8 Tips for Podcast Editing
A single episode of Inappropriate Questions begins with hours of content. Between our sessions with our guests, expert interviews, field pieces, host banter, and community voicenotes, it can be daunting to figure out where to start.
Luckily, we’ve picked up some tips and tricks along the way that help us break things down into manageable pieces, and makes the editing process easier. We’re no experts by any means (we’re always learning and experimenting) but here are some tricks we like to use:
1) Editing begins before you record
The term post-production implies that editing only begins after your recordings are all done, but that’s not necessarily true! Before interviews, it’s wise to make life easier for your editor (perhaps your future self) by making sure you have a concise list of questions or talking points, which are relevant to your subject and well-researched. There is nothing worse than going into a session unprepared. You should be comfortable enough with the subject that you would be able to conduct the interview without your question sheet. This way, you’re less likely to have awkward pauses or rambling, which greatly helps down the line.
2) Recording time is note-taking time
There are a lot of things you can do during a recording to set yourself up for a smoother editing process later. We’re fortunate to have a studio with a control room and a separate interview room, allowing our producers to speak freely while our hosts interview a guest. This allows us to easily take notes, mark timecodes, and help keep the interview on track. We can monitor when we switch to a new topic or if we need to record a pick-up (to clarify a question or fill in a gap). By smoothing the interview process, we’re able to reduce the length of recordings we have to listen back to.
3) Listen to EVERYTHING
Our typical process requires listening to the entire recording and using markers in our audio software to indicate new topics. Doing so gives us a rough idea of how much time we spend on each topic and to see if there’s a better way to arrange the story so it flows better. The benefit of listening to your main interview first is that you’re able to find connections with the supplementary pieces. If our guest mentions Topic A and so does our expert, we know where we can connect their stories.
As you listen through all your recordings, take the time to make notes. We’ll often note down what questions were asked and what major topics are covered. This way, you’ll be able to easily find these parts later! We’ve also found that it’s a fantastic way for us to keep track of things that might not make it into the episode, but would be great for a social media soundbite or quote board later on.
5) Colour code
When you’re trying to cut a 90-minute interview down to 20 minutes, there’s a lot that won’t make it in. As you do your initial listen-through, colour code sections using a system that makes sense for you. For example, one of our editors assigns red to “great content to definitely include!”, yellow to “good content but can cut if needed,” and even dark blue for bloopers and funny moments. This way, when she goes to do her rough cut, she can quickly identify which sections to focus on.
6) Kill your darlings
Any creative has heard this saying ad nauseum. It’s especially true for editing a podcast. Think critically about every question, anecdote, and discussion thread in your interview. Do they all serve their intended purpose?
Here are some examples of things we’ve had to cut out of our rough cuts:
- Personal anecdotes that are only loosely related to our topic, or that go on for too long (listeners have short attention spans!)
- Broader discussions that aren’t focused enough or don’t shed a new light on our topic
- Insightful reflections on our topic which reiterate points made earlier
- Cute or funny banter segments that go on for too long or are too distracting
7) Fresh ears
After a rough cut is done, have others take a listen with “fresh ears.” People who haven’t spent hours and hours listening to it will be able to offer a new perspective.
We like to gather for listening sessions where the team listens together, takes notes, and share thoughts. Make sure to bring some snacks! Even if you’re working solo, see if you can send it to friends or other people for feedback.
Questions to think about or ask others during the feedback stage include:
- If this were radio, are there any spots where I would’ve changed the station? Was anything boring, too long, or not interesting enough to keep my attention?
- Is there anything that felt repetitive?
- Is anything unclear or confusing?
Since a lot of people listen to podcasts while doing something else (e.g. commuting, doing chores, working out) give your piece a listen while doing one of these things. This way, you can identify parts that might be difficult to understand or hear if someone’s not giving the episode their complete attention.
8) It’ll never feel “done”
As creatives, we are hard on ourselves. We can be protective of our work and prone to perfectionism. If you can’t seem to get your episode to that sparkling place you had envisioned, forgive your own imperfections and release it anyway! Odds are that none of your listeners will be as critical as you are.
On the other hand, if there are significant issues you want to address before you release, find some more “fresh ears” to discuss them with. Have patience and trust yourself or your team to find the right solution.
Editing is a difficult process and probably the hardest part of making a podcast. There is a great opportunity to shape your show and weave together a compelling story that features many unique voices in the edit suite. We hope that some of our tips will be helpful to you. Tell us about your editing process in the comments and feel free to ask questions!
