, or don’t have the time or confidence to edit generated text into something they’re happy to put their name to.

Like editing, there’s a range of options available to you when choosing your preferred style of shownotes.

But whether you’re writing bullet points or something more akin to a small ebook, they’re still going to require your time and attention.

Outsourcing: Hire a Podcast Producer

So you might now be tempted to quote the immortal words of Homer Simpson – “Can’t someone else do it?”

The good news is that there’s a plethora of services and freelancers out there who’ll edit, produce, write shownotes, and offer a whole range of other podcasting services on top of that.

But, sometimes having too much choice is hard work in itself, so if you’re in the mood to delegate everything, let us point out some options for you.

Podcast Production on Fiverr

If you’re looking to hire a podcast producer, then Fiverr is a freelancer marketplace where you can get all sorts of help with your content. It’s a really easy platform to navigate and use, though not without its risks, as there are a lot of questionable services on there, too.

With that in mind, we’ve hand-picked a few services for you below. These are all freelancers we’ve used in the past and have been very impressed with.

Hire a Podcast Producer

• adamglinder – from $64
• radioorg – from $106

Hire a Shownotes Writer

• mabendroth15 – from $57

Hire a Podcast Art Designer

• c7productions – from $172

Hiring Podcast Production Companies

Hiring a freelancer is a great option for many. But some prefer to have the weight of a full podcast production company behind them. This means that inevitable real-life stuff like illness and holidays are much less likely to interrupt your release schedule. So, what are your options here?

Lower Street

Want to produce a next-level podcast that stands out from your competitors? Want to create a differentiated show and be sure you find the audience you’re trying to grow?

Want expert guidance from research, planning and scripting through guest booking and recording to post-production and distribution?

Skip the awkward years & launch a great show right away with Lower Street‘s podcast production services. Lower Street handles every step of podcasting for enterprises, high-ticket agencies, and consultants to nail your podcast strategy, content, and promotion from the very first episode.

Alitu Productions

Podcast maker tool Alitu is designed to make DIY editing as easy as humanly possible. But if you still just don’t have the time or the confidence, Alitu Productions is a fully managed tier where the editing is done for you.

It means you can still use Alitu for recording and publishing your show, but right in the middle, the Alitu team will edit the show for you. The cool thing here is that there’s no sending of files, or downloading and review. It’s all done inside the Alitu dashboard – you can preview and review it there, send over your comments, and finally publish, all in the same place.

Apply for the Alitu Productions service here

If you didn’t know already, Alitu’s our sister app, originally started by Colin to help you and all readers of The Podcast Host. So the Alitu service, just like this blog, is designed by podcasters for podcasters!

Castos Productions

Castos Productions takes the hard work of post-production off of your hands, leaving you free to grow your show and connect with your audience.

Their podcast editing service is staffed by their own team of seasoned audio engineers, talented show note writers, and producers, who’ll take care of every aspect of your podcast after you record an episode.

We Edit Podcasts

We Edit Podcasts are another company that can take care of almost all aspects of your show. They offer everything from transcription to video editing. WEP have a nice Podcast Pricing Estimator feature on their site, too, so you can get an idea of your own bespoke costs.

The Podcast Host

Yep, us!

Podcast production is one of the foundations of our business here at The Podcast Host. We’ve been editing shows for over fifteen years and know this type of work inside out.

We can teach you how to edit your own show, OR, we have a tool that’ll practically do it for you. But if you’re still looking to work with a dedicated podcast producer, then please tell us a bit more about your unique needs and wants. We look forward to hearing from you!

Summary: Hiring a Podcast Producer or Podcast Production Company

Just to summarise, then. Here are your options.

Work With Us

If you’re interested in working with us to help bring your show to life (or, take it to the next level) then we’d love to hear from you.

Limited Budget Podcast Production

Looking for regular episodes edited and need to keep costs down to a minimum?

• Fiverr Freelancer: adamglinder
• Fiverr Freelancer: radioorg

Full-Service Podcast Production Companies

Need a comprehensive production service that includes shownotes, publishing, social media promotion, and transcriptions?

• Castos Productions
• Lower Street
• We Edit Podcasts

Creation App Podcast Production

Finally, Alitu has all the tools you need to record, edit, and publish your show, even if you don’t know a single thing about audio production.

What’s more, if you like the idea, look, or sound of Alitu but still want help with the editing, then Alitu Productions gives you the best of both worlds. With Alitu Productions, Alitu will be your recording and publishing workspace, and your very own producer will work in there alongside you to help bring your show to life!

Podcast editing. For complete beginners, it can be an intimidating barrier to launching a show. Many aspiring podcasters procrastinate, worrying about how they’ll actually edit their podcast episodes before publishing them.

Listen, follow, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice!

But it’s never been easier to edit audio yourself or find someone else to do it for you.

What’s more, there’s nothing to say that you absolutely need to edit your podcast. Or, exactly how you should do it. It all depends on your own approach, content, and audience.

Here, I’d like to run through the various podcast editing options that are available.

These will depend on your budget, time constraints, and whether or not you prefer to learn new skills or outsource the stuff you’ve no interest in doing yourself.

Just before we jump into part one, a quick heads up. We use the odd affiliate link in this article, which we’d earn a small commission from if you were to buy through it. This is never at any extra cost to you, though – and we only use affiliate links for stuff we recommend and use ourselves!

Alright, let’s get on with this whirlwind tour of podcast editing…

How to Edit a Podcast

At its most basic level, podcast editing is cutting out unwanted bits from your recordings.

In almost all podcast editing software programs, this is done by showing you a visual representation of your audio, known as a waveform. You then find the parts you want to chop, highlight them, and delete them like you’d delete text in a Word document.

Podcast editing can also be done on what’s known as a multitrack. As the name suggests, you’re working with multiple audio tracks here. In a multitrack editor, you’ll drag your clips, trim them, and arrange them into a fully-fledged podcast episode. This is a common way of mixing in different segments, clips, and podcast music.

Then, there’s the production side of podcast editing. This is where you can run effects and processes designed to reduce background noise, boost volume, and gently enhance your audio. This can be done with pre-set effects or plugins. Some audio editing software (like Alitu) will take care of this automatically, so you don’t need to spend time learning it all.

How Long Does it Take to Edit a Podcast?

Unsurprisingly, there’s a big “it depends” answer to this one. Let’s use two different podcasters as an example.

Quick & Dirty Podcast Editing

In the first instance, our podcaster opts for a “Minimum Effective Editing” approach. They’ll build this into their recording process—any time they make a mistake or get interrupted, they’ll click their fingers three times in front of the mic. This creates a very obvious visual marker in the waveform, so it’s quick and easy to chop out later on.

They’ll do a “top and tail”, chop off the unwanted stuff at the beginning and end of the recording, and use pre-sets or automation to add some music and do the production and processing work. If this show is about 30 minutes long, it’ll take no longer than 15 minutes to edit. That’s pretty fast.

Thorough Podcast Editing & Production

In our second example, our podcaster records lengthy interviews where finger-clicking isn’t really an option. They can use a notepad to jot down potential edit timecodes, but they prefer to focus 100% on the conversation. Later on, this lengthy interview will need a full listen-through, which can take double its time. As a ballpark, a one-hour recording will need two hours of editing.

Not only that, but our podcaster likes to go for the “highly produced” approach, layering in music beds for mood and effect. Picking out music from a Royalty Free source and then working it into your content can easily add another hour to your podcast editing.

Production-wise, they might be interested in the granular control and maximum optimisation here, too. This would mean taking each separate recording and manually applying things like Compression and EQ. Again, this can add another hour to your workflow if you really get into the weeds.

Overall, our second podcaster could expect to spend three to five hours editing their hour-long episode.

A Rough Average Podcast Editing Time: One Hour

Both examples are on the extreme ends of the spectrum, and for most podcasters, the reality lies somewhere in the middle. If you wanted the ultimate stab in the dark figure, let’s say that podcast editing takes, on average, around an hour. But there are so many variables, caveats, and exceptions.

What Are the Podcast Editing “Rules”?

Now that we’ve covered the basics, you’ll realise that there’s no single way you “should” be editing your podcast. Indeed, there are good and bad practices, but it’s entirely up to you if you even edit your show at all.

Obviously, if you want to create a highly produced podcast or audio drama, then, one way or another, that will require a fair bit of editing.

But if you’re recording yourself talking into a mic, and don’t even feel the need for any intro music, then you can get away with no editing at all.

So, how do you decide on your own approach? Here are a couple of resources to help guide you.

Beginner

For solo, co-hosted, or interview podcasts, you can get away with very little editing.

• How much editing should I do in my podcast?
• The Minimum Effective Editing approach

Advanced

Documentary and drama-style shows take a lot more podcast editing work. They work brilliantly when done well, but for most podcasters, they are overkill.

• Creating a ‘Highly Produced’ Podcast – full Season of the Podcraft Podcast
• How Do You Edit and Produce an Audio Drama Podcast?

Should I Use a DAW for My Podcast Editing?

The most common podcast editing tool is what’s known as a DAW – which stands for Digital Audio Workstation. It’s just a posh way of saying “audio editing programme”.

DAWs also let you record into them, so it’s basically like having a full recording studio on your computer—provided you have a microphone to plug into it.

The most popular beginner DAW is Audacity. It’s popular because it’s absolutely free, and it’s still more than good enough to build your podcast episode with.

But if you’re looking for a more pro-level DAW with almost infinite functions and capabilities, then Adobe Audition, Hindenburg, or Reaper might be more up your street.

Best Podcast Editing Software for Podcasters of All Levels

Read article called: Best Podcast Editing Software for Podcasters of All Levels

Below, you’ll find our complete comparison between Audacity and Audition, which will hopefully help you decide which one (if any) you’d prefer to use.

Beginner

Just looking to choose the best fit for you and your show?

• Best Podcast Editing Software for Podcasters of All Levels
• Audacity vs Adobe Audition – Which DAW Should I Use?
• Reaper Review – a Collaborative Option for Recording and Editing Podcasts

Advanced

Want to learn more about DAW-based audio terms, tools, and techniques?

• Destructive Vs Non Destructive Editing for Podcast Production
• The Audacity Compressor – Fix Your Podcast & Audio Volume Issues
• Audacity Noise Reduction – How to Remove Background Noise
• Adobe Audition Review – Plus My Favourite Audition Tools for Podcasting

What About Podcast Editing Apps & Tools?

Podcast editing is the most common thing we’re asked about here at The Podcast Host.

That led to us developing a tool called Alitu, which practically builds your episode for you. It can take care of the processing, editing, and publishing of your podcast without the need for a DAW. You can also record your show inside Alitu (call recording or solo), and it has extra features like music, transcription, and built-in hosting. That means you can start publishing to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and 100 other places the minute you hit ‘save’ on your first episode.

Alitu has a lot of features, but it excels as a standalone podcast editing tool. You can even edit via text, or at double speed, and it can automatically remove filler words, breath sounds, and long pauses. Alitu will cut hours off of your production workload.

One of the latest features to be added is the ability to create or edit podcast cover art. This means you have everything you need to podcast, all under one roof.

In short, Alitu is a simple-to-use tool aimed at “non-techy” people, complete beginners, and podcasters who simply don’t have the time to spend editing their podcasts in the more traditional way.

