Quick podcast editing in 2025

A few years ago I wrote a guide on starting a podcast. It’s still useful. But I’ve simplified a few things, especially for Async.

If you’re interested in creating a podcast—especially one with a single voice per episode—here’s the simplest flow I’m aware of.

First, on a Mac, install Audio Hijack. Plug in a microphone and make sure your input device is hooked up (it’s easy to run a test and listen back) and you’re wearing headphones. The blocks I use are Input Device > Peak/RMS > VU Meters > Volume > Recorder. But you really only need the first and last blocks. Screenshot of my setup.

When you’re done recording grab your audio file and upload it to Auphonic. I choose Voice Cleaner (Remove Breathings). This tool is amazing. It uses AI to clean up the sound and can improve some pretty cruddy input quality.

Once processing is complete download your file from Auphonic. If you’re on the free version of Auphonic you’ll want to clip off the parts at the end and beginning that Auphonic adds.

Then, in Audacity, truncate silence and run the compressor.

If you’re looking for a free solution for publishing I recommend Spotify for Creators. You should also connect to Apple Podcasts for Creators, so that your episodes go everywhere. YouTube is the tricky piece I haven’t figured out yet. If you’re looking for a paid solution for podcast hosting my favorite service is Buzzsprout (you’ll still have to connect to Apple Podcasts).

For episode descriptions you can use ChatGPT, but I recommend writing out something simple yourself.

And that’s basically it. This sounds like a lot, but if you’re interested in the DIY method these steps are the simplest I’ve found for an acceptable level of quality.