How to Set up Audacity for Recording Podcasts
Audacity is a fairly complicated piece of software, but you don’t really need a deep knowledge of how it works under the hood to start using it. If you want to try recording a podcast with it, we walk you through all of the initial settings, the basic editing options you need to know, and also how to export into a format that you can upload to your podcast hosting. To get started, here’s how to set up Audacity to record your podcast:
How to Test Your Input in Audacity
Before you start recording your podcast, you should test your input. This allows you to make sure that everything is set up correctly and ensure that your podcast actually records.
How to Record Your Podcast in Audacity
Once you’ve set up your inputs, outputs, and levels, recording in Audacity is easy. Just note that if you’re recording with a single mic, you should select 1 (Mono) Recording Channel. If you have an interface or mixer with multiple microphones hooked up, it automatically creates one audio channel for each mic. If you have multiple people on your podcast, each person should have their own mic and channel, so that you can edit them individually and make sure everything sounds good together. When you export your podcast later, each of these mono channels will be mixed into stereo for the final product. In any case, the actual recording process is very simple:
Editing Your Podcast in Audacity
In addition to recording, you can also edit your podcast using Audacity. While you can just export and upload your raw podcast as soon as you finish recording, editing it can add a level of polish that makes it more enjoyable to listen to. Some of the editing tasks Audacity is capable of include adjusting the levels of individual tracks in case one mic was in too close or someone was just talking too loud, clipping and move segments to rearrange the flow of your podcast, removing clipping if your initial settings were off, and even removing background noise. Some of these editing tasks are more complicated than others, and your podcast may not need a whole lot of work if you have high-quality equipment and got your settings correct. Try listening to your podcast, or at least skipping around and listening to different segments, to get a feel for how much editing work it really needs.
Add Podcast Intro and Outro Music, Clips, and Sound Effects in Audacity
Audacity also allows you to easily insert other audio clips like intro music, outro music, sound effects, interview clips, and more. Here’s how to add and move sound clips like intro music in Audacity:
How to Export Your Podcast in Audacity
Once you’re done editing your podcast, listen to it one last time to make sure you’re happy with the result, then save it just to make sure you don’t lose your work if something happens during the export process. By exporting your podcast, you create an audio file that you can upload to your podcast host and that other people can listen to. If you insert an outro, use the time shift tool to move it to the very end of your podcast. If you insert sound effects or music, use the time shift tool to move them where you want them during the podcast. Here’s how to export your Podcast in Audacity:
