Podcast Editing: How to Do It In 11 Steps (Tutorial & Free Guide)

Key takeaways:

• Podcast editing starts with trimming your recording, cutting it into segments, and then creating a seamless narrative.
• Next is sound design, where you’ll add music, your intro and outro, and other sound effects. 
• Touch up your audio with filters and effects so it sounds clear. Remove background noise and level out your audio volume.
• If you’re editing a video podcast, end off with captions, layouts, and a custom background. 

The Tim Ferriss Show, How I Built This, The Daily - what do these podcasts have in common? Quality podcast editing. 

To take your show to the next level, you need to learn how to edit your podcast professionally. Getting the hang of the ins and outs of creating a professional-sounding podcast takes some time. But, it isn’t rocket science. 

Our full tutorial will guide you through what podcast editing involves and how to get started. 

What’s the easiest way to edit a podcast?

The easiest way depends on how hands-on you want to be:

• Automatically (beginner-friendly): Use an AI-powered podcast editor to cut filler words, balance audio, and structure your episode with minimal effort. This option is great for quick, no-fuss editing, but doesn’t give you much precision or control over your sound. 
• Manually (more control): Trim, clean, and arrange the audio (and video) yourself. This gives you more control, but also takes more time.
• Hire a producer (high budget): Hand the editing off to a professional editor or an agency. This will provide the highest quality result, but it comes at a cost.

💡Tip: Riverside gives you manual control but also provides several AI tools to make editing faster and easier - the best of both worlds!

If you’re going to go ahead and edit a podcast yourself, here’s the know-how.

How to edit a podcast: Podcast post-production process

To start editing, all you need are the right tools and an understanding of the basics of post-production.

To keep it simple, I've divided the editing process into 3 stages: the basics, sound design, and mixing. Let’s go through this process step by step.

Download our free podcast editing checklist guide to follow along while you edit.

Stage 1: Podcast editing basics

The first steps to editing your podcast involve slicing your recording and arranging it in a way that creates a compelling story for your listeners. ‍

1. Define the length of your podcast episodes

Before you start making any edits to your recording, have a clear idea of how long each episode is going to be. This will guide you through the editing process and make trimming the fat much easier. 

Free guide: Download this Riverside community guide on how to plan your podcast episodes.

Podcast episodes can be anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes in length. But if you're just starting out, 20-30 minutes is probably enough. This gives you time to convey a full narrative, but reduces the risk of listener dropoff. Shorter episodes also mean less time in post-production.

Read:  How Long Should a Podcast Be?

2. Cut your podcast and sequence it

Editing isn’t just about reducing length, it’s about sharpening your episode’s focus.

So, how do you edit with intention?

As you cut, keep asking: Does this add to the story I’m trying to tell?

For example, if you’re interviewing someone from the film industry, focus on what your audience came to hear - how they broke into entertainment, behind-the-scenes stories, celebrity run-ins. Cut out off-topic tangents that detract from these powerful moments.

How to cut and trim a podcast: Timeline editing vs text-based editing

There are two main ways to edit: visually through a timeline or by editing the text transcript.

Timeline editing

Timeline editing is the more traditional way to edit a video. With Riverside, your timeline is color-coded by speaker and includes automatic chapters to help you navigate quickly.

To trim a section:

• Move the cursor to the outer edges of your timeline, then click and drag the arrow to shorten it.
• Use the “Split” tool to create a cut: place the playhead at your cut point, click “Split,” then select the clip and delete or move it.

💡Pro tip: Use markers while recording to flag important moments you’ll want to keep (or cut) later. It makes editing faster. 

Text-based editing

Text-based editing lets you edit your podcast by deleting words in the transcript. Riverside automatically transcribes all recordings and displays the transcript, ready for editing in the editor.

Simply highlight and delete the text you don’t want, and the audio and video will go right along with it. It’s a massive time-saver, making it a great tool for solo editors or fast turnarounds.

3. Remove filler words, silences, and fluff

When you’re trimming down your podcast, make it focused so it fits your desired length.

