After years of being on the front lines of Audio Creation, this summer I finally got the gift of a sabbatical - something I'd never previously had the opportunity to do. Although I did miss the daily grind of being in front of Pro Tools and working with a creative team, I was finally able to consume audio like a real consumer. After hours of laying by the pool, the beach, and walking around several European cities with my AirPods on, here are the 5 things I learned listening to Audio....
Editing matters:
One of the great skills of an editor is deciding what to cut. When you are so close to your content it can be like deciding on which child is your favorite, but the skill of editing is all about making hard decisions. You are competing for eartime and you must make that call. In radio that was a skill I perfected, as we learned time and again that brevity is rewarded. The same general rule applies to podcasts, yet not quite as harshly. We’re in the TikTok era, where you have to get people's attention in a very short period of time. Your audience might not all be twentysomethings, but all audiences have just as short of an attention span. Think of it this way: every year, the Academy Awards give out an Oscar for Editing. Editing is a skill.
It’s time to talk about acoustics:
One of the silver linings that the pandemic brought us was the opportunity to work from home. When the pandemic started, I no longer had to drive across town to record a voiceover. Instead, out of necessity I figured out how to create a studio in my closet, and after a few projects my home studio sounded just as great as the professional studio I used to drive to. Good acoustics were one of the keys to creating that parity. Acoustics matter when recording audio, no matter where you are, and no matter whether you’re recording voice overs or podcasts, professional or amateur. To that end, it’s important to avoid common acoustic intrusions. For example: an echo-y room with hardwood floors is distracting to the listener. Another example: street noise from the city can be charming, but it can also pull your listeners’ attention away from your voice. Try using tools like Izotope’s De-reVerb or Abobe’s Enhanced Speech to clean up any room noise. You don't need to be an acoustic or processing expert to use these AI tools and significantly improve your acoustics.
Content, Content, Content:
I’m interested in all types of content: Health, tech, travel, music, news, and pop culture. Whatever random subject you are a fan of? There is always an audience waiting for your content. In radio we always struggled with pleasing everyone all the time and fighting to be the most popular. If you make a podcast about a specific interest or genre, will you suddenly be on track to podcast superstardom? Probably not. But will you have the chance to engage with an audience that cares about your specific expertise and knowledge on the topic? Absolutely. So don’t be afraid to put the headphones on and let your voice out of your head. Your goals don’t have to be the same as Joe Rogan’s, but that podcast could help find your next client or create a level of engagement that in turn builds your business.
Your mix is everything:
Nothing is worse than forcing your listener to interrupt their precious pool time to adjust the volume, or blowing their ears out because an audio clip you created is suddenly too loud. If your intro is at 5 db and your host is at -5 db, it's a problem for your listeners. Getting the mix right is everything, and using compressors is a great way to make the experience pleasurable for your audience. Again, with so many tools like Izotope and Waves, you don't have to be a studio expert to get the right mix for your podcast.
AI is a tool:
AI is turning out to be one of the greatest tools for audio editors. In fact, my workflow has been completely transformed by AI in the past few years. Using tools like Eleven Labs, Riverside.fm, and Descript have saved me hours of time and allowed me to work smarter. If you are new to audio production, mastering these tools will help you to be more creative and save you time by automating your workflow. If you are a Pro, tasks that might have taken you hours can now take minutes, freeing up your editing time to be more creative instead. If you need inspiration, there is sure to be an AI tool that will help you get out of your box.
Some pics from my travels....
Jake Kaplan is an Audio Creative Director with 15+ years of experience building award winning audio design for some of the most recognized brands in audio. To learn more go JakeKaplan.com or email jake@jakekaplan.com.
Comments