▶What microphone budget do I need?
Entry ($200): Audio-Technica AT2020 USB condenser + basic interface. Intermediate ($500): Rode Procaster + Behringer Scarlett 2i2, adds XLR flexibility. Pro ($1500+): Shure SM7B + RME Babyface interface + acoustic treatment. Most podcasters succeed at $500 level with good mic technique.
▶RX cleanup vs manual editing?
iZotope RX automates broadband noise reduction, mouth clicks, hum removal. Manual editing (strip silence, fade cuts) is tedious. Hybrid workflow: RX handles 70% of cleanup, you manually fix remaining artifacts. RX is worth the $200 cost if recording 10+ hours/month.
▶Podcast workflow vs music production workflow?
Podcasting: dialogue focus, compression for consistency, minimal EQ, loudness (LUFS -16 to -14). Music production: individual instrument/vocal layers, aggressive EQ/compression, dynamic range preservation, mastering to -14 LUFS. Tools overlap but priorities diverge, DAW choice matters less than workflow.
▶How do podcasters monetize?
Spotify/Apple Podcasts: $0 direct (ad-revenue share coming 2026). Patreon: $5-50 tiers (production cost $15-25/episode). Sponsorships: $500-5k per episode (brands pay once you hit 5k+ listeners). YouTube audio channel: small AdSense (requires setup). Podcast network deals: $500-2k upfront (ceded monetization rights).
▶Descript AI for podcast editing?
Descript auto-generates transcripts, edits via text deletion, exports video + clips. Saves 30-50% editing time. Downsides: filler-word removal sounds robotic, can't fix audio quality in-app. Use for rough assembly, hand-polish in Reaper/Logic afterward.
▶What LUFS target for mastering?
Podcasts: -16 to -14 LUFS (YouTube -13 to -12, Spotify -14). Music: -14 LUFS (genre-dependent). Loudness Wars dead, target loudness ≠ quality. Measure with Ozone plugin (Loudness Meter) or free Youlean Loudness Meter.
▶Where to distribute podcast?
RSS feed → Anchor (Spotify), Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher. Anchor handles distribution free; others require RSS upload to each platform. YouTube for video versions. Merlin/DistroKid if monetizing (takes 30% cut). Most podcasters start with Anchor + manual Apple/Google upload.