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6 Tips to Improve Your Livestream Audio Quality

With people staying inside and unable to go to weddings, parties, and other events, we rely on streaming to show live events and keep in touch with important family members, friends, and business partners.

When livestreaming your content, you want your audio to be at its best, so everyone can hear what’s going on.

It doesn’t matter if it’s your grandma in the nursing home, your boss across the country, or a live event you have tirelessly prepared to share with the world.

In this post, we provide six tips to help you improve your livestream audio for both, conversations and events.

Why Do You Need High-Quality Audio?

There are many reasons why people livestream. They could be creating a following for a social media channel, showing families and friends events they can’t visit, or having day-to-day conversations with the ones we love.

You may think that the most critical aspect of the broadcast is the video, so people see clearly, but don’t forget that audio is the other 50% of the experience.

In a conversation, whether for business or personal, it is essential to convey the information effectively and clearly. That could be the difference between someone understanding your intent or being annoyed by the quality.

Events can be a blur of visuals, and your commentary could be the only thing that lets them understand what’s going on. If you’re building an audience, no one stays connected if they can’t hear what you’re saying.

Audio is just as important as the video aspects of your stream.

If you are preparing to stream a music performance live but don’t know how; click here to read our article explaining the process in more detail.

Tip # 1 – Don’t Use The Internal Mic of Your Computer or Phone

The first tip to avoid using your device’s internal microphone.

Most people, when video conferencing or livestreaming, wonder why the sound quality is so low? One of the reasons is their device’s internal mic.

When livestreaming, you’ll want something that brings your voice to the forefront and cancels out the background noise as much as possible.

If it’s an event, do not rely on your phone’s microphone. It isn’t designed to pick up the nuances and details in sound.

For example, if you’re streaming a wedding reception, people watching may not hear clearly due to noise present in the area or because the sound source is too soft.

Live events need high-quality audio and video, so using professional video cameras and shotgun microphones to cover the broad spectrum of sounds if necessary.

Tip # 2 – Use the Right Type of Equipment

It is essential to understand that each livestreaming setup will be different depending on what you want to achieve. Here are some examples that can help you define your situation.

Solo Singer-Songwriter Livestreaming Setup

Suppose you are a solo singer-songwriter who wants to stream a live performance. In that case, all you would need is an HD Camera and a good microphone that can pick up the nuances in your voice and your instrument.

There are different options for capturing the video and audio of your concert for streaming it.

If you use a DSLR camera as your video capture device, you can use a stereo condenser shogun microphone to pick up the sound of your performance in high definition. Then the DSLR camera would connect to a computer and use it to stream your performance.

Solo Singer-Songwriter Livestreaming Setup using a DSLR camera with and a video capture card

Suppose you want to use your iPhone for streaming the performance. In that case, you can opt for connecting a stereo condenser microphone directly to the lightning port of your phone.

We have a complete post devoted to explaining how to capture high-quality audio using your iPhone. Click here for the full article.

If you decide to use your computer for streaming, you would need an HD webcam and an external microphone that is capable of picking up sound nuances in great detail.

Condenser microphones can deliver high definition audio. If the mic is stereo is much better, because it will deliver sound separation, thus delivering an excellent audio experience to your stream listeners.

Here are a couple of examples of stereo condenser mics that can pick up sound in high definition (links to Amazon):

Solo Singer-Songwriter Livestreaming Setup using a webcam

Setup for Video Conferencing, or Video Calls

Whether you use Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Meet, or any other video conferencing software, you’ll find that one of the most significant issues isn’t with the software itself but with the poor audio quality users experience.

This is a common issue and can be easily solved. Relying on your computer’s built-in microphone is part of the problem. The solution is to use an external microphone capable of delivering a clean, crisp audio experience.

There are several mics that plug directly into your computer or smartphone and can deliver excellent audio quality for your video conferencing. Here is the list of the best microphones for video conferencing.

Livestreaming a Podcast

When livestreaming a podcast-style show, depending on your setup, there are different options you can opt for.

You can use broadcasting style microphones like the Shure SM7B, which is a dynamic mic, or a USB capable mic like the Shure MV7.

Keep in mind that most broadcast-style mics need a stand to set them up correctly. Besides, as they are analog devices, you need an audio interface to connect them to a computer for streaming.

Suppose you have a podcast and plan to start streaming it live. In that case, I recommend reading this article. In it, we present some fantastic mixers specially designed for podcasting that include an option to connect it to a computer for livestreaming the audio straight from the mixer.

Another option is to use lavalier microphones to perfectly capture your voice. They’re not as expensive as other microphone options.

connection diagram for using a podcasting mixer in a live stream.

Tip # 3 – Grab the Audio Signal Straight From the Mixing Console

If there are multiple instruments and voices, the most likely option is that there will be a mixing console where all of these signals connect to.

In such a case, your best option for getting the best audio quality for your streaming is to feed an audio signal from the mixer straight to the computer. That way, everything that goes to the main PA system is also captured by the streaming platform.

This method is mostly used when livestreaming church events, live concerts, or band performances.

If connecting the computer straight to a mixer is not possible, your second best option is to use a stereo condenser microphone to pick up the event’s audio in detail.

As mentioned previously, if using a DSLR camera, you need to use a stereo shotgun microphone to get good results. If using your phone instead, make sure to grab a stereo condenser mic that connects straight to the phone’s port.

Tip # 4 – Check Your Audio Before Going Live

No matter what method you plan to use to livestream your content, check both, the video and the audio settings before going live.

You could have the best audio systems around, still, if the sound is not equalized correctly, you won’t have good audio quality.

Create a Balanced Sound with the Correct EQ

Spend time before the event or conference checking your audio settings. If you are streaming a large event such as a concert or church worship service, the most likely and best setup for this situation is to get the audio feed straight from the audio mixer.

If that is the case, make sure to perform a soundcheck prior to the event so that you can make the necessary EQ adjustments and ensure that the livestream sounds good.

We have prepared a full article providing excellent tips on how to eq different sound sources for live performance, click here to check it out.

Test Your Sound on Multiple Devices

People stream content on multiple platforms using different types of devices.

Testing how your stream sounds on multiple devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs before going live can help you catch volume drops or if the sound is distorting.

Testing beforehand also lets you get your audio settings perfect.

Tip # 5 – Use a Wired Ethernet Connection or Reliable Wi-Fi

You only have so much bandwidth, and the quality of the cell network changes depending on the location.

If you’re livestreaming using a cell network, then the audio quality can downgrade if the cell reception is poor or hit a dead spot. It can also impact your video feed as well.

This is why I recommend using a wired ethernet connection whenever possible. That way, you avoid dead spots or sudden changes in internet speeds.

If using a wired connection is not possible, your second best option is to use Wi-Fi. If that’s the case, make sure that the router is reliable.

You should check the upload speeds way before the event starts to have enough time in case changes need to be made.

Another piece of advice is to close any unnecessary programs running in your computer or phone’s background because they can take up bandwidth or resources that can affect the system’s performance and decrease your overall livestreaming quality.

Tip # 6 – Hire Professionals to Take Care of the Livestream if You Are Not Sure You Can Handle It

Something like a wedding is a once of a lifetime event, so you want to make sure everyone that isn’t present can see and hear the event as if they were present.

You could have some friends do it all for you or let the venue handle it, but if they don’t have the expertise, you have to make sure to hire a professional so that your event is streamed without any problems.

A professional that handles the sound system or someone who carries a boom microphone and changes settings on the fly can make sure nothing goes wrong while streaming the event.

They hear everything as it happens, so if there is sudden background noise or interference, they can make the necessary changes on the fly.

You don’t want to hear after your wedding is finished that no one listened to the best man’s speech or the vows were garbled during the ceremony.

Handling the audio during a livestream event can be tricky. Professionals can keep these failures from happening and let you enjoy your special day or event.

Have the Best Audio Quality for your Event or Conversation

We hope these tips help make your stream sound perfect for everyone involved. These are guaranteed ways to improve the quality of your livestream, so follow them when you’re ready for your stream.

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic or about audio equipment, check our other articles.

How to Connect a Soundbar to a TV

Let’s face it, the speakers that come with TVs sound anemic to say the least. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 32” LCD or the latest 77” OLED TV; the included speakers are not designed to deliver a cinematic, immersive sound experience.

Thanks to soundbars and home theater systems, you can significantly improve the sound experience with your TV. Speaker bars are more affordable than home theater systems, plus they are way easier to set up and deliver an immersive sound experience.

In today’s post, I will explain three simple ways of how to connect a soundbar to a TV, so let’s get started.

How to Connect a Soundbar to a TV – Three Easy Methods

Connecting a speaker bar to a TV is a straightforward process. The first thing you need to do is figure out which method you want to use. There are three easy ways to achieve this:

Using an HDMI cable – Best Option
Connecting it with an Optical cable – Second Best Option
By using a red and white cable (RCA cable) – Use this method as a last resort

Let’s explore each one in more detail.

Connecting a Soundbar to a TV using an HDMI Cable

The easiest and best way of connecting a soundbar to a TV is by using an HDMI cable. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and it’s a type of audio/video connection that can transmit uncompressed and compressed video and audio data in digital form.

This type of connection is the current industry standard for connecting multimedia equipment digitally, delivering lossless video and audio quality.

These Are the Requirements When Using an HDMI Cable for the Connection

For connecting a speaker bar to your TV, you need to make sure that both your TV and soundbar have an HDMI port that is ARC capable (see picture below for your reference).

ARC stands for Audio Return Channel and is a special function of HDMI certified cables in which you can send and receive audio signals through the same cable reducing the number of connections between your TV and external speakers or home theater system.

One of the best features of HDMI ARC is that you can connect all your components like Roku, cable box, etc., to any ARC capable device, and then use only one cable to send the video and audio between devices. Most TVs and soundbars come with one HDMI ARC port for this purpose

Steps for Connecting a Speaker Bar to a TV Using an HDMI Cable

Before starting the setup, make sure to connect your other components like your Roku, cable box, Blu-Ray, or DVD player to the back of the TV or the soundbar. Doing this will help you test your setup with all of your equipment to make sure it works well.

The first thing is to make sure that the TV and speaker bar are both off.
At the back of the TV, locate the port labeled “HDMI ARC.”
Once you have located the port, connect one side of the HDMI certified cable to this port. There’s only one way that the cable fits correctly, so make sure you match up the plug in the correct way and push it until it goes all the way in.
At the back of the soundbar, locate the HDMI ARC port. Proceed to connect the other side of the HDMI cable coming from the TV to this port.
With everything connected, turn the devices on to continue with the configuration.
In most cases, with newer model TVs, as soon as it detects something connected to the HDMI ARC port, it automatically routes the audio signal to that port and disables the TV’s speakers. If it doesn’t happen automatically, you would have to do it manually.
If you have a Samsung TV, open the system’s menu, then go to “Sound.” Next, select “Speaker List,” then select “Receiver (HDMI)”

Depending on your TV’s brand, the menu will be slightly different, but the idea is the same. You need to locate the audio section, turn off the TV’s speakers and send the audio signal through the HDMI ARC port.

We are using a Samsung TV for this tutorial to walk you through, but the same principle applies to any other brand. If in doubt, consult your TV’s instruction manual for the step-by-step process of routing the audio signal to the HDMI ARC port with your particular TV.

