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Welcome to Up an Octave, a podcast by Sonivia. I'm your host, Rue Spence, founder of Sonivia, the podcast management agency that helps women and non binary people take up space in podcasting. Up an Octave is here to support you in your podcasting journey. From how to market yourself, how to sound great, how to edit for your specific voice, and how to make your podcast feel like magic.
Thanks for tuning in. Let's get into it.
Welcome back to Up an Octave. If you are still thinking about starting a podcast, but you haven't pulled the trigger yet, get out your pen and paper because I am spilling all the tea on tech today. But wait, uh, so during my first show that I had, I actually spilled a mug of tea on my computer. It survived mostly, but it was never the same.
So I'm going to rephrase that. I'm not spilling the tea. I'm dishing on all the tech you need to start a show. That's better. Please don't spill tea on your tech. Also, if you already have a show but you want to level up, I'm going to be name dropping all of my favorite gear, including what I'm using right now, so stay tuned for that.
I know that there are podcasters out there who are going to disagree with what I'm saying. I know, and I cherish some podcasters who record straight into their iPhones. I think it can sound great, but I'm here to give my professional opinion based on my experiences. I don't think that there is really a right or wrong way to go about things, but in my effort to steer you towards success, I'm going to give the tips and tricks that personally work for me, that I endorse, and that I recommend to my clients.
The number one thing is the elephant in the room, microphones. I am very much and very loudly not on team record with your built in microphone, whether that's on your phone or on your laptop, unless you are strictly following the fun model of podcasting. A standalone microphone is going to be a game changer for your show.
Again, identify what you want to get out of your show and decide just how much you're willing to put into it. You don't need a 500 microphone to start a podcast. I don't agree with anyone who says that. But I would suggest trying out a 50 one. There are some great options on Amazon that are right around that range.
Before we go too much further, though, I want to break down the different types of microphones. Condenser and dynamic, so that when you see these while you're shopping, you can make sense of what they're telling you. Without getting too technical, because that could be an episode of its own altogether, condenser mics are more sensitive.
They're better at picking up a wide area of sound. Dynamic mics, however, are less sensitive and offer a more targeted pickup. You have to work a little bit harder to get stuff to show up on a dynamic mic. Now because of this, condenser mics can sound a little bit more natural, but the downside is that they pick up everything.
They pick up significantly more background noise, so I almost always suggest for opting for a dynamic microphone, especially if you are recording with two people in the same room on separate mics. And this is where I'm going to break your heart and tell you that the Yeti microphone is a condenser mic.
Now that's not me saying that I think it's a bad mic, I'm actually looking at one in its box on my shelf right now. I think it's a perfectly great mic, and I think for a condenser mic, it's awesome. I like that you're able to switch the pickup pattern depending on how you're using it, but at the end of the day, I have a really hard time recommending it.
When people say that they hate the Yeti, I think what they're actually saying is that they hate the spaces that people are recording with them in. I think if you have a soundproofed environment, the Yeti is a great option. I think it's a perfectly high quality mic. The downside to that though, is that if you are just recording in your home office like I am, The Yeti's gonna pick up a whole heck of a lot more of just your room sounds.
It's gonna pick up a lot more of, I'm, I'm just thinking about what I have right now. The HVAC system. I'm staring at my vent, which is pointed right near where my microphone is. So when my air conditioning kicks on, cause it's still a bajillion degrees and humid as heck, you're gonna hear that. You're gonna hear my husband downstairs with the baby, washing the dishes.
Her getting mad. You're gonna hear all of that. on a condenser microphone a lot more easily than you're gonna hear on a dynamic microphone. Which is pointed right at my mouth, pretty close, and picks up a lot less of the everythingness of my room. If you're looking to stay more on the economical side of things, there are some great options, like I mentioned, on Amazon if you search for USB dynamic mic.
We'll talk more about USB vs XLR in just a minute, but for right now, if you're just looking for a microphone that plugs straight into your computer and you're off to the races, I like the brands Fifine, F I F I N E, and also Tonor. If you are looking up to level up as your budget allows, I personally am a road pod mic stan.
That's what I'm using right now. I really dig it. And they have a USB version of it. There is also the Shure MV7, which is a famous mic, and it's available in a USB version as well. I think those are both totally great options, and I think that that's probably the most money you should spend on a USB mic.
If you get any higher than those calibers, I think it's time to pivot over to an XLR mic. So now to break into the difference right there, we have to talk about audio interfaces. So I use an audio interface. Specifically, I use the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. This enables me to use XLR microphones. Like I mentioned, I'm currently speaking into the Rode PodMic, which is the XLR version.
