Marthame’s Tech Guide to Podcasting on a Budget

Recording/Editing Software:

Need some software training? Check out some tutorials:

Note: These are general purpose tutorials and so provide more information than you will actually need to use.

Recording Platform (for Online Interviews): 

Hosting Site:

You will need a site/service to host your actual podcast files. There are many of these out there, both paid and unpaid. My recommendation is to use the free tools at Spotify for Creators. That will automatically put your podcast on Spotify. You can also use the tools there have your podcast on a multitude of other platforms as well.

Equipment Marthame uses:

  • Audio Technica ATR-USB2100x - Excellent microphone at a great price point that can be used both with a computer (through USB/C ports) and a sound system (through XLR mic cables). It does an excellent job of limiting surrounding noise without sacrificing audio quality.

    • Please, for the love that of all that is holy, don’t use Yeti microphones. The less said about that the better.

  • Sony MDR-7506 - Best headphones around, and, given the professional quality, ridiculously affordable; particularly helpful for doing editing work.

  • Zoom H6 - if you want to move beyond one person recording, this is an excellent portable digital recorder. You can record up to four people at once (if you have four mics).

  • I also recommend getting a microphone windscreen (the fuzz cover). You can find them on Sweetwater and other places. This is especially helpful for outside recording, but also useful indoors and general use (keeps the “p” sounds from being too loud).

Transcriptions:

Transcriptions are a great way to make sure your podcasts are as accessible as possible - whether that’s for folks who are hearing impaired, or as a reading resources for further conversation. Transcriptions take time. And though I tend to avoid AI whenever possible, there are AI tools that I use as a first pass for transcriptions. You’ll still need to proofread and fix the transcripts that are prepared. I recommend Rev. They have a free tier (45 minutes/month), and you can also pay extra for a human to review and edit your transcription for you.

Music:

Note: This is NOT legal advice. If you really want to investigate this, you’ll want to consult a legal expert.

  • You have to be very careful with the music you use in podcasts. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as an “up to seven second” rule or the like. Using any copyrighted music is, potentially, infringement. There are provisional exceptions under “fair use”, which can still be a judgement call. This includes things like using music for the purpose of education, criticism, and the like. So intro/outro music would NOT be covered by fair use. You can take a deeper dive on the Library of Congress website about this topic.

  • I can work with you to create original music that you can use, restriction free. If you’re interested in finding out more, let’s talk!

Best Practices:

Note: Do the best you can! Outside of a recording studio, there is no perfect location.

  • Find a place where you won’t be interrupted (by people, pets, technology).

  • Make sure your phone/devices won’t ring during the conversation.

  • Be aware of potential outside noise (e.g. other people outside the door, street traffic, etc.).

  • Pay attention to how much echo a room has. Smaller rooms are better; the more “stuff” (bookshelves, carpet, furniture, etc.), the better.

  • If you can turn off any heating or air-conditioning, even better.

  • Position the microphone 2-3 inches away from your face, if possible.

  • Be careful about accidental noise that can compromise audio quality (e.g. hitting the table/desk with your hand; a smartphone mic rubbing against your shirt).

Need More Information?

  • Contact me to set up a free consultation conversation.

  • And if some - or all - of this is overwhelming, you can always hire me to do the stuff you don’t want to. Let’s talk!