Podcast Audio Mixing: The Complete Production Guide

Settings: 80–100 Hz, 12 dB/octave slope

Removes low-frequency rumble, air conditioning hum, and plosive energy. Every podcast voice track needs this. It cleans the low end without affecting the warmth of the voice. Set it at 80 Hz for deeper voices, 100 Hz for higher voices.

Why this matters: Low-frequency rumble is inaudible on earbuds but consumes headroom and makes compression work harder. Removing it first lets every subsequent processor work better.

Settings: Reduce by 6–12 dB depending on noise level

Removes consistent background noise: air conditioning, computer fans, electrical hum, room tone. Use spectral noise reduction (like iZotope RX, Adobe Audition’s noise reduction, or the free ReaFIR plugin). Capture a noise profile from a silent section, then apply reduction.

Why this matters: Noise reduction works best early in the chain before compression amplifies the noise floor. Over-applying creates artifacts (underwater sound). Reduce noise by 6–12 dB maximum — some noise is better than artifacts.

Settings: Cut 200–400 Hz (-2 to -4 dB) for muddiness, boost 3–5 kHz (+1 to +2 dB) for presence

EQ shapes the voice to sound clear and professional. The 200–400 Hz range is where muddiness and boxiness live in most voice recordings. Cutting here opens up the voice. A gentle boost at 3–5 kHz adds presence and intelligibility, making the voice cut through on earbuds and phone speakers.

Why this matters: Most podcast listeners use earbuds or phone speakers. These devices struggle with the vocal frequencies that make speech intelligible. EQ ensures your podcast sounds clear on the devices your audience actually uses.

Settings: 3:1–4:1 ratio, -18 to -24 dB threshold, 10ms attack, 100ms release

Compression evens out the volume differences between loud and quiet moments. A 3:1 ratio is transparent enough that listeners will not hear the compression working, but it reduces the dynamic range so quiet words and loud words are closer in volume.

Why this matters: Podcasts are consumed in noisy environments (commuting, exercising, cooking). Without compression, quiet passages are inaudible over ambient noise. Compression keeps everything audible without the listener reaching for the volume control.

Settings: Target 5–8 kHz, reduce by 3–6 dB on sibilant peaks

Tames harsh S, SH, and CH sounds that become exaggerated after EQ and compression boost the upper frequencies. A de-esser only activates on sibilant peaks, leaving the rest of the voice untouched.

Why this matters: Sibilance is fatiguing on earbuds. Even subtle de-essing makes a podcast more comfortable to listen to for 30–60 minutes. Over-applying creates a lisp — use gentle settings.

Settings: Ceiling at -1 dBTP (true peak), no more than 2–3 dB of gain reduction

The safety net that prevents any audio from exceeding the maximum level. Set the ceiling at -1 dBTP to prevent clipping on any playback device. The limiter should rarely activate — if it is working hard, your compression settings need adjustment.

Why this matters: Clipped (distorted) audio is the worst listening experience. A properly set limiter ensures clean delivery even if someone shouts or laughs unexpectedly.

Settings: Target -16 LUFS (stereo) or -19 LUFS (mono)

The final step. Adjust the overall level of the finished mix to hit the loudness target. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most platforms normalize to approximately -16 LUFS. Delivering at this level ensures consistent playback without the platform applying its own processing.

Why this matters: Consistency between episodes and between your podcast and others. Listeners should not have to adjust volume when switching between podcasts.

Strengths: Industry-standard podcast editor. Excellent spectral noise reduction, multitrack editing, auto-ducking for intros/outros, and batch processing. The best noise reduction in the industry.

Best for: Professional podcast production, audio cleanup, and complex multitrack episodes.

Church use: Excellent for mixing sermon audio, cleaning up recordings from noisy environments, and batch processing weekly content.

Strengths: Professional-grade audio post-production included free with DaVinci Resolve. Full mixing console, EQ, dynamics, bus routing, and loudness metering. Integrated with video editing.

Best for: Anyone already using DaVinci Resolve for video who wants integrated audio post-production.

Church use: Perfect for mixing audio within the same project as video editing for sermon clips and social content.

Strengths: Free, open-source, cross-platform. Handles basic podcast editing, noise reduction, EQ, and compression. Large community and extensive documentation.

Best for: Beginners, budget-conscious producers, and simple single-track podcast editing.

Church use: Good starter option for church volunteers learning audio editing. Handles basic sermon audio cleanup.

Strengths: Full DAW with professional mixing tools, stock plugins, and AI-powered mastering assistant. Excellent for music-heavy podcasts.

Best for: Mac users who want a professional DAW at a one-time price. Great for podcasts with music segments.

Church use: Powerful option for worship audio mixing and podcast production on Mac.

Strengths: Incredibly powerful DAW at an unbeatable price. Full mixing capabilities, extensible with scripts and plugins, lightweight system requirements.

Best for: Technical users who want maximum flexibility. The power-user’s choice.

Church use: Excellent value for churches that want professional DAW capabilities without subscription pricing.

Strengths: AI-powered automated podcast processing. Handles loudness normalization, noise reduction, leveling, and encoding automatically. Upload raw audio, download a finished master.

Best for: Podcasters who want professional results without learning audio engineering. Set-and-forget processing.

Church use: Ideal for churches that record sermons and want consistent, professional-sounding audio without a dedicated audio engineer.