Music & AudioBeginnerPreview
Podcast Production
A hands-on, end-to-end podcast production course that takes you from format and gear through recording, editing in a DAW, loudness-compliant mastering, and getting your show live on every major platform.
Aspiring podcasters, creators, and small businesses who want to launch a polished, professional-sounding show without an audio-engineering background.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook turns the course into a buildable project: by the end you will have a documented show concept, a tested recording chain, a finished edited episode, and a live, distributed podcast. Work through one section per module, filling in the worksheets and ticking the checklists as you go. The templates at the end give you reusable production trackers you can copy for every future episode.
Planning Your Show and Building the Production Foundation
Define your format and audience, lock your show bible, and assemble a recording setup that fits your budget and space.
Exercise: Pin Down Your Concept in One Sentence
Draft your show in a single concrete sentence covering who it serves, the value it delivers, and what makes it specific. Rewrite it three times, narrowing the niche each pass until it could not describe any other podcast.
- Who exactly is your ideal listener, and in what situation do they press play (commute, gym, dishes)?
- What specific problem, question, or curiosity does each episode satisfy?
- Why would this person choose your show over the existing podcasts in the same topic?
- What format (solo, co-host, interview, narrative, panel) can you realistically sustain for at least 10 episodes?
Worksheet: Show Bible Starter
Fill in every field. This becomes the reference document that keeps episode 50 consistent with episode 1. Keep it to two pages.
- Show name
- Tagline (under 10 words)
- One-sentence show description
- Target audience
- Format
- Target episode length
- Release cadence
- Standard segment order
- Role of music in each segment
- Tone and language rules
- Explicit tag (yes/no)
- Standard call to action
Worksheet: Gear and Budget Plan
Choose each component of your recording chain and record the model and cost. Favor a dynamic mic and room treatment over an expensive condenser.
- Microphone model and type (dynamic/condenser)
- Connection (USB or XLR)
- Audio interface or mixer (if XLR)
- Monitoring headphones (closed-back)
- Mic stand or boom arm
- Pop filter or windscreen
- Total budget
- Planned room/space for recording
Checklist: Foundation Ready Checklist
- Show concept written in one specific sentence
- Show bible completed and saved
- Recording space chosen and softened with absorption (blankets, bookshelf, closet)
- Microphone and headphones acquired and connected
- DAW installed and project set to 48 kHz, 24-bit
- Test recording peaks between -18 and -6 dBFS with clean headphone monitoring
- Room-tone capture habit established
Recording Clean Audio In Person and Remotely
Build reliable mic technique and a remote-recording workflow that captures broadcast-quality audio from anyone, anywhere.
Exercise: Mic Technique Calibration
Record the same 60-second passage three times at different distances and angles, then listen back and choose your best position. Note the settings so you can reproduce them every session.
- At what distance (in cm) does your voice sound full but not boomy or plosive-heavy?
- Does speaking slightly off-axis reduce harsh 'p' and 'b' bursts in your recording?
- At what gain setting does your loudest line peak around -12 to -6 dBFS?
- What background noises did you only notice on playback, and how will you eliminate them next time?
Worksheet: Remote Guest Prep Sheet
Complete one of these before every remote recording, and send the guest-facing version to your guest in advance.
- Recording platform (Riverside / Zencastr / SquadCast / other)
- Guest name and time zone
- Confirmed: guest will wear headphones
- Confirmed: guest is in a quiet, soft room
- Confirmed: guest internet connection (wired preferred)
- Local backup recording method for host
- Test clip reviewed (yes/no)
- Files confirmed uploaded before guest left (yes/no)
Checklist: Pre-Record Session Checklist
- Each voice recording to its own separate track
- Headphones on for everyone in the session
- Phones and notifications fully silenced
- Name and date slate recorded on every track
- 10 to 20 seconds of room tone captured
- 30-second test recorded and listened back before the real take
- Redundant local backup recording running
Worksheet: File Naming and Backup Log
Define your naming convention and log where each backup copy of the raw files lives, following the 3-2-1 rule.
- Naming convention (e.g. S01E04_host_raw.wav)
- Folder structure (raw / project / exports / assets)
- Backup copy 1 location
- Backup copy 2 location (different media)
- Offsite copy location (cloud)
- Date raw files confirmed backed up
Editing and Sound-Designing the Episode
Shape raw audio into a tight, clean, well-mixed episode using a consistent edit order and a deliberate processing chain.