And when I say XLR versus USB, that refers to the type of plug that the microphone uses. So a USB microphone is going to plug right into your USB slot on your computer, It looks just like your flash drive or anything else that you plug in. XLR, however, is the three pronged microphone cables that you'd see at a live performance.
These don't just plug straight into your computer. These need some kind of a preamp, a mixer, an interface to make them work with your computer because of how they pick up sound. In addition, if you are using a An XLR condenser microphone, you need something called phantom power. We can go more into what phantom power is later on an episode where we break down further condenser mics, but just please know that if you do get a condenser microphone that is an XLR.
You're going to need some extra power somewhere. Conversely, if you're using a condenser mic with a USB, it is going to drain your laptop battery faster, so make sure you stay plugged in if you're going that route. Generally, I have found XLR mics to be cheaper than their USB counterparts, but the hidden cost there is that you do have to buy an audio interface, and those are not the cheapest piece of tech, especially when they're like, not the most rewarding piece of tech.
Like, you can hear that you're talking into a microphone, you can listen on headphones, but your audio interface kind of sits there quietly working. It's a workhorse that is kind of seen, not heard, um, so it can be a little disheartening to spend the money when you're starting up. No matter what you choose, and I'm not just talking about audio interfaces, but mics as well.
I recommend checking out Reverb, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, any of those sites for people who are offloading gear. A lot of people started podcasts as a pandemic hobby and now have hundreds of dollars worth of tech just rotting in their basements. So save yourself some money where you can. That Yeti that I was mentioning earlier, I was able to get it on eBay for 40, which is especially great because I pretty much only use it as a teaching tool.
Since, like I mentioned, it does not work super great in MySpace. Now that you have a mic, you need somewhere to put it. Tabletop mounts are a great starter stand, but they do have to be moved around a lot, which can make getting a consistent sound kind of tricky. If you really like the placement, and then you have to pack it up because you're just doing it on your desk, the next time that you get it out, unless you like, mark it like you're in theater, and have a little spike tape, you're not necessarily going to put it in exactly the same position.
Desk arm boom stands are a great option because they move out of the way pretty easily. This is what I have and it's what I've used for years. It's what I personally prefer. I also recommend using floor boom stands if you know that you're a table tapper because the shock from tapping. Picks up really nasty in recordings if you're using either the table stand or the desk arm boom and that will sound kind of like that If you still want to use one of those types of stands, you can use a shock mount, which is how you kind of hook your microphone onto the mount.
And using a shock mount definitely helps cut down on some of the sounds from handling or bumping into it as well. The other thing to be mindful of with bumping is how close you have your microphone or your pop filter Because tapping those can make a really ugly sound. Example, that was me tapping my pop filter.
That was me tapping directly on my microphone. So if you are sitting super close, be mindful, especially if you are someone who talks with your hands. The other thing that I can't recommend highly enough is to make sure that you're using well maintained, high quality cables. I actually I think episodes four and five, I had to replace my XLR cable because I was noticing that I was getting some fuzz on my recordings.
Now, just like phone chargers or other cables that you mess with, mic cables can get damaged and they can just wear out over time. A damaged cable is gonna humble your microphone, whether it is a 2 piece of trash or it is a million dollar, top end, highest quality. If you are plugging it into a crappy cable, it's gonna zap your quality.
I also think that any and every microphone can be improved with the use of a pop filter and a windscreen. Pop filters are that circular net type of material, the little accessory that clamps on to the mic or to the stand behind it, that you'll see suspended between the speaker's mouth and the microphone.
So it's a freestanding kind of goosenecked thing that clips onto the mic stand. And then the windscreen is the foamy topper for the microphone itself. So, when you're seeing pictures of microphones, they almost all have the windscreen on them. They're surprisingly skinny underneath those. So, if you get a microphone and you're like, wow, this thing is tiny, it's probably because you don't have a windscreen on it.
And I highly, highly, highly recommend everyone should pretty much have a windscreen. They are less than ten bucks. I just can't recommend them enough. The reason that I recommend both of these is because they work to soften undesirable sounds that could come into the mic. This is especially for loud mouth sounds, like the little clicks that you get, or your plosives, which are your P sounds when it's a really hot puh, puh, puh.
Or sibilants, those are S sounds, or fricatives, which are your fuh and vuh sounds. Those can all get picked up by your microphone in a really unsavory kind of way. That having the windscreen and the pop filter, having those can just help muffle those a little bit, which makes your life in post production easier.
My next must have is my headphones. Are my headphones. Is, are my headphones. I will never record without headphones, and certainly not when I'm recording with another person. When you're recording alone, wearing headphones gives you the ability to directly monitor your sound in real time, and helps you know exactly what lies ahead in post production.
