How to Edit a Podcast: Complete Guide for Beginners

Last updated: September 14, 2026 · By Alex, BadMic Studio · 8 min read

Editing a podcast seems intimidating, but the core workflow is simpler than you think. After editing 500+ episodes for creators worldwide, I've distilled the process into a repeatable system that works for any podcast format.

Whether you're editing your own show or outsourcing to an editor, this guide covers every step from import to export.

Step 1: Organize your files

Before you touch any audio, set up a clean folder structure:

• Raw audio — original recordings, untouched
• Session files — your editing project files
• Exports — final MP3/WAV files ready for upload
• Shorts — clips for TikTok, Reels, Shorts

Naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD_Episode-Title_Raw.wav. This keeps everything sortable and findable months later.

Step 2: Import and organize tracks

Import your audio into your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Popular choices include:

• Adobe Audition — industry standard for podcast editing
• Logic Pro — great for Mac users who also do music
• Hindenburg — built specifically for podcast production
• Audacity — free and capable for beginners

Separate each speaker onto their own track. This gives you individual control over EQ, compression, and levels for each voice.

Step 3: Clean up the audio

This is where most of the magic happens. Here's the order I use on every episode:

3a. Noise reduction

Record a few seconds of room tone (silence) at the start of each recording. Use this as a noise profile to remove background hum, hiss, and AC noise.

3b. High-pass filter

Apply a high-pass filter at 70–80Hz on every voice track. This removes low-frequency rumble, mic proximity effect, and table vibrations without affecting voice quality.

3c. Cut silence and dead air

Remove long pauses, "um"s, "ah"s, false starts, and tangents. The goal is tight pacing that keeps listeners engaged. A good rule: if a pause feels long to you, it feels twice as long to the listener.

3d. Remove clicks, breaths, and plosives

Manually cut or reduce mouth clicks, loud breaths, and plosive pops (the "p" and "b" sounds that hit the mic hard). Plugins like iZotope RX make this faster.

Step 4: EQ and compression

Now that the audio is clean, shape the tone:

Equalization (EQ)

• High-pass at 70–80Hz — removes rumble
• Small cut at 200–300Hz — reduces muddiness
• Boost at 3–5kHz — adds presence and intelligibility
• Boost at 8–12kHz — adds air and brightness

Compression

Compression evens out volume differences between loud and quiet moments:

• Ratio: 2:1 to 4:1 for natural sound
• Threshold: Set so the compressor activates on louder passages
• Attack: 10–20ms (fast enough to catch peaks)
• Release: 100–200ms (natural recovery)

De-essing

If sibilance (harsh "s" sounds) is a problem, add a de-esser targeting 5–8kHz. Don't over-do it — you want natural speech, not lisping.

Step 5: Loudness targeting

Different platforms have different loudness standards:

• Spotify: -14 LUFS (integrated)
• Apple Podcasts: -16 LUFS
• YouTube: -14 LUFS
• General podcast standard: -16 LUFS with -1 dBTP true peak

Use a loudness meter plugin to measure integrated LUFS, then adjust your master fader to hit the target. This ensures consistent volume across episodes.

Step 6: Add intro, outro, and music

Bookend your episode with consistent branding:

• Intro: 10–30 seconds of music with your podcast name and tagline
• Outro: Call-to-action (subscribe, review, visit website) over music
• Background music: If used, keep it at -20dB or lower under dialogue

Step 7: Export for every platform

Export multiple versions from your master:

• MP3 320kbps — for podcast directories (Spotify, Apple, etc.)
• WAV 44.1kHz/24-bit — archive master
• MP3 128kbps mono — bandwidth-efficient version if needed

Include ID3 tags (title, episode number, artwork, description) in your MP3 exports. Most DAWs and tools like Forecast (by Marco Arment) handle this.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Over-processing: Too much compression or EQ makes voices sound robotic
• Inconsistent levels: Each episode should sound similar in volume
• Ignoring room acoustics: No plugin fixes a bad room — treat your space first
• No backup: Always save session files and raw audio separately
• Skip testing: Listen on headphones, car speakers, and phone speakers before publishing

When to outsource your editing

If editing takes you more than 3 hours per episode, it's costing you content time. A professional editor typically turns around an episode in 1–2 hours because they have templates, shortcuts, and experience.

At BadMic Studio, I handle the entire editing pipeline — from raw audio cleanup to platform-ready exports — so you can focus on recording and growing your show.