Next, you want to make sure you select the correct input on your soundbar. Usually, it provides several inputs for connecting more than one device. There’s going to be a button on the soundbar’s remote or on the unit itself that says “Source” or “Input.” You’re going to press it until you select the correct input; in this case, select the one that corresponds to HDMI ARC.
With the input set to HDMI, play some video on the TV. If everything is correctly set, you should hear the sound coming out of the speaker bar. Try raising the volume if you don’t hear anything.
Select a different video source on your TV, let’s say your Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or cable box, and play something to make sure that it sounds good as well.
That’s it; you have successfully connected a soundbar to your TV using an HDMI cable.

How to connect a Soundbar to a TV using an Optical Cable

The optical cable is another way used to connect audio equipment digitally. It uses a fiber optic cable and a laser to transmit and receive audio signals. It was introduced back in 1983 by Toshiba to connect audio devices.

If you don’t have the option of using an HDMI ARC for connecting your TV to the speaker bar, use the optical cable method, but if you do have the option of using HDMI ARC, I highly recommended it because it is much better than using an optical cable.

First, you have to start by hooking up your other components like your Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, cable box, Blu-Ray, or DVD player to the back of the TV. This will help you test your setup with all of your equipment and ensure that it works well.

If you are not familiar with optical cables, the picture below shows you what it looks like. One end will connect to the TV and the other to the soundbar. Some manufacturers include an optical cable as part of the cable bundle.

Steps for Connecting a Soundbar to a TV Using an Optical Cable

Now that you have connected all your components to the TV, the following steps will walk you through the rest of the process.

Make sure that everything is turned off before starting the setup.
The first thing you need to do is remove the small plastic covers on both ends of the cable. These little covers are used to protect the fiber optic connectors from dust. It is important to remove them because if you don’t, it won’t work. See the picture below for your reference.
Now you’re going to locate the optical output on the back of your TV. It is usually labeled “Optical Out” or “Audio Out.”
Plug one end of the optical cable to the back of the TV. There’s only one way that the cable fits correctly, so make sure you match up the plug in the correct way. Once the plug is in, you have to give it a little push to make sure it snaps into place. You’ll feel it lock into place once you push it in.
At this point, locate the optical connector labeled “Optical Input” or “Audio Input” on the soundbar.
With the optical cable connected, turn on the power on both units.
You have to go into your TV’s system menu and locate the “Audio” or “Sound Settings” submenu for this step. You’ll see an option to turn off the TV speakers and send the sound through the optical output.
If you have a Samsung TV, open the system’s menu, then go to “Sound.” Next, select “Speaker List,” then select “Audio Out/Optical.”

Each TV has a different menu layout, but the idea is the same. You need to locate the audio section in the menu, turn off the TV’s speakers and send the audio signal through the optical output.

In our example, we are using a Samsung TV to walk you through the process. Still, the same principle applies to any other brand. If in doubt, consult your TV’s instruction manual.

Next, you want to make sure you select the correct input on the speaker bar. Usually, it provides several inputs for connecting more than one device. Find on the remote or the unit itself a button labeled “Source” or “Input” that you’re going to press until you see the correct input, in this case, Optical.
Play something on the TV and if everything is correctly set, you should hear the sound coming out of the soundbar. Try raising the volume if you don’t hear anything.
Select a different video source; let’s say your Roku device or Blu-ray player and test it to make sure that it works as well.

In some cases, you could use your TV’s remote to control de external speaker, especially if both devices are from the same brand. If not, you could check your TV’s manual to see if there is a way to program the remote to work with both of your devices.

Connection Method Using a Red and White Cable – RCA Cable

Another way to connect a speaker bar to a TV is with an RCA cable, sometimes referred to as the red and white cable. This works assuming that your television and external speaker supports RCA audio connections.

This method uses an analog audio signal between both units. Although it works for getting a better audio experience than with TV speakers, it cannot receive audio formats like Dolby or DTS.

RCA audio output is usually found in older generation equipment. The new generation TVs and streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV, are not compatible with analog audio connections like RCA anymore as they are being phased out and replaced by HDMI.

Use the RCA audio output connection as a last resort if HDMI ARC or Optical is not available.

Steps for Connecting a Soundbar to a TV Using a Red and White Cable – RCA Cable

Before we start, you need to have an RCA to RCA cable for making the connection.

I always recommend having everything turned off before making any connection.
In the back of the TV, locate the RCA “Audio Output” connector (red and white plugs).
Take one side of the RCA cable and connect the red plug to the red connector and the white plug to the white connector to the back of the TV.
On the speaker bar, locate the RCA “Audio Input” connectors in the back.
Now, take the other side of the RCA cable and connect the red plug to the red connector and the white plug to the white connector.
Turn both devices on to configure the TV so that the internal speakers are disabled and the audio signal is routed to the RCA output.
If you have a Samsung TV, open the system’s menu, then go to “Sound.” Next, select “Speaker List,” then select “Audio Out.”
Select the correct input in the soundbar and try playing something on the TV. Make sure to increase the volume in case you can’t hear anything playing.

Depending on your TV’s brand, the menu will be slightly different, but the idea is the same. You need to locate the audio section, turn off the TV’s internal speakers and route the audio signal through the “Audio Out” connector. If in doubt, make sure to consult your TV’s instruction manual.

Final Thoughts

Although TV’s speakers don’t deliver a good audio experience for watching movies, this can be easily fixed by installing a soundbar, and the best way to achieve it is by using an HDMI that is ARC capable.

If that’s not an option, the second-best option is to use an optical cable. Lastly, as a last resort, use the white and red cable (RCA) as long as is supported on your devices.

If in doubt, I recommend checking your TV’s manual for changing the sound setup on your TV. I hope this post was helpful to you.

How to EQ Different Sound Sources for Live Performance

Do you ever feel like managing live sound is like trying to tame a wild beast? One minute, everything seems fine, then the click of a guitar pedal or change of a vocalist sends the whole thing crashing down. The key to dealing with these problems is EQ.

EQ is essential to any live performance, from large orchestras to solo singer-songwriters. Below, we discuss how to EQ live sound in our handy, must know guide.

What is EQ?

EQ is the short term for equalization. It is the process in which sound is mixed to provide an equal, balanced tone for the listener. This is done by manipulating the sound sources’ frequencies as they come through the microphones and sound equipment.

To get a good, solid EQ, you must first have developed the ear to recognize what “good sound” is. Of course, some of this is down to personal preference, but there are some universally acknowledged truths that equate to bad sound. Essentially, you are trying to make the sound as clear as possible for the audience without any sudden jumps or peaks in the mix.

It may be that the sound is too bassy or that the cymbals are cutting through too much. Perhaps the vocals are too quiet, or the treble on the guitars is overpowering. EQ will allow you to identify and correct these problems.

EQ will also let you individualize each instrument or sound source. By pocketing each instrument in a frequency range, it’s possible to avoid unclear, muddy mixes and wailing feedback.

Imagine sound as paint on a canvas. Once it bleeds into other sources, it distorts the overall image and picture.

What Factors Can Impact the Sound?

Literally, anything can impact the sound of a performance. The shape of a venue and the sound sources are the main factor, meaning EQ will be different every time you set up.

In addition to this, the sound will change depending on the number of people that fill it. This can mean that your EQ in the soundcheck sounds very different from the actual performance. This is why it is essential to have a good ear and be able to identify what instruments and frequencies are working within your music in a live mix.

How to EQ Live Sound – Overview

The first step you must take when doing EQ is to identify any unwanted frequencies. Once you have them, try to cut them from the mix. This cleans up the overall sound, giving the frequencies you do want more clarity.

First Cut then Boost the Needed Frequencies

Do not be tempted to boost the wanted frequencies and leave the unwanted in. This will just produce a confusing, muddy mix. You also want to avoid adding or boosting lots of elements unless really necessary, as it makes the whole mix harder to control.

When setting up a sound system and doing a soundcheck in a venue, the best practice is to start with all the EQ knobs in your mixer set to the middle or 0 dB. That way, you can clearly understand how the system sounds and reacts in that particular venue.

Furthermore, while doing the soundcheck, try to identify which frequencies are problematic and decrease them. Remember that to keep a mix clean is usually better to cut than to boost. In other words, first cut problematic frequencies and then boost what is needed to get the best mix possible.

Slow and Incremental Changes are Your Best Bet During the Live Performance

Make sure that any changes are extremely slow and incremental. This can be hard if you are under pressure during a gig, but a sudden spike or change in sound will be more noticeable than the current one. You can end up making it far worse, and you may end up with feedback or low end rumbling in the bass.

Besides, working slowly is usually all you need to make a sound correction. Even a slight tweak when doing EQ can have huge differences.

Additionally, keep it simple and focus on using one frequency range for the channel. It may be tempting to use complex EQ settings that are pre-installed in your mixer if using a digital mixer, but they can throw things off and take up a lot of time to fix.

Understanding The EQ Architecture of the Mixer

The frequency spectrum of any audio signal coming into your mixer will be made up of frequencies between 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This frequency range is subdivided into smaller ranges so that complex sounds made up of many frequencies can be equalized in the mixer.

Here is the breakdown of the audio frequency spectrum used to identify and equalize different sound sources:

Depending on the mixer you use, it will have from two to six knobs to boost or decrease various frequency envelopes, as shown in the table above.

Most analog mixers used for live setups have three to five knobs that sweep the audio spectrum. Digital mixers tend to have a wider frequency range and allows for more precise control when dealing with frequency envelopes.

When equalizing live sound, you should concentrate on the following EQ bands in your mixer:

Sub-Bass

Sub-bass frequencies go between 20 Hz to 60 Hz. These frequencies will only appear if you have high-end sound equipment with subwoofers or bass bins. Sub-bass frequencies fill the room, and depending on the type of music being played, they might be essential to get a full audio experience.

Unless your PA system has subwoofers capable of reproducing these frequencies, make sure to cut them out of your mix. If you don’t, it will not sound good, and you’ll get a lot of low-end rumble.

If it is not audible on your equipment, you should cut it out completely to avoid confusion and sound problems later on.

Bass

Between 60Hz to 200Hz is the bass. This will mainly deal with bass guitars, low ends of pianos, synths, vocals, and any wood or brass instruments in that range.

Bass can be tricky, as the human ear finds it hard to pinpoint the direction from which it has come. This means unlike your drum kit, guitars, and piano, it will not matter what side of the stage the source is set up. Bass will also sound very different close to the stage to how it does at the back of the crowd.

Low-Mids

The low-mid frequencies run from 200 Hz to 600 Hz. It will require a lot of your attention, as it deals with many instrument ranges, including guitars, pianos, vocals, and the top end of the bass. This can result in a very muddy mix if not set right.

One Tip when dealing with low mids is to deal with problems at the sound source. Tweak the instruments and amplifiers onstage, solving problems at the root rather than when they arrive at your mixing desk.

Mids

The mid-range frequencies of the audio spectrum are found between 600 Hz to 3 kHz. These are essential in vocal ranges and acoustic instruments. You need to pay special attention to these frequencies as they help with the clarity of the sound.

Upper-Mids

Upper mids run from 3 kHz to 8 kHz. This is where you start to get harsh, sharp tones if not appropriately equalized depending on the sound source. They are essential because they can add more expression, punch, and aggression to your mix. Upper mid frequencies need to be balanced to avoid pops and hisses that may occur.

When you get feedback from vocals or other instruments, make sure to check the range of mid frequencies. It will probably be one of them that needs adjustments to solve the problem.

