Hi Reader,

When you finish recording, you’ve only done half the job. What happens in post-production determines whether your show sounds like a polished, professional podcast or just a raw recording.

Great audio isn’t about expensive gear or fancy studios. It’s about making the listening experience as smooth and distraction-free as possible. And that comes down to how you process your voice.

Here, I'm going to walk you through my preferred post-production workflow, step by step. You’ll learn what each tool does, why it matters, and some starting settings to use as a baseline before fine-tuning for your own voice.

Note: I use Hindenburg Pro 2 for editing, but you should find these work on pretty much any DAW / editing software.

You’ll also get practical listening tips so you can catch the details your audience will notice before they do.

Noise Reduction

Why it matters: Background hiss, hum, or room tone might not sound obvious when you’re recording, but once you start compressing or boosting EQ, it suddenly becomes very noticeable. That’s why you always remove noise first - otherwise, every later step will just amplify it.

Starting point:

• Reduction: keep it under 10–12dB for natural sound.
• Use a noise profile from “silence” in your recording if possible.
• Avoid aggressive settings - they can make you sound robotic.

What to listen for: Put on closed-back headphones and listen during pauses. If you hear a gentle “shhh” or hum when you’re not speaking, reduce it. If your voice sounds watery or metallic, you’ve gone too far.

EQ (Equalization)

Why it matters: Every voice has quirks - some are bass-heavy, others nasal, some too thin. EQ lets you shape the tone so it’s clear, warm, and balanced. It also carves out frequencies that can clash with background sounds or music beds.

Starting point:

• High-pass filter (low cut) at 80Hz to remove rumble.
• Cut 100–200Hz if your voice sounds boomy or muddy.
• Boost 3–5kHz gently (+2–3dB) for clarity.

Add a gentle high shelf around 10kHz for brightness if needed.

What to listen for: Play back on both headphones and small speakers. Muddiness shows up more on headphones, harshness on smaller speakers. Ask yourself: does my voice sound natural and easy to understand, or boxy and dull?

Compression

Why it matters: When you talk, some words naturally come out louder than others. Without compression, listeners will be constantly adjusting the volume. Compression narrows that gap, keeping your voice at a consistent level without losing its natural dynamics.

Starting point:

• Ratio: 3:1 (gentle to moderate).
• Threshold: around -18dB (adjust so normal speaking is just triggering compression).
• Attack: 10ms (fast enough to catch peaks).
• Release: 80ms (let the voice breathe).
• Gain: add back the volume you lost (called “make-up gain”).

What to listen for: Use headphones. If you sound squashed or unnatural, ease off. If you still hear big jumps between loud and soft words, increase ratio or lower the threshold.

De-Esser

Why it matters: Compression often makes “sss” and “shh” sounds harsher. A De-Esser tames those without dulling the rest of your voice. It’s a small detail, but one that keeps listeners from wincing on every sharp consonant.

Starting point:

• Target frequency: 4–7kHz (varies by voice).
• Reduction: 3–6dB.
• Use split-band mode if available (more natural sounding).

What to listen for: Play back on earbuds, which exaggerate sibilance. If “s” sounds cut through sharply, increase reduction. If you sound lispy, you’ve gone too far.

Noise Gate (or Expander)

Why it matters: Even in a quiet room, your mic picks up faint sounds like breathing, desk creaks, computer fans. A noise gate automatically mutes those when you’re not speaking. But it needs to be subtle; if set wrong, it’ll chop off the ends of words.

Starting point:

• Threshold: around -40dB.
• Attack: 2ms (opens quickly when you speak).
• Release: 100ms (closes smoothly after words).
• Range: -20dB (expander mode) for a more natural fade.

What to listen for: On headphones, check your word endings. If the last consonants sound clipped (like “p” or “t”), lower the threshold or increase release time.

Limiter

Why it matters: Think of a limiter as a seatbelt. It prevents sudden spikes - like a laugh, cough, or shout - from clipping and distorting. It also sets your final audio ceiling so your mix never exceeds safe digital levels.

Starting point:

• Ceiling: -1dB.
• Threshold: depends on your mix - adjust so only occasional peaks are caught.

What to listen for: Look at your meters. If the limiter is constantly working, your levels are too hot earlier in the chain. It should only engage on the loudest moments.

LUFS Normalization

Why it matters: Different podcasts and platforms normalize to different loudness levels. Without LUFS normalization, your episode might be way quieter or louder than others, frustrating your listeners.

Industry standard:

• -16 LUFS (stereo)
• -19 LUFS (mono)

What to listen for: Here, it’s less about listening and more about measurement. Use a loudness meter in your editor, or export through something like Auphonic to set this automatically.

Listening Tips for Editing

• Headphones (closed-back): Best for catching clicks, hums, and mouth noise.
• Earbuds: Exaggerate sibilance and harshness - great for de-esser checks.
• Laptop/phone speakers: Show how your mix translates on small speakers.
• Car speakers (optional): If you want to mimic “real world” listening, test in the car where many podcasts are played.

Rotate between at least two listening setups before exporting. What sounds fine on one device may sound distracting on another.

Post-production isn’t about chasing perfection - it’s about removing distractions so your content shines. Each step in this workflow helps listeners focus on you instead of your audio quirks.

With practice, you’ll find the settings that best fit your voice and style. Start with these baselines, then trust your ears.

Until the next time, happy podcasting.

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