Which Recording Software Is Best For Audiobook And Podcast Production?

Audiobooks and podcasts, the kind of radio programs that anyone can produce and distribute over the internet, are growing in popularity. Hundreds of new productions appear every day, and the pace of creation is ever higher. We have audiobooks and podcasts on all topics and also of different qualities-from recordings with the native mobile app without any editing to other much more developed productions with several members. There are several programs to record audiobooks and podcasts: some very simple ones that allow you to record and upload it to a distribution platform, and others that are complete audio editing tools. Even some of the best applications to listen to podcasts allow you to create your audio.

What Are Audiobooks And Podcasts?

Unquestionably, it is important to be clear about audiobooks and podcasts. These are excellent tools for producing an online radio program, and how this increases the feedback between sender and receiver since it allows one to access the contents whenever possible.

Audiobooks and podcasts have always stayed in fashion. However, they are currently experiencing a particular boom thanks partly to the interest of large platforms in promoting them: such as Spotify. They have only recorded radio programs we can listen to on the internet, thus forgetting the need to hear them live. But when we talk about radio shows, we don’t just mean them professionally. Anyone can record a podcast or an audiobook at home with great quality. If, in addition to listening, you also want to record, you can use apps.

First Of All, What Do You Need?

The logical thing would be to think of a professional team with a computer, a microphone to capture quality sound, and some program to edit the files. Well, no, none of that. With these apps, you can do it using only mobile.

Audiobooks and podcasting consist of distributing multimedia files, generally audio, through a retransmission system with which users can download or listen to all content from a personal device and at any time after its original broadcast. In addition, it usually allows subscribers to be aware of new publications at all times. Audiobook publishing on Amazon is getting popular and offers an excellent avenue for modern writers.

The podcast is a personalized and downloadable radio program that can be mounted on any web platform, such as a site or blog, or certain popular platforms, such as iTunes.

Currently, we can listen to podcasts on almost any platform, making recording them a good idea to have a good time chatting with friends about something that interests us and others. Beyond recording podcasts with the programs and applications you have below, it is convenient to know that we can upload them to platforms that allow us to reach a very wide audience.

Software To Record Audiobooks And Podcasts From PC Or Mac

If you want to produce audiobooks and podcasts from a PC or a Mac, there are many options to record them from PC or Mac. Some are paid, but others can be downloaded for free to our computer.

Adobe Audition

This software is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, and like many other programs, it is among the best in its sector. Perfect for recording, editing, and getting professional results thanks to the multiple tools and technologies it includes. Its learning curve is quite steep, but once controlled, you will be able to carry out the basic actions comfortably and be capable of advanced functions.

Adobe distributes this software under a subscription model, which is available for Windows and Mac. It may be the complete option. It is mainly intended if you want to “dedicate yourself” to this or simply if you are going to take it seriously, but not if you are going to record a podcast with friends without receiving anything in return. You can download a free trial version to familiarize yourself with the program or see if it’s worth investing in.

Garageband

Garageband is designed for music production, but it’s a very useful option for recording of all kinds. It has a drawback and an advantage: it’s only available on Mac and iOS, so we won’t be able to use it on other computers with another operating system. But, in exchange, it has the advantage of being a free program. It is one of the most complete and recommended. It is designed to record podcasts but also aims to allow us to make music like an almost professional DJ. You can play on a virtual piano and add guitars or all kinds of possible sounds from instruments from all cultures. It is perfect if you don’t need a very complicated edition but are looking for the best possible recording quality. Of course, you will need a good microphone and recording in an echo- and noise-free environment to get the best results.

Logic ProX

If you want to produce a slightly more complex audiobook or podcast and you’re using a Mac, Garageband may fall short. In these cases, Apple offers Logic Pro X, professional music editing software that can be very useful when recording a podcast. The drawback of this program is that we can only download it if we have an Apple computer since it is not compatible with Windows or with platforms like Android. But if you have a Mac, it is one of the best options and most used by professionals. It offers advanced features and others that can make your life much easier, like automatic track synchronization and many plugins. The specifications are to have MacOS 10.15.7 or later installed and have 6 GB of free space for the minimum installation or 72 GB for the complete installation with the Sound Library. The drawback of this program is not only that it is exclusive to Mac but also that it is paid.

Audacity

Certainly, you have heard of it, and it is one of the most popular for recording audiobooks and podcasts. Another popular solution, especially for people just starting, is to get the app for free. It offers all the tools to do the audio editing necessary for a podcast and has recording tools.