Treble

Treble is anything above 8 kHz. This is usually the easiest area to EQ, as you will have a lot of space that is occupied mainly by guitars and cymbals. As long as they do not sound too harsh, you should not have a problem at this end.

Tips on How to EQ Specific Live Sound Sources

EQ Vocals

The fundamental frequencies of vocals are between 100 Hz-300 Hz. Even adult males with deep voices don’t go below 85Hz. All this means is that any frequencies below 80 Hz should be cut out when equalizing vocals to avoid low-end rumbles.

Plosive sounds happen when a burst of air leaves the mouth at high speeds. It usually occurs when a word contains letters like “Ps,” “Ts,” etc. To avoid plosives, Try cutting around 200 Hz-250 Hz.

If in your mix vocals sound muddy or boomy, try adjusting the frequencies between 220 Hz-350 Hz. Don’t aggressively cut frequencies in this area because you could eliminate part of the warmth of the vocal’s sound.

Another critical area to EQ carefully is the frequencies between 350 Hz – 600 Hz. An emphasis around those frequencies will make the vocals sound “Boxy,” meaning that they will have resonances as if the vocals were enclosed in a box.

The upper mid-range or high-mid frequencies are the “Nasal Frequencies” and are located between 1 kHz – 3.5 kHz. They need to be carefully balanced because if there is an excessive buildup in this area, vocals will sound “harsh” or “grating.”

It is critical to bring out the vocals in a live mix because vocals are the most important part of the mix. This can be achieved by slightly increasing the “presence range of frequencies,” which are between 4 kHz – 6 kHz.

Frequencies between 6 kHz – 10 kHz need to be adjusted carefully to avoid a sibilant sound. Start with the EQ set in the middle and have vocalists sing. If you hear that the “s” sounds too exaggerated and bright, decrease the knob until the sibilant tone is gone from the vocal sound.

In any live sound setup, the vocals are the most important part of the mix but tend to be the hardest to get right. Click the link to read a more detailed explanation of how to EQ live vocals like a pro.

EQ Acoustic Guitars

When using an open to air microphone to mic an acoustic guitar, you have to consider how the microphone reacts to the venue’s acoustics. If using piezoelectric mics, like the ones in electro-acoustic guitars, the venue’s acoustics don’t affect the sound as much.

When equalizing acoustic guitars, any frequencies below 60 Hz is most likely to cause problems. These frequencies are boomy, which means that they are excessive on bass and have low-frequency resonances. This is why it is recommended to get rid of them by using the mixer’s high-pass filter, usually located below the gain knob.

Frequencies between 60 Hz and 125 Hz are responsible for the low-end response on the guitar. Here you have to be careful not to boost it excessively because you would end up with a muddy mix. However, if you cut too much, the guitar will sound thin in the mix.

Between 125 Hz and 500 Hz is where you get most of the acoustic tones of the guitar. This is also referred to as fullness of sound or body, with particular emphasis on the upper bass response. As always, be mindful when cutting or boosting in this range because it can negatively impact the sound within this envelope of frequencies.

Signature sounds unique to the different guitar brands will be emphasized between 500 Hz to 2 kHz. Here elements like the type of wood and building techniques used to construct the guitar will be audible within this frequency range. Make sure you sweep the full range of frequencies until you find the best response for the guitar being used.

The presence range responsible for the clarity, detail, closeness, and definition of the guitar is between 2kHz and 6kHz. Increasing this range can make the music seem closer to the listener. Reducing the 5kHz content makes the sound more distant and transparent.

Extra Tip: when equalizing electro-acoustic guitars that use piezoelectric pickup elements, avoid overemphasizing frequencies between 2 kHz and 7 kHz because it will sound harsh and abrasive.

Mic Placement is Critical

Another vital aspect you need to consider when dealing with acoustic guitars is mic placement, whether in a studio recording or live performance setup.

Even if you have a pickup, there will come a time to mike up because you can get a much fuller and more natural sound from a miked-up guitar, especially when compared to a piezo pickup.

When miking up your acoustic guitar, you need to know the best practices. Because there is not much you can fix with EQ if the mics are in the wrong place.

I won’t go into detail here explaining guitar miking techniques because I have prepared an entire article on how to mic acoustic guitars. Click the link to check it out.

EQ Electric Guitars

Cut The Sub-Bass Frequencies

Like acoustic guitars, when dealing with EQing an electric guitar, the first thing to do is get rid of anything below 80 Hz, because these frequencies are responsible for the low-end rumble that dirties up the guitar’s EQ. To do that, activate the high-pass filter in the mixer.

Boost The “Body” Frequencies to Add Weight to The Sound

In general, the equalization of an electric guitar is not that different from an acoustic one. The body of the instrument’s sound is found between 200Hz to 500Hz. In this range of frequencies, you don’t want to overdo it because it can overpower the rest of the mix.

You can start with a gain of “0 dB” at those frequencies and listen to how it sounds. If it sounds too fat and with too much emphasis on the upper bass, decrease it to “-2 dB” or until you hear a balanced tone.

Cut The Resonant Frequencies

An electric guitar has a complex tone because it has many harmonics. For the most part, these harmonics are present between 400 Hz to 1 kHz, and in some cases, it can go as high as 2 kHz.

These frequencies are the ones that give that unique tone to electric guitars. An excessive gain in this range can make the guitar sound honky and grating, especially in the 500 Hz to 700 Hz range. So to start on the right track, cut the resonant frequencies between 400Hz-1kHz, specifically at 600Hz.

Add Or Remove The “Presence” Frequencies to Get a Clear Tone

From 2 kHz to 10 kHz, you’ll get the clarity and definition of the electric guitar. An excessive gain here will make the sound too bright and can overpower the mix in a bad way.

My recommendation is to concentrate in the 1 kHz to 3 kHz range when adding “presence” or “brightness” to the sound. From there, you can decide if you want more “air” by boosting higher frequencies, but don’t overdo it, or it will sound harsh and piercing to the ear.

I have a complete article that includes a cheat sheet explaining how to EQ electric guitars in four easy steps using digital or analog audio mixers, click the link to check it out.

Equalizing Electric Bass

Cut The Ultra-Low-End Frequencies

Basses as electric guitars have many resonances that end up muddying the mix. In an electric bass, these resonances are present between 40 Hz to 80 Hz.

Make sure to use the high-pass filter in the mixer to cut everything below 40 Hz. That way, you get rid of problematic frequencies when equalizing bass guitars.

With a digital mixer, all you have to do is set a high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency set at 40 Hz.

If using an analog mixer, the included high-pass filter has a cut-off frequency set at 80 Hz or 100 Hz. So, engaging it will do nothing good for us because it will cut frequencies below 80 Hz, which is not ideal when EQing bass.

So, if your analog mixer doesn’t have a high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency below 80 Hz, leave it off (disengaged) to avoid cutting out some of the fundamental frequencies.

Enhance The Bass’s Fundamental Frequencies

The sound’s body of a bass guitar is found in frequencies between 40 Hz and 400 Hz. These fundamental frequencies are what shape the unique tone of an electric bass.

If you hear poorly damped harmonics that make the sound too boomy, try cutting around 125 Hz to fix the problem. Don’t over-cut because that will weaken the sound of the bass.

When the bass sounds boxy, most likely, the problem is between 250 Hz and 300 Hz. Try cutting it until you get a fuller, clearer sound.

As you may know, any note played on an instrument contains harmonics, but when the sound’s body is found in the lower frequencies, the harmonics can be challenging to control.

If you find yourself trying to figure out why the sound is congested when equalizing a bass, the problem may be fixed by dealing with frequencies from 500 Hz to 1 kHz. These are the upper harmonics of the electric bass, also called overtones,

Watch Out for The Harmonics

Lastly, from 2 kHz to 5 kHz, you’ll find what’s referred to in the industry as string noise. These include string slaps and more rhythmic percussive sounds. Here you can adjust it to your liking; just be careful not to make the sound excessively bright as it will lose the whole purpose of having a bass.

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation on equalizing bass guitars, click the link. In the article we go through an easy to follow 4-step process to eq an electric bass, plus a handy cheat sheet to help you visualize the process.

Equalizing Piano and Keyboards

Piano

When dealing with acoustic pianos, EQ should be applied carefully and mostly to correct issues, especially if the sound clashes with the rest of the mix. You want the piano to play a supportive role, mainly if vocals are present in the track or live performance.

One of the critical things to do when dealing with a piano is to have the correct mic placement, which will help you avoid feedback and get a better sound response. But when it comes to equalizing the sound, here are some tips.

Cut the Mid-Low Resonant Frequencies

A piano has resonant frequencies around 440-500Hz, which tend to dampen the sound. We need to remove these resonances before they happen to maintain a clean audio mix.

Try using a bell filter with a cut-off frequency set at 440Hz, reducing the gain at that frequency by -6dB.

Reduce Boxiness

The range of frequencies between 100 Hz and 250 Hz gives the piano its fullness and warmth. But at 220 Hz, you can get a resonant frequency that makes it sound boxy, meaning that it sounds like it was enclosed in a box. So, by reducing this frequency, we can get rid of the boxy sound.

When mixing, if you don’t remove this resonant frequency in the piano’s EQ, in addition to it sounding boxy, you’ll have a messy mix due to the buildup from all the other instruments in that frequency range.

Use a bell filter with a cut-off frequency set at 220Hz, reducing the gain at that frequency by -5 to -6dB.

Use a High-Pass Filter at 60-80 Hz

For the piano, anything below 64 Hz will only add unnecessary low-end rumble to the mix, and we want to leave this space open in the frequency spectrum for the bass.

So, to start with a clean piano sound right off the bat cut the frequencies below 64 Hz.

If using an analog mixer, activate the high pass filter (HPF) button. If you can select a frequency, set it at 60 Hz. With a digital mixer, all you have to do is to roll up the high pass filter with a cut-off frequency set at 64 Hz.

Extra Tips

Avoid boosting frequencies between 250 kHz to 3 kHz because this will add muddiness to the mix.

Frequencies from 3 kHz to 6 kHz add presence to the piano’s sound. They are responsible for the sound’s clarity and definition of the instrument.

From 8 kHz and above, you will get a lot of hiss, which brings out the noise of the dumpers, which is annoying if they are too loud. Carefully boosting this range of frequencies can add a bit of brightness to the sound, which is a good thing in some cases.

You can read this four-step piano Eq article, which walks you through this process in more detail. Plus, in the article, I have provided a cheat sheet in a graphical form so that you visualize the EQ process. Check it out by clicking the link.

Keyboards

Keyboards have several sounds, and each time the sound is changed, the EQ might need adjustment as well. Here are a few rules of thumb that you can follow to make it easier.

It’s always recommended to cut the sub-bass frequencies below 60 Hz with the high-pass filter. Most of the time, the lower frequencies add more problems to the mix as they have many harmonics that can create an uncontrollable low-end rumble.

With keyboards, frequencies between 400 Hz to 600 Hz can create a lot of muddiness in the sound, so be careful when dealing with this range.

If the sound is changed to a different one in the middle of the performance, and you hear muddiness, your problem will be solved by reducing the gain in this frequency range.

If you want the keys to cut through the mix, like for a solo performance, boost frequencies between 1 kHz to 2 kHz.

To add presence to the sound, slightly boost between 3 kHz to 6 kHz. For a darker sound, decrease the gain within this range of frequencies.