Of course, there are some other great apps out there, too. The bottom line is that these days, you don’t need a DAW to edit your podcast. In fact, you can podcast without ever having opened one in your life.

Beginner

Looking for some simple podcast editing tools?

• Alitu: The Podcast Maker App
• Best Podcast-Making Apps: Simplify Your Podcasting Process
• EditPoint – Take a Walk & Produce Your Podcast

Advanced

Or maybe you DO prefer more of a DIY approach. In which case…

• Podcast Production Plugins: 4 Ways to Take Your Audio to the Next Level

Editing Filler Words, Breath Sounds, & Long Pauses

You can get really “surgical” with podcast editing, and spend time removing every uhm, ah, long pause, and annoying breath sound. I’ve never endorsed this approach because, quite simply, it takes too long, and the workload causes a lot of podcasters to quit altogether.

However, when Alitu recently rolled out automatic filler word, breath, and silence removal, I couldn’t resist giving it a wee shot. Despite working alongside the team that makes Alitu, I still use Audition for most of my audio work. This is purely because I’ve been working with it for 14 years and know it inside out.

Anyway, I uploaded a 40-minute interview to Alitu, let it do its thing, and it cut a whole 4 minutes from my audio. I was pretty amazed. I did a full listen-through at double speed (another feature of Alitu) to make sure it still sounded okay. A handful of jarring edits needed undoing (a feature that’s quick and easy), but that was really it. A big improvement to my audio at no extra time cost to me. What’s more, by saving 700 listeners 4 minutes each, that adds up to over 46 hours!

Is Text-Based Podcast Editing a Thing?

Yes! One of the simplest ways to edit audio is to take a written transcript of your audio, highlight the words, sentences, or sections you’d like to remove and delete them. Text-based editing will then delete the corresponding audio, so if you can compose a text message to your best pal, you can edit a podcast.

Text-based podcast editing is becoming more popular these days, and you’ll find it in a growing number of tools, from Alitu and Descript to Riverside and Hindenburg.

Should I Hire a Producer to Do My Podcast Editing?

Still got no interest in having anything to do with your podcast editing? That’s perfectly normal. It just means you’ll probably need to hire someone to do it for you.

There is an ever-growing number of producers out there who make themselves available for podcast editing work. These range from freelancers with day jobs to fully-fledged companies employing teams of podcast producers on their staff.

The route you go down will, as ever, depend on your budget. You’ll find loads of excellent freelancers doing great work at a low cost. But, like any other service, there will undoubtedly be a few unreliable folks in the marketplace, too.

If you are looking for a producer, then here are some options for you.

Hiring a Producer: Options

• Alitu Productions offers fixed-price, done-for-you editing services. You record your show in Alitu, or upload from anywhere, then an editor will edit it for you, ready to review right in the same place.
• Music Radio Creative will give you an instant quote based on your average episode length and the number of episodes you’d like to commit to.
• There are plenty of podcast editors available for hire on Fiverr. Check out adamglinder and radioorg if you want to go down this route.
• You might also want to see our full guides on what to look for in a podcast production company and how to hire a podcast producer.

Hardware for Podcast Editing

It almost goes without saying, but a capable computer is an essential part of the podcast editor’s toolkit. There are a few considerations when buying a laptop or computer for podcasting, which we cover in our dedicated guides. If you plan to run Pro Tools on your ZX Spectrum, be prepared to drink many cups of tea whilst you wait.

If you’re using a laptop or computer, then it’s an assumption that you’ll be using a mouse, too. But there are much more intuitive and comfortable ways to edit podcasts, especially if you spend a lot of time on production.

Two of our podcast editing experts, Sarah and Dev, have drawn from the gaming world to give them more tangible control over their software and protect themselves from nasty conditions like RSI. Sarah uses the Stream Deck, whilst Dev uses an Xbox controller. And, as you’ll see from our reviews, they like these setups a lot!

Podcast Editing Summary: Your Content. Your Audience

No two podcasts are alike (that’s actually a lie, there are at least 500 “entrepreneur” shows with the words “On Fire” in their title, but we’ll brush past that!), so this all comes down to your own unique approach and aims.

Podcast Editing for the Hobbyist or “Toe-Dipper”

If you’re a hobbyist just looking to chat about a topic close to your heart, taking some time to learn the basics of Audacity is probably the best option for you. Remember, if you’d like to take a course on Audacity (or Audition), you can do that inside the IndiePod Community.

Podcast Editing for the Small Business or Side-Hustle

If you’re someone currently working a day job, but launching your show as part of a side business that you’re serious about growing, then you might be prepared to spend a little money to save a lot of time. In that case, using the “podcast making” app Alitu is likely your best option.

Podcast Editing for the Company or Brand Podcast

Or, if you’re an established business looking to get a highly polished and professional-sounding show right out the gate, hiring a producer will be your best option. Just remember that great-sounding audio is more to do with the source material than the editing, though, so hire someone who can advise you on your recording setup and work with you on that front, too. Remember, we can help you with all of this and more, so get in touch today and tell us exactly what you need!

In podcasting, small mistakes left unaddressed become bad habits. These errors can make audiences stop listening, putting the whole podcast on a one-way trip to Podfadeland. 

Participants in our Podcast Discovery survey told us about some Frequently Annoying Quirks that put audiences off a show. I also asked our Indiepod Community members for podcast turn-offs, and their answers were consistent with the Discovery Survey results.

I’ll explain some of these annoyances so that you can compare them to your episodes. Then, I’ll show you how to fix the quirks. Finally, I’ll show you how to determine if your podcast is annoying. 

Some of these annoyances are easy to define and fix, others less so. Let’s look at the annoying podcast elements that happen with delivery, editing, dynamic audio insertion, and intention. 

Delivery (Or, How Hosts Present Themselves)

Some of the annoying podcast elements that respondents mentioned involved mic technique, enunciation, and speed. 

“The voice of the podcast host is very important. [In some specific cases] I just can’t listen to it because both hosts are high-pitched squawkers.” 

Dear Reader, I listened to the podcast the respondent mentioned. The squawking paled in comparison to the hosts’ plosives on consonants. The mic picked up activity in their soft palates and vocal folds that would take a speech therapist to explain.

We’ve all seen videos of podcasters or radio presenters who cuddle up to the microphone like a kid with a teddy bear. It’s probably to make sure the mic is in the shot, so we think, “Hey, check out that fancy mic; this must be a pro.” But if you can feel your breath rebounding off the mic and onto your face, the audience feels like they’re getting an obscene phone call.  

Though people usually tune out flaws in their speaking, the microphone doesn’t.

2 Simple Ways To Improve Your Presentation

The simplest ways to improve your vocal clarity are to make sure that: 

• your mouth is the right distance from the mic
• your microphone is stable. 

Microphones can pick up sounds you don’t realize exist, like resting your hands on a table or swiveling in a chair. Our guide to mic technique for podcasters explains this in detail. 

Stop mouth noises before you start recording, with proper hydration and a pop filter, and avoid caffeine and dairy before you record. Our guide to what causes mouth noises and how to prevent or reduce them includes how to fix them in the editing stage if necessary. 

Cadence & Clarity 

A succinct version of an evergreen survey response is, “I always need to listen at 1.3 speed. I hate slow narration and long, drawn-out scenes.” Is “speed-listening” a trend because of podcasters’ rate of speech, or because they ramble? 

Humans can understand speech faster than people can speak it: about three words per second, according to a 2018 University of Maryland study. But that depends on clarity and cohesion.  Speed isn’t the issue if your podcast script makes sense and you speak clearly.  

Clear enunciation helps your audience digest your ideas and saves time when transcription software transcribes your dialogue. More accessibility means audience growth! 

Speak in your natural rhythm. When you listen to your audio, note where to remove distracting silences. Clarity and speed work together to make your podcast more effective. Not only can your audience understand you, but also, they won’t get bored. 

Editing 

Other annoying podcast elements mentioned by audiences involved editing issues, such as volume leveling or mismatched cuts. 

One respondent said, “A podcast’s audio levels and general quality should be good enough that I can clearly understand everyone while driving without changing the volume constantly.” Another said, “Over-editing where the answers do not match the questions or missing pauses will kill it for me.” 

These errors show that the podcaster didn’t listen to their completed audio before publication. If you don’t respect your audience or topic enough to make sure it’s presented properly, why are you making a podcast in the first place? 

Pro Editors’ Best-Kept Secret

It’s common sense, yet many podcasters skip this. Listen to your podcast episode from beginning to end before publishing. Shocking, right? Pretend the podcast is new to you. 

• Do you find yourself adjusting the volume during playback? 
• Is the information clear and consistent? 
• Do the insights follow a logical pattern? 
• Would you need help understanding the dialogue? 

If any elements distract you from the show’s topic, jot it down. Then, go back and polish the episode. 

Our podcast editing guide can help you find the right editing process for you and your show. Whether you want to spend five hours or five minutes per episode making it sound just right, there’s editing software and strategy to help you.

Good film editors watch every frame of their work. Why not give your podcast the same attention? 

And, while we’re on the topic of editing…

Adverts

Sponsorship and ad reads are part and parcel of podcast monetization. Unfortunately, though, when mismanaged, they can grate on your audience. 

One survey respondent told us, “I appreciate that podcasts have to make money somehow, but if they keep interrupting the podcast to play me the same clips from another podcast, I’ll usually switch off and unfollow, no matter how good the content was. That’s especially the case if I’m trying to work through a back catalog and have to listen to the same trailers two or three times in every episode.”

In our Discovery Survey, 92% of respondents told us they tolerate ads within reason, and 3% said they enjoyed listening to ads when they were relevant. The important word is “relevant.” Ads may pay the podcasting bills, but they can drive away new listeners when they barge in like a wedding crasher at a funeral. 

Auto-inserted dynamic ads can also play right in the middle of a word or sentence. Most hosting providers have tools that enable you where to set these timecodes, but if you neglect to do it, they might just let the computer decide for you. 

So take care not to push your luck with ad breaks, pay particular care when positioning any dynamic inserts in your audio, and ensure they are as relevant as possible to your audience.

Tone & Intention

As the old saying goes, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Our survey respondents showed us how the wrong tone and intention can turn a podcast into a nightmare. 

“I don’t enjoy in-jokes and irrelevant chat at the start.”

“I can not stand tuning into a new podcast, and the co-hosts start by having a lengthy catch-up amongst themselves, taking ages to get to the promised topic.”

“One bloke purely talked to his existing audience about his plans for an offer. I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I gave up after 5 minutes.  He hadn’t considered he could be talking to someone for the first time.”

“Every podcast that I have tried and not stuck with has had one common denominator – an irritating host.”

Small talk is only fun for the people having it. While a show where the hosts have camaraderie is great, the audience queued up the show to hear about a particular topic. Give the audience what you promised in the description. 

“But how can I seem human and approachable if I don’t talk about my pets and favorite TV shows?” 

Reframe your perspective. Knowing your audience is crucial for more than promotion. Without keeping your audience in mind while recording and editing, you’re talking to hear yourself talk. If you’ve ever surveyed your audience or communicated directly with them, then you can imagine your audience. If not, ask yourself: 

What’s your podcast’s purpose? You have a message to share with others, but why does it matter for them to hear it? Write that on a big piece of paper and post it up where you can see it while recording. 

