This is a very basic walk-through and doesn’t go as in-depth as my Podcast Editing Workshop, but it does go over the basics to get you started if you’re a new podcaster and have never edited a podcast in Audacity before 😉
Learn how to record and edit your podcast in this basic walk-through using Audacity.
Timestamps:
0:32 How to Record
1:44 Editing
5:12 Adding Music
10:32 Find out more about my Podcast Editing Workshop
11:22 Saving and Exporting as an MP3
How to Create and Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
We’re going to start by recording something quickly, but if you already know how to do that, you can skip to 1:44 in the video and we’ll get right into editing.
First I’m going to record something to use for our podcast
Audacity works for. In this video, I'll teach you how to record and edit a podcast in Audacity so that you can create a professional sounding podcast episode. Editing your podcast episode audio is as important as your content. Editing can make or break your podcast.If you would like to learn some basics of sound ed. Sep 01, 2020 Wrapping Up with The best way to Edit a Podcast in Audacity. As you'll be able to see, so much is going into methods to edit a podcast. From recordsdata to timestamps to equalization and leveling, hitting file is best step one. Happily, Audacity is a simple to make use of product, so it’s fast to pick out up and be told. How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity - A Step by Step Guide 1. Import the audio you have previously recorded. Place the audio material in sequence (e.g. Intro narration, interview. (Re)listen to your material. If you have background hiss, computer noise or other wanted noise remove it. Jun 07, 2020 For recording and editing a Podcast in Audacity, you will need to be aware of the Recording Controls, Editing Tools, Devices Toolbar and Audio Monitoring. When recording or importing audio, it will appear as waveforms on tracks that you can cut and edit. Setting Up Your Devices First, you need to set up your microphone, headphones, and devices.
I’m going to check to make sure the right mic is selected
I’m also going to check my recording volume up here to make sure it’s not too loud or too quiet
So, now I’m going to press this button to Record:
Press Stop
Remember to Save
File > Save or Ctrl/Command + S
So now we’re ready to edit!
Basic buttons and tools
Selection
Cut
Copy
Paste
Delete Key
Zoom
Undo
Redo
Mute
Editing Podcast In Audacity

Need some help with the terminology used?
Check out my Glossary of Podcasting Terms
Now let’s add music
Use Selection Tool to bring in track
Note: The tracks I’m bringing in have already had compression and Normalization added to them, which is something you’ll learn in my Podcast Editing Course, which we won’t go over today.
Use the Time Shift tool to move tracks
Use Split to separate beginning from the ending of music
File > Clip Boundaries > Split
Use Envelope Tool to bring down volume
Use Fading to fade the music in and out
Effects > Fade In/Fade Out
You can also adjust the Gain of individual tracks by using the slider for each track.
Now that you’re done with your podcast, don’t forget to save it and Export it as an MP3
Go to File > Export then Export as MP3 and there’s your finished podcast, ready to upload to your podcast host!
Now that you’ve mastered the basics, are you ready for the next step?
This a very simplified version of how podcasters put their shows together.
If you’d like to go more in-depth or if you’ve already mastered the basics, check out my Podcast Editing Course now available!
This is a 90+-minute training will help you get the best sound for your podcast — which makes editing so much easier.
Tips for faster editing in Audacity
Learn effects to mix and master the music and sound effects for your podcast
Editing tricks I’ve used for editing my podcast and my clients’ podcasts.
Use this course to make your own podcast sound great, or start editing podcasts for others!
This is also great for VAs who want to add Podcast Editing to their services! 😉
Like this video and want more? Head on over to Instagram and let me know!
Want to take your podcast from Idea to Launch in 8 weeks?
Check out DIY Podcaster Training!
Get Audacity here: https://www.audacityteam.org/
Video Information and Equipment Used
Microphone: https://amzn.to/2BPibEF
Boom Arm: https://amzn.to/2Tfo2qs
Shock Mount/Pop Filter: https://amzn.to/2ocJq2k
Camera: https://amzn.to/2Nm6dE7
Background Lights: https://amzn.to/2NlqHwC
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Check out more of my blog for more podcasting tips.
This guide is for those who want to be walked through the process step-by-step. It was developed by Ian M. Cook and Dumitrita Holdis.
This guide is available as a .pdf
And below:
1. Import the audio you have previously recorded
- Use Track One for your main audio track (e.g. narration, interview, discussion)
- Place the audio material in sequence (e.g. intro narration, interview, outro). When you import multiple tracks, the audio will appear on different tracks. Move it so that all the audio is on one track.
- Leave an empty track underneath for editing
- You will add music, sound effects or secondary audio later in the editing process
2. (Re)listen to your material
Decide what sections you want to keep or delete & think about if you want to change the order

3. If you have background hiss, computer noise or other wanted noise remove it
- Use the noise reduction tool
4. Delete unwanted material
- Delete any material that you will not use
- For now just concentrate on the large chunks that you don’t need, don’t worry about coughs or other minor noises that you want to fix.
5. Move everything into the right order
Use the empty track as a temporary space when you move stuff about
6. Go through the audio and fix all the unwanted noises
- Sometimes you will want to delete and close the gap, for example if there is a cough
- But sometimes you will not want to close the gap and yet still remove the noise, for instance if somebody breathes loudly. For such occasions copy a section of audio during which nobody is speaking (e.g. at the start of the recording) and paste it over the unwanted noise. This will preserve the natural pacing of speech.
7. Make the volume consistent throughout the podcast
- Normalise the levels, choosing -2.0 for your peak amplitude
- Amplify any areas that remain too quiet
8. HIGHLY OPTIONAL - Improve the audio quality
- Use the compressor tool to make parts sound louder, more ‘in your face’, softer or so on
- Use the equalisation tool to manipulate the frequencies, for instance if you want to make a voice less nasal or deeper

9. Add music or sound effects
Editing Podcast In Audacity Online

Remove the empty track by clicking on the X
- Import your music or sound effects
- Delete sections that you will not use , e.g. you might only want the first 30 seconds of a song
- Move the music/sound effects to the area you wish it to be
- Change the volume of the music as you wish using the envelope tool, e.g. have the music start loud, and then become quieter as you speak over the top, before becoming louder again
- If you are using music/sound throughout the podcast, remember that there are two ways to paste, one that shifts everything else on the track and one that doesn’t.
- Now that you have material on two tracks you might need to move many things at once, pay attention to if you want material to move as one or independently
Audacity Compressor Settings For Podcast
10. Export your finished podcast
Export it as an mp3 and think about your meta data.
