Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like podcasts were increasing in popularity. Whether we knew someone who had one or we had our own favorite shows, the easy-to-use medium has been everywhere for more than a few years. They’re so popular, in fact, that a February 2021 article by Forbes estimated that 125 million people were expected to listen to one each month in 2022. If that happens, podcasts will have grown 25 percent since 2020 alone.
A reason for their popularity could be because as long as someone has a passion, anyone can start one. And once you have the topic, the next step is ensuring you have the best sound for this audio-based medium.
This is where sound basics come in. In author Tom Schroeppel’s “The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video,” he devotes an entire chapter to sound and the importance of quality audio to any production.
In the chapter, he uses microphones as an analogy for our ears and states that every sound is caused by vibrations. The quality of sound is described as either a frequency, which is the closeness of sound waves, or amplitude, which is the size of the waves (or loudness).
Once we understand how sound works, the next step is figuring out how to get the clearest form of it. For that, we turn to microphones. There are two types of microphones: dynamic and electret condenser. Dynamic mics are rugged and produce excellent sound while condenser mics are very small and lightweight. They too can produce great sound, however, they require batteries, which requires extra planning.
The next thing to consider is a microphone pickup pattern, or the area that is the most sensitive to incoming sound waves. The two types of pickup patterns are omnidirectional and directional. An omnidirectional mic will pick up sound equally from every direction. These mics look like a sphere with the microphone at the center. There are two types of directional mics; a cardioid, which is a heart-shaped mic where the end has the greatest area of sensitivity, and a supercardioid, also known as a shotgun, which must be aimed directly at the source.
When picking the mic you’re going to use, it’s best to remember your audience. Will you be interviewing only one person? You might want to use a lavalier. Do you need something a little more versatile and at your control? Maybe try the hand mic. Or would you prefer to pick up a specific person and nat sound? If that’s the case, then a shotgun mic is your best bet. While each microphone has its pros and cons, it’s always best to remember your listeners and use equipment that will best capture the sound you want them to hear.
RESEARCH
I, like most who listen to podcasts, appreciate their ease of use. I don’t have to dedicate time in the evening to sit down to listen to them or block days out when I found one I want to get into. The beauty of audio is you can listen to it anywhere and at any time. Want something to keep you interested when you’re washing the dishes or doing laundry? Podcast. Need something to make your commute more bearable? Podcast. Once you find topics or shows you’re interested in, it’s very easy to keep going back.
In my case, there are three podcasts I listen to regularly. While each of their subject matter is different from the last, they all have a few things in common. One of which, is the excellent sound quality. In the past I have stopped listening to audiobooks and podcasts because I could not bear the audio, which is why sound is vital to the success of an audio production. If you’re on the hunt for excellently produced podcasts, look no further than the following podcasts as inspiration.
Blockbuster
If I could only recommend one podcast for the rest of my life, I would suggest Blockbuster (I say that as someone who has made dozens of friends and colleagues listen to it). Blockbuster is a beautifully produced and immersive show that is unlike any podcast I have ever listened to. The audio is clean, the host is fantastic, the actors are perfectly cast, the music accompanies it beautifully and the storytelling makes you feel like you’re there. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, George Lucas, James Cameron— or great podcasts in general— I highly recommend it.
Good Job Brain
I have been listening to the Good Job Brain podcast since 2016 because of how genuine and fun it is. To quote their tagline, it’s “A podcast that’s part quiz show, part offbeat trivia, and all awesome.” The actual show has come a long way with their audio since it started back in 2012. The podcast consists of several different segments and features catchy jingles and music quizzes. The show is hosted by four very high- energy trivia buffs. It is definitely worth a listen if you’re a fan of pub trivia or trivia in general.
Critical Role
The great thing about the Critical Role podcast is that you can know you’re in for a good production because it was created by actual voice actors who are passionate about the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. Though it’s completely improvised, their imaginative storytelling skills make listeners go along with the ride. They have a great choice in music and the audio sounds clean and professional. Fun fact: they created such a large fanbase that the cast was able to kickstart an animated series called The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime.
CREATE
After learning all I could about sound and exploring my favorite podcasts for inspiration, the next step was planning my own podcast. Aside from clean audio and a strong production, the key to a successful podcast is finding a topic you’re passionate about. As perhaps evident by my podcast inspiration, I am a huge sci-fi and fantasy nerd. I knew I wanted my topic to be among those realms, but I also wanted to use my platform to talk about something important. It wasn’t until I had coffee with a friend of mine recently that she told me about some of the sexist comments she had been seeing on her YouTube channel. I proceeded to tell her about two separate occasions I had received misogynistic comments while purchasing video games. After going back and forth about our experiences, I knew it was something I had to look into, which is how I came to the topic of my first episode.
The topic I will pursue is the gender conflict in nerd culture so the next step was creating a Mind Map to fully plan and lay out my ideas.
My goal is to interview two people for my final podcast who have each experienced negativity in their respective hobby for no other reason than being female. Challenges I may face on this project include trying to weave between each of their stories and ensuring I don’t get too far off topic. Also, because I hope to use nat sound, I may face copyright or privacy issues if I want to use actual soundbites from either of them playing video games with others.
I do not plan to write out my script verbatim, but rather, use strategic bullet points for a detailed podcast episode plan. It’s a compromise between writing a full script and ad libbing it so it still sounds conversational. The following is my Pre-Production Planning document.
The planning and pre-production process was a lot of detailed work, but I found that it helped bring my ideas together which should help me better-carry out my plan this week as I begin my production and post-production process.