Who’s your ideal listener? Some people put pictures of their kids near their mic, to remind themselves that their kids could hear what they say. You can search in Google Images with a basic audience description, such as “HVAC technician” or “librarian.” True, you’ll find stock photos, but you can also find pictures of real people who are similar to the folks you want to reach. 

Remember, people are listening. It could increase your empathy for your audience. 

How to Find Out if Your Podcast is Annoying

When we put effort and enthusiasm into our podcasts, we might overlook (or ignore) some mistakes that stand out to others as much as an alarm bell. What, how, and who to ask are all essential to getting helpful feedback. 

What to Ask (& How)

Ask specific questions about your podcast. If you don’t know what to ask, then: 

• Find the places where you feel insecure in your podcasting process; ask about those.
• Identify the places where you felt overconfident. Ask about those. 

The more specific your question is, the easier it is for people to answer it helpfully. There’s a big difference between “What do you think of my show?” and “Are the volume levels consistent or jarring?” 

Take the feedback objectively. It’s not about you; it’s about the audio.

Who to Ask

Some folks are the wrong people to ask. Don’t ask your close friends or family. They’ll prioritize your feelings instead of being honest. And your dad might not know how to explain that you set the wrong bitrate. 

Asking other podcasters is always a good idea, provided your question is specific. Podcasting communities can be helpful for this. Our Indiepod Community is a good place to discuss podcasting challenges and strategies. Also, Facebook and Discord have many podcasting discussion groups. 

If your budget allows it, get a professional opinion. Many podcasting pros offer checkup services or podcast audits. For example, members of our Podcraft Academy can request a 4-minute Feedback Session. You provide four minutes of your podcast and some questions; we do our best to answer them and help you improve.

There’s Always Room for Improvement

Some think podcasting is as easy as talking. In reality, it takes a well-thought-out plan and robust workflow to make one podcast episode seem effortless. Flaws are bound to happen, but they’re fixable.

Nobody wants to bring other podcasters down, but if we don’t criticize each other’s work when it’s warranted, eventually, podcasts become unenjoyable. 

As independent podcasting gains momentum, some idiosyncracies that podcasters let slide can alienate people new to podcasts. Not only does it hurt individual shows to let mistakes slide, but it can also harm the medium. 

Is your podcast annoying? Maybe, maybe not. But when you set your ego aside and focus on specific ways to improve your podcast, not only does your podcast improve, but you’ll grow your audience.

Data from the 2024 Podcaster Gear Survey

Is Audacity Good for Podcasts?

The data doesn’t lie, and a massive amount of podcasts have been created on the platform for almost a quarter of a century. It might not be “the best” option, but it’s a good one for several reasons:

• Audacity is free
• Audacity is open-source
• Audacity is flexible and powerful

What Audacity CAN’T Do

As more and more modern podcast-focused software platforms seek to build “all-in-one” solutions, there are a few notable areas Audacity doesn’t serve. At least, yet, anyway:

• Audacity doesn’t have a built-in online call recorder for remote conversations
• Audacity doesn’t have video production tools
• Audacity doesn’t have hosting, so you can’t publish and distribute your podcast with Audacity

Are these dealbreakers to using Audacity for your podcast? Definitely not. Plenty of other tools specialise in these processes, and it isn’t like Audacity will cost you an additional subscription on top of them. That said, if an all-in-one solution does appeal to you, then I’ll cover that in the Audacity alternatives section.

How to Set Up Audacity for Podcasting

The best way to decide if Audacity is a good fit for you is to try it out for yourself. It won’t cost you a penny to download, so record and edit some audio in Audacity and see how you find it. Here are the basics:

Installing Audacity

Go to the Audacity website and choose Windows, Mac, or Linux. Select your preferred language, and the Audacity Setup Wizard will guide you through the process.

Importing & Playing Audio

You’ll need an existing audio track on your computer for this. Click ‘File’ in the menu at the top of the screen. Select ‘Import’ then ‘Audio’, and browse to find the file you’d like to load up.

Imported audio will appear in Audacity as a waveform. A waveform is the visual representation of your audio file. The vertical line that runs from left to right along your waveform as it plays is called the Playhead.

• Hit the play button (triangle) to play your audio.
• Hit the stop button (square) to stop your audio.

You can use the Space bar as a short key to stop and start playing.

All of this work happens inside of an Audacity session, which is also known as a “project”.

Connecting Your Equipment

Make sure your equipment is connected to your computer and switched on, if appropriate. If you’re using a Windows computer, you may need to install your gear’s corresponding driver, too.

Click on the ‘Audio Setup’ dropdown menu. Here, you can select your preferred recording and playback devices.

If you’re using an external kit, such as a USB mic or interface, plug your headphones into that, rather than directly into your computer, then set the device as both your ‘Recording’ and ‘Playback’ option.

Recording Audio

The ‘Record’ button is the big, obvious-looking red circle. If you hit it, you’ll start a new stereo track. The Playhead will begin moving across the screen from left to right, and if you talk into the mic, you should see your audio appearing on the newly created waveform.

You can stop recording by clicking the ‘Stop’ (square) button, or by hitting the space bar.

Editing Audio

Editing audio is a simple process in Audacity. When you’re working with spoken word content, this allows you to remove mistakes, interruptions, and unwanted sections.

Click and drag the mouse over the section of waveform you’d like to remove. You can then either:

• Hit backspace on your keyboard
• Right-click and select ‘Cut’
• Use shortcut Ctrl + X (PC) or Cmd + X (Mac)

Multitrack Production

You can add new stereo or mono tracks by clicking the ‘Tracks’ menu at the top. Multiple tracks give you the option to add in other layers or elements, such as ad breaks or music.

To move tracks around your workspace, hover the cursor over the top end of one (the bit where you see the track’s name), and a wee hand icon will appear. You can use this icon to drag and drop tracks to a position of your choosing, and this is how you build a podcast episode.

Exporting Audio

Once you’ve laid out the segments of your podcast episode and want to mix it down into one single file, hit ‘File’ then ‘Export Audio’.

Audacity will ask you if you’d like to export it to your computer, or to a cloud storage drive on audio.com. If you’re doing this for the first time, just go with ‘Export to Computer’.

You’ll be asked to name your file, select a saving location, and pick the file format. Typically, podcasters export and publish episodes as MP3s. MP3s need a bitrate setting, too. If you’re doing spoken-word content, I’d click ‘Bit-Rate Mode’ and select ‘Constant’, then click ‘Quality’ and choose ’96kbps’. Then, hit ‘Export’ when you’re done.

You now (in theory, at least!) have a podcast episode, ready to upload and publish to your podcast hosting account!

Saving Your Work

Saving a project is different from exporting audio. A project is your multitrack session in its entirety and everything that’s carefully laid out there. Whether you’re working on a long-term project or simply don’t have time to finish and export right now, you can save your work and come back to it later. Go to ‘File’ and ‘Save Project’, then pick a suitable location on your computer or cloud drive.

Audacity project files display as .aup3, and when you open one, your session will be restored.

Audacity Tips & Tools

The above is a very bare-bones approach to recording, producing, and exporting audio. Audacity has a lot more to it than that, and no doubt, your podcasting plans do, too.

Audacity’s Editing Tools

There are a bunch of editing tools in Audacity’s main menu. Here’s a whirlwind tour:

Selection Tool

The Selection Tool allows you to move the playhead to a certain point in your session, and also to click and drag over specific parts of your audio file.

Envelope Tool

The Envelope Tool lets you quickly and easily adjust the overall volume level or manipulate and shape your waveform.

In podcasting, this is most commonly used to blend music into an episode. Clicking on the waveform with the envelope tool will create little ‘nodes’ or control points from which you can drag your audio in or out.

Creating and moving one set of nodes will adjust the overall volume of your waveform. Clicking and dragging two (or more ) sets of nodes will change the shape of your waveform. These changes will be apparent in the volume of audio as the manipulated waveform is played back.

Draw Tool

The Draw Tool is only available when you are zoomed far enough into a waveform to see the individual samples (this relates to audio sample rates). It enables you to literally redraw the shape of the waveform, by clicking and dragging these samples.

Some producers use the Draw Tool to ‘draw out’ flaws in the audio, such as mic pops, but this can be a time-consuming workflow.

Multi-Tool

The Multi-Tool gives you access to all of the editing tools at once. If you hover over different parts of your audio track, the icon will change. This means you don’t need to keep swapping your tool to perform different tasks.

Zoom Tools

There are five different Zoom tools. They all look like slightly different variations of a magnifying glass. You can zoom in or out, toggle between maximum and minimum zoom, fit the zoom selection to the width of your audio track, or fit the whole project to width.

Other Audacity Editing Tools

There are two more editing tools in the Audacity interface that you might find useful. With the ‘trim audio outside of selection’ tool, you can select a piece of audio you want to keep and delete everything else around it. Similarly, you can select a section and remove all sound from it by clicking ‘silence audio selection’.

Recording & Playback Levels

Recording Level and Playback Level indicators show you (at a glance) if your audio is too loud or too quiet. I like to see these bounce up to around the -12 mark during recording and production. Little sliders on them enable you to adjust the gain and volume as you work.

Track Gain, Panning, Mute, & Solo

Each audio track has a control panel of options on the left-hand side of the session. Here, you can toggle off ‘Mute’ (mute the track) and ‘Solo’ (play only this track) options.

You can also adjust the gain of this individual track with its gain slider or pan the sound left or right with a similar ‘Pan’ slider. Panning can create extreme stereo effects in your audio. It’s uncommon to have panning in typical spoken-word podcasts, but you’ll find it used more in the fiction podcasting and audio drama realm.

Audacity Plugins for Podcast Production

“Plugins” are optional capabilities, enhancements, and presets you can add to Audacity to make it more powerful. If you click ‘Effect’ in the menu, you’ll find a tab for ‘Plugin Manager,’ which shows you all the plugins installed by default.

You can download more plugins on the Audacity website, but the platform has recently integrated with MuseHub, which takes audio effects and enhancements to a whole new level. MuseHub is a “creative playground” for audio producers, and you’ll find a slew of plugins, tools, apps, and elements there. You can use these to create or enable track effects or presets.

Audacity Presets for Podcast Production

If you’re still early on in your audio production journey, you might feel hesitant to mess about with too many settings manually. The good news is that Audacity offers plenty of presets for you to experiment with.

Track Effects

The control panel on the left of each track has an ‘Effects’ tab. Here, you can add effects such as reverb and distortion. Of course, these are exactly the kind of effects most podcasters don’t want in their audio. However, you can add and install preset effects designed to enhance spoken-word audio sound via the Audacity website or MuseHub integration.

The Effects tab will apply these non-destructively to all audio on that track, meaning you can simply turn them off or swap them for another—they won’t permanently change the sound of your source audio.

Clicking ‘Effects’ on a track’s control panel will also now bring up a ‘Master Effects’ track, too. This lets you apply preset effects to your entire session instead of your individual tracks. Again, this is non-destructive, but anything you set here will be applied to your full episode when you export it.

