Recording is permanent. Audio you capture badly can’t be rescued, and any full-service podcast production agency will tell you the same.
This guide comes from our producers’ day-to-day practice and a close read of what the major recording tools and guides recommend. Whether you run a company show or a true-crime series where the podcast is the business, the same few decisions make or break a session.
Most guides list gear. This one lists decisions: the room, mic distance, level, file format and backup. Get those five right and almost any microphone sounds good.
We cover in-person sessions, how to record a podcast remotely (including the podcast double ender method) and phone-only guests. If you’re wondering how to produce a podcast once the session ends, the last sections point the way.
Start with the room, not the microphone
A quiet room beats an expensive mic. Hard walls bounce your voice back as echo, and no setting removes that cleanly. Soft items in a small room cut it down fast.
Walk the room and clap once. If you hear a ring or flutter, add soft things like a rug, a couch, curtains or a full bookshelf. For a solo show, a closet full of clothes works well.
Then listen for noise you’ve stopped hearing, like a fridge, a laptop fan or a window hum. Turn off what you can. Noise is easier to prevent than to remove.
Skip the wireless earbuds
Don’t record through wireless earbuds. Adobe’s guide to remote recording tells guests in wireless headphones to switch to the computer’s built-in microphone for better sound. So wear wired headphones, and use them only to listen.
Set mic distance and levels
Place the microphone about 4 inches from your mouth. Buzzsprout’s remote recording guide, published December 17, 2025, uses the same distance.
Closer lifts your voice above the room noise. Farther picks up more of the room.
Speak across the front of the mic and aim past it, not straight into it. That softens hard “p” and “b” sounds. For more, read our guide on podcast microphone technique.
Level targets we use
Here are the three numbers we use. They come from our own practice and aren’t an industry standard, so test them with your gear.
- Keep your loudest peaks below minus 6 dB on the meter.
- Aim for your normal speech to sit around minus 18 to minus 12 dB.
- Never let the meter touch zero. A clipped recording is damaged for good.
Those are recording levels, not delivery specs. Apple’s audio requirements ask for about minus 16 dB LKFS, with true peaks at or below minus 1 dB FS, and you set that in editing.
You can raise a quiet recording but can’t repair a clipped one. So record a little quieter than feels right.
Choose your file settings
Record in a lossless format and save the compressed version for export. In practice, that means WAV at 24-bit and 48 kHz.
Apple’s audio requirements accept WAV, FLAC or MP3 uploads and recommend 24-bit for WAV and FLAC, with a minimum sample rate of 44.1 kHz and recommended rates up to 192 kHz. RØDE’s help center says the RØDECaster Pro II and Duo are set to 48 kHz and tells Riverside users to match it.
Buzzsprout’s guide also notes that Zoom’s high-fidelity music mode raises the audio codec to 48 kHz. With that much of the toolchain already at 48 kHz, it’s our default.
Stereo or mono doesn’t matter for a single voice while you record. Apple won’t accept single-channel WAV or FLAC files, so your editor will export a two-channel copy at delivery.
Skip MP3 for recording. It’s a finished format, and every edit and re-save loses more detail.
Why recording level advice differs, and what to do
Read three guides and you’ll get three level targets. Castos says to set input levels around minus 18 to minus 20 dB, G2 says to peak around minus 10 to minus 12 dB, and ours sits between them. They aren’t really contradicting each other, because they describe different points on the meter: one is where normal speech sits, the other is where your loudest peaks land. Pick one rule for speech and one for peaks, and write both on a sticky note.
Mic distance varies too. G2 suggests 2 to 3 inches, Castos suggests about two fingers’ length from the pop filter, and Buzzsprout uses about 4 inches, which is where we land. A deep voice and a bright voice react differently, so test yours.
Final loudness is a separate question. Apple’s target of about minus 16 dB LKFS gets set in editing, so record clean and a little quiet, then fix loudness later.
Podcast recording software: how to record a podcast on your computer
How do I record a podcast on my computer?
The best way to record a podcast is the simplest one that saves WAV files. Castos walks through Audacity, plus GarageBand and QuickTime on a Mac.
G2 lists GarageBand, Descript, Riverside and Logic Pro X, among others. Any of them works if you set the file format first.
What do you need to record a podcast on a computer? A USB mic or one on an interface, wired headphones and one piece of podcast recording software. Make a ten-second test, play it back and check the file type before the guest joins.
For the easiest way to record a podcast with a guest, use a browser tool. For the highest quality, use a double-ender. Either way, run a backup and name your files properly, two things most guides skip.
