Become a Podmaster Podcast Transcript S3E5

00:00
Gino Arlechino
Producing roughly, let me say three hours. And when I say three hours, half of that is just research. The actual recording is an hour so that the output is just 25 minutes to 30 minutes. So recording setup, that’ll be an hour and a half with guest and then the other hour and a half is trying to put together some narrative. Not even a narrative, just more of a running order. Yeah. So that it doesn’t feel all over the place.

00:28
Hendrik Baird
And then how long does your editor take to put this all together?

00:32
Gino Arlechino
So he would take about. If it’s just me, we are looking at hour half also because he’ll listen to it first and then he’ll go through it again and then this time he’s cutting out the arms and Rs and then you a check afterwards. So let’s say two hours with chapter marks. And then when there’s a guest it. Yeah, between three to four hours because then he’ll listen to my feed first, go through that and then their feed and then try see if it lives together.

01:01
Hendrik Baird
This is season three of the Become a Podmaster podcast. We are going to answer some of the most pressing questions that podcasters have. I’m Hendrik.

01:10
Ethan Baird
And I’m Ethan. Not only did we get the questions from podcasters, but with the help of the South African Podcasters Guild, or SAPG for short, and Solid Gold podcasted audiobooks, we got some answers.

01:23
Hendrik Baird
Today we’re talking about a key element of a successful audio quality. How can podcasters improve their production without breaking the bank?

01:34
Ethan Baird
While it is easy to start a podcast with just a phone, most South African podcasts need to level up their sound quality as it plays a big role in listener retention and overall professionalism. A great podcast with poor audio can lose listeners quickly, no matter how good the content is. Our goal with this podcast is to help podcasters old and new navigate the evolving landscape of podcasting with expert insights and practical advice.

02:00
Hendrik Baird
And our question today is, does audio quality matter?

02:05
Ethan Baird
Yes. The answer is yes. Thank you for listening to our podcast. No, seriously, this is something I feel very strongly about. Hendrik, as a three time radio award winner for audio production, I can tell you that good sound is not just a nice to have. It’s essential. People will forgive poor video quality, but they will not tolerate bad audio.

02:26
Hendrik Baird
Well, that’s a very interesting point because I think a lot of new podcasters assume that content is king. And while that’s true to a certain extent, if your audio is difficult to listen to, it doesn’t matter how good your content is. People People will switch off.

02:41
Ethan Baird
Exactly. Like, think about it. How often have you forced yourself to sit through something with muffled, distorted, or echoey audio?

02:49
Hendrik Baird
Almost never. If it’s hard to hear or distracting, I’m out.

02:53
Ethan Baird
And that’s the challenge that many podcasters face. They put so much effort into scripting, recording, and promoting their show, but if the audio is poor, none of that really matters. Listeners will simply leave and never come back.

03:06
Hendrik Baird
And improving audio doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune, right?

03:11
Ethan Baird
Not at all. There are simple, budget friendly ways to improve your sound, from using a better microphone to recording in a quieter space. The key is understanding how sound works and making a few smart adjustments that can drastically improve the quality.

03:24
Hendrik Baird
So today, we’re looking at what makes good audio, why it matters so much in podcasting, and how even podcasters on a budget can improve their sound.

03:34
Ethan Baird
Because if your audience can’t hear you clearly, they will not hear you at all. Let’s get started.

03:41
Hendrik Baird
Many new podcasters think they need expensive gear to get good sound, but that’s not true. Small tweaks can make a huge difference.

03:49
Ethan Baird
Absolutely. And this isn’t a new problem. Audio quality has been a priority since the early days of radio. Back then, engineers worked with limited technology, but their master techniques to make voices sound clear, even with primitive equipment. Those same principles still apply today.

04:06
Hendrik Baird
In the golden age of radio, studios were designed to minimise noise, and microphone technique was treated as a science. Presenters were trained to control their voice projection and maintain consistent mic distance.

04:22
Ethan Baird
And that’s something podcasters can learn from. Good sound isn’t just about the microphone you use. It’s about how you use it. Mic placement is critical. Speaking too far from the mic makes you sound distant, while being too close can create harsh plosives, those annoying popping sounds on words like podcast and power.

04:40
Hendrik Baird
And that’s where simple accessories like pop filters and foam covers help. They soften the plosives and reduce harshness in vocal recordings, making the audio much easier to listen to.

04:53
Ethan Baird
But beyond the mic room, setup plays a huge role. You don’t need a professional studio, but recording in an untreated echoey room can make even a high end microphone sound. Bad hard surfaces reflect sound, creating reverberation that makes speech muddy and unclear.

05:10
Hendrik Baird
So what’s the solution?

