Turn your podcast into an audio delight.
Podcasts are an audio medium, so when you find a podcast that isn’t taking full advantage of its sonics it can be somewhat baffling. Music, underscore, ducking, sound effects – these are only part of the rich tool box that we have at our disposal. Don’t baffle us, take advantage!
You can find some sound effects and music free on the web, become a master Foley artist yourself, or tap into a high-quality budget royalty-free service like Smartsound Cloud to get great and original designed effects and music.
It’s important to not use sound wrong. Using too much can be aggressive on the ears, but using too little can make things quiet and underwhelming. Find just the right balance for your show with these tips.
Title theme/Intro music
Every show needs a title theme. Whether you want the same branded music to play every time, or you want something unique to go along with that show’s particular subject is up to you. Branded music is best if you make or purchase something unique to your podcast. For episodic music, you can use a royalty-free music service like Smartsound Cloud.
You want the title to have a recognizable tune, but you also don’t want it to drag on. A general rule is to keep your title between 10-15 seconds. Long enough for the music to develop and sink into a listener’s ear, but not too long for them to change the channel or fast forward. This also gives time for your intro to establish other things, like the content, host names, and explanatory introduction.
Most music services will sell their music in 15-second snippets. Smartsound Cloud though allows you to adjust the length to the exact timing that you need, and to make any necessary edits quickly and efficiently.
Transition sounds
Transition sounds divide one section from the other section. Some podcasters just restate their title, maybe with a couple of sound effects thrown on. Others simply give a verbal explanation – “Moving on.” Of course, how you do it is up to you, but it’s good to accompany it with an audio cue as well. “Moving on” and then a sound that is somewhat related to the podcast or next topic.
If the next topic is about cars, then some cars horns or engine rev might be appropriate. Or you can keep the episode “on brand” and pull a sound or two out of your intro music.
Both of these can easily be accomplished with Smartsound Cloud. Not only does Smartsound Cloud offer thousands upon thousands of sound effects, but it also allows you to shorten any music track to just one sound. If you’ve found a title track already with the service, then you can shorten that track to a few seconds to get some great transition sounds.
Background ambient noise
It’s true that the best place to do your podcast is in a properly treated studio. But often it’s best to sound like you didn’t. Adding ambient sounds can add a certain flavor of realism to your audio. Some low traffic noise, birds whistling, wind rustling… just slight ambient effects to give it a bit of character and crinkle.
Here you should keep in mind that it’s best when the ambient noise is somehow related to the topic of the podcast. Then you can bring these noises even louder for transition effects, and slowly fade them out during speaking segments.
Smartsound Cloud offers thousands of ambient effects, from children playing sports in the park or the thundering of stormy weather, to light traffic and restaurant chatter.
Underscore
Underscore is the music or drone that exists during the podcast or scene. It should be hardly noticeable, but influence the emotion and tension. Droning effects can be great for this, along with non-distracting music.
One major problem is that people often use music that’s too busy or clashes too much with their voice. If you use music, make sure to use something simple and not distracting. Using its mixing tool, Smartsound Cloud allows you to strip any track down to just the drums or bass or guitar or whatever you’d like.
Audio ducking
Many blogs not only have distracting music, but music that is louder than the dialogue! Your most important aspect of the podcast is your and your guests’ speech. You must always ensure these shine through any other sounds that might be in use.
An easy way to do this is to route all the extra sounds to one bus, and have the dialogue on its own bus. Then using a compressor, or doing it manually, make sure that the FX/music bus lowers whenever dialogue comes in. You can do this gradually or immediately, whatever the preference, but be sure to be somewhat consistent.
You can alternatively just cut off the music and sound whenever someone is speaking. This is also a common practice. Others might gradually lower the music until its completely silent, and then only have something come back up once the segment has ended.
Smartsound Cloud has a powerful automation engine which can help you achieve appropriately dynamic results. Read more about it here.
Emphasize a point
Use sound effects to help make a statement. Back up your words with relevant sounds. If you’re talking about dogs, use the sound of dogs barking. If you’re discussing bad weather, include some sounds of a thunder rumbling or rain pattering on the roof. If you’re telling a story, you can have the sounds help illustrate what’s happening in the plot.
Sprinkle in some audio effects to add to that rich tapestry of sound that should be your podcast.
Smartsound Cloud has a vast library of effects to help you add that realistic and dynamic flavor to your podcast.
Sum Up
We’ve gone through only a few ways that you can help elevate the sound on your podcast and really make it stand out. There are naturally no limits except your imagination, and if you find yourself falling flat then we hope this article inspired you to add a dose of spice.
Be sure to check out Smartsound Cloud, a powerful and unique sound engine that’s a true one-stop shop for all of your audio needs!