Microphones are often more sensitive than human ears, so there are times where, like I mentioned, I can hear my daughter downstairs with my husband while I'm recording. You know? But if I take off my headphones, I can't hear them. Recording with another person using headphones is a must to cut down on echo, so that the only audio that's being recorded on your microphone is your speech, not the other person's a half second delayed.
I also always recommend using wired headphones. as the lag on even the nicest pair of Bluetooth headphones makes precision editing a drag. I bought a really nice pair of Bluetooth headphones before we did some of our summer traveling because I knew that I was going to be editing on the go, in the car, on airplanes.
In hotels, and I was like, I just don't really want to bring my headphones, they have a super long cable, which is a nice feature, unless I'm cramped up in a car. I was like, let me just give it a shot. So I bought really nice ones, because I was like, maybe the issues that I've had in the past were that I had ones that had a higher latency.
No, I sent them right back the very next day. I could not get precise enough with the editing that I do to where I felt comfortable using those headphones. So unfortunately, I sent them right back. The other reason I don't recommend using Bluetooth headphones is during recording, because of that latency, because of the slight delay that's on all Bluetooth headphones, it can make a lag even worse.
So if you're already having some when you're recording with another person. Bluetooth headphones just kind of shoot yourself in the foot. I also hate AirPod mics. I will, I will say that. That, um, just kind of came out of me. I really, really, really don't like AirPod microphones. I have heard people in interviews try and use them.
On some of my client's shows, I've heard people that I just listen to in general recording with them. I am not pleased with their quality for recording a podcast. So, personally, the headphones that I use and have been using for almost three years, And I will repurchase these when this pair wears out.
They have survived my rambunctious now one year old who has pulled on them, chewed a chunk of the foam out, put them through the ringer, stomped on them, you name it. But anyway, so they are like as baby proof as I guess headphones could get. And they are the Audio Technica ATH M30Xs. They fold down really nicely, really compact, which does make them super easy to travel with.
I just kind of wanted a backup pair. They also provide great audio quality for editing. I can really hear things well. And they're also super comfortable for extended wear, which is really important for when I have a full day of edits ahead of me. Like I have said in the past, my very first podcast, I started by using a gaming headset, and I used it both for recording and for editing.
It had a little microphone in a headphone jack that could pop in and out. I would pop it in when I recorded and pop it out to edit. And the worst part about that was that it gave me such killer headaches. When we would have an episode that was longer and I wasn't super quick at editing yet, if I spent more than about three hours under those things, I would walk away with a killer headache.
And they would also like hurt my ears. So I recommend the Audio Technica's. I am an Audio Technica fangirl, and the ATH M30Xs absolutely get the job done for me. So briefly, I want to circle back around to audio interfaces, which I talked about with the Focusrite Scarlett. The thing that I want to make sure and highlight is that they allow two people to record on separate tracks in the same room.
This is super helpful in post production because it lets you pull out just one thing from one person and leave the rest intact from the other person. So I do highly, highly recommend using that setup if that is the configuration of your show. As I said earlier, the focus right That I use is not the cheapest piece of tech.
You can find it pretty cheap on eBay, if you're willing to do the work of following the auction. But I have seen some pretty convincing fakes on Amazon that are knockoff brands, and I absolutely recommend against those. I had a bad experience with a client trying to use them. So, in order to essentially.
Convert the data that they're picking up into what we recognize as sound on your computer. You need a driver installed and The knockoff that my client was using or attempted to use did not have That and so basically it was like a hundred dollar piece of junk And so she had to send it right back and ended up going with the more expensive version But it delayed her recording schedule, and it was, it was not cute.
So I recommend, unfortunately, that this is somewhere that if you're gonna invest, this is the place I would say to invest. I would rather see you using quote unquote cheaper microphones for the name brand focus, right? If you do feel that having an audio interface is necessary for your configuration.
Like I said, I'm here to save you money where I can, but this is the one that I'm like, nah, save your pennies for that. So now that you have your gear, it's time to record a podcast. I recommend Audacity for both recording and editing. That's what I'm personally using right now. It's what I teach. It's what I recommend.
It is my editing DAW, Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW, go to. I don't think that you need to spend money here, so if you're still reeling from looking up how much a Focusrite costs, you do not need to be spending money on a DAW. I think Audacity is super serviceable, and it's, in fact, I've never felt like Audacity didn't have what I needed.
There's never been a time where Audacity itself, or a plugin that I was able to get online, did not do what I needed it to do, and I think it's comparable with the paid ones. It's not as flashy as some of the paid options are. There are some that I'm like, ooh, she kind of sexy. Audacity is not. Audacity is very much your stepdad Gary.
It wears the new balances with the jorts. It has the Ned Flanders haircut. Dang do I love it. Um, I love my stepdad audacity. I recommend that for recording. I recommend it for editing. Audacity is through and through the way to go, in my opinion. So, once you have all your tech, you've recorded your podcast, you've edited it, now you need to put it somewhere.