EQ Drums

Equalizing drums is one of the most challenging tasks in live sound. It’s a way to measure an engineer’s ability to EQ and mix live sound. Drums set the rhythm, and their sound is very energetic; for that reason taming that wild beast is not an easy task. Here are a few tips to help you EQ drums.

Kick

When EQing kicks, you want to create a sound that’s big with a good transient response and a strong impact, but without overpowering the whole mix. If the kick’s sound is not deep enough with enough punchiness to cut through the mix, it will sound thin and anemic, lacking sturdiness.

You have to consider two ranges of frequencies to get a big sound. These are from 40 Hz to 60 Hz and from 60 Hz to 100 Hz. But be careful because if they are boosted too much, the low-end rumble will be a nightmare, but if they are cut out or too low, there won’t be any punchiness in the sound.

The body of the kick’s sound or fundamental tone is from 100 Hz to 200 Hz. If you get a muddy sound, decrease frequencies between 200 Hz and 500 Hz, these are the muddy frequencies when dealing with kicks.

From 500 Hz to 2 kHz, you get the attack frequencies. Attack is the time it takes for a note to reach its maximum or peak amplitude. When the beater hits the drum head, the produced transients are difficult to EQ and can become a problem. If that’s the case, remember to control the attack frequencies mentioned.

Snare

The snare is the second on the drum list to EQ. For starters, you want to cut any sub-bass and bass frequencies. Anything below 80 Hz must go away because it will cause problems to the overall mix.

The snare’s fundamental tone is between 100 Hz and 400 Hz, but with particular emphasis between 150 Hz and 250 Hz.

When EQing snare drums, you have to know the problematic frequencies to deal with them before becoming a problem. These frequencies are between 400 Hz and 800 Hz. Don’t completely remove them but just be mindful to avoid a boxy sound.

If you want the snare to sound punchy with a good transient response and strong impact, you’ll need to take care of frequencies between 1kHz and 4 kHz. Boost them or decrease them depending on the result you want to achieve.

Toms

When dealing with toms, you need to take care of two ranges mostly. The first range is the one that deals with the body or fundamental tone of the toms. The second range mainly deals with the attack and transients of the sound.

For creating a balanced tone, boost or decrease frequencies between 150 Hz to 400 Hz. Try moving the knobs within that range until you hear a full sound with the correct tone. But if this range is boosted too much, it will sound like a cardboard box.

The attack frequencies are found between 400 Hz to 4 kHz. This is the sound produced when the stick hits the drum head. You could decrease it entirely, but I don’t recommend it. This range of frequencies provides the characteristic sound and a more realistic sound.

Extra Tip: I recommend cutting anything below 80 Hz using a high-pass filter to avoid low-end rumble.

Cymbals

When dealing with bigger sound systems setups, and you need to mic cymbals, it becomes another critical element to deal with. If they are not equalized properly, you will get all kinds of problems such as harsh, overpowering, or inaudible cymbals.

The first thing you want to do is get rid of the unneeded frequencies that don’t help in the sound. In this case, this would be all frequencies below 200 Hz. If using a digital mixer is easier to achieve than when using an analog one because you can set the cut-off frequency to whatever you want.

But when dealing with analog mixers, you don’t have the flexibility to choose the high-pass filter’s cut-off frequency because it’s already set to 60 or 80 Hz. In that case, just activate the high-pass filter usually located under the gain knob, and try cutting anything below 200 Hz manually.

When EQing hi-hats, you want to have a modest gain between 200 Hz and 300 Hz as this range gives the particular sound clarity for this set of cymbals. The dominant frequencies in hi-hats are found between 300 Hz to 3 kHz.

To bring up the unique tones in crash and ride cymbals, you want to experiment with frequencies between 300 Hz to 700 Hz. I say “experiment” because depending on the cymbal’s size, the material alloy, and bell size, the sound will be unique.

Your cymbals’ attack frequencies are between 700 Hz to 7 kHz, with harmonics expanding all the way to 25 kHz. When equalizing, crash, rides, chinas, etc. Depending on the size, you want to sweep the attack range of frequencies until you tune the EQ to get a well-balanced tone that is not harsh overpowering.

Any frequencies beyond 8 kHz will add brightness or treble to the cymbal’s sound. Here it’s up to you what you want to achieve. Just remember that if you boost anything beyond 8 kHz too much, it will sound too bright, which tends to pierce through the ear, and that’s a negative effect.

To make your cymbals shine a little bit on the mix, you can subtly boost this range, and you will achieve a nice balanced cymbal’s mix.

Create Balance

Experience is also one of the key factors in how to EQ live sound. However, even with limited knowledge, you can do a decent job by cutting out unwanted noise and cleaning up the sound by dealing with the proper frequency ranges.

If you are starting out on your first foray into live sound, then Virtuoso Central is here to help. Start by reading our handy guide on live sound tips for beginners by clicking here.

How to Set Up 3 Point Lighting for YouTube Videos

You’ve got the camera, you’ve got the sound, and now you need the lighting. In the whirlwind of videography, you might be caught up with so many elements you ignore the lighting. This is not something you want to do.

Lighting is a crucial aspect of videography. Amateur filmmakers assume that because they have the right camera, they’re able to neglect lighting. Without proper lighting, the project will look unprofessional and unlit.

You don’t want to distract people who view your work with poor lighting. The essential knowledge for lighting is learning the 3 point lighting setup. This is the first thing taught in any videography lesson.

Whether it is for your YouTube channel, streaming, or video production, you must step up your lighting game. Let’s break it down.

What Is a 3 Point Lighting Setup?

3 point lighting is a traditional method of illuminating a subject. It’s used in video and photography productions. It also works perfectly well for YouTube content creators, to illuminate a subject on stage or for live streaming. All you need is three quality lights and an understanding of how to use them.

Even if you only have one light or ring light, the principles still apply. Think of this as a guide to keep in mind during videography projects. Once you have enough practice, you’ll be able to experiment and expand on what you know.

In a 3 point lighting setup, you need three essential lights: the key light, the fill light, and the back light. By placing these three lights in the right positions and adjusting the lights’ brightness and color temperature, you can achieve perfect illumination that will make your videos stand out.

The first thing you want to think about before even lighting a scene is the light’s motivation. Think of the look you’re going for and how it serves the project’s tone. Once you can answer the initial questions, you’ll know how to get there with the lighting package you have.

How to Do a Proper 3 Point Lighting Setup for YouTube Videos

Key Light

The key light is the biggest and brightest source in your lighting set up. It’s where the prime exposure of your scene comes from. Typically, videographers place the key light slightly off to the side, at about a 45-degree angle, in front of the subject. However, don’t feel limited by this; try different angles to see what works best.

Since you already decided on the project’s look, you can shape the light to fit the aesthetic. If the project is dramatic and moody, then you’ll want low-key lighting. That means higher contrast and deep shadows.

If the project calls for a lighthearted and joyful tone, then you can use high-key lighting. To ensure that the subject is evenly lit, you can use different diffusion methods.

Once you set up the key light, you’ll be able to see where the shadows fall. If you only have one light, you can adjust this to create a more dramatic image. Even though you won’t fully create a high-key environment, you don’t have to settle for only one mood.

Once you have the key light set, then you see where your fill light comes in.

Fill Light

Even if you’re happy with the key lighting, bringing in a fill light can add a great dimension to your image. If you’re going for that high-key look, the fill light can “fill” the shadows caused by the key light. If you want to even it out altogether, make the fill light as bright as the key.

This is where you can control the contrast and overall feeling with more flexibility. The fill ratio will decide the contrast of your video.

The fill light doesn’t always have to be a light aimed towards the subject. Sometimes, it’s aimed towards a surface, and the fill comes from the bouncing reflections.

For example, if you’re using a key light and it’s bouncing off a white wall, that bounced light is helping fill in shadows. If you want to reduce that bounce, you can use light diffusers to control how the light enters your image.

You can also illuminate any significant shadows in the image to give it more detail.

You’ll want to position the fill light toward the shadows. This means placing it at a similar angle to the key light but on the opposite side, usually at around 45 degrees.

Back Light

The third and final source of the 3 point setup lighting is the backlight. It is also called the “rim light” or “hair light.” This is usually placed behind the subject, and it creates a rim of light or outline around their head.

The primary purpose of this light is to separate the subject from the background and give depth to the image. Place this light behind the subject and try to make it come from a higher angle. Then, you can adjust to see how intense you want it to be.

While people are happy with just using a key and fill, the backlight adds highlights that can elevate your image to another level.

Here are some examples of 3 point lighting kits that would deliver excellent results for your video recordings (Links to Amazon):

3 Point Lighting Diagram

Using a Ring Light as the Main Lighting Setup for YouTube Videos

An alternative video lighting setup for evenly lighting a subject that delivers excellent results for recording YouTube videos and streaming is by using a ring light.

Let’s say you don’t want to use a 3 point lighting setup because you don’t have space or because you don’t want to deal with the setup; in that case, a ring light is a good alternative.

With a ring light, all you have to do is place it in front of the subject and turn it on. The ring will disperse the light evenly. The only drawback is that it needs to be placed close to the subject. Some ring lights come with a stand and mount to install the camera.

Suppose you are a solo YouTube content creator and shoot video in a small area. In that case, a ring light works perfectly well and delivers excellent results. But if instead, you shoot your videos in a larger area, a ring light is not enough; for such a case, a 3 point lighting setup should be the choice.

Here are some examples of ring light setups with stands that fit different devices (Links to Amazon):

Brightness and Color Temperature are Key Elements in a Video Lighting Setup

Most LED lighting for videos come with controls either on the back of the unit or accessible through an app to adjust the brightness and color temperature to achieve the desired lighting effect.

By selecting a warmer color temperature (2700K to 3000K), the videos will project a more cozy and inviting ambiance that attracts the viewer. Using cool white (3000K to 4900K) creates a warm and welcoming feeling that can go well depending on the type of videos you create.

For a more invigorating and crisp scene, use daylight color temperature from 5000K to 7000K.

In case you didn’t know, the color temperature of light is a way to describe a light source’s appearance, and it’s measured in Kelvin (K). In photography and video, the commonly used color temperatures range from 2700K to 7000K.

The lower the number, the warmer the light is, and it tends to be more yellowish. The higher the number, the brighter it is, and the light tends to be whiter.

What’s Next?

A 3 point lighting setup is the first step to any good project. Once you get used to it, you’ll want to experiment with different creative versions of it. Lighting is something you learn and continue to experiment with. As a vlogger or a narrative storyteller, lighting for videos should be a fun and rewarding experience.

Once you have the basics down, you’ll be able to push your project to the next level by improving the lighting. This means learning about all the different lights that are available and what they all do.

Take Your Video Projects to the Next Level

There are many elements that you need to consider when you are a videographer. It’s essential to learn the three-point lighting setup, no matter what type of footage you’re shooting. It’s not just lighting for vloggers and youtube creators; it’s the foundation for all the different video lighting setups.

Don’t make the mistake that other videographers make of placing all your emphasis on the camera’s quality without considering sound or lighting.

Having the right microphone to shoot your videos and the proper lighting setup will reflect on your videos’ quality and make them stand out from the rest. The first step is to learn the basics, and then you can build on that.

If you’d like to know more about how to elevate your work, particularly with sound, feel free to contact us!

How to Grow Your Podcast Audience

Recently, headlines of Joe Rogan landing a $100 million deal with Spotify may have made your eyes widen.