Noise Reduction in Audacity

Whether it’s a noticeable level of hiss under your recording, an annoying constant buzzing sound, or the steady whir of an AC unit, Audacity has a pretty good Noise Reduction tool that should strip it out without having to adjust any settings. The above video shows you how to do that, quickly and easily. But check out our Audacity Noise Reduction guide if you’re looking for a deeper dive.

Audacity Compression Settings for Podcast Loudness

Audio compression, in its most basic form, is a process to bring the quietest parts and loudest parts closer together. This offers a much more consistent sound and can prevent your listeners from having to continually adjust the volume on your podcast episodes.

Hit ‘Effect’ in the menu at the top of your Audacity session, then ‘Volume & Compression’ > ‘Compressor’. Audacity has a default preset that will make a decent stab of levelling out your audio. If you’d like to go a little more extreme, try lowering the Threshold (say, -40dB) and bumping up the Ratio (try 2:1) and see what happens. Compression is a whole subject of its own, so check out our guide to the Audacity Compressor for a deeper dive.

Audacity Alternatives for Podcasters

Audacity has a lot to offer podcasters, and it has improved significantly these past few years. According to data from our 2024 Podcaster Gear & Setups Survey, 17% of podcasters use it as their recording software of choice, while 24% use it for editing and production.

But, Audacity isn’t necessarily the right option for you. Maybe you want a remote call recorder or hosting tools built-in. Maybe you run a video component of your podcast. Or, perhaps you simply don’t like Audacity’s look and layout. Whatever the reason, there is no shortage of Audacity alternatives out there. Here are a few notable ones:

Garageband

If you use a Mac, you likely have Garageband installed by default. It’s designed to look a lot more beginner-friendly, though it is, first and foremost, a platform designed with music production in mind. As a podcaster, you might start to feel like it’s a bit limited for your needs over time.

Alitu

Alitu is a ‘Podcast Maker’ tool, perfect for complete beginners or ultra-busy creators. Its editing tools are simple but intuitive and entirely tailored to podcasters, with features such as text-based editing included. You can record remote calls (or solo episodes), and Alitu will automatically clean up, level out, and optimise them for you. It can even automatically remove uhms, ahs, breath sounds, and long pauses! With its built-in hosting tools, you can publish and distribute your show from within Alitu. Where this platform might not be suitable is if you’re running a video podcast, as its video recording and editing tools are still in the pipeline (although they are coming soon!).

Descript

Descript has many of the same tools and features as Alitu, with the added bonus of its popular AI Video Editor feature. It doesn’t have a built-in call recorder, but it integrates seamlessly with remote video and audio recording tool Squadcast. You can’t upload and publish a podcast with Descript (yet, anyway), so would still need a separate podcast hosting account, but Descript is a powerful and innovative tool and another superb Audacity alternative.

Adobe Audition

I’ve been using Adobe Audition for the best part of 14 years. In that time, it has served me well, enabling me to record, edit, and produce several hundred podcast episodes and creative audio projects. There isn’t much you can’t do in Audition, though it isn’t a beginner-friendly DAW and has suffered from Adobe’s lack of support in recent years. I think the company is more focused on its video-first software, Adobe Premiere, these days. Whilst Adobe Audition, on a features level, is a notable Audacity alternative, I don’t find myself recommending it to beginners. Check out Audacity Vs Adobe Audition for an in-depth comparison.

Hindenburg PRO

I’ve minimal experience with Hindenburg as a DAW, but I have only ever heard good things from the podcasters who use it (and those who like it, REALLY like it). It seems to me that Hindenburg has found a sweet spot in the space, in relation to its pricing, accessibility, and features. If you like what Audacity does and how it runs, but find the look and layout dated and cluttered, Hindenburg might be the alternative for you.

Conclusion: Audacity for Podcasters

The dictionary defines Audacity as “a willingness to take bold risks.” However, Audacity, our venerable Digital Audio Workstation, is anything but risky. It’s free and open-source, and it has been around for a long, long time. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Audacity has stood the test of time and continues enabling no small amount of podcasters to make their shows. Podcasting has benefited immeasurably from this software and the folks who help run it, and I hope it continues to be as popular in the years to come as it has been up until now!

If you’re still looking to shop around for the best podcast software or podcast editing software, then we have full roundups dedicated to both. And if you’re looking for more help and support in launching your show, then be sure to check out The Podcraft Academy. In there, you’ll find all of our courses (including one on Audacity!) and downloadable resources, and we also run weekly live Q&A sessions, too.

Let’s get specific: I’m looking closely at those tools that offer a similar experience to Descript. And that means text-based editing in particular. What other tools offer good text-based editing for podcasters?  

So, let’s dig in: Does Descript still look like a good option for podcast editing? And does it still lead the way in transcription-based editing? Here we go!

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Descript

I remember when Descript first came out, and the draw of text-based editing. I mean, if it works, you can save loads of time! Skim through that transcript, find the right sections to trim, pick out those crutch words, and spot highlights really easily.

I tried it out on Podcraft to see how good it was, but it was still pretty early. The cuts were quite harsh, and the transcript accuracy was still a little low. That’s maybe just me, though. One of the downsides of being Scottish: transcription services took a long time to figure out how to train on our accents!

But now (especially in the age of AI tools!), auto-generated transcripts are really good!  

That applies to every transcript-based editor, though, not Descript alone. So, text-based editing, by itself, isn’t really a strength for Descript any longer. Plenty of the Descript alternatives can do this just as well. So, let’s concentrate on the unique features of each.  

One oft-talked-about USP in Descript is its overdub feature. This is an AI-powered tool which can replicate your voice. So, if you find yourself editing out an errant sentence but really wish you’d said something else instead, you can have Descript create it for you! Write in the sentence, and Descript will simulate your voice, filling that gap.

The results aren’t perfect, but they are very good, and it’s ideal for small corrections. Be aware you need a higher tier Descript subscription to use this to the full. Otherwise, you’re limited to their 1000-word vocab. And most likely, you’ll use at least a few words outside of that list, as Lindsay did in this example…

Descript Strengths

• Well-developed, powerful interface for text-based editing. 
• Easily navigate your entire recording, and removal of filler words
• Overdub feature with AI-generated voice to help you fix mistakes
• “Studio sound” feature to upgrade the audio quality of your recording
• Good video production features and templates, with extra such as AI assisted eye tracking.

Descript Weaknesses

• The full Descript experience is currently only available in a downloaded app, rather than web based, which ties you down to one computer and means handling your own files. Not a huge deal, just sometimes inconvenient. (Editor’s note: this is changing, update below!)
• Doesn’t include native call recording, although it does integrate closely with recently acquired Squadcast. (More on this below)
• Refining text-based edits can be quite fiddly. It’s possible, but the waveform and the edit handles are very small and can be hard to work with.
• Not specifically podcaster-focussed, Descript serves a range of use cases, and it can feel cluttered in-app, or a higher learning curve for the average podcaster.

A couple of qualifications for the weaknesses above:

First, Descript has just launched a beta version of it’s own web-app (Autumn 2023). It’s still missing some features of the full Descript app (eg. recording, direct export, auto-levelling). We’ll make sure to update this when it’s fully released.

Secondly, the Squadcast integration is also likely to smooth itself out (and build directly in) over time, so keep your eyes peeled if truly integrated recording is important to you.

Pricing

• Free: 1hr of transcription / editing per month.
• $15 / month / editor: 10 hours of transcription/editing
• $30 / month / editor: 30 hours of transcription/editing

So, Descript is a great tool with a few weaknesses to consider. But is it the best ‘Podcast Maker’ for you? 

Well, let’s dig into some of the best Descript alternatives when it comes to podcast production and text-based audio editing. 

Alitu: the All in One Podcast Maker

Alitu is a podcast maker app that focuses on offering an all-in-one solution for making your podcast in as easy and stress-free a manner as possible. 

Here’s a list of what Alitu offers:

• Call and solo recording
• Audio cleanup (noise reduction, levelling, eq)
• Audio editing, both text and waveform
• Automated removal of ums, ahs and fillers
• Add segments, theme music, transitions, fades
• Transcription for every episode
• Podcast hosting & distribution

So, theoretically, Alitu podcasters never have to use any other app when running their show. Descript offers audio cleanup, but not native call recording or podcast hosting. The hosting is a big deal, of course, since this is the one true essential in podcasting. Hosting is how you publish your show online, and then submit it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all the other directories.

Here’s more on choosing podcast hosting if you need it!

Alitu also concentrates on minimalism and simplicity. This means the learning curve is near zero, and it automates a lot of the process. But the trade-off is that you give up some flexibility in how you make your show. For example, you can’t add background music over just part of a recording (although there are workarounds with their clip genie…) or add sound effects behind a voice. Descript does allow more powerful multitrack editing, if you plan to do a lot of voiceovers, effects or ambience music.

But, for the 90%+ of podcasters who just run a straightforward show with intro music, a few recordings, and an outro, it does a great job. 

Alitu allows for a lot of the ‘highly produced’ type polish through one of its most unique aspects: its episode builder. The episode builder is a block-based podcast interface which pieces together all your show’s parts. It adds your theme music and transitions automatically, and you can put together podcast opens, interview recordings, adverts (with background music!), sponsor reads, outros, and all the rest, right inside there. 

Alitu released its text-based editing in September 2023, which ties into its podcast-specific audio editor. You can skim-edit using the text and then review and refine the cuts quickly and simply on the standard audio timeline. 

Alitu Strengths

• Episode Builder: automatically add your theme music, transitions, and drag-and-drop add all your segments.
• All-in-one platform: everything in one place for an efficient price and slick workflow, including podcast hosting for publishing online, and to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the rest.
• Audio cleanup, to reduce background noise and enhance voice.
• Magic Filters to remove filler sounds (um! ah!) & silences
• Skim edit with text, then use the podcast-specific audio editor to review and refine cuts.

Alitu Weaknesses

• No video feed in call recording. Alitu is audio only. 
• No multitrack editing, so you can’t layer music upon voice or voice upon voice in more complex productions.
• All-in-one price, so if you already pay for separate recording or hosting tools, you may end up paying more.

Pricing

Alitu has a simple one-price policy:

• $38 per month for full access to recording, editing, transcripts and podcast hosting.

There are no limits on recording and editing and a 10hr limit on transcriptions per month. You get hosting up to 1000 downloads per month included (enough for most podcasters until you start to see a lot of traction) and industry-standard upgrade pricing from there.

So that you know, Alitu is run by The Podcast Host’s sister company, so we are related! But our team at thePodcastHost.com is committed to being fair and impartial in all the reviews we do, and our comparisons with Alitu are no different. 

Riverside.fm

Riverside started out as a call recording company, heavily leaning on video. They’re one of the best call-recording platforms out there, with a whole bunch of special features in that area, from social media production tools to AI clipping. 

But, in 2023, they also released their own text-based editing tool, built into Riverside.

If you’re a video producer, Riverside is a potent tool. This might be a video version of your podcast, it might be social media clips, or it could be an entirely different stream of content to promote your show on YouTube. The production studio offers some great options in terms of layouts and captions, and the AI clipping tool produces some good-looking results.

Equally, if you run an interview show, even audio-only, Riverside still has a lot going for it, and the text-based editing only adds to that.

Riverside are a company that’s known for fast innovation, and they’ll often release tools in a fairly basic form before developing them over time (e.g. the fact that their editing was released without a timeline zoom initially – made it very hard to make or refine those edits! That’s now fixed, though.)