So this is where hosting comes into play. And hosting is kind of like the street address for your podcast. It's where Apple and Spotify and all the other podcatchers know where to look for your podcast. So I personally recommend using Buzzsprout because it's IAB certified, and I think it's super user friendly.
That's who I host with. That's who I have a referral code with. I love me some buzzsprout. Now, there's also Spotify for podcasters. This is the free version. If you're not super sure about how much you want to invest right now, I think Spotify for podcasters is absolutely a serviceable option. It used to be Anchor FM, which is where my original podcast was hosted.
I haven't personally used Spotify for podcasters, so I can't compare how Anchor versus Spotify translate to each other. I had a great time using Anchor, but I did run into some issues with the analytics. So if you are really looking to monetize, or analytics are super important to you, Bye! Bye! Then I would definitely recommend using Buzzsprout.
Hey, don't mind if I do. I'm just cutting in for a minute to share something exciting. Ever thought about making a podcast that doesn't feel overwhelming? If you're listening to the show, then I know you're curious about making the best podcast you can. And that's where Sonivia comes in. I'm your podcast launch specialist, and I'm here to take your show from concept to content.
I've immersed myself in the world of podcasting for years, and I have got the knowledge and industry secrets to help make your show the success that we both know it can be. If you're ready to take the leap and start sharing your voice with the world, head on over to sonivia. com and snag your free call.
Let's chat. Oh, and by the way, the party's still on. I decided to keep celebrating until Halloween. So mention up an octave when booking your call before October 31st for a cool 50 off of your launch. Let's make some podcasting magic together. Your dream show awaits! Anyway, now back to the good stuff.
Whew, all right. We covered a lot of ground. So now we're going to answer a question from Casey at Rebuilding My Health Radio Podcast. And Casey says, my podcast download numbers have dropped sharply in the past few months since March. What could be the cause? I had a looser schedule over the summer with releases and also started posting on YouTube too.
Could that affect it? So, the initial thing I'm going to say is that inconsistency is a killer. There are people who have subscribed to your podcast, and if they are automatically getting your podcasts, if you're not putting them out, you're not going to get those downloads. And so that could be a reason that you could see a dip is just because there's less content to be consumed.
There's also, with YouTube, I don't think that YouTube is bad for engagement. I think it's actually a really positive thing for engagement because it casts a wider net. But there are people who were listening on Spotify or Apple that might now listen on YouTube. Especially if you're doing video on YouTube, maybe there are people who really want to engage with you that way.
And so you could be seeing lower views there. Or lower downloads there, because you're seeing those people on YouTube. So that's something that I would consider with YouTube is kind of looking at the average versus just what you're getting through your RSS, through your podcatcher analytics. The other thing I'll say is summer is just a slow season.
Summer is slow for social media, summer is slow for podcasts, because people are just busy doing other things. There are a lot of people who listen to podcasts while they're doing boring menial things. So if they're out having fun, they're probably gonna put your podcast on the back burner. You may see people start catching up in the fall now that we're back to school, now that life's kind of a little more standard looking.
You may see those numbers level out some. But I would really say that the inconsistency is probably something that would account for having that little dip. To combat this, I recommend batching content where you can and following a content calendar. If you know that you're going to have a busy couple months and you're seeing this You know, download number tank.
When you're having this busier season, you know you're not posting as much. This is somewhere that I really recommend having that content calendar built out so you know how you're going to approach uploading even when you're busy. If you also know that you're busy, using different kinds of content, repurposing your content, can be a great idea.
I have a client who, like, over the holidays, will do a Best Of episode, or she'll also do, um, like a Roundup, or a Patreon freebie. So, you know, that's an option if you know that you're going to be a little too busy to actually create content like you would like to, doing some of those tactics can help you not have those off weeks.
Because part of why we see that decline when we're not consistent is just because people kind of move on to pull out of that kind of nosedive with the steep drop of your downloads, really working on engagement, really reminding people to engage with you and share your show. That will help you level out some.
And also, please go and check out Casey's show, which is Rebuilding My Health radio podcast. So, help her get her numbers leveled out, and see if you fall in love with her message. And if you have a question you'd like for me to answer on the show, please either send it to rue.sonivia@gmail.com or head to sonivia.com/listen and write it in there. I would love to answer a question for you and shout out your show. Thanks, Casey, for sending in your question. Next week I'll be back to talk about how to manage room tone. In the meantime, please follow the show wherever you're listening and leave me a rating or review, because just like your show, mine needs those to grow.
Come hang out with me on Instagram at Sonivia Studios, and I'll see you next time. Thanks for helping me take podcasting up an octave.
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