That’s $1 for every American who listens to podcasts during 2020. It also may have made you think about how to grow your podcast audience to achieve your personal goals.

It might seem daunting if you haven’t started a podcast yet, and you’re trying to figure out what you need to start. Surprisingly, you don’t need many things; you can start with your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, as long as their microphones are up to snuff.

Once you have your recording figured out, and maybe even the content idea, how do you get people to listen? It’s probably the number one question podcasters ever ask.

Keep reading to get some of the best tips we can offer.

Sincere Connections With Listeners

Podcasting is just like being a business owner, in a way. Your product is you, your opinion, your viewpoint, or those you interview in your podcast. It’s your voice, essentially.

Who does your voice resonate with? Do you know? It would be good to know before you even pick your niche.

Once you have, though, you have to realize that your voice resonates with those people because you’re being you. You must be genuine and sincere in everything you do to grow your podcast audience.

If you don’t succeed with your podcast, see where you’re not genuine, and you’ll probably solve the problem of growth.

Connect with your audience with this genuine voice off-mic as well, using social media tools that your audience is using.

Research Your Target Audience

This is where researching your audience demographic comes into play. It might be surprising to you who that might be. At least 48% of Americans aged 12-34 are the largest segment of listeners by far. Get to know what they like, along with the other current demographic traits.

Get comfortable speaking to a group of people as a fictitious character (avatar) that you’ve invented with those traits.

Welcome Newcomers to the Community

Wherever you engage with your community off-mic, welcome newcomers to the community if you can. Of course, you might get so many followers it’s impossible to welcome them all. But if some are engaging enthusiastically and you don’t recognize the name, welcome and thank them for their voice.

Cultivating your community means sprinkling the waters of attention, and meaning it.

Engage as Yourself

All of these points mention getting emotionally involved with your audience and giving of yourself. Not a fictitious person you act as in a podcast. Unless, of course, that’s your obvious shtick, in which case you’re still being genuinely you!

Invest Time Connecting Your Audience

Once you release an episode, make sure to set a time to answer comments, even if at the beginning you only get a few.

Being engaged with your audience says a lot about how invested you are in succeeding with your podcast. Answering questions and comments is a way your audience knows that you care about them. Doing this will help you grow your podcast audience.

By delivering value to your listeners and engaging with them, your audience will recommend your podcast to their friends and family, and little by little, you’ll see growth in a snowball-like effect.

Don’t expect growth to happen overnight, but if you set your mind and do the work, you’ll see a significant increase on your channel with time.

Content Creation

Content creation can be a complicated process since you need to generally keep it within your niche and always have something to say. What happens when there’s nothing new to say? Take a look at some of the older podcasts with the lens of today. That way, you keep the information current.

Another tip for content creation is to take time to read the comments. Sometimes you’ll find hidden gems that can become your next viral episode. Your audience can guide you in this process.

For instance, if you release an episode, but in the comments, a significant percentage of the audience is not clear with the information you tried to convey, you could do some more research and release another episode going more in-depth in the explanation.

But what to research, write, and talk about isn’t all.

You have to make some decisions about how to present it — and when. One of the most important things about your content niche, specifically that we’ll recommend is to use the “blue ocean” strategy.

Below are some ideas for having a fresh format with a variety that your listeners might enjoy.

Trailers

Trailers and teasers are excellent appetizers for your content. Do you need to do it every time? No, but if you make trailers for some regularly scheduled podcasts and sometimes don’t, it gets confusing for the audience.

If you don’t think you can keep up with making a trailer for regular programming, it’s best to leave it for special episodes or milestones.

Cornerstone Content

Creating cornerstone content is something like a special event. It’s a well-produced piece that flows through a topic in an easy-to-consume and logical pace and structure.

Cornerstone content is more of a blogging term for a comprehensive article, which lays the cornerstone for the category the blogger is targeting. It might even get periodically updated. It’s best to try and make this content “evergreen” or ageless.

Regular Programming

Regular programming is just that. Do you want a daily audience? Is it a weekly or monthly podcast? You choose, but make sure you select a frequency that you can manage. Just remember that the more content you produce, the faster you’ll grow. That’s the way it is, and there is no hack around it.

And most important of all, be consistent with your uploading schedule. Because consistency, along with excellent content, will ensure growth in the long run.

Consistent growth from an engaged, loyal audience is what you should aim for. This type of audience is the best-converting audience when the time comes.

Content is one part of podcasting. You also have to research new content, find new guests if that’s your thing, and plan other engagements. There’s a surprising amount of work that goes on off-mic.

Snippets and Highlights

Just as you have trailers, you can have highlight reels. This is something you’ll see quite often with longer shows like the Joe Rogan Experience. Casts can be 1-5 hours, or even more, in his case, but he and his team publish the highlights of the show in snippets.

These five-minute highlights can get the listener’s attention. Use a catchy name for each highlight you publish, and at the end, you can invite the listener to listen to or watch the whole episode by leaving the link.

Quarterlies and Special Events

After reaching a milestone, like a specific number of subscribers or a number of episodes, you could have a special show with a special guest. This is something that your audience can look forward to. Make sure to hype it up as far in advance as possible.

Analyze Your Statistics

Statistics analysis is probably not your favorite part, but it’s necessary. Just as you have to analyze your audience initially, those audience members grow and age—the world changes with time.

Analytics help you visualize the growth of your channel. There you can see how each episode is performing. With all this data, you can see a trend and create content accordingly.

For instance, if you see a spike in the number of downloads for a specific episode, use that information to create more podcasts around the same theme but exploring different topics.

If you see that the trend continues, it means that your audience is more interested in that specific subject.

Keeping track of your statistics is different from platform to platform, so make sure you invest time in getting to know the tools given to you; they are worth it.

Grow Your Podcast With Peace of Mind

If you want to grow your podcast, it requires more than being good on the mic — but we could argue it’s 99% of what makes a podcast work.

It’s the all-important research before and after finding your audience and having something genuine to say that will stick with your audience. If you have that, the world is your oyster. Want to know more about audience generating tools, like live-streaming performances? The more you see from us, we guarantee the more you’ll want to keep reading.

Beginners’ Tips for Coming Up With Brilliant Podcast Ideas

Do you have something to say but are not quite sure what it is yet? Podcasting is a great way to get your voice heard and can be done with a relatively low start-up cost. But if you are starting a podcast, you want to do it right, and that involves choosing the perfect topic.

If you are stuck for ideas on topics for your podcast, have no fear. Below, we present our must-read guide on how to come up with the best podcast ideas for beginners.

Use What You Know

The first golden rule of podcasting is to discuss something you know. You need to come over as passionate and knowledgeable about your subject. If not, people will not be interested, and the podcast will sound like you are reading from a book.

Everyone has a topic they know well or something that they are passionate about. All you need to do is add to this with some research and a great topic for each podcast; then you can begin.

Finding Engaging Topics

Once you have your theme, you need engaging podcast episode ideas. Without this, your podcast becomes another gaming podcast or another cooking podcast. Your topic lets you stand out from the crowd.

Start by brainstorming ideas that are relevant to your niche. Once you have a list of around ten solid ideas, do some research and reading. You may find ones that are even more interesting, which you can add to the list.

Now number the topics based on the level of interest you think they would bring to listeners. This is the running order of your podcasts, with one being your debut cast. Once you start to reach the end of the list, you can develop more ideas using the same procedure.

Know Why You Are Doing It

Knowing why you are doing this will be a great motivator and shape the ambiance of your creative podcast ideas. Usually, the deciding factor comes down to three things—fun, charity, or business.

Doing a podcast for fun will let you have a bit more room to maneuver. You can joke, laugh, and generally be silly. These types of podcasts are extremely popular, as they make people feel part of the excitement and lift spirits.

Charitable podcasts are ones that strive to provide value and something of benefit to listeners. They may be focused on improving mental health, wellness, or for people suffering from an illness. They should generally be caring in tone, but they do have room for some fun and jollity.

Finally, some podcasts are used to promote a business. They should be quite serious and showcase the expertise of the podcaster. It may help to get guests that are leaders in the field being discussed.

Of course, any of these can overlap. It is perfectly acceptable to have a business podcast that blends with a fun one. But knowing what you want can help you focus on finding your topics and define your audience.

Your Personal Experience Can Be the Best Idea for Your Podcast

As well as having your own interests and expertise, you will also have your own experiences. These can be just as valuable, particularly if you have achieved something great or managed to pull yourself through a traumatic time. Humans want to hear about other people’s experiences and stories.

You can hear this all the time in podcasts. It may be how someone has managed to lose weight, overcome crippling illness, or climb a mountain. The difference is that your outlook and story will be unique to anyone, even those who have gone through an identical situation.

Give Your Take on Events

Another great podcast idea for beginners is to talk about current events. An event may be defined as a number of things that have happened or happening at the moment.

It does not have to be news but could be the release of a new movie, music video, fashion line, or any kind of happening. Every day, these things are happening all around the world and you can use them as your topics.

The good thing about events that are just happening is that you usually have a lot of information on them to fill a good podcast.

Promoters and marketers are actively searching to get their event seen by people, and podcasts are a great way to do this. Contact the organizers for extra information, or even invite some of them onto your show.

Review a Product

Product reviews attract a lot of traffic online, and they could do the same for your podcast. If you can’t think of an interesting niche you are passionate about, then reviewing products could be an idea.

Remember to keep product reviews honest, stating positives and negatives, so that listeners start to value your opinion and return to the show.

Using a podcast for product reviews takes a little more money to get started up because you have to buy and test the products you are reviewing. However, once you get an audience, you may find that companies are willing to part with goods for free, just for the review.

One alternative is to review products you may buy anyway, either as part of your job, hobby, or day to day life.

Get Factual

Offering knowledge is a great way to build a podcast audience. The allure is that in the end, your listeners leave feeling like they have learned something. That is what keeps them coming back.

You can find facts and figures being released every day. From serious medical studies and social statistics to absurd facts and funny figures. All of them can be used to spark some excellent discussions, stories, and podcast episodes.

Just Press the Record Button

Once you have some podcast ideas for beginners, try a few out before you broadcast. See which feels right, then try to form a plan, concentrating on your overall arc. Once you have this figured out, all you need to do is start producing content.

Don’t stay only in the brainstorming and preparation stage; you need to start creating the content. The faster the content is out there, the better because you will get feedback, and you’ll learn as you do.

And remember, even the best podcasts started by publishing the first episode, take that step and be consistent, let time do its magic, and you’ll see the results.

Virtuoso central has a host of handy blog articles on everything audio, from microphones to musical instruments. If you enjoyed this, you must read our guide on podcasting equipment, so you can get the best audio quality on your show without breaking the bank.

Tips for Live Streaming Your Next Performance

Live streaming revenue is expected to rake in over $70 billion in the next year. Are you prepared to take your piece of that pie?

It’s expected that the majority of internet traffic will be focused on live streaming. As a musician, this is an amazing opportunity to get more listeners — but only if you know how to take advantage of this moment.

Going live on video isn’t easy. There’s a lot that goes into it to make sure you have the best quality sound, video, and more to ensure your fans, both new and old, can see the best you have to offer.

We’ve got the definitive guide to live streaming your next performance. Keep reading to learn how to rock your next live online performance.

The Best Live Streaming Equipment

As a musician, you know how essential it is to have the right gear. When live streaming, you’ve got to make sure that what you use to live stream is just as good as what you use for your live gigs.

