When it comes to your podcast, having the best podcasting setup can make a huge difference.
A podcasting setup includes having the best microphones, mixers, laptop/computer, room, chairs, desk, etc.
What Makes A Podcasting Setup So Great?
The Room
The most important element in your podcasting setup is the room that you record in.
Keep in mind that this room needs to be in a place that doesn’t get too much outside noise. For example, if you are recording at your house, you shouldn’t pick the room that faces the outside road because that room will have the most outside noise. Also, a room without windows helps with this.
The other thing to keep in mind when choosing a room to record in is that it cannot have echoes. This means you should not record in an empty building or big rooms. Of course, you can limit a lot of echos with blankets and pillows (the DIY way) or by having acoustic sound-absorbing panels.
If you don’t have the correct room, this can effect the sound of your podcast. You could have a lot of echoes which makes it impossible to listen. Or you could have so much background noise that your listeners can’t focus on your voice. So it is important to find the right room to record your podcast in.
The Microphone
Most podcaster spending the most amount of their time (and money) trying to find the best microphone.
Having an expensive microphone can make a different but not as much as we think.
If you have already picked a room (or location) to record your podcast and that room does not have any echoes, outside noise, and the perfect acoustics, recording a podcast on your phone will sound like a high end recording microphone.
So if your are beginner, don’t go out spending hundreds of dollars on microphones. You can use the $1000 microphone in your pocket (I am talking about your phone).
Now if you do need a microphone, we suggest you start off with something like the Blue Yeti (for multiple person recording from one mic) or the Blue Snowball. These are both great beginners microphones and also plug into your computer via a USB.
The Other Recording Equipment
If you followed our steps above, you will not need any other recording equipment.
But if you want to use a normal microphone or a high-end recording one, then you will need a mixer. You will also need a mixer if your are recording with more than one microphone. (You can also use a recorder to do this as well)
You can get a physically mixer, which will have all the microphones plugged into it and it will be plugged into a recorder or your computer. Or you could have a virtual mixer on your computers that your USB microphones plug into.
Using mixers can get complicated. So if this is what you want to do, we suggest spending some time doing research on it.
The Computer
No matter how you record your podcast, you will always need a computer.
In most case, your computer is a recorder. You can use free software to record and edit your podcast such as GarageBand (for Mac OS users) and Audacity (for Windows users).
After your recording, your computer does all the work. Not just editing but also publishing your podcast to your podcasting host, promoting your podcast, publishing your podcast, and many more.
Mostly all computers should be able to handle any type of podcast recording. But before buying your microphone or mixer or any other recording equipment, make sure to check if it is compatible with your PC.
Also keep in mind that there are a lot of apps for your phone and tablet that can preform podcast recording just like your computer would. So if you do not have a computer, you still make your podcast.
The Desk & Chair
This is one of the least important things when it comes to your podcasting setup.
Whatever makes you comfortable is what you should do. If you like to sit on your bed and record your podcast, go for it. If you are more of a table person, then do that. If you like to lay on the floor and talk to the mic, then do it.
The desk & chair is whatever you want to sit, lay, or stand on while recording your podcast.
Conclusion
Your podcasting setup is very important if you want your podcast to sound good and be successful. If you don’t pick the right room, it might be impossible to listen to you. If you aren’t comfortable then you might not produce the best content. Don’t overcomplicate things, keep it simple and follow our guide above. It’s about having fun and creating content that people will like.