How to record a podcast: setup, gear, and software

Recording a podcast well means capturing clean, consistent audio, and increasingly video, in a way that gives editing something solid to work with. Most recording problems are cheaper to fix before hitting record than after: a bad room or a badly placed mic costs far more time in editing than it ever saves in setup.

The room matters more than the microphone

A treated room with an average mic consistently beats an untreated room with an expensive one. Hard, empty surfaces, bare walls, hardwood floors, big windows, bounce sound around and create the boxy, echoey quality listeners associate with amateur recordings. A closet full of clothes, a carpeted room, or a few blankets hung on the walls solve most of this for close to nothing.

Background noise is the other half of the problem. Air conditioning, computer fans, and traffic noise are all far easier to eliminate before recording than to remove afterward without damaging the voice underneath.

Choosing a microphone and audio interface

A USB microphone in the $70–$200 range covers most solo and small-team shows well, and it plugs directly into a computer with no additional hardware. An XLR microphone, paired with an audio interface or mixer, offers more control and slightly better quality, but adds $150–$400 in additional equipment and a small amount of setup complexity.

For multiple speakers in the same room, a dedicated mic per person beats a single shared mic every time, both for audio quality and for how much easier it makes the eventual edit.

Recording software: local vs remote

Local recording, everyone in the same room, is simplest and gives the most consistent audio quality. Remote recording, guests joining from elsewhere, needs software built specifically for it: Riverside and Zencastr both record each speaker's audio locally on their own device and combine it afterward, which produces far cleaner audio than a standard video call recording.

Avoid recording directly from a video call platform not built for podcast production when possible. The compression most video call software applies to save bandwidth measurably degrades audio quality compared to a dedicated recording tool.

A pre-recording checklist that saves editing time

• Check levels before recording, not after. A quick test recording catches a badly positioned mic before it costs an entire episode.
• Record a few seconds of room tone. Silent background noise, useful for smoothing edits later, costs nothing to capture and is impossible to get back afterward.
• Confirm every speaker is recording locally if remote. A dropped local recording is one of the few genuinely unrecoverable mistakes in podcast production.
• Have a plan for the first two minutes. Knowing roughly how the episode opens before recording saves significant restructuring in the edit. See how to edit a podcast for why the opening matters so much.

Recording video alongside audio

Video recording adds camera positioning, lighting, and framing to the checklist, on top of everything audio requires. See how to start a video podcast for the fuller equipment and setup breakdown if video is part of the plan.

Common recording mistakes

• Skipping a test recording. Levels, background noise, and mic positioning are all far easier to fix before a real recording than after.
• Recording in a room with hard, reflective surfaces. The single most common cause of amateur-sounding audio, and the cheapest to fix.
• Trusting a video call platform's built-in recording for anything that matters. Compression artifacts show up clearly once you're listening critically in the edit.
• No consistent setup between episodes. A different room, different mic position, or different levels every episode makes for an inconsistent listening experience even when each individual episode sounds fine on its own.

FAQ

Do I need a soundproof room to record a podcast?

No, and true soundproofing is expensive and usually unnecessary. Sound treatment, softening hard surfaces so audio doesn't bounce around the room, matters far more than soundproofing, blocking outside noise from entering. A closet or a carpeted room with soft furnishings handles most of what a home setup needs.

What's the difference between a USB and XLR microphone?

A USB mic plugs directly into a computer and needs no additional hardware, making it simpler and cheaper to start with. An XLR mic requires an audio interface or mixer in between, adding cost and complexity, but generally offers more control over the signal and slightly better audio quality.

Can I record a podcast with just my phone?

Yes, for basic voice memos or a quick test, but a phone's built-in mic picks up more room noise and less consistent quality than even an inexpensive dedicated USB microphone. It's a reasonable way to test a format before investing in equipment, not a long-term setup.

How do I record a podcast with remote guests?

Use recording software built specifically for it, like Riverside or Zencastr, rather than a standard video call platform. These tools record each participant's audio locally on their own device and combine the files afterward, avoiding the compression a live video call applies to save bandwidth.

What software is best for recording a podcast?

It depends on the setup. Local, same-room recording works well with almost any DAW or dedicated recorder. Remote recording benefits specifically from tools like Riverside or Zencastr built around local-first recording. See what is podcast production for the fuller picture of the tools used across every stage.

How long should a recording session take compared to the final episode length?

Budget meaningfully more time than the target episode length, especially early on: tangents, false starts, and technical checks all add time. A one-hour target episode often takes ninety minutes to two hours to actually record.

Should I record video even if I only plan to publish audio?

It's worth considering. Recording video from the start, even without an immediate plan to publish it, means there's no gap in the archive if the show moves to video later, since older audio-only episodes can't be retrofitted with footage that was never captured.