What will you be using to stream your performance, your phone or a DSLR camera? Both have their pros and cons to consider.

Using Your Phone To Live Stream a Music Performance

Your phone is the easiest to use. You can easily access any live streaming apps from your main screen, and you can set it up with a tripod. The setup is fast and easy.

You won’t have access to as many filters or effects as you would if you use a DSLR. The trade-off is that it’s also easy to interact with your audience immediately.

One of the main disadvantages of using your phone is the low audio quality. The phone’s mic is not designed to pick up all the nuances of the performance.

There are some workarounds on this issue. One way to use an external condenser microphone specifically designed for phones.

Something like the Shure MV88+ is the perfect choice because it is a stereo condenser mic that will deliver an excellent sound, way better than the phone’s standard mic.

Live Streaming a Music Performance Using a DSLR Camera

If you use a DSLR camera, you’ll need to hook it up to your laptop or computer with a USB connection. However, your streaming images will look much better than what you get from your phone’s camera.

Another advantage of using a DSLR camera is that by connecting it to your computer, you have more flexibility to use multiple cameras for different angle shots. It also allows you to use an external audio interface or USB mixer for connecting as many microphones as you need.

To control everything connected to the computer, you can use a free, open-source, cross-platform streaming, and recording program such as OBS Studio.

Suppose you prefer to have a more straightforward setup, and you’d rather only use the DSLR camera. In that case, you can opt for using an external mic that hooks up to the camera for picking up better quality audio from the live performance.

Stereo condenser microphones like the Sennheiser MKE 440 and the Tascam TM-2X are perfect for delivering fantastic audio quality without needing a big setup with several mics connected to a mixer.

Click the link for a complete list of the best microphones to use with an DSLR camera that deliver excellent audio quality for live streaming or video recording.

Using IP PTZ Cameras for Live Streaming your Next Music Performance

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a live streaming system that one person controls and be able to get high-quality video and achieve it by using a handful of equipment?

By utilizing a couple of PTZ IP cameras, a hardware video controller, and a computer with OBS Studio, you can have a live streaming multimedia system that one person can control, delivering excellent video quality.

In case you didn’t know, PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. Usually, these types of cameras are used in surveillance systems. They can be controlled by a software app or by using hardware controllers. Modern PTZ cameras can deliver 1080p @30fps HD video quality. You can even get higher-end ones that can provide 4k quality video.

The hardware controller has a joystick that you would use to move the camera for pan, tilt, and zoom. I have written a complete guide presenting step-by-step instructions on building a budget live streaming system using IP-based PTZ cameras and joystick controllers. Click the link to check it out.

Your Venue Setup

When people tune in to your performance, what will they see? What’s your sound quality like?

Live venues have their unique challenges, but so does live streaming. Not only do you need to sound great, but you also need to look great too.

It doesn’t matter if you are streaming from your bedroom or stage; you have to make sure that it looks pleasant and inviting. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money.

You can use what you already have or buy a few inexpensive things that will take your setup to the next level.

We’ve talked about using your phone vs. using a DSLR camera. Once you’ve got your video streaming equipment locked in, it’s time to talk about what your audience will see when they tune in to your online show.

Create Nice Visuals

Setting up a simple lighting rig will help your audience see you clearly. Read up on the three-point lighting to understand the basics of showing up right on camera.

Make sure your background looks nice, too. Hanging up a curtain and using some cheap fake plants to fill in gaps behind you is an affordable and straightforward way to create nice visuals.

To make your performance look more intimate, you can add multicolor LED light strips around the perimeter and choose a color that goes with your performance’s mood. This simple tip also adds personality to your live streaming performance.

If you rather have a stage-like lighting setup, we’ve put an article walking you through some simple, cheap stage lighting tips that can help you get a professional lighting rig that doesn’t break the bank.

Use some blotting paper or even a light dusting of translucent powder if you think you’ll look too shiny on screen. Do a test run of your setup before you go live to make sure you look your best.

Have the Right Sound

As mentioned earlier, your phone or camera’s microphone is not good enough to deliver the best quality sound. As a musician, you can’t afford to ignore how you sound when streaming live.

Remember that sound is 50% of the overall experience when live streaming your performance. If your setting looks fantastic and your video quality is spot on, but the audio quality is low, the listening experience will be affected, and your audience won’t like that.

Multiple Microphones Can Deliver Better Audio

When a band performs for live streaming, it is better to set up several microphones. If possible, use one mic per performer connected to a mixer for better audio quality. Basically, your setup will be similar to the one used when performing on a live gig.

If you decide to go this way, use a mixing board that is USB capable—that way, you can send the audio signal straight to the computer for streaming.

Suppose your audio console doesn’t have a USB output. In that case, you can use an audio interface to connect the mixer to the computer.

We have a full article on how to connect an analog mixer to an audio interface. Click the link to check it out.

Single Performer Sound Setup for Live Streaming

For a more straightforward setup that still delivers good quality audio for your audience, invest in a good external USB microphone. You can find reasonably priced mics that will go a long way towards making you sound more professional.

Suppose you’re a single performer or a small 3-person band and have a tight budget. In that case, you could use a single stereo condenser USB microphone connected to the computer to pick up the sound.

Something like the AKG Lyra Ultra-HD or the Blue Yeti would deliver high definition sound when live streaming your next performance, and both are stereo microphones.

single performer sound setup for live streaming connection diagram

Multiple Performers Sound Setup for Live Streaming

Have a band with four or more performers? To capture all the performance with great detail, you can use two overhead microphones to get better stereo separation while delivering high-quality audio.

For this setup, a couple of matched pair AKG C-214 with mic stands connected to an audio mixer like the Yamaha MG10XU allows you to equalize the sound to fit the situation best.

This setup has the added benefit that the MG10XU comes with an audio compressor to normalize the signal level while maintaining the sound’s dynamics. Plus, it is USB capable for easier integration with your computer. It also has phantom power.

The C-214 is a condenser mic, and as such, it requires phantom power to work. Make sure that the device you are going to use to connect it has phantom power.

If the AKG C-214 is out of your price range, figure out how directional your mic is when picking up sounds. Placing it where you sound best and where other elements of your performance won’t get in the way is crucial.

multiple performers sound setup for live streaming connection diagram

Simpler Sound Setup for Multiple Performers

Don’t want to use an audio mixer in your setup at all? That’s fine; just make sure to minimize distortion by using a limiter at the end of your audio chain.

Suppose you are using a two-channel audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 to connect a couple of SM-58’s to pick up the performance. Make sure that the signal coming into the computer from the interface is not distorting.

A good rule of thumb to avoid distortion is to check the audio level meter on the streaming platform. Don’t let the audio signal level to go into the yellow or red area. The last thing you want is for distortion or feedback to ruin your live stream.

The limiter doesn’t have to be hardware-based. Platforms such as Zoom have audio limiters embedded in their algorithms to avoid distortion.

As with your video, you need to test your sound before you go live. Keeping surprises and technical difficulty to a minimum is key to putting on an outstanding live stream performance.

simpler sound setup for multiple performers connection diagram

Choosing a Streaming Platform

Most social media sites have an option to go live. Choosing the best option comes down to a few different factors.

First of all, where is the majority of your audience? If you have a large following on Facebook or get lots of likes on your YouTube videos, you’ve got your answer.

Second, what’s the easiest platform for you to use? Each one has its pros and cons.

Read up on each one’s specifications to make sure you get the most out of your live stream. Things like audience interactivity, filters, or effects, and more can sway you one way or another.

If you have a large following on several social media platforms, try streaming simultaneously to all of them to reach as much as possible all of your audience.

Before Going Live

You’ve got your set up, your setlist, and you know what you’ll be using to broadcast your live performance. There are still a few more things you should do before going live.

Internet Bandwidth Requirements for Live Streaming your Performance

Ensure that your internet connection has a large enough bandwidth so that the streaming quality is good. If possible, have a backup internet connection just in case the main one fails.

Your upload speed should be at least 10Mbps to deliver 1080p video quality to the streaming platform. If you want to live stream at 4K, my recommendation is to have an upload speed of at least 25Mbps.

Test Your Live Stream Without an Audience First

You should practice live streaming before the big event. Here’s how to do it on Facebook:

Select “Go Live” on Facebook
Before you start streaming, click the “To” menu to select your audience
You’ll see options to make your stream public, only available to friends or a group, or only to yourself
Live stream your entire setup just to yourself to catch and fix any issues ahead of the main event.

This is your best option to make sure you’ll look exactly how you want to look when you perform. Make sure you have enough backup batteries if using wireless devices to do your entire show.

As you can see, those audience options give you the ability to broadcast to just a small group of people. You can do your performance as a live exclusive or make it available to the public to gain more listeners.

You might be able to monetize your performance as well. Be careful if you’re doing covers, though; you might get shut down for copyright infringement.

Live Streaming Your Next Performance the Right Way

Streaming online is different than performing at a live venue. With our guide, you have the tools you need for live streaming your next performance the right way.

Since you’ll be performing online, don’t forget the work you need to do before and after the performance.

Promote your stream on your social media channels, and don’t forget to interact with your fans and thank them for coming.

If you liked this article, we’ve got plenty more to make your performances shine. Check out our guide on getting the best audio at your next live gig!

Live Sound Tips for Beginners

You sound great at practice, and you’ve finally landed a real gig. But, mixing live sound is very different from mixing your recorded music.

You’re probably afraid of the dreaded feedback sound. Or worse, just not sounding as good as you know you do. A good live sound mix can make or break the show, even if you sound amazing.

With the right settings, sound gear placement, and a good ear, you can have a great live sound. Below, you’ll find 8 essential live sound tips for beginners.

8 Essential Live Sound Tips for Beginners

If you are a beginner running sound systems, you know how challenging it can be to deal with several things simultaneously to deliver professional sound quality in a venue. Here are a few live sound tips to help you speed up the learning process.

Position Your Monitors in the Right Place
Prevent feedback
Practice Your Microphone Technique and EQ
Use Effects Tastefully
Understand Your Mixer
Don’t Skip Sound Check
Familiarize Yourself With the Venue
Train Your Ears

1. Position Your Monitors in the Right Place

Not being able to hear yourself during a live show is one of the most stressful things to experience. If you can’t hear yourself sing or play, you can’t make the needed tone or key adjustments. This can create a slightly off sound, even if normally you’re perfectly on key.

You can prevent this from happening by placing the monitors in the right position. It may take a few adjustments to get the monitor level and position just right.

The idea is to make sure each band member can hear themselves without the microphone picking up sound from the monitor.

For example, in front of the microphone, facing the vocalist is the best position for a singer’s monitor. That way, they can hear themselves clearly, but the microphone is less likely to pick up the sound and create feedback.

2. Prevent feedback

Unintentional feedback is a live musician’s worst nightmare. It disrupts an otherwise good sound and makes for an unprofessional appearance.

Feedback is the result of sound from the speakers going back through the microphone.

To prevent feedback from happening, make sure to position all mics as close to the sound source and as far away from speakers as possible. Turn off any unused mics to avoid them picking up sound and causing feedback.

In theory, it looks easy to avoid feedback, but in reality, it takes practice, and having a good understanding of what causes microphone feedback and how to stop it before it happens it’s crucial.

During Soundcheck, go through the loudest parts of your set to ensure feedback isn’t going to happen.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Getting used to how the equipment reacts and knowing the steps needed to avoid feedback is what separates excellent from mediocre sound.