The text-based editing they’ve released is very good, though. Highlighting and removing works well. You can click a word a little ahead of your edit and hit space to preview.

The main downside remains the ability to refine those cuts. You can zoom in on the timeline at the bottom and adjust the cut edges, but the waveform is so small that it’s hard to use it as a guide. A little fiddling can get you there, but both Descript and Alitu offer more detail to help refine those cuts.

But, if you’re producing a lot of video and like Riverside’s developing production features (AI clipping, etc.), then this could be the ideal option for you.

Riverside Strengths

• Video production tools, including layouts, captions, and AI clipping
• Video call recording: easy to use and top quality

Riverside Weaknesses

• Refining your text-based cuts is tricky due to the very small audio timeline and handles.

Pricing

Riverside has a range of pricing tiers to let you jump in at a price that suits you. Here’s what you get with each:

• Free: Allows you to record and export single-track video with a Riverside watermark and edit that recording before exporting with text.
• $19 per month: 5 Hours of recording. Text-edit and export those recordings in full-quality video, no watermark.
• $29 per month: As above, but 15 hours of recording and therefore editing, plus downloadable transcripts.

As of right now, these are the core ones worth considering, and I’ll be sure to update this article as the market develops.

It’s a fast-moving area, as AI opens up the world of fast, accurate and cheap transcripts, so expect a lot of existing podcasting tools to add this feature in in future!

In the meantime, if you’re looking for all of the editing options, outside of purely transcription-based editing, check out our article:

• Best Podcast Editing Software

And, if you’d like to chat with other like-minded podcasters about their experiences with text-based editing, hop into our IndiePod Community – it’d be brilliant to see you in there!

Honestly, with the right approach, you can remove most of the tech stress from the process. Instead of worrying about normalisation, noise reduction, compression or bitrates, why not let a fancy computer brain take care of it for you?

Well, let’s delve into one way to do exactly that. Ready to take a look at how to make a podcast with Alitu, the Podcast Maker app? Let’s go!

What is Alitu?

It’s a podcast creating tool which does all of this:

• Call Recording & Solo Recording
• Automated Audio Cleanup (noise reduction, EQ, etc)
• Automatic removal of ums, ahs, silence & filler sounds
• Automated Production (add theme music, transitions)
• Generated Transcriptions
• Audio Editing by Text (rapid edit like a word doc)
• Audio Editing by Waveform (polish the detail)
• AI Generated Episode Titles & Descriptions
• Podcast Hosting & distribution

Alitu is a web-based app which aims to make it as easy as humanly possible for you to create a podcast, from recording, to editing, to publishing.

You start by uploading your audio from anywhere, or recording a call right into the app with up to 10 guests.

Then, Alitu cleans up your audio. It does noise reduction, volume levelling and EQ to make you sound crisp. And it can remove all of your filler sounds – ums, ahs and the rest – giving you really easy review of what it’s taken out.

You can set up your theme music so it’s added automatically. Fades and transitions are added between sections, and you can drag and drop in regular clips, such as adverts or segment intros. You can edit clips here, too, to remove any mistakes.

When you click ‘Preview My Episode’, Alitu creates your final file, perfectly optimised in the right format for podcasting, and you can publish it directly from inside your Alitu account and push it out for the world to hear.

Alitu also gives you the option to download your shiny new episode and then publish it to your hosting platform of choice, or publish directly with one click to 7 of the most popular hosting platforms. You don’t need to use Alitu’s own hosting if you don’t want to .

What Makes Alitu Unique?

Alitu is unique because it simplifies the process, but also offers you as much control as possible over the content and the distribution. It combines ease of use with creative control like no other app.

As an example: filler sound cleanup. Alitu’s magic filters can highlight every um, every ah, and every other filler. You can blanket remove them all, in one click. OR you can take creative control: scroll through, review each one, make fine adjustments as needed, and THEN remove them.

Alitu’s biggest strength is it’s intuitive, powerful and time saving audio editing tool. It integrates both waveform editing and text-based audio editing, and offers magic filters to help automate a lot of your work. It’s a really powerful approach, simplified and podcast specific, compared to normal audio editors.

You can rapid-edit the broad strokes of your episode using the transcript, just like you would with a word doc. And then you can polish up the detail using the waveform editor.

Alitu speeds up editing by offering a 1-click preview, so you can listen to a cut instantly without all the normal skipping and clicking. And it has a playback speed control, so you can edit in 1.5 or 2x speed.

Alitu also saves a whole lot of tech stress and time by combining call recording with cleanup and editing, so you avoid dealing with file downloads and uploads, or worrying about formats. Simply record a call right inside Alitu, and it’ll be cleaned up immediately, and popped into your file library.

Finally for publishing, it has its own hosting built-in, or, links directly to a lot of the most popular podcast hosting platforms. Even if your favourite host isn’t listed, it’s super simple to download your finished episode from Alitu, and then upload it directly to the host.

One final feature, loved by many Alitu users, is the ‘video export’ option, where you can create a video version of your episode, right inside the app. An image, a title and a moving waveform are laid over your audio, so you can use it on YouTube, or any other social platform.

What’s New With Alitu in 2024?

New features for podcasters are being added to Alitu all the time. It’s in a constant state of enhancement and improvement.

Just a few of the improvements through 2022 and 2023 include text-based audio editing (Summer 2023), AI assisted copywriting (Spring 2023), hosting (Autumn 2022) and transcriptions (Summer 2022).

And now, in 2024:

• Magic Filters: A suite of automated filters to slash your editing time. Remove your ums and ahs automatically, or have them highlighted and edit as you see fit. Highlight and remove silences. Highlight and remove breath sounds.
• Video in Calls: Previously audio-only, Alitu is now offering video feeds in calls. If you prefer, turn it on to see your guest while you record.

How to Make a Podcast Episode in Alitu

Let’s take a look at the process, to show you how Alitu works. Nothing like a proper case study to give you the full rundown!

Here’s my episode plan, for today:

1. Episode intro – just me, recording solo
2. Main content – guest interview via online call
3. Sponsor slot
4. News segment – me and a co-host, recording in person

You might not need to do all of these, but it’ll help me show you all the different ways there are to get audio into Alitu. Let’s get making!

Step 1: Recording My Interview

So, I start by scheduling a call with my guest and sending them an Alitu call recording link.

At the right time, I pop onto the link, as do they, and I see the call recording screen.

Here, I can record my call, with all the normal features you’d expect. I can mute my mic if I need to. I can get the invite link again, to invite more people. I can lock the room, so no one else can enter. And I can type things into the call chat if I need to share some written info with my guest.

Once the call’s done, I hit ‘End Call’ and the recording is finished up. At this point, Alitu will clean up the recording – applying noise reduction, volume levelling, hum reduction – and pop it into my library for use in any episode in future.

Step 2: Creating the Episode

Now, I’m ready to put the episode together. So, I click ‘Add an Episode’ on the Alitu dashboard. This takes me to the episode details screen. This set the ID3 tags for the episode, and the info carries over onto your Podcast hosting platform, once you publish.

If you don’t have this all ready right away, though, you can add it or change it later, so let’s move along!

Next, we add our recordings to the upload screen. This is where we put clips into the app, in various different ways. The first option is to upload directly, as you’ll see below.

But clicking ‘Add Your Audio’ shows the other methods, including recording into the app and adding from your library.

So, I can start by adding my call recording, from above, into the episode first. I click ‘add’ above, on the latest call recording. In the library, you can rename these files, so you can make them a bit easier to find and keep a track of, too.

Next, I want to record my episode intro right into the app. I’ve got a bullet point script I made for this, based on the call we recorded, so I pull out the script and hit record.

Final one, I upload a pre-recorded news segment, made using my Tascam DR05, in person, with a friend. To do that, I just click on the upload box, and select the file from my computer, or drag it right from my desktop into the Alitu window.

You can do this with any externally recorded clip, from a Zoom call to a conference presentation, and Alitu will clean it up and add it to your episode, just like the rest.

At this point, you can even merge clips, if you happen to have a recording which is split for each participant. You often get these from double-ender type tools, which record each speaker separately. As long as the clips are synchronised (meaning each is the same length and the speakers are in sync) Alitu can clean them up separately, and join them together for you.

Now, I click upload, and the files are all on their way into Alitu, to be cleaned up!

Step 3: Episode Builder for Music & Extra Clips

The episode builder is where you add theme music, rearrange your clips and add any regular clips from your library (such as adverts, segment intros, music transitions, etc). You can also access editing, here, but I’ll show you that next.

For the episode builder, you can see that my theme music has been added automatically and a fade is added from music to voice, both for the intro and outro music. You can edit the music length and fade length (how the two clips overlap, and fade in and out) using the little round fade icons. And, you can add new clips to the timeline using the + icon.

So, I’ll start by adding my sponsor slot for the week. I recorded that weeks ago since it’s running on my show for two months. I just add it in from my library, then, I can drag it into the right position. I can also add our musical transition for the new segment in the same way, so I end up with seven clips on the timeline.

And that’s the episode constructed. Music is added, fades are in, and all clips are included. Almost ready to publish!

But, first, there were a couple of things I need to edit out…

Bonus: Free Music Library

Quick Aside: It’s worth noting that Alitu includes a big free music library which all Alitu members can use within their podcast, with no limit. Each theme ‘pack’ has a number of variations, including full-length theme music tracks and short two to ten-second transition clips, stings or bumpers. There’s even a loop, for each track, so you can create voiceovers with a music bed behind it of any length.

Step 4: Editing out Silence & Mistakes

When I was recording my call, I know we had a bit of a chat at the start, to introduce each other, and then again at the end, when I thanked the guest for coming on. I want to edit these out.

So, I find the call recording on the episode builder and click edit. This is what I see.

I can easily click around on the clip and play any part, to find the sections I need to edit. I can zoom in for the detail, and then I click and drag to select sections to edit out.

This is commonly used to edit out the silence at the start and end of each clip, as well as any big mistakes within a recording, or noises, silence, etc.

At this point, I might also run the magic filters, to get rid of any of my ums and ahs or other filler sounds. It can also cut out all the longer silences that I might have in my recording. Each of these edits is shown on the timeline, so I have full control over them. I can remove them, if I think the filler sound is better to keep in, or I can adjust the edges to make the cut better if I like.

OR, I can just leave them be, trust the magic of the feature, and never have to worry about an UM again!

I can also use the text-based editing feature if I want to speed up editing the ‘broad strokes’. I use this a lot for skimming through and trimming out the fat of an interview. I can see the parts where we went right off track really quickly, this way.

It’s also useful for finding mistakes, since I can use ‘code words’ to mark edit points. I still use click editing for this sometimes, but now I can also use code words, like “Edit this part” or “Highlight here”, to really easily find sections I want to do something with.

Once I’ve done my broad editing in the text, I’ll go through each edit and click the preview button

The end result, after you’ve made a few edits, might look like this. The red lines on the waveform show ‘finished’ edits and the currently open one is the active edit. You can see the same on the transcription. But you can always go back and change any edit at any point.

To finish up, click ‘Done’ in the top right and you’re taken back to the episode builder. Now that we’re finished editing, we can export the episode!