It is the most popular option because it is free; it is open-source software for macOS, Linux, or Windows, so we can use it on any platform without any compatibility problems. Many students know how it works. It is one of the most recommended options for setting up any audio program for your university or institute, so it is a perfect option if you are looking for programs to record podcasts that do not involve any cost.

Other Programs To Record Podcasts

They are less well-known than the previous ones but are a good option if you are looking for free or less popular alternatives.

Voicemeeter Banana

It is another very useful application if you plan to make recordings between several people who are in remote locations. You can select several audio inputs (which can be applications like Skype) and control each individually. Thanks to this, you can, for example, mute a microphone during the intervention of another person; control the volumes of each track, etc.

In this case, it is only available for Windows. The interface could be more striking and professional, but the program allows us all options to control the audio and hardware.

Pro Tools

It is another very complete and professional tool for audiobooks and podcasts. Professional recording studios use this software to produce music. It is perfect if you want a manageable number of limits regarding recording, editing, and mixing your podcast. It is also available for Windows and Mac.

You can buy Pro Tools, and it’s not a free program, but there are two versions depending on whether you want the essentials or the Ultimate version with more post-production tools. The differences are in the channels, the supported video tracks, the audio tracks, and the multichannel mixing options.

ZenCastr

This podcast recording software can be easily used by advanced and novice users. Among the main features and functions, note that it allows recording in WAV without loss to offer good audio, it offers the possibility of adding a lot of elements while we are recording, which greatly reduces post-production editing tasks, and for each guest has its track, meaning all voices are recorded in high quality and as clear as possible.

Best Programs To Record Audiobooks And Podcasts From Your Mobile

If your podcast only needs a partial edition and you want more freedom to record it anywhere, a mobile phone and one of the apps we will show you below can also be very good options. These software tools are perfect for authors looking for book publishing service solutions.

Apple also offers a version for iPhone and iPad of the application that we already discussed in the computer section. It’s perfect for recording podcasts and then making small edits. Once recorded, it is possible to export the audio file in different formats to later publish it on the distribution platform of your choice (iTunes, Spotify, Anchor.) It is an exclusive program for iOS phones and tablets, so you cannot have it from an Android mobile. You can record podcasts or make music without having an instrument but also be compatible with instruments to be a professional musician.

Spreaker Studio

This app is available for iOS and Android and is the most complete. Among its features is the possibility of broadcasting live or recording several tracks later to publish them on the platform of your choice. Of course, it can add sound effects, mix tracks, and music.

Beyond a mobile application, it also has a desktop version, but, like others on this list, there are payment plans. You can use the program at no cost. However, there are plans with more features from seven euros a month that allow us customizable RSS feeds or programmatic monetization, for example.

Anchor

It is one of the main rivals of Speaker Studio. It is a specialized application for recording and editing audiobooks and podcasts from your mobile. It also has a user interface that makes everything very intuitive and simple. It is an app that is free for iOS and Android.

It allows you to work with several tracks, mix audio, or apply transitions. One of the advantages of Anchor is that we can edit the content with music that we have on Spotify, or we can, for example, insert wedges in our podcasts if we want to look completely professional. It is very interesting, and we can make ourselves known by creating content for the audience. In addition, we can meet other creators.

Podbean

It is a very popular app in the world of podcasting. It offers different tools to record and later edit a podcast. Among its main advantages is that it offers a big enough music library to include songs in the programs. It is possible to apply sound effects, cut or join audio clips or make all the necessary adjustments from the mobile phone. The undesirable part is that the free version has some limitations regarding bandwidth and available space if you want to host the files on it. You can use it for free, although there are also unlimited plans for experts.

Podomatic Podcast Recorder

This is another ideal application to record our audiobooks and podcasts quickly and easily to obtain professional results. It allows us to record from our mobile comfortably and later share them on our favorite social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. However, it also allows us to publish them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, etc. It allows us to track the growth and reproductions, offering us a lot of interesting statistics, such as reproductions, views, followers, likes, etc. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.

How To Record Audiobooks Or Long Narratives

They say that the narration of audiobooks is by far the most complicated genre for announcers and dubbing actors, apart from facing long days of recording and needing visual references as in the dubbing of series and movies. This training is challenging to achieve. That’s why it is essential to get suitable help when looking for book publications.

Plextalk Recording Software (PRS)

It is a classic audiobook recording program. It is free and was created more than 20 years ago. It can also be downloaded online but is challenging to find. It is a very simple executable file to install. There are seven or eight basic commands to record audiobooks in the desired format. It also serves us perfectly to record other types of genres such as documentaries, e-learning courses, spots, or telephone switchboards.