Then edit out any remaining “noise” from the good parts of the podcast that you decided to keep. For example, you should cut:

• Unnecessary words (like redundant or rambling phrases)
• Transition words (like you know, so, I mean)
• Mistakes or awkward moments (like sneezing, or loud background noises) 
• Filled pauses (like um, er)

With Riverside’s AI Producer, you can do that in an instant. Riverside’s transcript highlights silences and filler words and allows you to remove them with a click.

Remember that some silences can be powerful and add depth to the conversation. Edit with the aim of creating a story, and remember that conversations should still feel natural.

Stage 2: Sound design

Sound design focuses on using audio elements to elicit emotions and enhance the overall listening experience. For example, using music tracks and sound effects to enhance your podcast. 

This area of post-production really takes some practice. Part of it is personal taste, and another part involves understanding your audience and the content they want.‍

4. Create a memorable intro and outro 

Having a unique podcast intro or outro can help you leave a lasting effect on your audience and is great for branding. For example, check out this intro in the Mel Robbins podcast:

How to add an intro or outro to your podcast using Riverside

Step 1: Assuming that you’re already in the editor, click on the “+” icon at the beginning of the timeline. Select “Music” to add an intro. 

Step 4: Choose one of our royalty-free tracks or click “Upload” to add your own music files. Add a track by clicking on the “+” button next to it. 

Repeat the same process for an outro, but this time click on the “+” button at the end of the timeline.

5. Add music to your podcast to set the mood

Placing podcast music strategically in your show is a way to amplify storytelling by setting the tone, building drama, or helping your audience connect emotionally with your content.

How to add music to your podcast using Riverside

Step 1: In the Riverside editor and click the “Music” button from the right toolbar.

Step 2: Choose a track or upload your own. Click the “+” beside your chosen track to add it to your timeline.

Step 4: Trim and drag the track to align with your episode.

Step 5: Adjust the volume and fade-in/fade-out effects for each track by selecting it in the timeline. A pop up menu will appear with controls for volume and fade effects.

6. Enhance your podcast with sound effects

Sound effects can spice up your podcast, like adding a “ba dum tss” drum after a joke. But don’t overdo it! 

How to add sound effects to your podcast using Riverside

Follow the exact same steps covered for adding music. With Riverside, you can also add sound effects live while recording using the Media Board to save time in post-production.

Stage 3: Audio editing and mixing

Editing involves cutting out mistakes, filler words, and awkward pauses to clean up the raw recording. Whereas, mixing focuses on the technical aspects of sound quality. 

During the mixing process, you go through all of your audio tracks and adjust various elements, such EQ, reverb and pitch (more on all of this later) to get the best audio quality. 

7. Edit your podcast audio

Podcast audio can get very technical, but beginners probably don’t need to take things that far. In fact, editing your audio can be easy.

How to edit podcast audio as a beginner

If you're new to podcast editing, Riverside's Magic Audio makes it easy to get professional sound without the technical hassle and long hours at the computer. This AI-powered feature cuts background noise, balances volume levels, and reduces reverb so you can create studio-quality audio with very little effort.

To use Magic Audio: 

Step 1: Open your recording in the Riverside editor.

Step 2: Click “AI Producer” in the top-left toolbar.

Step 3: Next to Magic Audio, click “Apply.”

Step 4: Choose to apply it to all tracks or just individual participants.

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How to edit podcast audio with advanced techniques

If you want more control or you're producing a show with higher audio standards, use the following tips to sound like a pro:

A. Improve your podcast’s tone using equalization 

Equalization (EQ) helps adjust the balance of low, mid, and high frequencies in your audio to make it sound more natural. If you use proper recording techniques, it’s possible you won’t have to make any EQ adjustments at all. 

How to balance EQ in your podcast:

You can use an advanced editor for this, if you want to get into the finer details. But, for an easy route, here’s how to edit your EQ with Riverside.

Step 1: In the editor, click on “Tracks” on the right toolbar, then select the track you want to edit.

Step 2: Here, toggle on the EQ filter. You can choose a preset filter.

You can learn more about which filters work best for what issues here. But overall:

• Use a low-pass filter to remove high-frequency noise. A common cutoff is around 10kHz.
• Use a high-pass filter to cut low-end rumble. A cutoff of 70Hz is a good place to start (human voice rarely goes below 80Hz).

