When it comes to podcasts, audio is everything. Even if you have the most amazing visuals, if the right audio isn't working well with them then all is lost. The backbone of a podcast has, is, and always will be the audio.
Should there be music playing in the background when I'm speaking? What about when this person is talking? What song would be appropriate here? What do I want the listener to feel? Choosing the best sound selection and when in a podcast depends on many factors. Sound isn't just limited to music either, there are natural pops, "room noises," and voices.
Natural pops have a huge roll in creating a specific scene or location in the listener's mind. If you have birds chirping and the wind blowing then the audience gets a feeling of being outside. Add in some dogs barking and maybe a few soft conversations and the listener feels like they're in a park. Room noise is like the silence you experience when in a... well a room. It's not perfect silence, it's comforting silence. Voices are pretty self explanatory, but it's the sounds you combine with them that are important.
It's no easy task to pick what goes together but when you get it right, audio makes all the difference in the world. Choose wisely.
Should there be music playing in the background when I'm speaking? What about when this person is talking? What song would be appropriate here? What do I want the listener to feel? Choosing the best sound selection and when in a podcast depends on many factors. Sound isn't just limited to music either, there are natural pops, "room noises," and voices.
Natural pops have a huge roll in creating a specific scene or location in the listener's mind. If you have birds chirping and the wind blowing then the audience gets a feeling of being outside. Add in some dogs barking and maybe a few soft conversations and the listener feels like they're in a park. Room noise is like the silence you experience when in a... well a room. It's not perfect silence, it's comforting silence. Voices are pretty self explanatory, but it's the sounds you combine with them that are important.
It's no easy task to pick what goes together but when you get it right, audio makes all the difference in the world. Choose wisely.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, funky page. You have this Halloween-esque color scheme that still manages to successfully capture the essence of new media.
Your post captures the essential questions that any podcast creator should ask themselves when they are in the audio phase. I myself have asked many of the same questions you have asked here, and I thank you for reminding me of some of the other ones that I have slipped my mind.
As someone who enjoys music, it is very easy to get carried away and just pick songs that you like, but you make your audience know that it is the listener you should be looking out for and not for yourself.
Quirky term: natural pops.
-Alex
Hi Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Alexandra. Those are definitely questions I have been asking myself too. The key to making a good podcast is the audio, but the difference between a good podcast and a great podcast is the visual. This is easier I believe, though, since most people have a better grasp of what are great supplementary photos than great main-line audio.
Hi Steve- I certainly agree with your assertions and I very much like the image you've put with your post. My question about audio is, when we think it sounds wrong, why do we think that? what signals that for us? I'm curious about what each person's ear considers balanced when it comes to listening to a podcast. Any thoughts?
ReplyDelete