How To Edit A Podcast – Complete Beginners Guide

Whether you’re a podcast producer, podcaster, or just a fan of podcasts, you’re probably curious about how to edit your own.

With any podcast, you want it to run smoothly and be easy to listen to which means you need to edit the recordings to make them perfect. You might also want to add some effects to your podcast to jazz it up a bit. 

This article explains what kinds of things you can do with your podcast, and how to do them, so you can start making the best podcast you possibly can.

You want your podcast to be unique to what you want to achieve and editing is a huge part of this. Find out more below. 

If you are looking for Podcast Editing Tips see this post.

Editing Rules

There are many different levels of editing for people at different stages. The more you learn about editing, the higher quality your podcasts will become.

However, everyone must start at the beginner stage where the basics are really important to build on. 

You can edit in any way you like and there is no specific pathway to follow, but learning how to use some of the simple tools is essential on your editing journey. 

Things You Might Want To Edit

As a beginner, you might ask yourself how much time you should be spending on editing your podcasts. It all depends on how much knowledge you have and what you want it to sound like. 

Some podcasts can get away with very little editing if they have more of a conversational style. You need to consider how many audio tracks you have recorded because they will need to be edited together.

You might also find parts of the audio which needs to be chopped off due to long outros or introductions. 

Pauses can be a real issue for many podcasters when listening to it after. It can be quite frustrating and you just want to get rid of them, so it can run smoother.

However, you shouldnt be trying to cut out those natural pauses because it will not naturally run if you do this and it could sound too edited. 

Interruptions are also something you need to look out for because they can make the audio sound ammateur. These are also parts that will need to be edited out. 

Different Editing Programmes

There are several different editing software platforms you are able to use which will help you immensely. The first one you might consider as a beginner is Audacity.

This is quite a simple program to use in comparison to others and is great to get to know the different tools and play around. 

You can then move to Adobe audition or Hindenburg which is a bit more sophisticated and has more tools for you to use. If you are making something a bit more advanced and professional, this would be more appropriate. 

If you’re looking to really learn how to make a podcast from professionals, there is also the opportunity to take a podcast course like podcraft academy which will teach you all of the steps in n organized format. 

Here is a list of Editing Tools For Your Podcast:

• Audacity: This is a free, open-source audio editing software that is widely used for podcast editing. It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• GarageBand: GarageBand is a free audio editing software provided by Apple. It’s designed for ease of use and is a good choice for beginners on Mac.
• Adobe Audition: This is a professional-level audio editing software that is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
• Hindenburg Journalist: This software is specifically designed for radio journalists and podcasters. It provides a range of tools for recording, editing, and publishing podcasts.
• Auphonic: While not a full-fledged editing software, Auphonic is a popular post-production tool that can automatically clean up audio and improve sound quality.
• Descript: This is a relatively new software that allows you to edit audio by editing text. It automatically transcribes your podcast and then lets you cut out sections of audio by deleting the corresponding text.
• Logic Pro X: This is a professional-level software provided by Apple. It’s similar to GarageBand but offers more advanced features.
• Reaper: Reaper is a digital audio workstation with a complex feature set. It’s not free, but it’s less expensive than many other professional-level options.
• Pro Tools: This is a professional audio workstation used by many music and post-production professionals. It’s available for both Windows and Mac.
• WavePad: This is a full-featured professional audio and music editor for Windows and Mac. It allows you to record and edit music, voice, and other audio recordings.

Step By Step Tips To Edit A Podcast

1. To start, you need to think about how long you want your podcast to be. Most people look at how long other successful podcasts are and what works for the amount of content you will have. 
2. You need to determine what type of story you want to tell during your podcast and then edit your work to mold that plan. Editing can be really important in this stage because it shapes how it will sound fully at the end. 
3. Making your podcast flow is another really important part of the process. This section is all about chopping certain parts out which do not fit into your flow, removing pauses and unnecessary waffling. There might also be exterior sounds which need to be edited out to help the flow improve as well. 
4. Now you need to start thinking about making a really intriguing into and outro for your piece. When someone first hears the intro, they should want to carry on listening. 
5. You also need to be thinking about what types of effects you want to edit into your podcast in between the audio sections. This can be really important; it can make your podcast specific to the topic and follow conventions that people will recognize. 
6. At this point it is all about mixing everything together. Collect all of your different audio clips, your interviews, intro and outro and decide what needs to go where. 
7. This is now the technical part where you need to start fiddling with compression and noise reduction. This will really enhance your podcast and make it sound much more professional. 

Are There Any Free Platforms To Use?

Yes, one of the most popular platforms you can use is called Anchor. It has all of the simple tools for you to use to edit your podcasts and is perfect for a beginner. You can also use job boards like Upwork of Fivver to find Podcast editors that can perform the job for you.

This is because it will upload it straight to Spotify for you, and will help you see how many listens you have over time. It will also allow you to create a series and your own brand. 

Conclusion 

Overall, if you’re looking to edit one of your podcasts, there are loads of different places you are able to do this online which is very easy to download.

There are several steps you need to take into account before editing your podcast and the planning part is extremely important for it to be successful and for you to achieve your goals. 

Hopefully this guide has helped you understand some of the things you need to consider before starting your podcasting journey.

There are some technical things you will build up to using, but the most important part is learning how to use the basic tools of editing to make your content flow well. Make your podcasts now!