05:12
Ethan Baird
Soft furnishings, things like carpets, curtains, bookshelves, or even hanging blankets help absorb sound and reduce echo. Even a simple trick like recording in a closet full of clothes can dramatically improve clarity because the fabric absorbs sound waves.

05:27
Hendrik Baird
Well, that’s a great DIY Tip. And then there’s post production, the final steps in achieving great audio.

05:33
Ethan Baird
Right. Simple audio processing like using equalisation or EQ to remove muddiness, compression to balance volume levels and noise reduction to eliminate background hums or hisses, can take a raw recording from amateur to professional.

05:48
Hendrik Baird
And the good news, there are plenty of free or affordable tools out there. Software like Audacity, Adobe Podcast Enhance and Descript make it easy for podcasters to clean up the recordings without needing an audio engineering degree.

06:04
Ethan Baird
Yeah, some of those platforms are even using AI to do the whole thing for you. So the bottom line is, great audio is not about having the most expensive gear. It’s about using the right techniques. With the right mic placement, a well treated recording space and basic post production, any podcaster can sound professional.

06:21
Hendrik Baird
And of course, if you want to learn more about all of that, you can get my book, the Podmaster’s Voice, which deals extensively with some of these things that we are going to be talking about today. Check it out on our website, Baird Media.

06:34
Ethan Baird
So let’s check in with our experts at Solid Gold Podcasts and Audiobooks and ask them what role audio quality plays in podcast production.

06:41
Shannon Kennedy
Audio quality is fairly important, I suppose, in a podcast, especially if you’re a purist and there’s no video to. Because in video podcasting situations, a lot of the time you can kind of get away with your content, especially your audio not being as good because you’re relying on the video and the audios to kind of pivot, cover your bases a little bit. But yeah, maybe I’ve been in the industry for too long, but it is not hard to produce good audio. It’s really easy. Find a good quiet room that doesn’t sound hollow and empty, couple of cushions, carpets and curtains hanging in it. Nicole is a perfect example of still potentially using her cardboard box. You don’t need a huge fancy setup to create good quality audio.

07:31
Hendrik Baird
Do you need expensive equipment?

07:33
Shannon Kennedy
Absolutely not. I don’t think you do. Expensive equipment obviously has more features and more accessibility and. But no, I think an entry level microphone in a. What do we always say, A bad quality microphone in a good room is better than a good quality microphone in a bad room? Yeah, if you’re recording your podcast in your bathroom, I can probably tell it’s.

07:59
Gavin Kennedy
Quite natural for people starting out to go, just tell me what to do. The answer to tell me what to do is, well, what are you trying to. What are you trying to do? It’s like Hendrik, I’m thinking of Buying a vehicle. What should I get?

08:12
Hendrik Baird
What?

08:13
Gavin Kennedy
What do you want to do? Do you want to deliver concrete or pizzas or drive people around? I need more information before I tell you what vehicle you should buy. Same with podcast. You can be out in the field, in a studio. There’s too many variables to be prescriptive and say, do this one thing.

08:29
Shannon Kennedy
But do you have good audio?

08:32
Hendrik Baird
Yes. Even if it’s video still, it needs to be good audio.

08:36
Gavin Kennedy
If the picture goes away, I can still listen and follow what’s going on the other way around.

08:40
Hendrik Baird
I’m going to put the video off. I’m just going to listen to it. You’ve made a video. I don’t want to watch it. I’m just cooking. I can’t watch you now and we have too much screen time anyway.

08:49
Gavin Kennedy
Is this the same cooking show?

08:52
Hendrik Baird
As much as you need to produce great content, it’s the post production that’s going to set you apart.

08:59
Gavin Kennedy
Possibly.

09:00
Shannon Kennedy
Unless your live skills.

09:03
Gavin Kennedy
Some big podcasts, they pride themselves on the fact that there’s no post production. It’s part of the you can never accuse them of skewing answer or change. It’s raw, it’s got mistakes, it’s left exactly alone. Which means you have to focus your attention on setting the studio up and your skill set for capturing it so that it works. We spend a lot of time on post production with our clients. It’s part of the value we add to a corporate client.

09:29
Hendrik Baird
It goes back to the kind of podcast that you produce, I suppose, you know, because this one that we’re making is. It’s so complicated.

09:35
Gavin Kennedy
Lots and lots of post production bits.

09:37
Hendrik Baird
And pieces and scripting it after the fact and transcribing and everything and then seeing how do we build this puzzle?

09:43
Gavin Kennedy
Ethan’s got nothing but time on his hands.

09:47
Ethan Baird
If you have a story to tell, a message to share, or a brand to build, Solid Gold podcasts and audiobooks can help you bring it to life.

09:54
Hendrik Baird
With state of the art studios, expert production, and a team that makes podcasting effortless, Solid Gold is the go to partner for individuals, businesses and brands looking to create high quality audio content.

10:06
Ethan Baird
Whether you need a full service podcast production, an audiobook recording, or just a professional space to record, Solid Gold has you covered.

10:14
Hendrik Baird
You can take your podcast or audiobook to the next level by visiting solidgold Co za today and start sounding like a pro.

10:23
Ethan Baird
And now let’s check in with the guys from the SAPG and find out what they have to say about this topic.

10:28
Hendrik Baird
What is More important, your content or having good production quality content. In the end, I disagree because there was one show I listened to in the business section for the awards and the content was great, but two minutes in, my ears were bleeding. I said, I’m sorry, but I can’t listen to this anymore.

10:45
Jonathan Warncke
Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s more important. That just means it’s a prerequisite. There needs to be a basic level of production so that it’s not annoying to listen to. And everything after that is icing. After that point, content becomes king. There are people who produce an okay show, but they’re. They’re brilliant hosts or they’re funny, or they’ve got great contents. The only thing that you really need to worry about product with production is does it make someone’s ears bleed? If no, cool, then you’re doing fine and you can improve over time. Don’t stop there. But once you’ve reached that threshold, it’s time to start focusing on your content.

11:19
Hendrik Baird
I think it’s good to create good content, but you can make it even better in post production by formatting in a different way. Or look at Diary of a CEO, how he does it. It’s not just a straight interview and he plonks it down. He takes time and effort to make it interesting to listen to and format it.

11:36
Jonathan Warncke
You’re right. You’re right. I should qualify my opinion with improving and having chatted to both Diego and also to Dean from Trail Chasers, who shoots his stuff in a stud very professionally. He is. His opinion is that quality over time, over seasons of episodes, quality is important. Absolutely. You kind of have to do both. I would still say that content is king, but the king ain’t anything without a queen. You know, like, you’ve got to have them both over time. But the thing is that you can have a good piece of content and you can start by producing it okay, and get better. I’m not saying stay mediocre forever, but you can definitely add value.

12:21
Jonathan Warncke
The trick is not to become engrossed in different kinds of mics and turning it into some kind of audio, visual, ar, VR experience unless it’s appropriate to the idea. Rather, focus on being better at what you do.

12:34
Paulo Dias
I don’t think there’s an excuse for bad audio today. You know, the most basic online recording software is going to fix your audio. Plus there’s a bunch of free tools. So I don’t think. I agree. Don’t get caught up in mics, don’t get caught up in daws don’t get caught up in sound cards and all that. But there are enough good tools around and there are enough good habits to make sure you sound good. Right. So I think when it comes to an audio only, I don’t think you have an excuse like you don’t need the world’s best mic headphones nowadays are doing phenomenal jobs and if you know how to record in a good space, you can get away with that.

13:07
Paulo Dias
I think when it comes to video specifically, and I’m taking another kick at video podcast here, is that I see a lot of video podcasts that look better than they are. So I mean for one of the audio video transition things is that when you watching them you go, they got microphones there but they’re obviously using lapels or they’re not their mic techniques terrible because they’re worried about the camera and that affects the experience once you take away the visual of it. And I think too many people are hiding behind a good looking studio, flashy effects, great camera, switches HD and that and the content stinks. So I think like before you get into that, make sure your content is structured. It takes people from one to the other. You’re doing clever things with your segments.

13:50
Paulo Dias
You’re not just plunking 20 minutes introduction and what you had for dinner last night. You know that we should still be doing that in this day and age is ridiculous. And make sure your content is sound. So I think yeah, if you’re doing audio only, I don’t think there’s an excuse for, I’m not saying have the world’s best audio, but there’s no excuse for bad audio because people like you said, people will turn off. There are people who’ve moved into video too quickly and their content stinks. And no matter what they do, you’re not going to make that back because you know you’re competing in a different thing. People are going to be on you for 30 seconds. Those people don’t know what they’re talking about. They look great. I’m going to move. Thumbnail got me in. I’m out.

14:27
Paulo Dias
And you’re going to get found out very quickly because you’re hiding behind visuals.

14:32
Hendrik Baird
What is the ideal length of a podcast?

14:34
Jonathan Warncke
Oh man, this feels like an FAQ question. The ideal length is as long as it needs to be and still be interesting enough for people to listen to.

14:44
Hendrik Baird
Yeah, that’s my answer. Always as long as it’s, I mean.

14:47
Jonathan Warncke
Tim Ferriss does two hours. Joe Rogan sometimes does three hours. I think that there’s interesting formats in the five minute update, the 30 second podcast, the five second podcast, whatever you want. But I don’t know, Paolo. The only real is don’t go too long.

