How to Record a Podcast

Podcast recording

Podcast recording is different depending on if you're recording your show in-person on remote. You'll need different sets of equipment or software for either route you choose. I used to only ever recording my show in person, but now with tools that enable local recording like Welder, I can now make it sound like I'm in the same room even if we're thousands of miles away.

Planning and prep

Before you start recording, and this is a vital but easy to miss step, is to do a little planning and preparation.Make yourself a document which contains research and talking points for each show. You might have heard this referred to as a podcast script. This is so when you press that record button you have a schedule to run through, rather than trying to fill the time with aimless conversation.

Podcast Equipment

You can record your podcast with just a smartphone if that suits your budget but I'd recommend picking up a versatile $100 or so USB and XLR microphone for recording solo, in-person or remotely.

Best budget microphones:

• Audio Technica ATR-2100x (USB & XLR)
• Rode NT-USB Mini (USB only)
• Shure SM58 (XLR only)

Want to take your quality to the next level? Try these:

• Rode Procaster (XLR only)
• Shure MV7 (USB & XLR)
• Shure SM7B (XLR)

For the XLR microphones you'll also need an interface so you can connect it to your laptop. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($150) or Audient ID4 ($150) will serve you well for up to 2 XLR microphones. Want to record without a laptop? Pick up a Zoom H6 recorder ($400) which can record up to 6 XLR microphones.

Recording with a guest

In most podcast recording circumstances, you'll be recording with a guest. If that's a regular interview show, a documentary series or a narrative production.

Remote

If you choose to do this remotely, or with someone who is in a different location to you, there are 2 ways you can do it.

Traditional double-ender

A double-ender is when one person records into a recording device and saves that file individually, then the other person will do the same. They'll then usually communicate over a video conferencing tool and send the individual files to the editor at the end.

1. Plug your microphone into your computer or recorder
2. If on computer, open your recording software (Garageband, Audacity or Logic Pro for example)
3. Create a new track, select your microphone and check the levels
4. Press record
5. Once you've finished the recording, press the stop button
6. Export your show / save as

Use Welder

Using a tool such as Welder is the most efficient way to record with a guest remotely. Welder acts like a regular video call software, but records local files from your computer giving you a high quality recording. You might have thought about using Zoom, but the trouble you'll find with Zoom is the files are recorded over the internet, giving you a low-quality, robotic sound.

Because the files are recorded locally, you don't need to have a good internet connection for the recording to be high-quality (and you'll also never need to worry about internet dropouts).

You can watch this video to see how you can record a high-quality podcast remotely, or follow the steps in this section.

1. Get a free account at getwelder.com
2. Setup your session
3. Send the link to your guest or co-host
4. Check you're happy with the settings
5. Press record
6. Make a 🔥 show
7. Stop recording
8. Your files are automatically uploaded
9. Download your files and edit

In-person

Recording in-person has it's benefits, but also has some logistical challenges. You can usually get slightly better quality (as you can control all the variables) but will much more setup and travel time (not forgetting you will need to be in the same country).

Podcast Studio

For the best experience and quality you should look to hire a podcast studio for a few hours. You can rent one in your local town or city for $50 an hour and it will sound fantastic. All the microphones will be setup for you and usually they'll have a computer with a software such as Audacity, Garageband or Logic Pro that will allow you to press record. If you don't have much experience with this software someone at the podcast studio should be able to help you out.

If you're very serious about recording your podcast you might want to look into building your own studio. This would be expensive but means everything will be setup for you and you won't have to pay to rent a studio, just invite your guests to your space and get recording.

Traveling Podcast Studio

Often, if you want to record your show in-person, you might need to have a portable setup you travel with to various locations. When I was doing podcast production all-around in London I'd have 2 Shure SM58 microphones along with a battery-powered Zoom H6 recorder. I'd then monitor the audio using a splitter and Audio Technica ATR M50x headphones. Once I'd finished the recording I could pack everything away into my bag and have the recording on an SD card ready to edit.

Recording Solo

Although many podcasts have guests or co-hosts, sometimes you'll need to record something solo. This might be a solo podcast or an intro segment for your show. The easiest way to do this is to connect your microphone to your computer, whip up a Solo Welder session and start recording. The main benefit of this is that your files are always backed up and ready for you, while being super easy to use in your browser.

This is much easier than you might imagine. Follow the same steps as mentioned in the 'recording with a remote guest section':

1. Setup your session
2. Check your recording settings
3. Press record
4. Stop recording
5. Your high-quality files are automatically uploaded
6. Download your files and edit

Summary

So that's how to record your podcast in a number of different scenarios. Wether you're recording remote, in-person or solo, there are options you can choose. If you're in-person the best option is to record at a studio with the in-built software, but if you're recording remotely or solo, Welder is the way to go.

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