You’ve started your podcast and set a plan to grow. What next? Why not elevate your recording space by creating your very own home studio!
Recording studios help to cut down on external noise, give you a dedicated place to get in the mindset of recording, and provide an impressive backdrop for any live recordings or video content. The list of benefits goes on!
A DIY (Do-It-Yourself) home recording studio isn’t as impossible as you might initially think either. Solutions range from the simple to the modernly advanced. There’s a space perfect for every type of podcaster!
Choosing Your Space
The key to selecting the perfect place for your podcast studio is comfortability. You want to find a place that you feel the most comfortable in; physically and mentally.
Many a podcaster set up shop right in their own closets! The small space provides a quiet environment that’s favorable for recording. And as an added bonus, it’s completely free! You also have the freedom to make the space fully yours (because it is fully yours.) Check out this stellar example of Sarah Galli’s home studio where she records Andy’s Girls: A Real Housewives Podcast.
Credit: Torre Healy Lisi with Studio Piccolo @studiopiccolo.ny
A home studio doesn’t necessarily have to be at home either. You can make a professional studio feel like home by bringing a touch of your own personality. You know the old cliché, home is where the heart is. Next time you’re in the RedCircle Studio try bringing something that screams “you” when stopping by!
Of course, any room in your home should suffice as a makeshift studio. The important thing to keep in mind is selecting a room that has plenty of furniture, rugs, items to help absorb the vibrations of your voice. You don’t want an empty room where sounds reverberate off the walls as those reverberations can be picked up by your mic.
Pick a comfortable spot where you can be you and where your voice is the star of the show.
Sound Treating Your Spot
The next step after choosing your studio space is prepping it for recording. Your first thought might be to “soundproof” the room, but soundproofing means to completely isolate the room from outside noise. Most professional recording studios have a soundproof recording box where artists, creators, etc. go to record whatever it is they want, or need, to record. It’s soundproof, meaning no sound is able to leak in through the walls, the door, anything.
Most podcasters will want to opt for “sound treating” their home studios. Sound treating allows you to easily improve the audio quality of the room. You may not be able to stop every noise from getting through, but you can significantly reduce the level of background noise to almost non-existence by employing some sound treating techniques.
The easiest (and cheapest) way to sound treat a room is to fill it with soft items you already own; furniture, blankets, clothing if you’re recording in your closet-turned-studio. Anything that absorbs sounds rather than bounces them around the room. You can even create a pillow fort to help dampen the noise around you!
You can opt for more professional sound treating such as putting up acoustic foam tiles. But this is usually only recommended if you’re creating a permanent studio.
Play around with what feels comfortable to you and sounds great for your listeners. You’d be surprised at the lengths some podcasters go to in order to record a fantastic show!
Accessories
Last but not least, you want to select accessories that will help you cut down on the noise, not add to it. See our blog post on starting your own podcast for recommendations on microphones, recording software, and other audio must-haves.
A useful accessory for any at-home podcaster (and even professional) is a pop filter. A pop filter helps to lessen harsh plosives like the ‘p’ in podcasting. It sits right in front of your mic and absorbs those plosive p’s and t’s.
It’s also recommended to have a stand for your microphone so you can have it rest closer to your mouth. The further away the mic, the better the chance that it picks up on excess noise swirling around the room.
And finally, you can’t have a recording set up without a reliable desk and chair. Pick something comfortable! You’ll be spending a lot of time sitting (or standing) while creating your masterpiece. Be sure to choose a desk and chair combination that doesn’t tire you out or cause stress in your body. Don’t forget to keep your health in mind when selecting a set up!
Et voilà! Your home studio is complete! You don’t need to break the bank to record marvelous audio for your show. Work with what you have and invest in the right equipment so you can sound just as good as the top names in podcasting. You’ve got this! And we’ve got you covered when it comes time to publish and monetize your marvelous audio!