15:01
Paulo Dias
So people want a number for this and I give a number because you need a number. So basically, if I go back and say I’ve probably produced close to 3,000 podcast episodes, I’d say your average ideal perfect length is 20 minutes. That’s your absolutely ideal. Now, of course, I work with branded podcasts which then drop down to 12 minutes. But just look at your stats. That is for me the only stat that people should really look at. When do people stop paying attention? And that’s the only thing you should really care about. Like Iono do it. I know Spotify do it. You can watch the drop off of your audience and where they go. And the major drop off starts dipping at 12 and your biggest drop off will dip at 20.

15:40
Paulo Dias
Okay, so if you’re looking for a number, so if you’re starting out, start looking at an episode of 25 minutes. Listen, I do episodes of two hours. I do episode, but I know my audience will stay with me. And I also know how to structure content to take them with. So that comes with time. But if you’re starting, aim at 25 minutes, see how that does. Look at your stats and adjust. So if you’re seeing people are dropping out at 12, drop your episode to 20 or become more interesting at 12 minutes. Drag them to the end, throw forward, make sure they staying. So to give you a number, 25 minutes, look at your stats and adapt from there.

16:14
Jonathan Warncke
That’s solid advice.

16:15
Hendrik Baird
So I once read there was a metre analysis, about 3 million podcasts doing the average length. It worked out about 40 minutes. And it seems that’s sort of where most people aim at. But I’ve also read recently that whereas podcasting is great for long form, people are looking at 15 minute things because it’s quick and easy and they can listen to it and be done and move on to something else.

16:35
Jonathan Warncke
There are exceptions to every rule. And also what most podcasters do is wrong, because most podcasters aren’t successful.

16:41
Paulo Dias
But it’s also behaviours like, I mean, I think if you acknowledge a lot of people are listening to podcasts on a commute and assume their commute is 30 minutes, whether they’re driving on a train or whatever, you know, so go. People want that commute. How long is it going to take you to do the washing up? So think of those things because that’s more than likely what people are doing when they’re listening to you.

17:00
Hendrik Baird
So when we work with startup clients, we always tell them, find one ideal listener, define that person as well as you possibly can so you know them better than your best friend. So you can know exactly what they are doing when they are listening. Now many people like that. And like Ethan. He needs hour long podcast because he listens to half an hour on the way to work and half an hour on the way back. If it’s an hour and 20 minutes he gets thrown because now when he’s.

17:22
Ethan Baird
Going to finish it.

17:23
Hendrik Baird
So there’s also something to be said about consistencies.

17:26
Paulo Dias
Yeah, yeah, that’s it.

17:29
Hendrik Baird
So what did we learn today Ethan?

17:31
Ethan Baird
First and foremost, audio quality is everything in podcasting. People might forgive bad video, but they will not tolerate bad sound. If your podcast is difficult to listen to, your audience will not stick around.

17:43
Hendrik Baird
And improving audio doesn’t mean spending a fortune. Simple fixes like better mic placement, using soft furnishings to absorb echo, and choosing a quiet space can make a big difference.

17:56
Ethan Baird
It’s not just about the equipment you use, but how you use it. Even a basic microphone in a well treated space can sound better than an expensive mic in a bad environment.

18:05
Hendrik Baird
We also learned that post production plays a crucial role. Tools like Audacity, Descript and Adobe Podcast enhance help clean up recordings, balance volume and remove background noise, making even home recordings sound professional.

18:21
Ethan Baird
And let’s not forget consistency. If you want to build an audience, your sound quality needs to be reliable across episodes. Listeners should know that they can listen in and enjoy a well produced show every single time.

18:32
Hendrik Baird
Good audio isn’t just for the pros. It’s accessible to anyone willing to learn the basics and apply a few simple techniques.

18:40
Ethan Baird
If you want to improve your podcast sound, check out the book the Podmaster’s Voice where we delve into various technical aspects amongst other things. You’ll find the link on our website Baird Media. Do you want to take your podcast to the next level? You can join our upcoming masterclass. The details are on our website Baird Media.

18:57
Hendrik Baird
And that’s it for this episode. If you found this valuable, don’t forget to share and Tag us on LinkedIn.

19:05
Ethan Baird
In our next episode.

19:06
Jonathan Warncke
If your show is very niche, like about a technical topic, for example, like you talk about water purifiers. That is like people want information, they want tips, tricks, hacks or whatever it might be. If you run a chat show, then your brand, your character is very important. It’s integral to the show, people there to listen to you be funny or interesting or controversial or whatever it might be. So in those shows, specifically, what I’d like to say to people is be more interesting. If you can be more knowledgeable about your topic, research your guests better. Have opinions. Make them opinions you believe in. But do try to find, like, let’s talk about something controversial. Let’s debate something.