Why Editing Matters (Even for Casual Shows)

Listeners don’t need your podcast to sound like NPR—but they do expect it to sound intentional.

That means:

No loud background noise
No long, awkward silences
No obvious “ums,” “uhs,” or stumbles (at least not too many)

Even light editing can turn a decent episode into one that feels tight, professional, and worth listening to.

Key Takeaways

Editing helps your podcast sound clear, professional, and easy to follow.
You don’t need advanced skills or expensive software to get started.
Focus on removing distractions, improving clarity, and enhancing flow.
The goal is clean and consistent—not perfect.
If editing feels overwhelming, outsourcing it lets you focus on the content you love.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

You don’t need a studio or pro-level software to do basic podcast editing.

Beginner-Friendly Editing Tools:

Audacity (Free, Mac/Windows/Linux)
GarageBand (Free for Mac users)
Descript (Great for editing audio like a Word doc)
Alitu (Automated editing + publishing for beginners)

Each has its pros and cons—but any of these can help you clean up your episode without a steep learning curve.

💡 We recommend starting with whatever feels most intuitive. You can always upgrade later.

What to Focus On When Editing

1. Remove Distractions

Cut out:

Long pauses
False starts
Tangents that go nowhere
Obvious filler words (but leave some in so it still sounds natural)

2. Balance Your Levels

Make sure your voice (and your guest’s) are roughly the same volume. Nothing turns listeners off faster than riding the volume knob every 30 seconds.

This cannot be overstated: It’s better to record at a lower volume than too high of a volume! If your volume is too loud and your audio clips, that distortion is essentially “baked” into your file, and is very difficult to remove. In most cases, it can’t be removed at all. On the flip side, you can ALWAYS increase your loudness in post-production. The only time you may have issues balancing low volume in your editing process is if you recorded at a ridiculously low level… I’m talking something below a whisper.

3. Use Simple Effects (Lightly)

A little goes a long way:

Noise reduction (for background hiss or hum)
EQ (to make your voice sound clearer)
Compression (to smooth out loud/quiet parts)

💡 This is where most beginners go overboard. When in doubt—less is more.

Editing Tips to Keep in Mind

Don’t over-edit — you’ll lose the natural rhythm of your voice.
Edit with your listener in mind — is it clear? Easy to follow?
Batch your edits if possible — it’s easier to get into a rhythm that way.
Record clean — good editing starts with good recording (quiet room, good mic placement, etc.)

How Long Should Editing Take?

On average, beginners spend 2–3x the length of the episode editing.

So for a 30-minute episode, you might spend 1.5–2 hours (or longer) editing when you’re new. That’s totally normal.

Eventually, with systems or outsourcing, that time gets shorter.

When to Consider Hiring an Editor

If you:

Dread editing
Struggle with audio tools
Want a more polished sound
Need to free up time to focus on your content or business

...then it may be worth hiring someone (like us at HoneyPod 😉) to handle it for you.

We offer:

Professional audio and video editing, clean-up, restoration, correction, mixing & mastering
Full episode creation
Social media clips & management
Intros, outros, thumbnails, & other graphic design/animation
Theme music sourcing
Transcription, captions, & translation
Guest correspondence & follow-up
Episode scheduling & publishing
Channel, site & blog management
Launch assistance, marketing strategy, & audience growth practices
Monetization assistance
Gear & equipment troubleshooting
SEO-rich show notes, titles, and all the extras that make your podcast feel professional from start to finish

🎯 HoneyPod was designed to offer total, complete production tailored to your individual needs & as hands-off as you would like it to be for yourself!

Final Thoughts

Editing is part of what turns a raw conversation into a great podcast episode—but it doesn’t have to be scary.

Start simple. Focus on clarity. And remember: your audience doesn’t expect perfection—they just want to hear what you have to say, without the distractions.

Up Next in the HoneyPod Podcast Launch Series:

We’ll walk you through how to get your podcast published on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

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Basic Podcast Editing Tips for Beginners