Listen and it might make a big differences.

Let It Be, Let It Breathe

Great creations are not great by nature, no matter how organic they seem to be. Stories have flows, poems have rhythms, sentences have cadences. Orchestrating these things — the ever so 'abstract' art — can be tricky because they don't always correspond to a technical term. However, creators can still train their instincts to refine their creations.

"'Elevator music’ is an instinct you need to fight." —Chiquita Paschal, award-winning audio journalist

Time and time again, our mentors at the Sundance Co//ab training program underlined the importance of 'spaces' in your stories, or 'silences' in the context of podcasts and audio stories. Music is a form of emotional manipulation and a novice creator would use it to fill silences (you don’t always have to!).

In fact, when in doubt, they encouraged us to go for the most modest instrumentation possible.

“It's okay to just go through transitional periods without music.” —Cher Vincent, senior producer

Instead, think about how you can let your story breathe when faced with a powerful moment.

Just let your story be, and you'll definitely create something great.

Audio... All... Around... You

Not sure if you could relate but remember that sound "Dolby" before the movie comes on in the cinema? Where the sound can come from different directions?

Apparently a lot of music industries are replicating that effect into your personal headphones. Apple Music is pairing with Dolby Atmos and Deezer is pairing with Sony's 360 Reality Audio to provide you with that "sound stage" feel. It's only slight different but it lets a lot of musicians and recording artists to create the sound effect as if you are in a middle of a stage hearing from different parts of the room.

This is available now using your own headphones. Every time you turn your head, it feels like you're listening to a different part of the room. Soon enough that will be applied to movies and other shows like podcasting! It will recreate atmospheric sounds to your in-home experience. It is amazing how sound allows you to feel like you are being teleported to a different place. Bringing that theater-like feel to your at-home experience.

No Mic No Problem

I got a lot of questions asking which mic to get for beginners on a budget. I can recommend the cheap ones like BM800 that are all over the online market places. But for me, buying mics should be special because I always think that your mic should bring out the best of your voice, because not every mic is for every one. Even the expensive ones might not be suitable for you.

What I always suggest is to save up and buy a mid-range mic rather than go with the cheaper options. And while saving up, you can use your phone and headset to record your podcast or VO, learn how to use the mic on your headset properly to get the best sound for your voice, and learn some basic audio editing to bring even more to your voice. And research on which mic will suit your voice.

Your first mic can even be your last mic. That's why you should put a lot of thoughts when buying mics for your podcast. Even now, I always comeback to my beloved MXL 990 for any recordings.

Bringing in Fresh Ears to Listen

Have you ever been in a situation where you are approaching a final stage of editing an episode but still unsure about releasing it? Then, maybe you need to bring fresh ears to listen to your work. Ideally, this person is someone who you know would give you thoughtful commentary. Ask them for input, or even critique.

Because, as cliche as it might sound, feedback really is a gift. If you feel too hesitant to ask for feedback, you might miss a huge opportunity to improve your episode before launching it.

Dread of a Deadline

All perfectionists out there can agree how daunting deadlines can be. Especially when it's about putting your craft out in the world. I have the tendency to pass the deadline and thought, hmm...let me just fix this tiny bit over here and rewrite this narration and talk to my character one more time before submitting. It's never ending. But my mentors from places like Gimlet and Snap Judgement told me how normal it is to feel like you have an ugly first draft. I forgot that the goal of it is to simply get the feedback you need for the story as soon as possible. When working on a deadline, let's celebrate all the progress, even if it's an "ugly" early draft.

Extra SD Card Can Be your Saviour

While producing your podcast, it’s likely that you have to record outside of your home or studio at times to either capture the soundscape or to conduct an interview. You have all of your equipment but did you bring a backup SD card? These cards can fail! The card might become unreadable or just plain not work during your recording, so it’s crucial to bring a backup card in case this happens otherwise you will be forced to stop your work, waste a lot of time getting a new card or have to reschedule your whole session. Save yourself time, work and embarrassment, always bring a back SD card with you!