This program allows continuous narration and automatically detects various types of pauses whose duration can be set. It saves each audio space between pauses in a separate file that can be saved in just one if we want to edit it a bit in our usual editing program.

It is worth stopping at it because it can save us a lot of time when recording and editing voiceovers. And saving time is also saving in costs and unpleasantness.

Maximum audio quality

The maximum audio quality is less important than for other formats. Still, we must always pay attention to this and ensure that our text and environment are pleasant and enveloping and not something indecipherable and harmful to the sensitive ears of the readers of this interesting and complex format, such as the audiobook.

The basic rules to start recording audiobooks are simple but more challenging to achieve when obtaining satisfactory results. Some presenters still need to consider recording audiobooks, only children’s stories. Let’s see why:

How to Face A Long Narrative, E-learning, Audiobook, Or Podcast

• Plan the work days and think that our voice has to stay in an optimal state in the coming days, and take care of the environment in which we will be without beating ourselves up during a recording that prevents us from performing the next day or later.
• Do a little body and voice warm-up before starting. Only spend up to half an hour with breaks of 5 or 10 minutes, hydrating the throat with water and stretching our legs, back and eyelids if necessary.
• Singing a few songs that we know for 5 minutes will help us prepare our vocal apparatus, apart from the classic warm-up exercises for announcers, voice or dubbing actors, and singers.
• Carry a much-anticipated reading pace, leisurely, natural, relaxed, and in a fairly neutral and continuous tone, respecting the text’s punctuation as much as possible because we have to be as faithful as possible to the rhythm and cadence that the author of the text wanted to give it at the time of conceiving it.
• Make small regular pauses in the commas and longer ones after the points and followed and full stops, making sure that they always last the same.
• Before jumping into the pool of audiobook and podcast recordings, a very good exercise is to read a few paragraphs, always breathing after each pause, and learn to control our breathing.
• Therefore, the rhythm must be continuous and enveloping, slowing down without losing dynamism.
• Changing it a little from time to time is advisable to break the monotony and create different environments.
• Be very aware at all times that we do not have to interpret too much as is done in theater or dubbing and that when several characters are involved in a dialogue, we give each one, whether female or male, a degree of tonality that differentiates them is more than enough.
• Breathe deeply through the nose and the mouth ajar so as not to make noise after the commas and periods, trying to send the maximum amount of air to the diaphragm with each inspiration.
• Have at least three different registers of your voice (low, medium, and high) and apply them to each character that intervenes in the dialogues.
• Lengthen some vowels to change rhythm and tone and thus lose monotony in long narratives.

Start Recording Your Audiobooks And Podcasts

Even if you’re not a professional broadcaster, there are many benefits to recording an audiobook or a podcast in your voice: from giving listeners a deeper personal connection to the story and narrator to reflecting better emotional expression and delivery of material, as well as a feeling of ownership and pride in your work. It will allow you to become a self-published author.

Recording space: Find a quiet space, essential to achieve good audio quality, without noise that forces you to return to the task repeatedly. Find a room that is insulated from outside noise. It also uses a noise-canceling microphone to reduce background noise.

Start with a test: A trial will help you get comfortable with the software and help your narration sound smooth and coherent.

Take breaks: It’s hard to read or narrate for hours, so take regular breaks to avoid fatigue.

Stay focused: When you’re recording, stay focused on the material so that your narration is cohesive and error-free.

Practice makes perfect: The more you practice, the better your audiobook and podcast will sound. Try reading passages out loud to get used to the flow of the text. Also, practice different voices for different characters if it’s a work of fiction.

Record in segments: When you record, it’s important to break the text into smaller chunks. This makes editing later easier and the recording process less daunting. Try to keep each segment for less than 30 minutes.

Read slowly and clearly: One of the biggest things people need to correct when recording is reading too fast. Remember: listeners will be hearing your voice for hours, so it needs to be easy to understand.

Think about the listener: Pay attention to sound quality and that all edits are done in a way that doesn’t affect the listener’s experience.

Take care of the changes in each format: If you make any changes, please note that they are reflected in both the text and audio versions.

Hire A Voiceover Artist To Record Your Audiobooks And Podcasts

If you feel like you need a better voice or are more convinced by the AI options, you still have options like finding a friend or family member with a good voice, diction, and willingness to record audiobooks and podcasts. A professional alternative is to hire a broadcaster.

Conclusion

Search well. After experience recording audiobooks and podcasts, we can assure you that audiobooks are much more complicated than podcasts, and some can choke a lot and never end. Good luck, and practice reading aloud daily until you become fluent if you want to be a powerful online presenter!