Remember, too, that you can listen back through any audio file in Alitu at 1.25x, 1.5x, or even 2x speed. This means you can edit your show in half the time it would take with most other audio production packages!

Step 5: Publishing Your Episode

You have a few options when it comes to publishing.

Alitu has its own podcast hosting built in, which includes everything you need, from full download stats to a hosted podcast website.

Or, you can also connect to a bunch of the most popular hosting sites, as shown in the screenshot below.

Once you’re connected up, then a ‘Publish to XYZHost’ button appears below the preview player, and you can publish with just a few clicks using that.

If you’re wondering about hosting, you can check out our favourite podcast hosting platforms here.

Alitu now has AI Generated titles and descriptions built in. Simply click the ‘Write Using AI’ button, as shown below, and Alitu will suggest a set of titles to you. Select one, and then have a read through the description that’s been written for you too.

Worth giving it the human touch, but this feature saves dozens of minutes compared to starting with a blank page!

So, now, I’ll just click ‘Publish with Alitu’ and send the episode right over. Done!

Alternatively, I can download my finished episode, and upload it anywhere else I like. This is useful if you use a hosting platform that Alitu hasn’t integrated with yet, or you want to publish elsewhere, like Soundcloud.

Finally, there’s the option to publish a video version of the episode, using the ‘Create Video’ button. This produces a visual version of your episode by adding a background image, your title and a moving soundwave. You can publish this to YouTube or even make a video podcast.

Alitu Will Transcribe Your Podcast Episodes

Providing written episode transcriptions is an essential part of your show’s accessibility and growth. Podcast transcription can be expensive, though, and you can easily end up paying upwards of $20 per episode.

The good news? Alitu will now automatically generate transcripts for you, at no extra cost. This is yet another feature we’ve been excited to add to Alitu’s many offerings, and the feedback has been great so far.

Summary: How to Make a Podcast in Alitu

And there you have it! How to make a podcast episode in as little time and with as little stress as possible, using Alitu.

Get a 7 Day Free trial of Alitu now

Here’s a summary of what Alitu does to help you make your podcast:

• Audio cleanup, including noise reduction, hum reduction & levelling.
• Upload external recordings, including double-ender clips
• Record yourself or a call, right inside the app, ready for editing
• Adds theme music and fades
• Free music library, with full-length tracks, stings & loops
• Add a teaser clip before your theme music
• Edit podcasts in half the time by changing the playback speed
• Use Magic filters to automatically cut out my ums, my ahs, my silences and breath sounds.
• Create pro-sounding music-backed clips using the Music Clip maker
• Access your library of regularly used clips, such as ads or segment intros
• Podcast specific audio waveform editor to remove silence & mistakes
• Text or transcription based editing to speed up your production
• Split clips to insert another in-between
• Add id3 tags/metadata and send that to your host
• Creates the final file – correct format, bitrate and standard loudness
• Transcription – auto-generates a written transcription of your episode
• AI Generated Episode Titles & Descriptions to help you with your copywriting
• Publish direct to your hosting provider (including Buzzsprout, Captivate, Transistor, & more)
• OR, host your podcast via Alitu’s dedicated podcast hosting
• Create a video version of your podcast for YouTube and elsewhere

And remember, if you’re still at the stage of launching your show, then be sure to check out our full How to Start a Podcast guide. That’ll take you through everything else you need to know, from planning, to equipment, to promotion.

Related Article

How to Start a Podcast: Your Lightning Fast, No-Sweat Guide, from Launch to your 1st 100 Listeners

Terrified of making your own podcast? Confused about how everything works? Fear not, we’ll be with you every step of the way.  Find out more »

One thing that’s been a constant pain point for our audience over the past decade is editing and production. People don’t start a podcast because they want to become audio engineers, after all. Editing and production is simply a means to an end. And for many, it’s a significant barrier.

That’s actually why we designed and built our ‘Podcast Maker’ tool Alitu – to make podcast editing and production as simple as humanly possible. But the aim of this Minimum Effective Podcast Editing guide is to help you regardless of which tool you use to do the job. Let’s kick off by answering one of the most frequently asked questions:

What Editing SHOULD I be Doing in My Podcast?

This is something that comes up again and again: how much editing, and what type of editing do I need to do? What processes, what effects, what… torture… do I need to apply to my audio to make it sing like the voice of a lark after the best day of his avian life?

Ok, here’s the key:

Do only as much editing as you need to NOT sound like a total berk. 

I’m going to call this the Minimum Effective Podcast Editing approach, with thanks to Tim Ferriss and his minimum effective dose.

I know that a lot of people are going to disagree with this. I hear you shouting:

“Spend huge amounts of time to create top quality content and the rewards will come.”

“Put in the effort to polish everything you do and your audience with pay you back in spades.”

Well, I don’t disagree exactly, but I think the time and effort above should go into your content, and not your editing. That’s one reason why, if you’ve got the budget, it’s a great idea to outsource your editing! If you DO do it yourself, though, it means you should only do just enough so you’re not pissing off your listeners, and no more. They’ll appreciate the time you spend coming up with great material much much more.

And here’s the big reason you should stick to MEE:

If you don’t stick to MEE, it’s likely you’ll stop enjoying your podcast, or you’ll stop podcasting.

This isn’t the case for everyone, of course. There are plenty of people out there who enjoy production and editing. But for the majority of us, editing is a chore. If you set your standards too high at the start, you just won’t sustain it. It’ll suck the life out of your podcasting, and you simply won’t have time to do it on a regular basis.

On the other hand, stick to MEE, take as little time as you can to get out a decent product, and you can keep doing it, week after week, growing your audience exponentially as you go.

Following the MEE Podcasting Method

So, what does this Minimum Effective Podcast Editing look like in reality?

Well, here’s the basic method:

Step 1

Record your Vocals. Don’t stop for mistakes, just laugh about them, quickly correct yourself, and continue. DO NOT STOP RECORDING.

Step 2

Bring the vocals into your podcast software (e.g. Audacity or Alitu), and top and tail it. This just means chopping off the silence at the start and the end.

Step 3

Amplify the audio to -2db peak amplitude (easy peasy in Audacity – just select your audio track, hit Effect > Amplify, type -2 into the New Peak amplitude field, and Go!). Volume levelling all happens for you automatically if you use Alitu.

Step 4

Export and publish!

That’s it – for your first five episodes, that’s all you need to be doing. Forget about music, forget about editing out mistakes. Be authentic and let it all hang out. Certainly, and most importantly, don’t worry about your Ums and Ahs. It’s practice you need to sort those out, not editing.

With that said, Alitu can now remove every uhm, ah, awkward silence, and annoying breath sound for you, automatically!)

What About Those Big Mistakes?

Okay, okay, I can talk about being authentic, but sometimes I just plain mess something up and say completely the wrong thing. Here’s how you edit that quickly and easily.

When I realise I’ve said something wrong, or I flub my words, I follow these steps:

1. Stop and pause for a few seconds
2. I click my tongue right into the microphone three times (you can also clap three times if you prefer)
3. I pause another few seconds
4. I then start again, trying to use the same phrasing I used to start the segment earlier; essentially, the last thing that I said that was OK to broadcast.
5. And then I continue on. At no point do I stop recording, so this is all in one audio file.

What this means is that when I get to editing, the first thing I do after importing my vocals is to zoom in and scroll along to the right. It’s immediately obvious when I hit one of these mistakes; the sound wave drops to silence, then there are three lines, the full height of the editing window. I’ve included an image below to demonstrate.

Then, I’ll move the playhead to the audio right after the clicks. I listen to how it starts, and then I go back, and I find that similar place before the clicks. I click in the silence just before that point, highlight right up to before the audio section after the clicks, and delete. Mistake gone.

In a 15-minute episode, I might make up to five or six of these mistakes, and it’ll normally take me just a few minutes to scroll through and delete them. Try it, it’ll change your editing life!

Moving Slightly Beyond the Minimum Effective Podcast Editing: MEE-2

So, once you’re a little more established, it starts to become worth adding just a little more polish. At this stage, you’ll have a good audience, because your content is gripping, amazing, mind-blowing, from all that time you’ve saved in editing and spent on thinking instead.

Now, you’ve a chance to make something of this podcast, and so, polish becomes more justifiable.

But… I still stick to the above state – enough to make you NOT sound a total berk. It’s just that, with a larger audience and a bit more prominence, sounding like a total berk becomes a little easier.

Slightly variable audio quality and a complete lack of music and FX is almost expected of those starting out, but if you’re becoming a little net-famous, THAT makes you sound a little like a berk.

So, here’s the 2nd level MEE, and this is what I did on the majority of my shows back when I used Audacity:

Editor’s Note

This process is all much easier (and, in many cases, automatic) with Alitu, but understandably, you might opt for Audacity because it’s free. There are also lots of other great podcast editing software options on the market, too!

Step 1

Take my script and record the vocals, including intro, content and end bits, inside Audacity.

Step 2

“Top and tail” – chop off the silence at the start and end.

Step 3

Follow the mistakes editing process outlined above – find the triple clicks and cut ’em out.

Step 4

Amplify the volume to a standard level – again -2db peak amp.

Step 5

Apply light Noise Reduction and Compression in Audacity.

Step 6

Import my theme music and transition clips.

Step 7

Use the shift tool to move the music and transitions into the right place, overlapping a little with vocals.

Step 8

Export the MP3 and publish!

Remember, this is a much more straightforward and automatic process with Alitu, and you can test it out for yourself, free of charge, to find out for yourself!

That’s it. I do minimal editing on the content. I keep it pretty authentic, forgetting about the little mistakes when I was speaking, which I just apologised for and corrected at the time. This has perhaps one more step if I’m interviewing someone: I’ll import the interview audio, top and tail that as well, and arrange the music and transitions around that. But really, it’s just as simple.

How Long Should the Minimum Effective Podcast Editing Method Take?

During the creation of one of our early Podcraft seasons, I kept a really detailed log of how long everything took. It was a bit of an experiment in daily podcasting where I released an episode a day for a full month. So, I had to stick to MEE, or I wasn’t going to make it through the month – there simply wasn’t enough time in the day.

Each of my 20 episodes was around 10 to 15 minutes long, and here’s how it broke down on average:

• Planning – writing up a bullet point script and research as needed – 30 minutes
• Recording – turning on kit, checking levels, etc, and recording a 15-minute episode – 25 minutes
• Editing – following the MEE-2 sequence above – 5 to 10 minutes, depending on number of ‘triple click’ mistakes.

Of course, I’ve done a fair few of these, so I’ve got reasonably quick (although I’m sure I could be quicker!), but there’s no reason you should need to take much longer. And you’ll be surprised how quickly you can get if you refine your process like this and only do what you have to.

More Minimum Effective Editing Techniques

By this point, you’re armed with enough info to go and make a quality podcast that you can actually sustain and stick at.

But, there are even more tools you can add to your podcast superhero utility belt if you want to become an efficiency machine.

Until now, we’ve largely focused on Audacity because it’s free. I mentioned at the start, though, that we built ‘Podcast Maker’ tool Alitu to make editing and production as quick and as simple as humanly possible. Then, we added a whole suite of other features for podcasters, too. You can publish directly to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast platforms, from directly within Alitu, for example.

