Complete guide
How to produce a podcast, from recording to publishing
The whole chain in five steps, each a deep-dive guide: capture a clean voice, record remote guests, edit and clean, set the loudness, and publish to every platform.
By Hanna Eng·Audio engineer, Abbey Road Institute Paris
Producing a podcast is a chain, and each link decides the quality of the next. Capture a clean voice and the editing is light. Edit well and the loudness pass is simple. Hit the loudness target and publishing just works. This guide maps the whole workflow and links to a focused, factual deep-dive for each step.
The complete workflow, step by step
- 1Capture your voiceGear, mic technique and room treatment to record a clean voice at the source, where it is cheapest to get right.Read the guide→
- 2Record remote guestsThe double-ender method records each guest locally, so audio quality no longer depends on the strength of the connection.Read the guide→
- 3Edit and cleanCut the content first, then de-noise, de-reverb and de-ess in the order that actually works.Read the guide→
- 4Set the loudnessNormalize to -16 LUFS and -1 dBTP so every episode and every guest sits at the same level.Read the guide→
- 5PublishExport the right MP3, build the RSS feed, and submit to Apple Podcasts and Spotify without rejection.Read the guide→
Do you need gear to start a podcast?
For a podcast people actually listen to, gear matters less than you think: a decent dynamic mic, a slightly dead room and a clean take are enough to start. What separates an amateur podcast from a pro one is the processing chain after recording, not the price of the mic.
The basic rule fits in a sentence: the cleaner the capture, the lighter the edit. It is at the recording that it is cheapest to get right.
The steps, and why order matters
Starting a podcast is a chain: capture a clean voice, record remote guests locally, edit and clean, set the loudness, then publish. Each step decides the quality of the next. Cleaning in the right order, for instance, avoids pulling the hiss up at the compression stage.
Here is the full chain, step by step, with a detailed guide for each.
Specs for a publish-ready podcast
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Loudness | -16 LUFS (stereo), -19 LUFS (mono) |
| True peak | -1 dBTP |
| Cover art | square, 1400 to 3000 px |
| Distribution | RSS feed, submitted to Apple Podcasts and Spotify |
Sources: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start a podcast?
Capture a clean voice (dynamic mic, dead-ish room), record remote guests locally, edit and clean the audio, set the loudness to -16 LUFS, then export an MP3 and publish via an RSS feed submitted to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Each step prepares the next.
What is the minimum gear for a podcast?
A decent dynamic mic, headphones, and a slightly dead room to limit reverb are enough to start. The processing after recording matters more than the price of the gear.
How do I record remote guests cleanly?
With the double-ender method: each participant records locally, at full quality, independently of the connection. You then collect the separate tracks to clean and edit each voice on its own.
What loudness should I export a podcast at?
-16 LUFS in stereo, -19 LUFS in mono, with a true peak of -1 dBTP. That target keeps the level consistent from one episode to the next and from one guest to another.
How do I publish to Apple Podcasts and Spotify?
You export an MP3, build a compliant RSS feed (title, description, category, square cover art 1400 to 3000 px), then submit that feed once to each platform. Later episodes then publish automatically through the feed.
Rather have the audio handled for you?
If you would rather record and let someone else clean, mix and master each episode to spec, that is what the podcast service is for.
Podcast MixingHave a podcast that needs to sound right?
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