How can you ensure your podcast guests speak at the right volume?

The rules for a good recording are the same for everyone, then you guess if it is possible to achieve ot for everyone or not. You need to record the voice with enough contrast from the background noise. It is important your guest to speak loud enough, and setting the gain level well (not too high neither low, just try). You must give your guest the necessary instructions. Of course, you and your guests must use the best quality equipment you can. Usually your voice sound with higher quality because your equipment for podcasting is better than your guest ones. So, try to reduce that difference.

Before recording, the most important thing to do is ensure you and your guest use the correct microphones. Just because it's plugged in doesn't mean it's active. The easiest test for this is the scratch test. Wearing headphones, scratch the screen on your microphone. You're using the correct mic if you can hear it in your headphones. Repeat with your guest. Some people say to tap the mic, but tapping may be picked up by other mics, giving you a false positive. Scratching is a more accurate test. You don't want to discover too late that you recorded using the computer's microphone instead of the dedicated podcast mic. Once you know you have the correct mics, check your input levels.

If you are recording virtually, consider using Riverside.fm. A significant advantage is that it allows you some control over the guest's headphone and microphone levels, which can be beneficial if the guest is not experienced with recording. On the other hand, if you record at a low level, or conversely, if your audio peaks, you can correct it using iZotope RX. However, this doesn't mean you should be careless during the recording process. Just be aware that if you do make a mistake, it's manageable.

Testing prior to recording is always a critical step in avoiding common tech issues. Another good rule of thumb is to provide your guest with a few guidelines ahead of the interview. If you're recording remotely, suggest they go to a quiet place, use a microphone (if they have one) and headphones. If your guest does not have that equipment, suggest wired earbuds. This will help provide you with a much higher quality recording over the wireless earbuds.

How can you ensure your podcast guests speak at the right volume? Hire a producer, audio engineer, or work with a freelance professional to oversee your production.

Closely monitor your and your guests audio levels during the recording. All audio recording platforms will give you a dB level for yourself and your guest. Ensure your guests audio isn't coming in too soft or spiking too high throughout the recording. If adjustments need to be made, you can easily turn yours or your guests volume up/down as necessary.

You can ensure that you and your guests are on the same volume by adjusting the mics at the same distance. It will make editing easier for you or an editor (if you decide to hire a studio for it).

One of the best ways to ensure that the recording and volume levels are optimal is to start recording a bit early and engage in casual conversation with your guest about everyday topics. This approach not only helps calm the guest, making them feel comfortable and relaxed, but it also allows you to gauge the dynamics of their voice. Do they tend to speak quietly and then suddenly become loud? Do they maintain a consistent volume? This preliminary check gives you the opportunity to adjust the volume levels accordingly. Moreover, if you're using Riverside.fm, you can adjust your guest's levels directly.

How can you ensure your podcast guests speak at the right volume? Hire a producer, audio engineer, or work with a freelance professional to oversee your production.

Don’t be afraid to look them in the eye and confidently say, “Can you please speak into the microphone” A little coaching never hurts

I run a lot of any tracks with background consistencies or echo through Descript's sound studio. And once I have put together all the pieces, including into and outro music, I run it through Auphonic as a final step.

While editing can be done using any type of software that makes you comfortable like GarageBand, ProTools or Audacity, you can also just focus on the production aspect and pay an audio engineer or editor to mix and edit your podcast. Let them work their magic.

Invest in a tool such as Auphonic that normalizes the audio and ensures each speaker is at the same volume. It's not expensive and can save you a lot of time and trouble trying to do it manually. If you want full control of how your audio sounds, I suggest you take a course on your editing software. Ask around to see what courses are available and which are recommended. Learning how to use your editing software properly will also save you a lot of time and trouble producing your show. Of course, the easiest method is to hire a podcast editor and let them do it. However, not everyone can invest in an editor.

Of course your podcast have to sound at the same loudness level for all participants. Normalizing is a good tool for setting levels. But the solution is not infinite. You need contrast between the voice and what is not your voice to apply it right. For example, if you record the voice too low, whe you rise the volume at editing phase, you rise the level of the "silence" too, and it can create a sort of buzz sound that you don't want.

I would only suggest using a compressor in post production, as it is very hard to remove compression if overdone. Before recording, adjust the gain on your mics, and sound check to make sure that when people talk, the volume is peaking around -12dB. As soon as the recording starts, people talk louder and sometimes laugh very hard, so monitor gain constantly and adjust if necessary. While mixing, the rule of thumb for me is to start at a compression ratio of 4:1 and designate a threshold at -12 dB, with an attack around 20ms. From there, you can adjust your settings by ear. Visually, the compressor should be compressing the loud parts between 3dB - 6dB. I would also add a separate limiter and set it at -2dB to prevent digital clipping.

A compressor and a limiter can work wonders on improving your audio. However, your goal should be to produce the best quality raw audio to begin with and rely on these tools only when needed. Having a good recording environment is a priority in producing good audio.

Here is what a compressor is: A compressor works by making loud sounds quieter and can sometimes make quieter sounds louder, depending on how it's set up. It does this by reducing the volume of audio signals that surpass a certain threshold. A limiter is a type of compressor, but with a much higher ratio, often considered as infinite or very high (e.g., 10:1, 20:1, or ∞:1). This means once the signal surpasses the threshold, it's almost completely prevented from going any louder. Limiters are primarily used to ensure that audio signals do not exceed a certain level, hence preventing distortion that can occur from clipping when the signal goes above 0 dBFS (decibels full scale) in digital systems.

Sometimes it becomes challenging to review the full episode from the beginning, especially since you've listened to it so much that you can't take it anymore :)! That's why you can listen at 2X speed or ask a friend or family member to help by giving you honest feedback.

When listening back to your audio it's always a good idea to test in on multiple listening devices (earbuds, computer speaker, car speakers). Your recording may sound great with earbuds in, but that may not be the case when played at a louder volume in a car stereo system. Testing multiple devices gives you the ability to provide a clean listening experience for your audience regardless of where they listen from.

THIS IS THE MAIN THING: You can almost skip everything above if you do this... Don't use Zoom. Don't use a recording software that isn't for podcast recording. Try Riverside.fm as you can balance the levels before you record, and after you record without having to put in any work. Invest a little bit of money for the time and peace of mind you'll get in return. The future you will thank you for this.

ASK THEM! If they’re too loud, respectfully ask them to bring it down from “10” to about a “3” If they’re not loud enough, ask them to move closer to their mic or to simply speak a little bit louder. Don’t feel intimidated, most people aren’t even aware of the volume of their voice. Use your big words (kindly) and ask them.

Don't be afraid to instruct your guests on proper microphone techniques, such as distance to the mic, or suggest they move to a quieter location if you pick up too much background noise. Your goal is to make your guest sound as good as possible. They'll appreciate you for the effort.

I couldn’t agree more. Unpaid ad, I know, but I can’t speak more highly about Riverside.fm. I’ve had an amazing experience so far. We’re noobs at podcasting and the whole process has been first rate. They have it NAILED.

Follow the checklist! Always take a minute have them improve their audio by putting the mic in the right place. If there is an echo, ask them to put pillows in the corners of the room Also, use the right software. There are tons of options, but use one that was designed for podcasting.