Headphones are Non-Negotiable in Podcasting – Episode 114

[MUSIC IN – GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS]

MARY: As video blurs the lines of what a podcast is, some listeners are defining podcasts as any show that has a microphone and headphones, especially when there are two or more people talking, that is a podcast. That is essentially what a lot of people think these days. And yet recently, I had a call with a podcast client asking, why do we even need headphones? Why is it so important for a podcast? And I get it because we’re so used to doing video chats or webinars that you don’t always see headphones when doing those types of work, which they’re like, but if I have a conversation on a video chat, then it’s a video chat, I don’t need headphones, so why do I need headphones? So let’s differentiate when it comes to podcasting and why headphones are important. 

In today’s episode, I’ll share why it’s more than just a visual marker of a podcast and why headphones are actually a necessity when it comes to recording your show, whether that is online, like in those video chats, or in person.

This is episode number 114 on the Podcaster’s Guide to a Visible Voice.

<< WOMAN SINGS: So so so so let’s go >>

Hey, thanks again for joining me today. If you listen to the last episode, 

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Susan Thompson, she was talking about the challenges and magic of recording in the mountains of the country of Georgia. In person recordings, such a novelty sometimes with podcasting, because so much of podcast interviews at least, are done online. And then to hear Susan talk about lugging around all this gear with the mics, the recorders, the headphones, and not knowing when she need to take this all out and find the perfect timing to hit that record button with the people that she was in that village with, makes me sometimes wonder if online is the way to go. But then you don’t get that wonderful sound. The environment of that live recording yet online could also be great, right? 

There’s pros and cons of everything. With online, things are more scheduled. Each person can move about their day and then quickly log on to that conversation. But then also you have that dreaded echo, or if you’ve got really bad Internet connection, which means you get poor quality sound. Either way, if you record in person or online, there are practicalities that you have to deal with, right? Those pros and cons for either types of those recording environments. But yeah, those in person recordings, they do give a totally different feel. But, you know, that’s a conversation for another day. Today, it’s why are headphones a non-negotiable?

[RHYTHMIC MAMBO STYLE MUSIC IN]

For online recordings. There’s something called audio bleed or feedback loops. That’s the echo that I mentioned before. The echo that you hear if there weren’t any noise or echo cancellation boxes I usually check off these days. Or they’re automatically default in your recording settings. So that means if the person you are talking to, your guest is coming through the laptop sign speakers. That’s how you hear them through the speakers of your computer. And your microphone is actually recording everything it hears in the room, including the sounds that are coming out of your laptop. 

So if you can picture this, the sound waves coming out of your laptop being recorded into your microphone, which is then being fed back out into your guest’s laptop, which is recorded on their microphone and fed back into your laptop. Does that make sense? You’re seeing this loop, right? There’s this whole audio loop that’s happening and that is the echo that you are hearing. It’s not ideal. And it’s actually the worst case scenario that you really cannot fix after the fact. And if you weren’t paying attention, then you’ve recorded an entire episode that you cannot fix or publish. Yeah, it’s happened before. So that’s why a lot of online video chats and webinar settings are automatic with that noise suppression feature. They put it in because most people who are using this for video chats don’t know how to set up their audio properly. 

Yet for podcasting, we want to set it up differently because we want to capture the best audio quality possible so that your ideal listener has a really great listening experience, as if they are in the room with you and not listening to another webinar or Zoom chat. So when you use headphones for online recordings, you don’t have to use the noise suppression feature, which makes the audio sound bad anyway, right? You’ve all heard it. I don’t need to describe it. So when you use headphones, they actually isolate the audio from the microphone recording. So going back to that loop visualization that I did, if you have headphones, the sound is no longer coming from your laptop speakers. The sound from your guest is going into your headphones, which is isolated from the microphone. So the microphone will not pick up that sound. Your microphone is only recording your voice and the environment in your room. 

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So quick note, if you are recording on Zoom, and I get it, sometimes people are like, I don’t want to pay for another subscription for something else. I already have Zoom. I can record on Zoom. Why can’t I use it well, lucky you. If you actually go through some settings, you can make it so that the default is no longer this noise suppression feature. However, your guests will have to do that on their end too. So it’s not the easiest thing to do if you’re not technically inclined, especially for your guests. And that’s why there are online recording platforms that try to make it as easy, easy as possible. 

However, like I said, if you are using Zoom to record your podcast episodes, because it’s the ease of use for the everyday podcaster that makes sense. If you are going to use Zoom, you can adjust the audio settings so that you use what they call original sound. Just make sure that you do have your headphones on and you are using that. So your guests will also have to make these adjustments on their side. And I’ll leave a link in the show notes for how you can adjust these audio settings. And if you don’t use Zoom, whatever platform you use, there usually are options for this. So look into it for better audio recordings, which means a better listening experience for your ideal listener. 

