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  • Writer's pictureKat Young

A foray into podcast editing

Updated: Mar 25, 2021

I've always enjoyed the sort of audio editing that requires critical listening and careful improvements to quality to craft something beautiful. Audio restoration, if you will. It's what I have done every year within the Recorded Talks Team at Greenbelt Festival - although admittedly sometimes it's less 'something beautiful' and more 'something understandable'! We try and get a talk processed, edited, uploaded and available for purchase within a couple of hours when working during the festival, so sometimes it's just the best we can do! The year we had to remove a hovercraft will forever be remembered, as will the year where the rain was so loud it made some talks inaudible. For the festival, we prioritise being able to hear the speaker over audio quality. The archive of festival talks is huge - although I can only lay claim to ones since 2012.


As the festival couldn't go ahead this year, Greenbelt HQ decided instead to put out a series of podcasts - and Recorded Talks were asked if we could edit. I'd always wanted to try my hand at podcast editing, so jumped at the chance! We split the editing between two of us with a two-week system of draft edits and feedback from Greenbelt HQ - my colleague Josh edited down the conversation with the guest, and I edited down the intro and outro, worked in the musical transitions and compiled the full episodes. I did not expect that I would have to remove the clinking of keys from dialogue or adjust the timing of laughter to make it fit better, but this is what recording a podcast at home during a pandemic has meant! There are some brilliant spectral editing tools that can make a huge variety of unwanted noises disappear! Now I just need to make an erm-remover...


I thoroughly enjoyed this project, and it looks likely that we're going for a second season. I'd love to do more podcast editing if anyone is looking for an editor!


 

Somewhere To Believe In:

The podcast hosts were Paul Northup and Katherine Goodenough, it was produced by Daisy Ware-Jarrett, and the music is by Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. It was edited by Paul Northup, Josh Clipsham and Kat Young.


 
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