Looking for a new hobby or a new business venture? Podcasts have quickly become a rather lucrative market. And it is super simple to enter.
Whether you are wanting to enhance your creativity or find a fun way to spend time with friends, a podcast is the solution.
All you need is a recording device such as a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone and the ability to do some minor editing (also see, ‘Zoom Audio Recorder‘).
Where can you create your podcast?
There are thousands of platforms available to help you record, edit and publish your new podcast. However, we highly recommend Audacity.
In this article, we cover what Audacity is and how you can record your podcast.
What Is Audacity?
For Windows, Linux, and macOS, there is a free audio recording and editing application called Audacity.
Although it wasn’t made expressly for podcasts, it’s a common option for podcast recording.
Although there is a steep learning curve, you don’t need to explore all of its features in order to record, edit, and export a high-quality podcast.
Whether you are a working producer or have no skill in the world of podcasting, Audacity helps make each step of the process simple.
ALSO SEE: What To Do With Audacity For Podcasting?
How To Use Audacity For Recording
When you take a deeper look at the ways in which Audacity works, it can become complicated and overwhelming.
However, you don’t need in-depth knowledge on the software to be able to create your podcast.
We will take you through each step to begin recording your podcast. From basic settings to editing so that you can create and publish your podcast to a well known podcast host.
1. Select Your Audio Host
Click the box located on the left of the microphone icon in the top toolbar. The host you select will be dependent on your software.
Those using Windows should select MME, while macOS users should select Core Audio.
Your audio host is the software your device will use to record your audio input for you to then edit and publish.
| 🏆 Best Overall  | 🥇 Best Hosting  | 🚀Growing  | 🎤 Distribution  |
| 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 |
2. Audio Interface Or Microphone
Select the menu located to the right of the microphone icon to choose your audio interface microphone (also see, ‘Best Audio Interface For Podcast‘).
Audacity will use your selected device to record your podcast.
However, if you are recording from two microphones and you do not have an input mixing device, you will need to position the box next to the mic input to two (Stereo) recording channels.
 |  |  |  |
| Primary Rating: 4.6 | Primary Rating: 4.7 | Primary Rating: 4.4 | Primary Rating: 4.6 |
| $79.50 | $99.00 | $129.99 | $310.00 |
3. Headphones
Choose your headphones by clicking the box next to the speaker symbol. Your chosen device from this menu will be used by Audacity to playback your audio files.
You are now ready to begin recording your podcast. However, there are a few factors to be tested to ensure you achieve the best results.
 |  |  |  |
| Primary Rating: 3.5 | Primary Rating: 3.5 | Primary Rating: 3.5 | Primary Rating: 3.5 |
| $329.00 | $99.95 | $74.99 | $127.00 |
Test Your Input In Audacity
Testing your input will allow you to confirm that everything is set up correctly and that your podcast will record when you begin speaking.
- In the top-center of the menu bar, click the monitor meter. It will say Click To Start Monitoring.
- Speak into your microphone. This should be done at your normal volume to ensure it projects into the microphone.
- Begin adjusting the microphone volume meter. This meter should never go above -12dB.
Once you have confirmed that your microphone volume is correct and that your podcast will be recorded, you can begin recording.
Record Your Podcast In Audacity
Now that you have correctly set up your inputs, outputs, and levels, the process of recording is fairly simple.
However, if you are recording with one microphone, ensure you have selected 1 (Mono) recording channel. Otherwise, your input may become distorted when editing.
One audio channel is automatically created for each microphone if you are using an interface or mixer with several microphones connected.
If you want to want to start recording with numerous guests on your podcast, make sure that each one has their own mic and channel. This way, you can edit each separate track and make sure the audio quality of whole thing sounds decent.
After you have edited and are ready to export your audio file, each mono channel will be mixed into stereo for a professional, finished podcast.
- Click the red Record button located on the top toolbar to begin recording your podcast.
- Select the Stop button which is left of the Record button when you have finished recording your podcast.
- If someone or yourself requires a break, you can press the pause button. This will temporarily stop recording which you can then begin by pressing play once you are ready.
- When you’re done recording, use Ctrl+S to save your project. In this way, you won’t lose it if Audacity crashes during editing or if you unintentionally close it.
Once you have saved your final audio clips, you have now successfully recorded your podcast in Audacity!
You can now export your audio recording to begin editing with Audacity. You can also download the file or multiple tracks and edit in your own favorite editing software.
Editing In Audacity
Along with recording, editing audio tracks in Audacity is also a fairly simple process.
Audacity can perform a variety of editing tasks, including adjusting the levels of individual tracks in the event that one mic was placed too closely, or someone was simply talking too loudly, or moving and clipping segments to reorder your podcast’s flow.
You can also remove clippings in your Audacity project if your initial settings were incorrect, and even eliminate background noise. You can likewise add outro music and sound effects to further enhance the quality of your podcast.
However, if you are satisfied with your original recording, you can easily export your sound file and upload your raw podcast to a host of your choice.
Conclusion
If you have little to no knowledge or experience in recording podcasts, then you may find yourself floundering with different recording software.
Audacity makes recording easy. And with our simple guide on how to get the best results, you will produce a professional quality podcast. Without having to attend a class!
We highly recommend giving the editing software of Audacity a go before uploading your podcast to a host for others to enjoy.
You can add your own intro music, move segments of recordings and be creative in the editing process.
