Everyone wants to be a podcaster these days. And understandably so, the Podcast industry has skyrocketed in the last couple of years with an average of 10.1 million listeners adding every single month. Experts have even predicted that businesses will spend a sum of $1 Billion on podcasting ads in 2021 alone.
With such staggering figures to showcase, the Podcasting industry is slowly becoming a beacon for aspiring podcasters trying their luck to get a piece of this pie. However, being a Professional Podcaster comes with a lot of responsibilities. Most notably, choosing the right Podcasting software for yourself.
On paper, not all podcasting tools are created equally. And most of them offer a specific kind of experience, which may or may not suit your style. So before you jump on the bandwagon, here is a list of the Top Features that you should look for in Podcasting Software:
Top Features of a Podcasting Software
1. Compatibility
User compatibility is probably the most important factor to consider while choosing a podcasting software for yourself. This is because there are some great software’s out there which are only compatible with Mac OS, like the Garageband and Logic Pro. On the other hand, you also have tons of options that are compatible with Mac OS, Windows, or Linux.
You can easily check a software’s OS compatibility by googling it. However, there are some quirks to this as well. Auphonic, which is one of the top-rated podcasting softwares has some Mac-specific features, which are yet to be released on the Windows version. So make sure to keep an eye out for such features.
2. User Interface
Let’s face it, Professional Podcasters are not supposed to be tech-savvy. So picking software that has an easy-to-navigate UI should be a top priority in itself.
But thanks to cut-throat competition in the market, most of the podcasting software these days comes packed with loads of features. This makes the entire user interface muddled and ultimately disorients the user from its purpose.
Our suggestion would be to go with something light & user-friendly if you are a beginner, Our pick here would be Audacity. It is free to use and has a very minimal UI, but it can support 32-bit audio quality with multiple audio file formats as well.
3. Audio Balancing
Balancing out the rough edges, sound creaks and unwanted noise is necessary for every podcaster. It helps you in further refining your content and taking it to the next level. However, Audio Balancing can be a quite tedious job if you are not equipped with the right software.
If you are looking for a powerhouse software that can help you to record, edit, and publish on the go, then we would suggest going for Hindenburg Journalist. Although it is considerably more expensive than other options, it also grants you some cool features like the Voice profiler, One-click upload on multiple platforms, and Clipboard.
4. EQ
Equalisation – or EQ is one of the most common forms of audio processing in music production. It helps you in adjusting the frequency of volume levels so that you can make your Podcast more clear and impactful.
On paper, almost all of the podcasting software offer EQ functionality. However, only a handful of those software capitalises on the full potential of equalisation.
5. Transcribing
According to Statista, almost 18% of the entire world population listens to podcasts every day, with countries like South Korea, Ireland, and Sweden dominating the numbers. And with such a varied audience, Podcasters nowadays are emphasising producing more global content.
With Transcribing, you have the option to unlock potential listeners from any part of the globe. The only problem here is that only one or two podcasting Software offers transcription abilities. Buzzsprout and Auphonic are two of them and both of these software can transcribe up to 80 languages, which can give a massive boost to your content.
6. Live Streaming
Podcast hosting is Live-Streaming your podcast with high-fidelity audio so that users around the globe can enjoy your content. This is a fairly new feature, and if you are specifically looking for Hosting software, we would suggest you try Boomcaster.
With a 44.1kHz sample rate with 16-bit depth, Boomcaster offers an unmatched recording quality at a fairly decent price range. With this, you get your very own private studio in the cloud. It also offers an exclusive Double Ender feature, which lets you record media locally from each of the participants. It is hands-down the best hosting software you can get.
Our Picks
We have sorted a list of the best Podcasting Softwares based on their unique skill set. So in case you want to prioritise one feature over the other, you will have plenty of options to choose from. Here are our Top Picks:
#1. Audacity – Best for Beginners
#2. Boomcaster – Best for Live Streaming
#3. Hindenburg Journalist – Best in terms of Audio Enhancements
#4. Auphonic – Budget Friendly
Source: Plato Data Intelligence: PlatoData.io