Exercise: Edit a Full Episode in Order
Take one raw recording through the full editing order without skipping ahead. Time each stage so you learn your real editing-to-finished-hour ratio.
- Which segments or tangents did you cut entirely, and did removing them improve the flow?
- Where did over-tightening make the audio sound robotic, and what natural breaths did you restore?
- How long did the full edit take per finished minute of audio?
- Did a fresh-ears listen on another day reveal pacing problems you missed while editing?
Worksheet: Voice Processing Chain Preset
Record the exact settings you settle on for your voice so you can reuse them on every episode for a consistent sound.
- High-pass filter frequency (Hz)
- Muddiness cut frequency and amount (around 200 to 400 Hz)
- Presence lift frequency and amount (around 3 to 6 kHz)
- Compression ratio and threshold
- De-esser setting (if used)
- Noise-reduction amount and source sample
- Tool used (Audacity / Reaper / Hindenburg / Auphonic / Adobe Podcast)
Worksheet: Music Licensing Tracker
Log every piece of music and sound used in the episode and confirm you have the right to use it for a podcast.
- Track name
- Source library (Epidemic / Artlist / YouTube Audio Library / Pixabay / other)
- License type and whether podcast/commercial use is allowed
- Where it is used (intro / transition / bed / outro)
- Attribution required (yes/no) and credit text
- Date and proof of license saved
Checklist: Mix Quality Checklist
- Structural, content, and filler edits completed before adding music
- Noise reduction applied lightly with no watery artifacts
- EQ and compression applied consistently to every voice
- Music ducks under all speech so dialogue stays clearly on top
- Fades, not hard cuts, used when music enters and exits
- Mix checked on headphones, laptop speakers, and a phone
- Full rough cut reviewed end to end with fresh ears
Mastering, Publishing, and Growing Your Podcast
Master to broadcast loudness, get listed on every major platform, and build a release and growth routine driven by real data.
Exercise: Master and Export to Spec
Run your finished episode through a loudness meter or normalization tool, hit the spoken-word standard, and export the correct distribution file. Record your numbers.
- What was your measured integrated loudness before adjustment, and how far from -16 LUFS was it?
- Did your true-peak limiter keep peaks at or below -1 dBTP?
- Which export settings did you use (MP3 bitrate, stereo or mono)?
- Are your ID3 tags (title, show, episode number, cover art) embedded correctly?
Worksheet: Launch Submission Tracker
Fill this in as you set up hosting and submit your feed so nothing is missed before launch day.
- Podcast host chosen and monthly cost
- RSS feed URL
- Feed validated without errors (yes/no)
- Cover art 3000x3000 px, legible at thumbnail size (yes/no)
- Show metadata set (category, language, explicit flag)
- Submitted to Apple Podcasts Connect (date)
- Submitted to Spotify for Podcasters (date)
- Submitted to YouTube and other directories (date)
Checklist: Pre-Launch and Release Checklist
- Episode mastered to -16 LUFS integrated, true peak at -1 dBTP
- Distribution MP3 exported with ID3 tags and cover art
- Three to five episodes ready to launch with momentum
- RSS feed owned by you and exportable to another host
- Show notes written with summary, timestamps, and call to action
- Consistent publish day and time scheduled in host
- Listeners asked directly for ratings and reviews
Worksheet: Episode Performance Review
After each episode has been live for about 30 days, log its numbers and the one change you will make next time.
- Episode number and title
- Downloads in first 7 days
- Downloads in first 30 days
- Consumption / completion rate
- Biggest drop-off point (timestamp)
- Top promotion source that drove listens
- One change to apply to the next episode
Your Action Plan
- Write your one-sentence show concept and complete the show bible.
- Choose and assemble your recording chain, then treat your recording space with soft absorption.
- Configure your DAW to 48 kHz, 24-bit and run a test recording that peaks safely between -18 and -6 dBFS.
- Record your first full episode to separate tracks, with slates, room tone, and a redundant backup.
- Edit in order (structure, content, filler, cleanup, levels), then add ducked music and sound design.
- Apply a consistent voice processing chain and master the episode to -16 LUFS with a -1 dBTP ceiling.
- Export a tagged 128 kbps MP3 and create 3000x3000 px cover art.
- Set up a podcast host, validate your RSS feed, and submit it to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
- Launch with three to five episodes and a fixed weekly or biweekly release schedule.
- Review downloads and completion rates after 30 days and apply one improvement to the next episode.
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