[GUITAR AND XYLOPHONE BUILDING MUSIC IN] 

Anyway, so back to online recordings. If you have a guest, you can hear them through your headphones, but your microphone will not, right? That’s the isolation I was talking about earlier. The only thing that might trip this up is that if you have your headphones volume turned way up and they’re not over the ear and isolating the sound into your ears, and there’s a bit of sound that leaks out of the headphones because your volume is turned up so loud, and then you’re also close enough to the microphone that it picks it up. It doesn’t happen too often in podcasting, but it does. So I thought I’d mention it. Because back in my radio days, it was so, so common. It happened all the time because the announcer who worked at the music radio station would turn up the volume on their headphones when it was their favourite music that was playing, and they’d like sing along or dance along. And as the song is ending, they’re gonna get ready to go back on the air and they forget to turn the volume down on their headphones. So when they started talking, you hear yourself in your headphones. That’s called monitoring. And that got picked up on the microphone. So, yeah, if you’re rocking out to your podcast, I’d turn it down anyway. You know, just to preserve your hearing for your eventual old age. Don’t ask why I know that. 

[MUSIC FADES AND ENDS]

So the next point I just mentioned is the monitoring now, not all online or in person recordings have this option or if you can set it up this way. However, if it does and you find out how to do this, it would be to your advantage. Sometimes it’s buried in the settings of your setup. If you have additional gear, there might be a button for that you can turn on. Ideally, you actually want to hear yourself in your headphones. And some people are like, well, I don’t want to hear myself, that’s why I don’t wear headphones. Or it’s distracting, I’m hearing myself, but I’m, I’m talking like what is going on? But mostly when you are thinking this, it’s probably because you are being very self critical here. It’s that self judgment of your voice. And yes, it does take practice to realize what you’re actually listening for and you’re not judging yourself about your voice and how you’re sounding. 

Recording with headphones isn’t about that. You’re not listening for the sound of your own voice. What’s important here is knowing what you are hearing in your headphones because that is exactly what is being recorded. So you’re listening for what is being recorded. Microphones are very, very sensitive, so they’ll hear and record everything in the room, depending on your microphone of course. But most podcasting mic these days record a lot of stuff in the room. So you might be able to hear a car driving by outside or your neighbor’s dog is barking, or sometimes you’ve got kids running up and down the stairs or above you because that’s where the hallway is where you’re recording or something like that. Or even my favourite fidgeting. You know, you might have a clicky pen that you’re clicking and you’re fidgeting that you don’t notice until you are recording with a microphone and headphones. 

The other important point is that you are also listening for levels. So how loud someone is speaking or they opposite if they’re too soft, you’re like, oh, I can’t hear you. I, I need to turn up that person’s volume or gain in order to record them at a louder level. The other thing might be, are you even using the correct microphone? Sometimes there are multiple microphones. There could be a laptop option, there could be an external mic. It could be trying to connect to your phone. Is it recording off of that? So you want to make sure that you have headphones so that you can hear which microphone it is actually picking up and recording. Or one of the things is if you have a guest and they’re the ones doing the fidgeting. You’ll be able to hear that pen clicking a lot because it’s right in your eardrums. So it’s all about how everything sounds in the end and what your ideal listener is going to experience in the end. 

[BUILDING THOUGHTFUL MUSIC WITH STRINGS IN] 

But okay. You’re also wondering about those shows that aren’t using headphones. We’ve seen them, probably a big YouTube show, these big video podcasts, usually with a celebrity or influencer or what have you. What’s happening here is probably because they have a team. They have someone that will take on that role as an audio producer or recording engineer. They’re listening for the sound of the recording. They are behind the scenes doing the actual recording and monitoring of the sound, or they are recording in a very isolated room so that they have more control over the sound, and they might do some sound tests before they hit record. 

Either way, it’s a luxury and a privilege because most everyday podcasters are doing all of this themselves. They’re playing the host and the audio engineer, monitoring the sound all at the same time. So, really, congrats to you because you have this additional talent. You know how to multitask. And if you are a big celebrity and you’re listening to this episode, my gosh, thank you for listening to my little show. I would actually challenge you to use them for your video podcast. Like I said, most people think a podcast is someone with headphones and a microphone. So really, that visual brand of having headphones on can’t hurt your show that much because you get to hone in on the audio as well. 