If you’re a beginner, I suggest you stick with the presets above. But to manually edit your EQ, click on the settings icon next to the toggle button to open the equalizer graph. 

Our help site covers using the open equalizer graph in more detail, but the basics are as follows: 

• Click on a colored dot to select a band on the EQ curve. Adjust it through the input boxes or just by dragging it on the graph.
• When you change the frequency (move the band left or right) you change which part of the sound spectrum you’re mixing. 
• Boosting or cutting the gain makes a specific frequency range louder or quieter, respectively.
• The width controls how precise or broad your effects will be.

💡Again, this gets complex. If you’re new to this, stick to Riverside’s EQ presets.

B. Use a compressor to improve podcast sound

A compressor smooths out volume differences so listeners don’t have to keep turning their volume up or down.

Let’s say you have a guest that speaks quietly compared to your loud co-host. A compressor will equalize the levels between the two speakers so the listener doesn’t have to turn the volume up and down to hear everything comfortably. 

How to apply compression to your podcast:

Just like EQ, this is usually a filter or effect you apply. 

Import your recording into your DAW and then select the appropriate filter. For example in Adobe Audition, you’ll find this under “Amplitude and Compression” effects.‍

Diving into compression is complex and out of the scope of this article. You can learn more in our video on audio effects.

C. Use noise reduction to give your podcast clarity

Unless you're recording in a fully soundproofed space, background noise will sneak into your podcast. You can reduce it before you hit record, but editing is where you’ll really clean things up.

Here’s what to focus on:

• Remove background noise: This includes things like traffic, humming appliances, or noisy neighbors.
• Fix reverb (de-verbing): Sound bouncing off walls can make your audio echo. Use a proper recording setup to prevent it. Then reduce any leftover reverb in post-production.
• Tame plosives and sharp “S” sounds: Plosives are the popping sounds made when certain consonants are spoken into a mic. A pop filter and good mic help, but if those sounds still show up, you can smooth them out while editing.

Stage 4: Mastering

Mixing and mastering a podcast is pretty similar. The main difference? During the mastering step, you prepare your podcast for distribution.

Mastering is all about listening to all of the editing you've done and identifying anything you may have missed. You’ll put the finishing touches on your podcast and polish it up so that it’s ready for distribution. 

Make sure your podcast has smooth transitions and the audio tracks blend together. Your show shouldn’t have big, sudden changes in volume from one audio clip to the next. 

Stage 5: Final video editing (optional)

If your podcast includes video, now’s the time to give it a quick polish.

These edits aren’t mandatory, but they can take your content from good to great, especially if you’re sharing clips on social media.

Read: How to Record a Video Podcast, Step by Step

8. Lay out each scene

Decide how your speakers should show up on screen. Go with split-screen, speaker view, or a grid - whatever fits your vibe. 

With Riverside’s Smart layouts, you can let AI do the work for you. This automatically adjusts the layout to focus on the speaker for maximum impact.

9. Add captions

Captions make your podcast more accessible and increase engagement, especially on social media, where people watch with the sound off. 

To add captions in Riverside's editor, just go to the toolbar and select "Captions". Here, you'll see a variety of options to style your captions, your way.

I suggest you style your captions to match your brand. Use animations and highlights to make them pop out and keep viewers hooked.

10. Add video, image, and text overlays

Incorporate B-roll footage, reaction gifs, product demos, or screenshots to illustrate points. 

Lower-thirds can introduce speakers or highlight takeaways. You can also drop in contextual text to summarize or emphasize key ideas visually.

In Riverside's editor, you can find the option to do all of this in the toolbar. Select:

• Images to add screenshots, pictures or other visuals.
• Videos to add b-roll, or your own video overlay footage.
• Text to add written text wherever you want on your video.
• Brand to add lower thirds, a logo, background and to create presets for all your design elements.

11. Add branding

Include your podcast logo, branded backgrounds, and consistent fonts or colors across your video. A strong visual identity builds recognition and gives your podcast a professional look.

What software should you use to edit podcasts?

You can use podcast editing software to edit your podcast. This is where you will complete all of the work on your podcast and produce the final product to share with the world. 

