How to Record a Podcast While Traveling – Smart Passive Income

A person of the most critical characteristics of a thriving podcast is consistency. Keeping up with a publishing program is crucial for creating admirers who sooner or later make it a routine to pay attention to your exhibit. 

Sad to say — and I know this from working experience — traveling can throw off your podcast recording program bigtime. 

So what is the greatest way to resolve this dilemma?

Strike the file button even though you’re traveling! And not just for the reason that you want to retain up with that plan, but simply because some of the ideal discussions you are going to at any time have are while you are on the highway and in individual with people today. 

These are golden prospects normally squandered, but not any more, simply because I’m likely to notify you almost everything you will need to make it perform, and make it straightforward. 

[Full Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an affiliate, I receive compensation if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. You can read my complete disclosure statement here.]

Tools

In advance of you head out, it’s vital to gather and pack the suitable machines for your on-the-go recording sessions. In most scenarios, you’re not heading to bring your standard, at-house podcast setup with you on the road.

With that claimed, if your usual setup consists of a rather modest, all-in-one generation console these types of as the Rodecaster Pro II, then that may be worth packing alongside with a couple of microphones and an SD card to meet your desires.

In most conditions, however, a moveable but impressive recording setup is what you are going to be searching for. Below are some options:

Rode SmartLav+ with Cell Interface

The smallest and lowest priced alternative combines a wired lavalier microphone and an interface to a unit you most likely now have entry to: your mobile cell phone.

Regardless of whether you are an Iphone or Android person, a Rode SmartLav+ microphone setup can link instantly to your machine. Since it is tiny, you can even attach it to a t-shirt or blouse and it’s absolutely out of the way. 

I use this setup even though on the go for equally solo episodes and interviews. If you’re likely to be performing an job interview, be positive to get a dual cell interface so you can plug in two microphones to file concurrently. 

This setup is confined in publish-edit capacity due to the fact it all documents on to one keep track of, but it is the least difficult and most versatile. 

For a brief demo, watch this video clip that I recorded with my son a few a long time in the past:

Zoom H6N

The Zoom H6N is the ultimate moveable recorder that allows you to capture the greatest audio good quality when you’re out. There are created-in microphones (and ones that you can swap out for different recording variations), and 4 microphone inputs for unique XLR or TRS cables, which is great for group interviews.

This signifies you can have up to 4 diverse persons, on 4 various microphones, recording into 4 different tracks at the very same time. Rather of working with your phone to record, this system employs an SD card to document your data files, and it is straightforward to import back again into a pc when you get residence or again to your resort place. 

This is the machine I commonly use when I’m on the go. I convey two microphones — this sort of as the Samson Q2U — that join via XLR, hit report, and the present is on. Be positive to also bring a few of XLR cables as all those are not usually integrated with USB-precise microphones that have XLR compatibility.

I never do any including of intro music or voiceovers though recording on this machine — that all arrives in write-up-edit. The relieve of use and handheld portability is awesome. Also, I adore the capability to see the tracks and the sound degrees from each and every microphone so I know one particular is not as well loud or way too soft. 

Fast tip: do not fail to remember your SD card! Belief me. 

Headphones

Headphones are normally missed when it comes to recording on the go, but due to the fact you will probably not be in a audio booth or studio, and potentially in a crowded or trafficked area, it is essential to have headphones to be ready to monitor the audio. 

Is it way too loud? Too comfortable? Is there way too much history sound? The only way to definitely know is by listening to the audio as it’s coming in. 

My absolute favourite are the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro studio headphones. I use these in my dwelling studio, and also even though I’m out and about.

They are tender, cozy, and seem astounding. They aren’t noise canceling, but they do the position when it arrives to checking your seem in an natural environment that you may possibly not be acquainted with or have a large amount of handle about. 

It is up to you if you want to keep the headphones on even though recording, but at the pretty the very least, test your audio with headphones on ahead of you hit record. It would be a disgrace to have bad audio top quality on your podcast when it could have been prevented with a person brief take a look at.

Video Digicam

I won’t go way too in-depth here, but video podcasts are getting to be so popular, it is rather standard to turn on the digital camera when conducting an job interview on the go. The audio is currently taken care of, which is awesome, but a nice shot with a person digital camera (or extra) can let you to repurpose that option — normally in an appealing and visually captivating surroundings — onto a platform like YouTube, or potentially in an on the net program.

The most significant worry for video clip is surely lighting, and we never truly want to provide major responsibility lights with us, do we?

