A good audio spells the difference in creating podcasts that attract people and connect with the listeners. It’s a natural instinct of people to turn away from poor audio quality. So unless you can deliver engaging and valuable content, your audience won’t stay long to listen to your podcast.

A quality podcast can only be attained through a combination of several factors. These are the human factor, the audio technology you use and logistical planning.

Human Factor

The human voice is foremost in the list. It has to be appealing to the audience and not monotonous. The storytelling style and conversations or interviews with experts are often interesting to listen to.

Stimulating your audience emotionally is of primary importance. Keep in mind that people prefer to be entertained on top of being educated. For this reason, speaking with emotions, using inflections and different vocal tones must be taken into consideration.

The Technology

Quality equipment is another important factor. This includes your computer, internet connection speed and audio devices. For internet connection, the fastest broadband is highly recommended as network speed can affect audio quality and presentation. An ideal download speed would be 2 MBps while the upload speed should at least be 1 MBps.

Other devices you need to have are a telephone landline and USB microphone. Investing in a good headset is also essential. Wireless devices as well as a speakerphone should be avoided as they can contribute to poor audio quality.

The Preparation

The preparation phase is as vital. Doing sound checks before the presentation will ensure a seamless audio whether you’re doing a recording or live podcast.

If you’re doing a live event, the sound check should be done ahead of time and a backup plan should be in place in case technical problems crop up.

Image via speedofcreativity

Originally posted on April 13, 2013 @ 6:02 am