🎙️ Updating my Audio Editing Process (Tips and Lessons Learned)

Behind-the-scenes insights from my first podcast production experience

When I decided to co-produce a podcast with Rebecca at the end of 2024, I thought: "How hard could it be? I’ve dabbled in some audio editing, right?"

Spoiler: Podcasting is a lot more involved than it seems. Here's what I learned, so you don't have to learn the hard way.

🎧 My Love-Hate relationship with Audio Editing

Audio editing is incredibly precise and oddly abstract. My journey started in Audacity (great for basics), but I eventually leveled up to Adobe Audition—a professional tool that changed everything.

Despite being familiar with Adobe tools, Audition required a mental shift. The interface felt familiar, but the workflow was its own beast.

🧠 Sanity-Saving Shortcuts in Audition

Whenever I have to learn a new software, I always, without fail, start with learning the shortcuts. Worker smarter, not harder.

Here are some Audition shortcuts that saved me during the Podcast process:

✅ Spacebar: Play/Stop
✅ M: Add marker
✅ [ and ]: Jump between markers
✅ Z: Zoom to selection
✅ Alt+Scroll: Horizontal zoom
✅ Ctrl+Shift+Z/Y: Vertical zoom

🛠️ My Podcast Production Workflow

Here’s the process I developed (after many hours of trial and error):

1️⃣ Gather Quality Audio from the Start

✅ Use a good mic. I currently use the FIFINE K688 Dynamic Microphone, currently on sale for $62 on Amazon. Many say this is a great budget-friendly dupe of the Shure SM7B.
✅ Choose a quiet room with soft surfaces (closets work!)
✅ Add blankets, rugs, or pillows to reduce reverb
✅ Avoid touching the mic or placing it on vibrating surfaces
✅ Test audio levels before recording
✅ Wear headphones to avoid feedback

2️⃣ Record Separate Tracks for Each Speaker

This is non-negotiable. Separate tracks allow you to:
✅ Adjust individual volumes
✅ Edit out filler words per speaker
✅ Apply custom EQ/compression for each voice
✅ Remove interruptions or overlaps

3️⃣ Initial Cleanup in Adobe Audition
✅ Flag distracting sections with markers
✅ Choose which speaker to keep when voices overlap. This is usually a quick visual scan of when audio tracks overlap on the Audition timeline. If Speaker 1 laughs or makes an active listening cue like “mhm” or “yeah”, I usually cut these completely out in favor of listening to Speaker 2’s dialogue. 

✨ Descript: My Secret Weapon

After cleaning the audio in Audition, I use Descript to edit through the transcript instead of the timeline. Descript is an absolute essential if you find yourself regularly needing to edit audio or videos. Rather than the traditional way of haunting the audio track timeline, you can edit your audio tracks through the transcript, in the same way you edit your word document. This is especially useful if you’re not quite familiar with audio editing shortcuts and softwares!

With Descript you can:

✅ Delete words like "you know" or "like" by editing the text
✅ Highlight paragraphs to remove full tangents
✅ Apply Studio Sound to enhance clarity
✅ Use version history to stay safe

⚠️ Descript Tips

✅ Review auto-flagged filler words carefully (they're not always wrong)
✅ Re-listen after large edits to ensure natural flow
✅ Check speaker labels (they’re not always accurate)

🗣️ Overdub in Descript

With Overdub, you can use AI to generate speech that sounds like you:
✅ Fix mispronunciations
✅ Add a new intro or clarification
✅ Replace noisy audio sections

This is incredibly useful if you’ve accidentally cut out an essential word or if you need to re-record singular words/sentences but don’t have the time to do a rerecording. 

🎛️ Final Polishing in Adobe Audition (Tips)

This is where your podcast goes from good to polished.

🗣️ 1. Avoid Overusing Vocal Enhancer

The Vocal Enhancer effect boosts clarity and presence, but if overused (above level 5–6), it can make your voice sound robotic or unnatural. 

✅ Keep it subtle (level 3–5)

✅ Or skip it entirely and use EQ and compression manually for more control.

🔇 2. How to Remove Background Noise (Cleanly)

Cleaning up ambient noise makes your audio sound more professional. There are two methods:

✅ A. Noise Reduction (Process)
This is great for removing constant background sounds like a fan or computer hum.

• Select a quiet section (no speaking).

• Go to Effects > Noise Reduction/Restoration > Capture Noise Print.

• Then select your full clip and open Noise Reduction (Process).

• Start with:

• Reduction: 40–60%

• Noise: 10–20 dB

• Use the Preview to check. Apply gradually, too much can make your voice sound muffled.

✅ B. Auto Heal / Spot Fix
This is perfect for isolated sounds like coughs or sudden bumps.

• Highlight the noise and use Favorites > Auto Heal Selection.

• It blends the sound in with the rest of the audio.

🧼 3. Use DeNoise for Quick Fixes

DeNoise is a faster, gentler alternative to full noise reduction. It works great for light hissing or subtle background noise.

• Go to Effects > Noise Reduction/Restoration > DeNoise.

• Set Reduction to around 20–40%.

• This tool is more forgiving and preserves voice quality better than aggressive filtering.

💨 4. Use the Parametric EQ for Voice Shaping

EQ helps balance your voice so it sounds clearer and more pleasant. 

🛠️ To open it: Go to Effects > Filter and EQ > Parametric Equalizer. You'll see a frequency graph where you can drag control points to boost or cut specific ranges.

Here’s what I like to do:

✅ High-pass filter at 80–100Hz: Removes low rumble (like mic bumps or breath pops)

✅ Cut 200–300Hz: Gets rid of muddiness, making your voice sound cleaner. 

✅ Boost 3–5kHz: Adds clarity, making speech more intelligible. 

✅ Light boost at 8–10kHz: Adds brightness or "air" to the voice, but don’t overdo it.

🎯 Why it matters: This makes your podcast sound polished and easier to listen to—without making your voice sound artificial.

✅ Final Checklist Before Exporting

• Listen at low volume for clarity

• De-ess sharp "s" sounds if needed

• Check for natural transitions

• Remove distracting breaths or mouth noises

• Add fades at the start and end

• Run loudness analysis (LUFS check)

• Export a test clip and review on earbuds, car speakers, and laptop
  
  

🧠 Final Thoughts

I have a whole new respect for podcasters. Editing a single episode can take hours, but it’s worth it—especially with tools like Descript and Audition in your workflow.

For instructional designers or creatives, podcasting builds skills in storytelling, editing, and technical audio design. I’d absolutely do it again, just with a more realistic timeline and even more pillows.

💬 Have you tried podcasting for instructional purposes? I’d love to hear your favorite tools or lessons.