3. Practice Your Microphone Technique and EQ

Every microphone is different, but usually, the singer should be about 1 to 2 inches away from the mic.

Because you get so close to the microphone, singers should have their own microphones. That way, they won’t be afraid to get up-close and personal with it. Avoid using house microphones.

Also, different microphones will produce slightly different sounds. So, one microphone might sound great with one singer and not as good as another singer. It’s important to find the one that suits the vocalist.

During Soundcheck, have the singer experiment with different distances from the microphone. Then, by staying consistent with that distance, you avoid confusing fluctuations in audio levels.

It’s also essential to practice and be comfortable equalizing vocals and instruments for live events. With enough practice and the right ear training, you’ll be able to quickly adapt to using different types of microphones in different acoustic scenarios.

Check or guide on how to EQ live vocals for a more detailed explanation.

4. Use Effects Tastefully

Effects can make vocals stand out among all the other instruments, which is good, especially for rock bands or any band with a larger, complicated sound. However, it’s essential not to go overboard with it and maintain the integrity of the vocalist.

Depending on the genre and singer preferences, vocal effects can create depth and intrigue. Reverb or chorus are popular vocal effects to use in live sound.

Some PA systems have built-in reverb and chorus effects, which is an easy way to incorporate them. Guitarists use pedals for effects, and vocalists can also use pedals.

Pedals are good for vocalists who want to control their own effect levels because they can be easily accessed on stage.

5. Understand Your Mixer

The mixer is the brain that controls the PA system. Without it, you’d have no control over what comes out of the speakers. Mixers come in all sizes and can range from two to forty-eight or more inputs.

Each input can be used for a different aspect of the live sound. This makes a mixer essential to equalizing sound live.

With a mixer, you can manage the vocalist’s output or the guitarist’s or whatever instrument is on stage. This helps to balance the sound that goes through the speakers. Otherwise, it would be near impossible to balance the sound in a live show.

It’s also a good idea to label each input on the mixer with whatever instruments or mics that is attached to. That way, if you do need to make mid-show adjustments, you won’t scramble to figure out what knob does what.

If you are a beginner and want to know in more detail what each knob on the mixer does, check our introductory guide to mixing consoles.

6. Don’t Skip Soundcheck

Getting to the venue ten minutes before the show isn’t going to cut it. Each location is different, and you’ll have to adjust the sound according to its unique acoustics.

You want to avoid last-minute sound adjustments as much as possible. The more time you can get for Soundcheck before the show, the better. Then, you’ll have more time during the show to focus on actual performance or special effects.

During Soundcheck, you can familiarize yourself with the acoustics of the venue and device a plan accordingly.

To avoid feedback, as mentioned earlier in the article, you should place the microphones, monitors, and main speakers, and try different positions until you find the best one. And the only way to figure that out is by doing a soundcheck.

7. Familiarize Yourself With the Venue

Along with Soundcheck, you have to familiarize yourself with how the venue acoustic affects the live sound and consider the venue’s vibe.

If you’re playing a rowdy bar, by all means, be loud. However, if you’re playing somewhere with a more chill vibe, such as a coffee shop, being too loud might hinder customers and prevent you from landing that gig again.

Ultimately, you want to judge the crowd and the venue and adjust your levels accordingly.

8. Train Your Ears

It can take sound technicians months of training to train their ears for the small variances that can affect live sound. One method for training your ear is to attend several live shows and listen for things like muddy vocals or buzzy guitars.

When you know what to listen for, using your ears is much easier. Also, familiarize yourself with the sound and setlist of the band playing.

Of course, if you’re mixing your music, you’re already familiar with how it’s supposed to sound.

Want More Live Sound Tips?

Playing live is what many musicians live for. So, of course, you want it to be perfect. With these tips, you should have the knowledge it takes to have a smooth live performance.

Visit our blog for more live sound tips and more!

5 Common Podcast Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Do you have an idea for a podcast?

Over the past decade, podcasts have skyrocketed in popularity. Now, there’s a podcast for nearly every topic. Some people have been able to build their entire careers around their weekly episodes.

Yet, if you want to get off on the right foot and build your listener base, you need to know how to start off strong. Even if you’ve already started your podcast, you might be wondering how to refine your approach.

In order to have a great show, you need to know how to avoid common podcast mistakes.

But what are they, and how do you navigate around them? Keep reading to learn more!

5 Common Podcast Mistakes You Need to Avoid

1. Not Posting Consistently

We all have busy schedules, and it’s no secret that podcasting can take up a ton of time. You might have to spend hours coming up with ideas and turning them into full-on, viable episodes.

Yet, successful podcasts don’t just launch and then post whenever their creators feel inspired. Instead, they come up with a schedule and let their supporters know when they plan to upload.

But how do you determine when you should post?

When you start out your podcast, think about how often you think you’ll be able to allot time to your craft. Then, measure how long it takes you to make a podcast. Factor in the amount of time it takes to come up with ideas, draft a script, record, and edit.

Once you have this down, figure out how many podcasts you think you’ll be able to make a month. Some people update every week, while some post more infrequently.

Still, once you launch your podcast, you might need to play around with how often you post. Try out a few schedules until you figure out one that works for you.

2. Not Knowing Your Genre

Do you want to know a secret? If you have a podcast, you need to know about your competition. Why?

Because it’s crucial to identify what already exists out there for finding out where you fit in.

Podcast creators have to hit a difficult note. They have to be aware of what other people have done well and why it works. At the same time, they need to know which different approach they want to bring in that sets them apart from other people.

As the podcast creator, it’s your job to know as much about your podcast as possible. This includes how your podcast adheres to your genre’s expectations and what spins you put onto it.

3. Not Editing

Many people want to create their podcasts as fast as possible, and while doing that, they neglect the editing portion of their work. That’s why it’s one of the most common podcast mistakes.

Why do you need to edit?

No draft of a podcast is 100% perfect, especially on the first take. You might have certain unwanted background noises or parts of the podcast that drag on. Before you put an episode out into the world, you need to listen to it at least once.

Think about how you can make it better. Have a few other people else listen to it and tell you which parts were interesting and which should be taken out.

Of course, everyone’s opinions are subjective, so one person might love a part that another doesn’t. Yet, if your first listeners all agree that they don’t like something, you may want to consider taking it out.

Want to minimize the amount you need to edit? Consider investing in tools such as a pop filter, which will help you sift out unwanted popping noises that we naturally make when we pronounce plosive letters like B’s, P’s, T’s.

More Editing Advice to Avoid Common Podcast Mistakes

How do you make sure you make good editing choices?

First, consider the overall theme of your episode. Then, listen to your recording and determine whether each section serves to advance the theme. If not, is there anything that should be changed or cut?

Here’s another important tip that may seem contradictory to some people: listeners like to relate to the content they consume. What does that mean for you?

You might want to leave that comedic mess-up in, especially if it blends well with the overall tone of your show. It builds a rapport with your listeners and makes you feel more like an accessible human being rather than a disembodied voice.

Still, minimize the number of noticeable errors in your podcast. 1 or 2 can make you appear more relatable, but a large handful just makes you sound too sloppy.

4. Neglecting Sound Quality

Do you want to know why many people give up on podcasts? Because the sound quality is not up to par.

We live in quite a particular age. Your listeners consume a vast amount of media every day, and their ears have grown accustomed to the sound of good audio.

Because of this, the modern consumer may not understand anything about sound quality but still be able to tell when it’s not good.

That makes it pertinent for every podcast creator to have good sound. If they don’t, many people won’t bother to listen because the sound quality annoys them too much.

To get a good sound, you need the right equipment. Do your research and invest in a good microphone and audio editing system that fits within your budget. Then, use it to make sure you present your show in the best light.

5. Not Becoming Familiar with Copyright Laws

Before the internet, copyright laws were fairly straightforward: don’t take any large quotations from any source and reproduce them for your own gain without credit.

Yet, when people began posting things online, the rules started getting more sticky. After all, so many people shared things that didn’t quite belong to them, and it started becoming more and more challenging to determine how fair use applied to these items.

Besides, different countries have different copyright laws. Though the internet does not have borders, what might be considered fair use in the United States might not be fair use in England and vice versa.

Because of this, you need to be careful. Refrain from using any music or other media elements unless you are thoroughly aware of the laws surrounding your right to use it.

In fact, you should probably not use copyrighted material unless you’re a lawyer. Otherwise, you might find yourself deep in a lawsuit you can’t afford.

Ready to Start Your Podcast?

Now that you know more about the most common podcast mistakes, it’s time to put that knowledge into action!

Podcasts can be incredibly rewarding endeavors, and if you work hard on them, you’ll end up creating something you’re proud of. By avoiding the mistakes below, you’ll be well on your way to making a good podcast.

Have a question about producing your podcast? Contact us today to learn more!

Podcast Tips: 10 Strategies for Recording Better Sounding Podcasts

Podcasts rely only on audio to catch the audience’s attention. That’s the reason why all the top podcasts have one thing in common; they sound amazing. Of course, the message plays an important role, but when all is said and done, if the podcast sounds awful, no one will listen to it.

If you are a beginner looking to start a podcast or already have one and want to sound more professional, keep reading this post because we provide you with practical podcast tips and strategies for recording a better sounding podcast.

Top 10 Tips & Strategies for Recording Better Sounding Podcasts

Here are the best strategies and tips you can follow for recording your podcast and get high-quality audio consistently.

Use the right podcast equipment – Consider Getting a Plug-and-Play Bundle
A Good Microphone Can Make All the Difference
Use The Right Pop Filter – It’s There for a Reason
Use Good Microphone Techniques – Get Close to The Mic
Try to Be Consistent With your Voice Timbre
Monitor your Volume Levels – Don’t Distort the Signal
Use an Audio Compressor to Get Consistent Volume
The Room’s Acoustics Can Make or Break a Podcast
Use a Backup Audio Recorder
Edit The Podcast Before Releasing it

In the following sections, we go into more detail on each tip. Let’s get started.

Use the right podcast equipment – Consider Getting a Plug-and-Play Bundle

If you are a techie person, finding compatible gear to set up your studio will be easy. But, if you are not familiar with the ins and outs of audio equipment, this task can be overwhelming.

You have to decide the type of microphone you want – dynamic or condenser. Further, you need to determine if you’re going to use an audio mixer with the capability of connecting several microphones or have a simple setup using a single USB microphone.

Are you planning to have guests over the phone or use a conferencing platform like Zoom to have multiple remote guests on your podcast? Maybe you also want to include some sound effects to make your podcast more original. This and many other things you need to consider when choosing equipment to set up a podcasting studio.

Please understand that to start a podcast, you don’t need to have a professional setup or make a significant investment. You could start by using your smartphone or laptop. But if you have proved the concept and decide to invest in some equipment, make sure to get the right equipment.

Having the right recording equipment is one of the best podcast tips we can offer you because it will have the biggest impact on the overall quality of your podcast’s audio. It will also determine how flexible your setup is to accommodate and adapt to different situations.

If you are new to this, one thing you can do is start researching and reading articles about all the equipment you need to start your podcast.

Instead, if you feel like you don’t want to spend the time reading articles about selecting audio equipment, you can go around this issue and get a podcasting bundle with everything you need to get started right away on your podcast.

Check out the following links to see a complete list of equipment you need. We have divided it into two bundle categories basic and professional.

