Here’s one way to prep yourself for recording your podcast.
- Go into a small closet that’s full of clothing.
- Record your content.
- Submit and be heard.
OK, so that’s not very comprehensive. I’ll elaborate a bit.
You have a message, a story, something you want to talk about. Next, you’ll hone your content in your mind, maybe on paper.
Now it’s time to capture your voice. Bear in mind, anything other than your voice may be distracting to the listener, so let’s discuss ways to eliminate the ‘other’ noises in your environment before you record.
The Best Podcast Setting
The dream solution: A dedicated recording room.
This room will be silent, with no background noises, proper (silent) ventilation, acoustic treatment to reduce sound reflections and roomy enough that the podcaster doesn’t feel cramped.
It’s the ideal situation and for most of you, it’s unlikely that such a space exists.
The next best thing: A Vocal Booth. This is a smaller version of the dream solution. I couldn't spare an entire room so I built a vocal booth in my garage. (Am I the only one who's done this?)
Admittedly this too is a bit extreme for most folks. Let's consider further...
Good Alternative Podcast Studio Options
A Decent Space: A quiet, carpeted room with a door. Having a couch or large stuffed chairs in this room is a plus. Lots of hard, reflective surfaces are bad, try to remove those items or else drape some fabric over them when you record. Some poor room acoustics can be further mitigated by selective treatment around the microphone itself (more on this in my post on “How to Mic for Podcast Recording in a Noisy Environment”).
A Closet: Really, a closet works wonders and checks all the boxes, providing it’s large enough for you to comfortably record. It’s small, has a door, and often is stuffed with clothing. Clothing is great for absorbing reflected sounds!
OK, so now that we’ve suggested several options for your new recording space, we should go over the equipment you’ll need to use. We've made a handy checklist of Podcast Recording Equipment Needs that you may find helpful while creating your perfect podcast setting.