Sticking with production, though, here are a couple of ways to shave hours off even the most detailed and thorough of editing jobs…

Automatically Remove Filler Words, Silences, & Breath Sounds

At the touch of a button, Alitu can remove every uhm, ah, annoying breath sound, and overly long pause from your recording. These are clearly marked, so you can still listen through (at double speed; see below) and make sure they all sound good to your ear. If there are any that sound a bit too jarring, you can quickly and easily undo them.

Editing Your Podcast Via Text

Alitu automatically generates transcripts of your audio, and you can use these to make cuts and edits. You simply select and delete unwanted text, and that removes these sections from the corresponding audio. It’s like magic!

Editing at Double-Speed

What if you’ve got a lengthy audio file and need to listen through it to find and make any edits? Alitu is a great option here because of its Playback Speed setting. You can now listen through recordings in their entirety, making edits along the way, in up to half the time.

It’s worth noting that you can do this in Audacity, too. So if you’re not fussed about text-based editing, and are happy to buy your hosting and call recording elsewhere, then that’ll work for you just fine!

Looking for More Editing Efficiency Help?

So, that’s my Minimum Effective Editing process for podcasting, and what I recommend if you want to do it all yourself.

If you can afford to have someone else do it for you, though, that can give you more time to concentrate on refining your content. Check out how much it costs to outsource podcast production. 

A final note on Alitu, though, it really can eliminate the need to outsource, even if you’ve no interest in learning about editing or spending any real time doing it. Remember, you can try it out, free for seven days, and see for yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much time (and money!) it can save you.

• There is a wide range of podcast editing software options on the market today.
• At their core, they all really function and work in the same way.
• For many, the choice comes down to budget. There are free options out there, like Audacity.
• Paid platforms like Adobe Audition are immensely powerful and flexible, though overkill for most podcasters.
• A dedicated podcast editing tool like Alitu is an excellent option for simplicity and automation. And it’s so much more than just editing software, too.
• Read on to find out more…

Is there a single best podcast editing software option out there? Unsurprisingly, no. But, we can tell you some of the best options FOR YOU!

That’s because, although all podcasters have much in common, there are also a lot of individual factors to think about with something like this.

People come to podcasting with different backgrounds, skill levels, experiences, commitments, ambitions, and budgets. And those are just a few factors that might help decide the best podcast editing software for someone.

This makes it impossible to recommend one podcast editing software option as “the best”, – so we will offer four recommendations under the following categories.

• Easiest
• Free
• Going Pro
• Advanced

Remember, if you’re looking for a guide to ALL types of software you’ll need to run a show, check out our main Podcast Software article for recording, editing, scheduling & planning software, and more!

The Easiest (& Quickest) Podcast Editing Software Option: Alitu

Are you a complete beginner with no real technical background and no desire to learn about podcast audio editing?

If so, there’s a tool called Alitu that’ll let you record and build your episodes in an incredibly simple and powerful way. All you need is an internet connection.

Alitu Price

Alitu pricing: $38 a month (7-day free trial available)

Reasons to Use Alitu

Its user-friendly interface is easier to navigate than your average social media app. And it’s so much more than just an audio editing software package.

You can record your audio in Alitu – either solo episodes or remote conversations – so you won’t need to pay extra for a call recorder subscription.

Alitu will then take your raw recording, automatically balance out your audio levels, and do the cleanup and processing for you, before giving you the option to easily add any music, segments, transitions, etc.

A recent addition to Alitu’s podcast editing software arsenal is the ability to automatically remove breath sounds, filler words (ums, ahs, etc), and overly long pauses. This alone can save you so much time and energy.

Next, you can upload your episode via Alitu’s own hosting. That means you can publish directly to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the hundred other places podcasts are consumed.

Alitu will also create transcriptions for your episode to help you make sure your content is accessible for all.

Even if it didn’t have an exhaustive suite of tools for creators, though, Alitu would still be a top-class piece of podcast editing software in its own right…

One of the latest reasons for that is its new text-based editing capabilities. Here, you have the option to highlight and delete text from your auto-generated transcriptions, and those edits are made in the audio, too.

If the idea of text-based editing doesn’t appeal to you, though, have no fear. You can still save tonnes of time with Alitu’s Playback Speed settings.

Playback Speed comes in handy when you’ve recorded hours of audio and need to listen through it to find and make any edits. With the Playback Speed feature, this can now be done in half the time. Perfect if you’re in the “non-techy”, “complete beginner”, or “time-strapped” camps (or all three!).

Finally, another recently added feature is the ability to create and edit cover art from within your dashboard, via its seamless Adobe Express integration. This further strengthens Alitu’s position as the all-in-one podcast maker package under one roof.

Reasons to Avoid Alitu

Alitu is designed to take care of a lot of the tech and audio production automatically. Whilst this is a big pro for inexperienced or time-starved podcasters, it can be seen as a lack of control for others. If you’re an audio editing expert, or, have a decent amount of time to spend working on production, then Alitu may not be your best podcast editing software option.

Check out our full guide on how to make a podcast with Alitu for an in-depth walkthrough!

The Free Podcast Editing Software Option: Audacity

A stalwart in the world of podcasting, Audacity is an open-source audio recording and editing program. Such programs are also known as DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). Audacity remains the most popular recording and editing platform for podcasters.

Audacity Price

Audacity pricing: Free

Reasons to Use Audacity

Audacity is your best option if you’re a complete beginner, not looking to spend any money, but have some spare time to learn the basics of podcast editing.

The fact that Audacity is free makes it the most commonly used DAW in podcasting, too.

But being free isn’t its only appeal. It’s also packed with enough features to build any podcast episode you like.

The latest version has also introduced non-destructive editing, which is a big step forward for the platform. It used to be that when you cut stuff out in Audacity, it was gone for good. But now the software works the same way as most other podcast editors – your cuts are “hidden” rather than deleted entirely.

We have a huge, in-depth course on how to use Audacity, from beginner to pro, inside our IndiePod Community. But you’ll also find enough free tutorials out there to get you up and running if you’re working with no budget whatsoever!

Reasons to Avoid Audacity

Though the software has improved recently, it’s still a very “retro” looking platform that’ll be intimidating and confusing to beginners. Even experienced audio producers find its layout a bit baffling at times.

See how Audacity stacks up against its advanced podcast editing software counterpart Adobe Audition in our Audition Vs Audacity comparison. Or, check out our full guide to Audacity for Podcast Production.

The Pro Podcast Editing Software Option: Hindenburg PRO

Hindenburg Pro is a DAW designed explicitly for podcasters and radio journalists. It’s popular amongst audiobook narrators, too.

Hindenburg PRO Price

• Standard: $7.50
• Plus: $12
• Premium: $25

Reasons to Use Hindenburg PRO

Formerly known as Hindenburg Journalist, it’s no surprise that this podcast editing software’s “focus is on storytelling.” This makes it a cleaner and less intimidating experience than its more advanced alternatives. 

That said, Hindenburg PRO is anything but basic.

With Hindenburg PRO, you can assemble complex documentary-style episodes with multiple elements without being an audio production master. 

It has some great tools for simplifying aspects of audio production, namely, volume levelling, noise reduction, and compression. Other features include transcription, text-based editing, and the ability to do post-production sound for your video.

If you’re interested in learning whether Hindenburg is your best podcast editing software option, check out our more in-depth look at this tool.

Reasons to Avoid Hindenburg Pro

Hindenburg PRO falls into a nice spot on this roundup where it’s on the simpler side to use, and yet, still offers a lot of control. You’d get much more flexibility with Audition, though with added complexity. Alitu, on the other hand, will give you loads more features built-in (hosting, call recording, etc.) but less control on the audio production side.

An alternative to Hindenburg at the Pro-level option is Reaper, and you can read our full Reaper review to get the lowdown on that software, too.

The Advanced Podcast Editing Software Option: Adobe Audition

Audition is a stalwart in the podcast editing software Pantheon. I learned on it back in 2010 and still use it to this day.

Adobe Audition Price

Adobe Audition pricing: $20.99 a month

You can also get Adobe Audition as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, giving you access to their photo and video editors, along with many more of their apps. Heads up that our link here is an affiliate, so we’d earn a commission should you decide to buy through it (at no extra cost to yourself!).

Reasons to Use Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is an excellent podcast software option for someone who wants complete flexibility and control over their projects.

This DAW has everything you need to achieve a level of mastery in audio editing and production. You can enhance it even more, too, by adding in some Waves plugins.

I use it for high-quality audio multi-track editing, piecing separate tracks together (voices, music, sound effects, etc.) to produce audio drama soundscapes. Audition’s advanced tools make it a stand-out option if you’re prepared to spend some time and money on getting first-class sound quality.

Reasons to Avoid Adobe Audition

Unless you’re an experienced podcaster or audio editor, Audition can be a steep learning curve. I’ve also found it buggy and glitchy these past few years. I’m not convinced Adobe support it in the way they once did.

You can read my full review of Adobe Audition here, where I run through some of my favourite features for producing podcasts. That’ll give you a glimpse into how this advanced software looks, feels, and performs.

Podcast Editing Software FAQ

We’ve covered the main recommendations. But you might still have many questions about podcast editing software before making a final decision. Let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions.

What Your Podcast Editing Software Can (And Can’t) Do

First up, why might you want to use podcast editing software in the first place? In what ways can it help you? And what sort of things are beyond its power?

Double up as Podcast Recording Software

Podcast editing software typically doubles up as podcast recording software. This is handy because it means you only need one single platform to record and edit your podcast.

One exception here is if you’re recording remote conversations with interviewees or co-hosts. Most podcast editing software packages don’t have a remote call recorder feature (with one exception being Alitu). If you’re using something other than Alitu to edit your episodes, then you’ll want to use dedicated call recording software, too. After each session, you’d then download your audio and import it into your podcast editing software to begin working on it.

Edits & Editing (Cutting Stuff Out)

People use podcast editing software for two main reasons. The obvious one is the editing out of mistakes and unwanted segments. This is literally where you cut out surplus content from the finished episode. For a deeper dive here, check out our ultimate guide to podcast editing.

Cleaning Up & Fixing Volume Levels

Another critical use of podcast editing software is a process known as “post-processing”. This is where you clean up any background noise, ensure that volume levels are consistent throughout, and that the overall volume of the episode is within generally accepted podcasting standards.

Audio Quality: Repair or Enhance

Your podcast editing software can be a powerful tool. But it isn’t magic. Nor is it a substitute for good practices in the recording process. If you hear a podcast with great audio quality, the main factors at play are that the podcaster has a decent level of gear, is using it in the right way, and has taken the recording environment into consideration. Be sure to get your house in order on these fronts, and everything else will fall into place.

Add in Music

Any podcast editing software you choose will enable you to add music to your content. The challenge here is sourcing which music you’ll use and steering clear of copyright infringement. For what it’s worth, if you decide to opt for Alitu, then you’ll have full access to its podcast music library.

Edit by Text

Text-based editing is where you select segments of a transcription and delete them, which deletes the corresponding section in your audio. A very small number of editing programs offer text-based editing at this stage, though it’s likely to become much more common in the next year or two. At the time of writing, you can edit by text with Alitu, Descript, and Riverside.

