Listeners judge your podcast within the first 15 seconds, and they judge it primarily on sound. A 2025 survey by Edison Research found that 62% of podcast listeners have stopped an episode due to poor audio quality. That stat means your content could be excellent, but if the audio sounds hollow, distorted, or unbalanced, most listeners will leave before they hear your message.
This checklist covers the audio quality fundamentals that every beginner should address: recording levels, EQ, compression, noise reduction, and music mixing. Follow each step in order, and your podcast will sound professional from episode one.
Recording level checklist
Getting the right input level is the foundation of good audio. Fix this first, because no amount of post-production can salvage a poorly recorded track.
- Set your microphone gain so that your normal speaking voice peaks between -12 dB and -6 dB. This leaves enough headroom for louder moments without clipping.
- Record a 30-second test before every session. Play it back and check for distortion, clipping (peaks hitting 0 dB), or excessive room noise.
- Maintain a consistent distance from your microphone: 4–6 inches for dynamic mics, 6–8 inches for condenser mics. Closer positioning increases bass (proximity effect), which may or may not suit your voice.
- Use a pop filter to reduce plosive sounds on "p" and "b" consonants. A basic pop filter costs $8–$15 and eliminates one of the most common beginner audio problems.
- Record in WAV or FLAC format at 44.1 kHz / 16-bit minimum. MP3 recording introduces compression artifacts that you cannot remove later.
EQ (equalization) checklist
EQ shapes the tonal balance of your voice. A few targeted adjustments make your voice sound clear and warm without sounding processed.
- High-pass filter at 80 Hz: Cut all frequencies below 80 Hz. This removes low-frequency rumble from air conditioning, traffic, and floor vibrations. Every podcast voice track benefits from this single adjustment.
- Reduce mud at 200–400 Hz: If your voice sounds boomy or boxy, cut 2–3 dB in this range. This is especially common with condenser microphones in small rooms.
- Add presence at 2–5 kHz: A gentle 1–2 dB boost in this range helps your voice cut through music and sound effects. This is the frequency range where human speech is most intelligible.
- Control sibilance above 6 kHz: If your "s" and "t" sounds are harsh, apply a narrow 2–3 dB cut between 6–8 kHz. Alternatively, use a de-esser plugin.
- Roll off above 12 kHz: Unless your recording environment is very quiet, a gentle roll-off above 12 kHz reduces high-frequency noise without noticeably affecting voice quality.
Compression checklist
Compression evens out the volume differences between your loudest and quietest moments. Podcast listeners often switch between earbuds, car speakers, and phone speakers, so consistent volume is essential.
- Ratio: Start with 2:1 for gentle, transparent compression. If your volume varies significantly (common with animated speakers), increase to 3:1.
- Threshold: Set the threshold so compression activates during your normal speaking voice, typically around -18 to -20 dB. You want 3–6 dB of gain reduction on average.
- Attack time: Use 10–20 ms. This is fast enough to catch sudden volume spikes but slow enough to preserve the natural punch of your words.
- Release time: Use 100–150 ms. This allows the compressor to recover between phrases without audible pumping.
- Makeup gain: After compression, your overall volume will be lower. Add makeup gain to bring your average level back to -16 LUFS (stereo) or -19 LUFS (mono).
Noise reduction checklist
Even a quiet room has background noise. Removing it makes your podcast sound like it was recorded in a professional studio.
- Record 5–10 seconds of silence at the start of every session. This "room tone" sample gives noise reduction tools a profile of the background noise to subtract.
- Use a noise gate to silence audio below a set threshold. Set the gate threshold just above your room's noise floor so that silence between sentences is truly silent.
- Apply noise reduction sparingly. Over-processing creates an artificial, underwater sound. Reduce noise by 6–12 dB maximum. If your room noise requires more than 12 dB of reduction, improve your recording environment instead.
- Address echo and reverb at the source. Hang blankets, add foam panels, or record in a closet. No plugin fully removes room reverb after recording.
Music mixing checklist
When you add music to your podcast, the mix must keep your voice front and center.
- Volume balance: Set background music at -18 to -22 dB below your voice level. If your voice sits at -16 LUFS, your music bed should sit around -34 to -38 LUFS.
- Ducking: Use auto-ducking (available in Descript, Hindenburg, and most DAWs) to lower music volume automatically when you speak and raise it during pauses.
- Frequency separation: Apply a high-pass filter to your music at 150–200 Hz to prevent bass frequencies from competing with your voice. Cut music frequencies between 2–4 kHz to make room for vocal presence.
- Transitions: Fade music in over 1–2 seconds and out over 2–3 seconds. Hard starts and stops sound jarring.
- Loudness check: After mixing, measure your final episode at -16 LUFS (stereo) or -19 LUFS (mono). Spotify and Apple Podcasts normalize audio to around -14 LUFS, so your mix should land close to this range.
How Jellypod helps
Jellypod handles audio quality optimization automatically. The platform applies EQ, compression, noise reduction, and music mixing to every episode without manual adjustment. If you want to add captions and transcripts, Jellypod generates those too, ensuring your content is accessible and search-engine friendly. The result is broadcast-ready audio quality from recording to publication.
Final thoughts
Professional audio quality comes from getting the basics right: proper recording levels, targeted EQ, gentle compression, effective noise reduction, and careful music mixing. You do not need expensive gear or years of experience. A $100 microphone and free software can produce broadcast-quality audio if you follow this checklist. Start with recording levels, work through each step in order, and compare your results to podcasts you admire. The gap will close faster than you expect.