If you are heading to be indoors, the most effective state of affairs would be to established up the job interview area close to a window with oblique mild and have the digicam pointing absent from it. This will put a awesome wash of gentle on you and your interviewee. 

If you are outside, somewhere that has frequent shade is awesome. On the other hand, the ecosystem and weather can make it challenging to preserve every thing dependable. But filming outdoors is pretty great, so it may be truly worth the sacrifice. 

Eventually, as considerably as which camera to use, use one particular that you are acquainted with previously, if doable. A telephone could do the job, or a stage-and-shoot digital camera like a Sony ZV-1 with a tripod to screw it into (maybe even a SwitchPod). 

Setting up

When possible, try to system an job interview or recording session ahead of time. I just cannot tell you how many periods I’ve been to occasions wherever a buddy and I say we’re likely to record “at some stage,” only to have it in no way happen since the time bought away from us.

Here’s a quick get of functions:

1. In an excellent situation, link prior to the journey or occasion occurs. Certainly, you can constantly meet up with new folks and system a podcast session advert hoc, but for the sake of your time and calendar, setting up forward is constantly best.
2. Coordinate a time and area to meet. Scope out the areas obtainable for you to report that are as quiet and as echo-totally free as probable. Be absolutely sure you have permission to history in people areas if they are in party locations. I as soon as discovered an empty breakout space at an party, which was good, right until a crowd of people today came in mid-interview to get ready for the next presentation in that room.
3. Get your interviewee’s speak to facts. This way, if strategies improve or anyone is obtaining difficulties discovering the other man or woman, call can be created and a remedy can be uncovered.

Some of my colleagues have gone so significantly as to lease a area for interviews. This could be a meeting home, resort area, or focused studio area at the facility that is applied all day just for this objective. 

Michael Hyatt, a single of my mentors, once interviewed a dozen persons, 1 soon after a different, in a single resort area. It took all working day, but afterward, he experienced 12 interviews filmed and recorded for afterwards use. It was a wonderful use of his time. 

Brief suggestion: bring spare batteries or a battery bank! The last matter you want to have materialize is operate out of electrical power for the interview(s) you have scheduled.

Fast suggestion #2: Occasionally environmental noise is really fantastic for a podcast it provides a distinctive taste and sense to the listening working experience. If you are capable to capture the sound of the space you are in prior to your scheduled classes, make a test recording initial so that you can identify whether or not or not it is heading to get the job done. 

Recording the Discussion

No matter whether it is a solitary recorded conversation or a dozen interviews in a solitary day like Michael Hyatt, it is crucial to bear in mind who you are recording for. Your podcast listeners will soon hit enjoy and engage (or disengage) with the discussion you are getting at that instant. So, be in the second! 

The cause I say this is for the reason that it can be extremely uncomplicated to turn into distracted when recording in a unique atmosphere, specifically if it’s unfamiliar to you. So here’s the trick:

Be curious, and enjoy the dialogue. 

I generally commence my interview at property, ahead of I hit file, by expressing this to myself: “It’ll be like the two of us are at a coffee shop, just owning a discussion.” You have the prospect to do just that!

(While I have discovered that espresso retailers are not really the best for interviews. The espresso maker is a widespread nuisance that tends to dominate the conversation.)

The ideal factor about meeting and conversing with people in particular person is that there is a degree of power that you just can’t get in an job interview above the net. When you are in the moment, the audience will really feel like they’re there with you. Now, with a microphone in hand (or attached to a shirt) you can have a amazing conversation, in genuine-time, and capture all of that wonderful energy for them.

Immediately after the Interview

There are some things to just take treatment of after the discussion is above. Commonly, I do my ideal to upload data files to Dropbox as shortly as I can, that way they’re harmless and just can’t be stolen or missing.

Next, I also acquire notes from the job interview by itself (or dictate them) so I can remember the highlights. This is essential for the reason that ordinarily I’m recording the intros and outros to these episodes at residence if I wait also very long, I’ll fail to remember all the great things we chatted about.

Outside of the tech and the audio information, there’s one far more essential component of podcasting whilst traveling that I want to go away you with.

It is straightforward to finish an interview, say your goodbyes, and go on. But here’s the detail: you just sat and had an in-depth discussion with a person in human being! Real interactions can be built from that, specially for people who you’ve never ever actually fulfilled before. 

So don’t close the conversation when the record button gets pressed. Retain the discussion likely when you can, most likely through a coffee the up coming morning, meal afterwards on, or observe-up online afterwards. Use this chance to nurture the connection you manufactured — it might improve into some thing wonderful!