Use one naming pattern every time: show name, episode number, date, then speaker. A file called Untitled 4 is a risk once you have thirty of them. Put these steps for how to record audio for a podcast in a checklist so a new team member can repeat them.
Record in person
In-person sessions are the easiest to get right. Put one microphone in front of each person and record each voice on its own track. Your editor can then lower one voice without touching the other.
Use a field recorder or an audio interface with multiple inputs. Test every mic before your guest arrives. Ask each person to read a paragraph at normal volume, then check the meter.
Do a short test recording and play it back through headphones. It takes two minutes and prevents most disasters.
Then keep your guest’s mic in the same spot. A guest who leans away changes the sound.
Record a remote interview
Remote recording adds one risk: the internet. Your method decides how much of that risk reaches your audio.
Remote methods in plain terms
Buzzsprout’s guide groups remote options into four types: video calls such as Zoom, browser recording tools, phone calls and the double-ender. In plain terms, you can record the call, record in a browser studio, or have each person record themselves.
The double-ender gives the best quality. Each person records locally, so the final audio doesn’t depend on the connection. Buzzsprout notes that you run a separate video call to see each other, start the local recordings and create a sync marker, such as a countdown followed by a clap. You sync the files in editing afterward. It takes more setup, but it’s worth it.
Browser tools are easier. Adobe’s remote recording tool runs only in Chrome on desktop, and Adobe recommends up to five guests per session. Guests invited by link can join without signing in.
If you use a video call, pick the setting that saves a separate audio file for each person, and watch the clock. Buzzsprout notes that Zoom’s free plan limits meetings to 40 minutes.
| Situation | Best method | Why |
| One guest, strong internet, you want easy | Browser recording tool | Simple invite link, little setup |
| High-stakes guest (an executive, an expert, a one-time source) | Double-ender plus backup | Quality does not depend on the connection |
| Three or more guests | Browser tool with separate tracks | Fewer files to sync |
| Guest only has a phone | Phone recording through a mixer or app | Lowest quality, but reaches the guest |
| You need a free test | Video call with separate audio files | No new account, but the time cap applies |
Always run two recordings
The first is your main file. The second is a backup on a different device or tool. If the main file fails, you still have the interview.
Guests are busy, and many won’t do a second session. That goes double for a one-time interview, like a source on a true-crime show. A backup is cheap insurance.
Record a phone-only guest
Phone audio is thin, but some guests have no other option. Record the call through a mixer with a mix-minus feed, or use a recording app. Buzzsprout also notes that the iPhone has built-in call recording (not available in every country), which saves a recording and transcript to Notes.
Tell your listeners the guest is on the phone, and keep that part short. Ask the guest to sit in a quiet room and hold the phone steady. Then record your own side locally so at least your half stays clean.
Run the session
Before you press record, send your guest a one-page brief with the time and link, the setup rules and the first two questions. A guest who knows what’s coming sounds calmer.
On the day, join ten minutes early and check your guest’s microphone, headphones and connection. Ask them to use wired headphones, close other tabs and use a wired internet connection if they can. Buzzsprout also advises recording where the connection is strongest and turning off other streaming devices.
Say the date, the show name and the guest’s name out loud at the start. Your editor will thank you.
Made a mistake? Pause, then repeat the whole sentence instead of fixing it mid-word.
Don’t trust a single take
Two recordings, a clap marker and a quick playback test turn a gamble into a routine.
After you stop recording
Name the files right away, using the show name, episode number, date and speaker. Then copy them to a second location before you do anything else.
Next, your editor cleans the audio, balances the voices and sets the final loudness. Our guide to podcast editing explains that step. If you work with a team, our guide to what a B2B podcast agency does shows who handles it for you.
Then you need a host to publish your episodes. Our roundup of the best podcast hosting platforms compares the options.
Older guides, including an earlier version of this page, claimed one weekday morning is always the best time to publish. We couldn’t trace that to a primary source, so we removed it. Test your own audience, and keep a steady schedule.
When your show needs more than a setup
Some shows carry extra pressure. On a business show, guests are senior and calendars are tight. On a creator or true-crime show, the podcast is the business, and a lost interview can mean a lost episode. A producer can handle guest prep and remote recording support so you can focus on the conversation.
Want that support from day one? Our podcast production services cover editing, mixing, mastering and delivery. For hands-on help with remote sessions and guest prep, see podcast management.
Still planning the launch? See our podcast launch service, and read how long it takes to launch a B2B podcast.
Conclusion
Good recording comes down to a short list of decisions. Pick a quiet room, keep the mic about 4 inches away, record WAV at 24-bit and 48 kHz, keep peaks low, and run a backup.
If you’d like a second set of eyes on your setup, book a call and our team will help.
