Our Best Tips for Building Out a Home Podcast Studio
For many, the humble home studio is the ideal place to start recording your podcast. However, the more “humble” your recording space is, the more it could be impacting the quality of your eventual episodes—and making the right first impression can make or break your new podcast.
As Austin’s premier podcast recording space, our team at Authentic Exposure Studio truly believes in the power of professional production quality when it comes to podcasting success. That said, the comfort and convenience of home can make for an ideal creative space. So if you’re looking to transform a space in your home into a podcast studio, here are our top design tips, ideas, and considerations to make sure it still delivers professional quality.
Find Your Quiet Place
One of the biggest problems with recording at home—or any other location that hasn’t been professionally designed with sound quality in mind—is excess noise. Noisy roommates, children, or pets can ruin a take from inside your home, while traffic, lawnmowers, and other distractions can do the same from without.
The ideal space for recording a podcast will be relatively isolated and largely free of distractions. While it will be impossible to remove all possible interruptions, starting with an ideal room rather than one that sees heavy traffic will put you on the right track.
Invest in Key Equipment
Quality is everything in creating a podcast. No matter how entertaining, insightful, original, or creative your content is, no one wants to listen to a podcast full of crackling mics or watch grainy footage of you and your co-host in a poorly lit room.
We’ve previously covered the must-have equipment you’ll need even if you’re podcasting on a budget. At bare minimum, you’ll want:
- A reliable microphone
- Monitoring headphones
- A pop filter or windscreen
- Editing and recording software, as well as a platform for posting
If you have a bit of wiggle room in your budget, higher-end options of any of the above will go a long way. You may also consider installing soundproofing panels, particularly on sides of the room where more noise may intrude.
Lastly, we can’t stress enough the power of filming your podcast as opposed to recording just the sound. Video gives you more content to work with on social media and heightens your ability to connect with your audience on a more personal level. However, to achieve better quality you’ll need a professional camera and basic lighting.
Set the Scene
Podcast set design is an oft-overlooked element of creating a home podcast studio, but it can also be a space ripe with ideas that will support your creative vision.
Before recording, it’s important to test out the visual appeal of your space in addition to the sound quality. Consider how the look of your recording space mirrors your niche, your tone, your content, and the types of guests you want to feature.
For example, does a clean, minimalist look reflect your podcast and branding? Or do you need a flashier design featuring neon lights and plenty of personality? Is your podcast meant to reflect elevated luxury? Or is it a more casual affair?
Putting a bit of thought into the set design of your home studio will go a long way toward creating a cohesive brand identity for your podcast.
Testing, Testing
While it can be time-consuming, testing your equipment and home podcast studio will save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Make sure you know how to set everything up (and take it down, if necessary). Monitor the audio to make sure no previously unnoticed background noises are making it into the recording. Record shorter pilot clips and test your ability to edit on these.
The more you test, the less time you’ll waste when the time finally comes to shoot full-length episodes.
Work with Authentic Exposure Studio to Build Your Home Studio
Professional audio and video are essential when it comes to setting your podcast up for success. And while recording at home can certainly be convenient, matching the quality of a studio space is a tall order—especially when you don’t have years of experience in sound engineering, editing, production, and all the other skills that go into creating a great podcast.
With studio consulting services from The AE Studio, our experienced studio designer and podcast production expert will lend you the expertise you need to create a high-quality recording environment right within your own home. We’ll assess your needs and determine how you can make the most of your budget through equipment recommendations, set design, and more.
Want to create the ultimate home podcast studio? Reach out to The AE Studio today to schedule an initial consultation.