Best Practices for Podcast Audio Quality
Clear, consistent audio is the foundation of a professional podcast. This guide covers recording levels, noise reduction, loudness normalization, and export settings that meet podcast platform requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Podcast platforms have specific audio requirements.
- Record with peaks between -12 dB and -6 dB.
- Remove background noise like fan hum, air conditioning, or electrical buzz.
- ## Recording Best Practices ### Input Levels Record with peaks between -12 dB and -6 dB.
BPM Calculator
Audio Quality Standards
Podcast platforms have specific audio requirements. Apple Podcasts recommends mono or stereo AAC at 128-256 kbps, while Spotify accepts MP3 at 96-320 kbps.
Recording Best Practices
Input Levels
Record with peaks between -12 dB and -6 dB. This leaves enough headroom to prevent clipping while capturing a strong signal. Never let peaks hit 0 dB.
Room Acoustics
Record in a quiet room with soft surfaces. Closets full of clothes make surprisingly good recording spaces. Avoid rooms with hard walls, glass, and tile that create echo and reverberation.
Post-Production
Noise Reduction
Remove background noise like fan hum, air conditioning, or electrical buzz. Capture a few seconds of room tone (silence) at the start of each recording to use as a noise profile.
Loudness Normalization
Normalize to -16 LUFS (stereo) or -19 LUFS (mono) for consistent playback volume across episodes and between different podcasts on the same platform.
Dynamic Range Compression
Light compression (2:1 to 4:1 ratio) evens out volume differences between loud and quiet speech. This makes podcasts easier to listen to in noisy environments like commuting.
Export Settings
| Platform | Format | Bitrate | Sample Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | AAC | 128-256 kbps | 44.1 kHz |
| Spotify | MP3/AAC | 96-320 kbps | 44.1 kHz |
| YouTube | AAC | 192+ kbps | 48 kHz |
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