Headphones really gets you to focus on what your guest is saying. It kind of blocks out some of the room noise and what’s happening elsewhere in the room. You can just hear the person’s story and what they are sharing within your ears. So not a bad idea to use headphones. 

[MUSIC FADES AND ENDS]

All right, if you’re not convinced yet. I never try to convince or force anyone to do anything they don’t want, but really, I get it. Especially on the type of headphones you might have. Not all of them are comfortable. I’ve been in radio for over 20 years before doing the podcasting thing. I’ve gone through my fair share of headphones over the years, from big, uncomfortable things that can be cumbersome or really hot in some environments, making eww, your ears sweat, gross. Or those little earbuds that you might think, okay, they’re portable, I’ve got them, but maybe they hurt after a long period, or they’re too big, or they’re too small and they just don’t fit right. Or even. I have a client who has big curly hair, so she went for the earbuds because the big headphones was going to crush her hair. And I kind of get that. The curly hair challenge can be an issue with headphones. 

So headphones, like clothing, is not an all one size fits all scenario. Believe it or not, headphones are all built and made differently. So it’s not just a style choice. They really are the backbone to a really great recording. So if you’re looking at those big headphones that I was talking about, they’re called over ear headphones. If you are using them and you know you have a long recording, take a break. If you’re recording solo episodes, that’s easy to do. Just put the headphones down, hit pause, come back, hit record again. But you know what, you can do this too with a guest. Just let them know before the recording that you’re going to take a break partway through, find a natural pause in that conversation, go grab a drink of water, then come back. And you know what? Some guests appreciate the breather as well. 

If you’re going to go the earbuds route, see if you can find one that has different sizing options. Some models have these attachments that you can fit onto the earbuds so that it will make them smaller, like for me, or to fit larger ear canals. They’ll be much more comfortable that way. 

Oh, and one last caveat. Don’t use Bluetooth headphones. One, people forget to charge them and then they stop working. So then the Bluetooth needs to pick up something else or the sound from the headphones then get transferred to your laptop speaker. So then you have to pause, readjust, or you guys have to find another set of headphones. Another reason some Bluetooth earbuds have attached mics, thinking about AirPods right now. They’re not the best option because depending on the type, they could degrade the audio. Or in the AirPod case, the microphone is actually by your ear, not where your mouth is. So the audio quality is not that great. In a pinch, they’ll do, but not my first choice. 

And lastly, number three, Bluetooth headphones sometimes decide they want to connect to your phone or something else instead that you have in the house. An iPad, another device. So your audio gets switched out and then again back to your laptop speakers. And that problem again. 

[ENERGETIC RHYTHMIC MUSIC WITH CLAPPING IN]

So there you are. My reasons for you to try and use headphones. If you are not Right now, are you recording with headphones for your podcast? Are you team wear headphones or have you not bothered so far? Because if you haven’t, I challenge you to try and record an episode with them and with online recordings, turning off the noise or echo cancellation suppression option or default. And if you’re in person recording, use those headphones and appreciate what the microphone is picking up. The sound environment around you will sound really different once you have some headphones on, you’ll be amazed at what you hear. 

So let me know, are you team headphones or you haven’t bothered or you’ve tried and you’re like, I hate these. I’d love to know. Maybe we can chat about the model of headphones you’re using and there’s a better alternative. So drop me a line VisibleVoicePodcast.com There is the purple send voicemail button. Or you can leave me an email as well. You can record a voice note and like email it to me. That works to VisibleVoicePodcast@gmail.com.

On the next episode, I get to nerd out with a fellow podcaster. Always fun to do. This podcaster has created over nine different podcasts and releasing over 2,200 episodes in the past seven years. And right now he’s on a goal of daily podcasting too. Now with all that, he definitely has a story or two to tell and shares a few lessons along the way too. [Woo noise] So you’ll want to tune in next episode with Dave Campbell. He’s a fellow Canadian on the other side of the country in Ontario, and he found his way to podcasting via a life in music. So storytelling and creativity has always been a constant in his life and podcasting is that perfect match. 

So let’s all nerd out together about making podcasts. And I mean, really, what else is new around here? We’re always nerding out about podcasting and making your show better. So we’ll listen in with Dave Campbell next time on the show.

[ENERGETIC RHYTHMIC MUSIC WITH CLAPPING ENDS // OUTRO MUSIC IN – SHOW CLOSE]

<< GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS >>

MARY: Thank you so much for listening to the Podcaster’s Guide to a Visible Voice. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you shared it with a podcasting friend. And to reveal more voicing and podcasting tips, click on over to visiblevoicepodcast.com.

<< WOMAN SINGS: Let’s go >>

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