The basic is perfect for a solo podcaster and a guest. The professional bundle is ideal for podcasters that have three or more guests. It also offers the capability to receive phone calls and online guests on conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc. (links to Amazon).

Basic Bundle for Solo Podcaster

Here is the connection diagram for the basic bundle for a solo podcaster so that you can visualize the setup. This setup is done with the recomemded gear on the links above.

Basic Bundle for Solo Podcaster and One Guest

Focusrite USB Audio Interface [Quantity 1]
Audio-Technica Professional Studio Headphones [Quantity 1]
Rode PodMic Dynamic Podcasting Microphone [Quantity 2]
Gator Microphone Boom Stand For Podcasts [Quantity 2] [This stand includes the XLR cable for connecting the microphone to the Audio interface]

The following image is the connection diagram for the basic bundle for a solo podcaster with the ability to add a guest to the podcast. Use the diagram for your set up reference. This setup is using the gear recommended on the links above.

Professional Podcaster Bundle

Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Mixer [Quantity 1]
Audio-Technica Professional Studio Headphones [Quantity 4]
Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Microphone [Quantity 4]
Gator Microphone Boom Stand For Podcasts [Quantity 4] [This stand includes the XLR cable for connecting the microphone to the podcast mixer]

Here is the connection diagram for the professional bundle mentioned above. Use the diagram for your set up reference.

A Good Microphone Can Make All the Difference

Maybe buying a podcasting bundle is an investment you don’t want to make at this moment. If that’s the case, you can get the best USB microphone for podcasting, depending on your budget. Next, all you have to do is connect it to your laptop and start recording with high-quality audio. Your audience will appreciate it a lot.

If you ask any professional podcaster for podcasting tips, they will all agree that a must-have for recording is a good quality mic, and there is a good reason for this.

The microphone that comes with your laptop is a small electret mic. Its membrane has a small surface area limiting its ability to pick up detailed sound vibrations.

By using a USB condenser microphone, your recorded audio will improve because it’s capsule is bigger and more sensitive to picking up even the smallest nuances in sound, immediately delivering higher quality sound for your podcast.

We have prepared a detailed guide on what to consider when choosing a mic for podcasting. Click the link to check it out.

Use The Right Pop Filter – It’s There for a Reason

One of the most annoying things you can have in a recording is popping sounds. They distract, and the sound is harsh to the ears.

As a podcaster, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your recordings sound as good as possible to deliver an excellent listening experience to your fans. Loud popping sounds are definitively a bad listening experience. Having great content and a good listening experience will have your fans coming back for every podcast release.

Popping sounds are produced by fast-moving air blasts from your mouth whenever you use words with hard letters, like B’s, P’s, T’s.

As its name implies, a pop filter is a device designed to slow down and dissipate fast-moving air blasts.

Pop filters come in different sizes and shapes. Depending on the microphone you decide to use for your recordings, it’s possible that it already brings one.

For example, the legendary Shure SM7B is a microphone used by podcast producers worldwide, one of which is Joe Rogan because it delivers an excellent tone. This mic includes a pop filter that is installed on the mic’s head.

Most condenser microphones don’t bring a pop filter. If that’s the case, getting a pop filter would be necessary to avoid getting plosive sounds while recording.

Most microphones are compatible with any pop filter available in the market. Still, it’s a good idea to make sure that the pop filter you decide to buy is big enough for your mic. Here are a few pop filers designed for condenser mics (links to Amazon):

Use Good Microphone Techniques – Get Close to The Mic

One of the easiest and most effective podcast tips we can give you for getting better sounding podcasts is getting closer to the mic while recording. A good rule of thumb is to leave no more than 6 inches between your mouth and the mic’s head.

You want to be close to the mic because if you are far away from the pickup capsule, the audio quality decreases rapidly.

Suppose the sound source is farther away from the microphone. In that case, it picks up ambient noise, degrading the overall sound quality as the sound waves become thinner, losing the sound’s fullness.

You want to get close to the mic, but not so much that the proximity effect could saturate the membrane inside the capsule, thus saturating the signal. Leave at least 2 inches but no more than 6 from the mic’s head.

Control Your Breathing Sound

When sitting close to the mic, it will pick up the sound when you inhale and exhale. If the breathing is too loud, it can be distracting, and for some people, it isn’t very pleasant.

A good breathing technique is to try smaller, slower breaths, but if you need to take a big breath, just look away from the microphone.

Try to Be Consistent With your Voice Timbre

The timbre of your voice defines your tonal character. As a professional podcaster, you want to keep your voice’s tone as consistent as possible.

When recording your podcast, you can speak with your natural voice or modulate your voice to give it a distinctive tone to capture your audience’s attention. Avoid overmodulating and make sure to be consistent with your vocal tone and style.

In case you didn’t know, voice modulation refers to the ability to control your voice when speaking by varying the tone, stress on words, pitch, and changing the speech rate.

This simple tip is important because your audience gets used to your voice’s timbre as it creates a bond between you and your listeners. Being inconsistent with your voice’s timbre and tone will negatively impact the overall quality of your podcast.

Monitor your Volume Levels – Don’t Distort the Signal

When recording your podcast, whether you are using a laptop or podcasting mixer, ensure that the signal levels are not distorting.

Audio distortion occurs when the signal’s volume is too high and falls outside the input’s dynamic range.

To avoid distortion in your podcast recordings, monitor the volume levels while recording. If using recording software, you’ll see the volume level scale represented in colors.

When the indicator is in the green area, it means that the signal volume is ok. The yellow means that the audio is louder but still is within the range. When the red indicator lights up, the volume is too high, and the resulting audio will be distorted.

Keep your volume in the green section for your normal conversational tone and only allow the yellow section if you need to add more emphasis to the conversation. The red will render your recording useless as it will sound distorted.

Also, make sure that your guest’s microphone levels are at the same level as yours. Even if everyone is talking simultaneously, make sure that the levels don’t peak into the red section.

The dynamics in a conversation can change from low to high in a second, so how can you keep the volumes consistent with all the mics? This takes us to the next podcasting tip, use an audio compressor for consistent volume levels.

Use an Audio Compressor to Get Consistent Volume

Keeping a consistent volume on a podcast from beginning to end screams professionalism. This small but often overlooked podcasting tip can make a huge difference in the overall listening experience.

If you use a good microphone, your voice will sound crisp and pleasant. But, what about the inconsistent volume levels? If you move away from the mic, the voice will sound thin. If you speak too loud all of a sudden or laugh loudly, all of these inconsistent volume levels will have your listeners reaching for the volume knob every few seconds.

Remember, podcasts are mostly consumed by people who are multitasking. Most of which use earphones to listen. Having very soft and all of a sudden loud levels in the recording is unacceptable.

Here is where the audio compressor comes in. An audio compressor is a device that creates a more leveled volume to your sound by amplifying the audio when it’s too low, normalizing it in others, and toning down the loud bits.

In other words, when used right, an audio compressor will create a consistent audio level throughout the whole recording while keeping intact the dynamics of the sounds.

Most modern audio mixers come with audio compressors. Podcasting mixers are designed to make a podcaster’s life much easier by providing compressor and limiter presets to create the most professional recordings.

Of course, you can take the raw recording with inconsistent audio levels and use any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software to normalize the levels. Still, it’s always a better practice to have raw recordings that have a consistent volume.

The Room’s Acoustics Can Make or Break a Podcast

You could have the best equipment to record your podcast and create the best content, but if the room’s acoustics is terrible, the sound quality will still be dreadful. Usually, the main problem in places with lousy acoustics is excessive echo.

There are different ways you can improve a room’s acoustics if you’re dealing with echo. One way is by using curtains on all the walls and carpet on the floors to absorb the sound. Another way is by using carpet on the walls and floors; the only problem is that it looks ugly and unprofessional.

Lastly, you can use absorption panels on the walls to help fix the echo problem. You can build your panels and add more personality to your recording room while reducing the echo at the same time.

Here is a tutorial I found on YouTube to make your own high-performance sound absorption panels very cheaply, still delivering excellent results.

Video Credits: DIY Perks

If you rather have professional acoustic panels like those used in recording studios and don’t mind spending some money, choose professional-grade acoustic material.

Several kits come with everything you need to improve the acoustics of a room for recording. Here are some examples of what you can get depending on the size of the room (links to Amazon):

Record The Podcast in a Quiet Room

Another podcast tip to get better sounding podcasts is to record in a quiet room. One thing you want to avoid at all costs is recording in noisy environments.

If you live in a house with multiple people or have noisy neighbors, it can be difficult to avoid noise. You can try to use materials to seal the gaps on the doors and windows while recording. You can also try using thick curtains that can absorb sound.

Here is a good article that explains in more detail soundproofing techniques to avoid noise while recording.

Use a Backup Audio Recorder

Let’s be real; accidents can and will happen. You could make a mistake and forget to press the record button on your laptop. Or the hard drive can fail, making you lose the recording of your latest podcast that needs to be released tomorrow.

Although we can’t foresee an accident from happening, we can take preventive measures to reduce the risk.

Another excellent strategy from the list of podcast tips that can be a lifesaver is to use a backup recording device to ensure that you get a secondary audio file of your podcast.

Let’s say, for example, that you are interviewing someone like Gary Vee for your podcast, and you only got one shot because he is on a tight schedule.

When you are ready to edit the recording, it turns out that the audio file is incomplete because the lavalier mic you were using stopped working in the middle of the interview, or it was continually cutting off.

There is nothing to do, the interview is over, and you can’t arrange for a new one. This is why it’s essential to have at least two different audio recording devices recording simultaneously.

For cases like this, I highly recommend using a multitrack audio recorder like the Zoom H4n Pro, Zoom H6, or the Tascam DR-05X. These recorders come with stereo condenser mics to pick up the audio in great detail. Plus, they come with many excellent features.

One of the features that I like the most is the dual recording mode. When set to this mode, it automatically records a second audio take at a lower level in case the main audio recorded is too loud and distorted.

With all of these precautions, you will be sure to have the perfect audio take for editing your podcast. That way, your sound will be excellent, and your audience will appreciate it.

Bonus Tip – Do a Sync Clap Before each Take for easy synchronization

Here is a real-life example. Let’s say that you recorded a very important interview for your podcast. When editing, you realize that the main audio file is mostly good, but at the end of the recording, the guest’s response to your final question has a very low volume because he moved away from the mic.

In this case, you would need to overdub the main audio file with the backup recording.

A common practice used by content creators when using secondary backup recorders is to do a sync clap before each take. This practice makes everything much easier when overdubbing audio files for editing.

Press record on your laptop and multitrack recorder and get ready for your take. Then clap at the beginning before starting to speak, wait one second, and start recording your podcast. When editing, the clap can be used as a marker to know where to synchronize both audio files.

Edit The Podcast Before Releasing it

After you are done recording, edit your work before releasing it to the public. You want to catch any mistakes or any audio problems and fix them with your audio editing software. You wouldn’t turn in a report before checking it, right? The same principle applies to your podcast.

Look for any audio inconsistencies, delete the parts that are not useful and always try to keep the same time length for all your podcasts.

If you don’t have an audio compressor on your mixer and see the inconsistent volume levels, use available plugins on the DAW software to fix it. This ensures that your audio sounds professional.

Keep in mind that your ultimate goal should be to provide the best listening experience to your audience. This, combined with creating engaging content, will ensure your podcast’s success.