Background Noise

The cleaning up of “background noise” is a bit of an ambiguous term too. Editing software can easily clean up consistent sounds like the hiss or hum underneath the vocals caused by things like equipment, fans, or AC units. However, background noise like people shouting, doors slamming, and phones ringing aren’t so easy to remove. With a bit of know-how and the right tools, you can certainly have a stab, but often, this type of audio surgery can leave audible flaws in the voices we’re trying to listen to.

Podcast Production Software vs. Audio Editing Software

You can use any audio editing tools or software for your podcast, but dedicated podcast production software also exists nowadays.

For years, podcasters used equipment and software built – first and foremost – for music production.

As podcasting continues to grow, though, we’ve seen technology created specifically for the medium. Hardware-based examples of this are audio interface devices like the Zoom PodTrak P4 and Rode Rodecaster II.

Using pro-level software like Audition will give you tonnes of flexibility, including the ability to add and mix in all sorts of audio effects. But for most podcasters, this is overkill, and can add unnecessary complications.

Dedicated podcast editing software like Alitu, on the other hand, was tailor-made for podcasters. That means it has a suite of features for podcasters that stretch beyond the editing and production realm – from call recording to hosting and transcriptions built-in!

What About Video Podcast Editing Software?

Adding a video component to your show is undoubtedly easier than it used to be. Just like in the audio space, many makers of video production software are now focused on simplicity and accessibility rather than massive complexity.

Our dedicated roundup of the best video editing software for podcasters gives you the full lowdown. But here are the key takeaways:

Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro have the most power, flexibility, and options, which means they also have the steepest learning curve.

Filmora is a great option for those on a tight budget who want more simplicity and automation.

Veed excels if you’re doing shorter video content, whilst Camtasia is a top choice for those creating video podcasts out of screencasts.

There are also some fantastic video recording tools out there now who’s editing capabilities are improving all the time. Check out Streamyard, Riverside, and Squadcast for some options on that front!

Podcast Editing Software vs. Hiring a Podcast Editor?

You’ve really two options when it comes to editing podcasts – you can learn to do it yourself, or you can hire someone else to do it.

If you work with a dedicated podcast editor, you can pay them to turn your source files and audio tracks into fully mixed and mastered episodes.

An additional benefit, alongside not having to do this work yourself, is that you can get feedback from an actual qualified human. Your podcast editor might send you a note along the lines of “Please turn off those noise gates”, “Buy yourself a pop filter”, or “Stop recording in that cave”.

It’s in their interest that your source material sounds as good as possible because they can polish it up even better. If you record low-quality audio, on the other hand, no producer or production software will be able to make it sound decent.

Whilst getting that human feedback from a podcast editor is a big plus, there are downsides to outsourcing, too. It’s a lot more expensive, for starters. And you’re also now relying on someone else to get your show ready and out on time.

There’s no right or wrong approach here – only what works best for you and your budget. If you’re interested in hiring a podcast producer, then check out your range of options, linked there. Or, if you’re set on finding the best podcast editing software to do it yourself, hopefully, this guide has helped you choose one!

Publishing Content: Uploading Your Files

Regardless of which editing process or software you use, you’ll eventually need to upload your finished episode files and make them ready for the world to hear.

In order to turn audio files into a podcast that can be found and subscribed to on platforms like Apple and Spotify, you will need a podcast hosting account.

There are loads of great podcast hosting providers out there. Once you sign up for one, you fill out your show’s description, add your cover art, and upload your very first episode. Then, you can start submitting your podcast to all the major listening apps and platforms.

Recording and editing podcasts, as well as uploading and publishing them, can all happen in one single place now, too, with Alitu. It has hosting included, so you only need to work in one single place if you’re keen to save time, money, and, streamline your workflow.

But, as I’ve said, there are a lot of great podcast hosting options out there too, so check up our roundup if you’d like to do some shopping around.

Best Podcast Editing Software – Which Version?

As mentioned at the start, everyone is different, and it’s impossible to pick one single best podcast editing software option. It all depends on where you are at this moment in time in your podcasting journey.

There will always be exceptions, but on a general level, here’s a summary of my recommendations.

Looking to save time, avoid learning anything about audio editing, AND have access to a remote call recording, text-based editing, and hosting built into your editing software?

Looking for a free option, but are prepared to invest some time in learning audio editing?

Alternatively, if you can afford to spend some money, as well as a little time, you can learn the streamlined DAW Hindenburg PRO, which is designed with audio storytelling in mind.

Or, if you want long-term flexibility and no limits on your quest for audio production mastery, check out Adobe Audition.

It’s also worth noting that – like whatever microphone you use – your editing software is just a means to an end. The quality of your podcast will ultimately be decided by its content, and no editing software or DAW can guarantee you growing an audience.

That said, none can hold you back from growing one, either!

So choose something, learn it, and use it to the best of your ability. But don’t let it distract you too much from the work that matters most – creating engaging episodes that people want to listen to.

In this article, I will:

• Describe when and why you may need to convert from WAV to MP3
• How to convert from WAV to MP3
• Demystify terms related to file compression

Why Do We Use MP3?

Most DAWs are automatically writing an uncompressed audio file as you record. This is the wave format (WAV). When we convert to MP3 upon exporting audio, file compression is applied to the WAV file.

In the podcasting world, podcast hosting companies charge monthly plans that are usually based on bandwidth uploads per month. This means you have a set amount of file space per month you can upload based on your chosen plan. Thus, the smaller the file, the cheaper the hosting costs for RSS distribution will be.  MP3 is also the most widely recognized format by the general public.  Lastly, people generally care more about storage space than audio fidelity, especially as more devices have removed storage expansion options.

How to Convert WAV to MP3

There are many recording software out there that can convert WAV to MP3. They work similarly, so if you follow these steps, it should overlap with your recording software of choice:

1. Select all the audio you want to convert to MP3
2. Click on File and look for either Export, Render, or Bounce (these all mean the same thing)
3. Find MP3 in a list of supported file formats
4. Choose your desired bit rate (for just spoken word shows, 96kbps CRB is a recommendation on some sites or 256kbps or higher if the show contains sound effects and music)
5. Choose the slowest convert speed if your software has that option
6. Click Export (or however your software words it to confirm) and start the conversion and export process. It usually is a button in the bottom right of an export window

How to Convert WAV to MP3 via iZotope RX

As a DIY podcaster, you may have some version of iZotope RX such as Elements.  If you’re new to podcasting, you can take a gander at RX for the DIY Podcaster.  The RX standalone editor can convert to every common audio compression format.  It’s fairly easy to use with a simple UI, as seen below.

You’ll notice there’s a checkbox to prevent clipping using a limiter or normalization. Sometimes, during the conversion process, peaks will clip where they previously weren’t in the uncompressed file.  Personally, I prefer using the limiter option over normalization. Normalization can affect your LUFS level, so you could potentially become louder or quieter than what you mixed for.

If some of the terms above are confusing, or you’d like to learn more about what goes into converting WAV to MP3, read on!

Can I Convert MP3 to WAV?

Converting from MP3 to WAV has no benefits. You can’t gain information back that has been lost. If you convert from MP3 to MP3 several times, each instance will compress the audio file further. This results in more loss of vital information that affects audio quality. It’s important to only convert to MP3 for the final file used for distribution.

What is Audio File Compression?

Simply, it is the process of making the file size smaller for audio via a codec. The codec used will determine how your computer/software calculates the math used to achieve this.

There are two types of audio compression methods:

• Lossless
• Lossy

Lossless, as you may have guessed from the name, makes calculations to keep vital bit information while shrinking file size. In contrast, lossy formats aren’t so delicate with the file compression of data, which leads to information loss and can affect audio fidelity.

Common Types of Audio Compression Formats

MP3 (lossy): the most popular format for its ability to significantly decrease file size.

Ogg Vorbis (lossy): this utilizes a variable bit rate conversion (I’ll get to that in a bit). Generally, on paper anyway, it is more transparent with its compression than MP3 but enjoys similar file shrinkage.

FLAC (lossless): Stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. Probably the most transparent audio compression format since it utilizes lossless algorithms while getting the benefit of file shrinkage.  However, file sizes will most likely still be larger than MP3 or Ogg Vorbis since more information remains intact.

Since MP3 is the most common and supported format for podcasting and other audio-related distribution platforms, I’ll focus on its other nitty-gritty details.

Common Terms When Converting WAV to MP3

Some people work at 48kHz or higher, and there are benefits to doing so. If you do this, you’ll want to convert to 44.1kHz for the final mix. 48kHz and 44.1kHz are what’s known as sample rates.

Sample Rate: Affects the playback speed while working in a DAW.  If you change sample rates in your DAW but don’t convert the audio’s sample rate, you’ll either end up with sound higher or lower pitched, depending on which way you go.  However, MP3 conversion going from 48kHz to 44.1kHz means you go from 48,000 samples per second to 44,100 samples per second.  This means less data.  Less data means smaller file size. Here’s our full guide to podcast sample rates.

It’s worth noting, too, that, just like trying to convert MP3 to WAV, converting from a lower sample rate and bit depth will not receive the benefits of the higher numbers. These must be used during the recording process.  You can always downsample, but you cannot upsample, as this information is not captured. Upsampling will only ensure your audio plays back at the correct speed.

Bit Depth: The word size of samples in digital audio. The more bits used at recording, the higher the audio fidelity and the larger the file size.  For example, it’s common to record at 24-bit, but now we’re entering the 32-bit era. However, we use a process called dithering to cleanly convert to 16-bit for distribution. Why? Fewer bits mean smaller file sizes.

Bit Rate: A unit of time in bits per second. 128bps is 128 bits (information) transferred in a digital setup per second. The lower the bit rate, the lower the audio quality will be in the file.

Constant Bit Rate (CBR): The amount of information transferred in the compression process is the same for the entire file. This makes things like file size and audio quality more predictable. Podcast hosting providers recommend you upload CBR MP3s rather than VBR MP3s.

Variable Bit Rate (VBR): The amount of information transferred in the compression process fluctuates based on the algorithms of the converter and codec used.  The potential drawback is file size, and the audio quality of the compressed file can be unpredictable.

Average Bit Rate (ABR): This calculates the average amount of bits in bps for the audio compression process.

Potential Issues of Converting WAV to MP3

If you want to podcast, then there’s no real getting around the fact you’ll need to convert WAV to MP3. Here are some potential technical issues to be aware of:

• Harmonic distortion can occur and be heard in the final file when using lower bit rates.
• A loss of bass detail may occur.
• A loss of transient detail may occur.

Bear in mind that the vast majority of podcasts are spoken-word conversations, and the vast majority of listening takes place on the go through a set of earbuds. This means the likelihood of any audio degradation—if it occurs at all—will be noticeable to absolutely no one.

But if you’re looking to create more highly produced audio with rich soundscapes, music, and sound effects, exporting your MP3s at a higher bitrate will help protect them from issues.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The biggest reason we use the MP3 format for podcasting is to decrease file size for podcast hosting distribution and lessen the burden on home consumer devices and listener data plans. MP3 has improved since its inception to lessen the blow of information loss in the conversion process.  Is it perfect? I personally don’t think so. But for now, it’s the gold standard for audio file compression.

Now that we’ve covered the ins and outs of converting WAV to MP3, here are some follow-up resources:

• How to Record a Podcast
• How to Edit a Podcast
• Best Podcast Editing Software