01 Dec What Is A Podcast Studio?

Are you interested in starting a podcast? Both fun and rewarding, podcasting is an activity that allows you to share your opinion, thoughts, and ideas across the world. 

But whilst for some people podcasting can be straightforward (if you know what you are doing), it is easy to get confused with what is needed and required to truly understand how to set one up.

In this article, we answer the most important question – what is a podcast studio? But to answer that, we first must understand what a podcast actually is. Read on to find out more.

What Is A Podcast?

A podcast is a recorded conversation between one or more people, that can range from funny and humorous content to personal or educational topics. 

Ranging from a minute to hours, or much longer, a podcast is a digital media file (usually audio, but video can also be included), that is distributed over the internet via social media, streaming platforms, YouTube, and more.

Once live and public, they can be downloaded or streamed, and like a TV show, a podcast is typically available as a series, although many do one-off editions. 

Streaming requires hosting services that can distribute your podcast, from free to paid. 

The timeframe or frequency can vary greatly- some might be daily, others weekly, or even as infrequent as once a year. There are no set rules and definitions for podcast frequency.

The podcasting space is not limited to any particular subject either. 

From travelling or cycling to food or marketing. The topics are endless – if you can talk about it, you can podcast about it. If you’re thinking about getting into podcasting, check out our podcasting studio in London.

For the user, streaming podcasts has never been easier. 

From Spotify to Apple Podcasts, you are sure to find the subject for you. Whether you listen in the car or listen on the train, podcasts can be a great way to pass the time or learn about a subject. 

On the other hand, as a podcaster, there are a few different options when it comes to getting your podcast out there too. Spotify and Apple Podcasts are just to name a couple, but you have SoundCloud, Google Play, YouTube, Twitch and more.

Now that you’ve nailed what a podcast is, the question might be – how do I record one? 

Sure, you can record one at a home studio, but for it to sound professional, you are likely going to need to work from a podcast studio. A home setup isn’t likely to have the podcasting gear you need. So, what is a podcast studio exactly? and what should a good one have?

What Is A Podcast Studio?

Simply put, a podcast studio is a special room with high-quality recording equipment, microphones, and infrastructure that allow people to record audio or video. Picture a recording studio for a radio station.

But surely you can just record one from your phone, right? Recording a podcast, and recording a quality podcast are two separate things. It is important to have a quality recording studio because the audio quality is critical to the success of your podcast.

The sound you might achieve in your DIY home recording studio might not be optimal, and podcasters who don’t invest in the equipment or infrastructure may produce low-quality audio. In other words, if your studio is bad, your audio will be too.

In fact, you might be thinking you have the perfect space – you have cleared out your garage or spare room to create the ultimate home studio. 

Except, an empty space isn’t necessarily the best space, and actually, an empty space can make for a poor podcast studio setup. Empty spaces can in fact cause high levels of reverb amongst other issues.

You also need a soundproofed or acoustically treated space. That means your spare bedroom looking out on the main road, or your garage next to your neighbour’s garage may not be the best choice. 

Hard floors can also be your enemy – a room with soft surfaces, such as rugs and fabric furniture often makes the best recording space as it can soak up the soundwaves instead of bouncing them back towards the mic.

Many podcasters, in fact, have even recorded in their closet to avoid background noise and to absorb sound (even with expensive podcast equipment). Although it might avoid unwanted external noise, it may not be the finest of setups.

Choosing the right space is an important step in creating a podcast. And when choosing the right podcasting studio, there are definitely a few things to consider.

What Should A Good Podcast Recording Studio Have?

A well-equipped, professional studio will have a range of recording and audio equipment and everything in between to help deliver a great-sounding podcast. But for high-quality audio, there are a few things that really elevate a recording studio.

Microphones And Microphone Accessories

A high-quality podcast mic and mic stand can make the world of difference when podcasting. 

Your microphone is the most important part of your podcast studio setup. Your microphone has the biggest impact on the quality of your audio output, and a good condenser microphone will save you hours of work during post-production.

An XLR or USB mic is the best choice, but an XLR microphone usually tends to sound more professional. A good studio should also have more than one microphone. Firstly, as most podcasts are more than one person, if one breaks, having a spare one is going to be pretty useful. 

You also need a microphone stand or boom mount to elevate the mic up and off the desk and closer to your mouth. 

Not only does the vertical alignment positively impact the sound of your voice, but a stand also reduces the chance you will knock something against the mic during recording – causing unwanted noise.

Pop Filter Or Windscreens

Good microphones often tend to make certain elements of our speech more audible. This affects the plosives in our speech the most, which are the Ps, Ts, Ks, etc, making them stand out. 

To combat this, a good studio will also have pop filters deployed in order to soften those hard bursts of air. 

It Should Be Acoustically Treated

On the topic of audio, a good-quality podcast studio setup should be equipped with acoustically treated walls & ceilings. This allows for better sound quality by eliminating external noise and background noises.

A good podcast studio setup should be complete with acoustic foam panels and bass traps, to absorb sound so that sound doesn’t bounce around the room and hit your mic again. 

Without these foam acoustic tiles, the sound can interfere and cause unwanted noise to your final audio files.

For this very reason, soft and furnished surfaces are also used in order to maintain sound quality.

Headphones

Good-quality headphones allow you to hear what the microphone hears, improving your mic technique. 

If you can hear you’re off-mic, or too loud, wearing headphones allow you to self-regulate your volume and tone during your recording. And that means headphones, not earphones. You need headphones that cover your ears to truly eliminate external sounds. 

An Audio Interface

Like built-in CD players, modern computers or laptops are not often equipped with audio-in ports anymore. 

For example, none of the latest Apple Macs has had one for a while. That means, to connect your mics, headphones and any other recording accessories, you will need to have an audio interface in your studio.

An Audio Mixer

Although not critical unless you have an XLR mic, an audio mixer will be a great tool for improving your audio quality. 

A mixer allows you to combine multiple sources of audio and mix, and balance them into one signal. If you plan to use more than one microphone or play music, a mixer is a must for enhancing your sound quality.

How Can Outset Studio Help You?

A podcast studio makes everything about podcasting easier, enables you to sound professional, and deploys the highest quality sound.

Whatever your podcast content, here at Outset Studios we are fully equipped with state-of-the-art podcast recording equipment. Let us worry about the equipment, so you can focus on producing high-quality content.

From £70/hr, you can hire our well-equipped studio to record your podcast in a professional, cutting-edge environment. Our podcast recording studios consist of professional recording equipment for you and your guests.