When shopping around, consider the following: 

• Which operating system are you using? Some tools are only compatible with Windows, and others only with Mac.
• How much are you willing to spend? Podcast editing software comes at many different price points.
• How experienced with editing are you? Some podcast editing tools are more beginner-friendly, while others cater to a more advanced audience.
• Which features are essential for you? Maybe AI-powered tools are essential to you to speed things up, or you want high level audio-editing functionality. Match the tool to your needs.
• Do you need remote recording? Some podcast editors also provide recording, allowing you to use fewer tools and reduce the complexity of your production.

With Riverside, you can record, edit, and share your podcast all from the same platform. Use the text-based editor to quickly edit your work. Use the automatic AI transcript to add captions. Clean up your audio and remove filler words with a click. Let AI create your show notes. Then, share it to social media or publish it on Spotify, Castos, and Transistor, directly from the platform. Easy!

Get more of our top picks for podcast editing in 10 Best Podcast Editing Software for Beginners.

5 quick podcast editing tips

Podcast editing can take a lot of time, energy, and resources. Follow these tips to reduce editing time and improve your podcast’s sound quality.

 1. Have a plan for your podcast

Go into your interview with a clear plan of how you want things to go. 

Having an outline and knowing what you want to ask your guest ahead of time will reduce awkward moments in your interview. Plus, you'll stay on topic. (You can also try Riverside’s teleprompter to keep you on-script.)

 2. Create the right recording environment for your podcast

Record your podcast in a quiet room where you can close the door and reduce potential background noise. 

Also, understand acoustics. Sound will bounce off hard surfaces in your recording space, which can cause reverb on your audio track. So, try to find a place with carpet and upholstered furniture before recording.

 3. Use good mic technique while recording your podcast

Position your microphone half a dozen inches from your mouth (15-30 cm), with a slight angle (approx. 45 degrees). Ask your guests to do the same. This avoids picking up background noise, while reducing plosive sounds. It also saves a lot of editing time adjusting your audio’s volume levels.

You should also look for a microphone with a pop filter to drastically reduce the number of plosives in your recording. 

 4. Listen to your podcast once before editing

Listen to your full podcast recording before editing so you know what you’re working with. It helps you spot the best moments and plan how to shape the story in post-production.

 5. Don’t over-edit your podcast 

If you edit too much, things can start to sound weird and unnatural. Make sure you haven’t cut off words or created awkwardness while editing your podcast. Also, make sure sound effects enhance your podcast, instead of being a distraction.

FAQs on podcast editing

Do you need a DAW for podcast editing?

Digital audio workstations (DAWs) are comprehensive audio production platforms. They provide pro-level tools, extensive plug-in support, and the ability to do just about anything you can think of with your audio. The downside is that they come with a steep learning curve, and have a lot more tools than are needed by most podcasters. For more tailored features and less complexity, many podcasters are turning to podcast editing software, like Riverside. 

What makes a good podcast edit?

A good podcast edit means your audio and video sound clean and flow naturally. That usually involves cutting out background noise, awkward pauses, or anything off-topic, without making the cuts feel choppy or sudden. If you record with good equipment and reliable recording software, like Riverside, podcast editing becomes a lot easier because you get to start with high-quality audio.

How long should it take to edit a 1-hour long podcast?

On average, editing takes about 3 to 5 minutes per minute of audio. So, for a 60-minute episode, expect to spend around 3 to 5 hours editing manually.

If you’re using AI-powered tools like Riverside, though, you can cut that time down significantly. Features like Magic Audio can handle leveling, background noise removal, and more in just a few clicks.

The key is not to over-edit. Clean up what’s needed, but keep the conversation natural. Aim for a polished episode - not a perfect one.

How much do podcast editors charge?

Most freelancers charge an average of $30 to $50 per audio hour, but prices can reach up to $200 per hour of audio for more experienced editors or more complex edits. Several podcast production agencies also offer professional editing services.

Is podcast editing hard?

With today's software and equipment, it's much easier to edit a podcast. The best way to keep editing simple is to start with good equipment and high-quality recording software - it helps reduce the need for heavy fixes later.

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