Mary Chan: Organized Sound For Your Podcast

One of the things radio got right was teaching people how to sound good on the air. We had program directors, production directors, airchecks, and people who weren't afraid to tell us when something sounded terrible.

Podcasting doesn't really have that.

You can buy a microphone, plug it into your computer, hit record, and suddenly you're a podcaster. Nobody has to approve your microphone technique. Nobody tells you that your room sounds like a gymnasium. And nobody is sitting across from you explaining why your delivery sounds like you're reading the terms and conditions of a software update. That's where Mary Chan comes in.

Mary is the owner of Organized Sound, a podcast production and voice coaching company based in Victoria, BC. She spent about 15 years working in radio production at Rogers stations, including Ocean 98.5 and Jack FM. We met at Pod Summit in Calgary, where she was helping podcasters find their voice.

And I think more podcasters could use an hour with someone like Mary.

Your Microphone Is Hindering Your Sound

We spent a fair bit of time talking about microphones. Specifically, the Blue Yeti, which has probably launched more podcasts than just about any other microphone. It should be thrown in the garbage.

The Blue Yeti is a condenser microphone, and in most home recording environments, that means it's going to pick up a lot more of the room than you want. Dogs, traffic, ventilation, your neighbour's leaf blower. All the things that have no business being part of your podcast.

Mary was a little more forgiving than I was. Her point was that you can make almost any microphone sound better if you understand how to use it.

And she's right.

One of the most common mistakes is simply speaking into the wrong part of the microphone. Some microphones are designed to be addressed from the side. Others, like my Shure SM7B, are designed to be spoken into from the end.

Then there's distance. People lean back, turn away, or get so comfortable on camera that they forget they're recording an audio program.

The microphone still needs your attention.

Wear Your Headphones

I don't know why this has become such a debate in podcasting. If Taylor Swift can wear headphones while recording, so can you.

Mary explained how recording without headphones can create all sorts of problems, especially during remote interviews. Your guest's voice comes out of your computer speakers, gets picked up by your microphone, and suddenly the recording software has to figure out which sounds belong where.

Echo cancellation can help, but it can also make things worse. Voices get clipped, conversations sound robotic, and when two people speak at once, the software sometimes makes a mess of both.

A decent pair of wired headphones solves a lot of these problems before they start. And no, your AirPods aren't necessarily the answer.

When Was the Last Time You Listened to Your Own Podcast?

This might have been my favourite part of our conversation.

Mary offers podcast audits, where she'll listen to a show and offer suggestions about everything from microphone technique and voice delivery to branding, titles, and show notes.

It's something we used to do regularly in radio. We called them airchecks.

You'd sit down with your program director, listen to your show, and discuss what worked and what didn't. Sometimes it was uncomfortable. Usually, it made you better.

Podcasting has become so focused on producing the next episode, cutting the next video clip, and feeding the social media machine that we've forgotten to listen to what we're actually putting out.

Mary suggests taking some time every month to listen to an episode as an audience member. Not while editing. Not at double speed. Just listen.

Would you keep listening if it wasn't your show?

Finding Your Voice Takes Practice

Mary also works with people who don't like the sound of their own voice.

I've heard this from countless podcasters over the years. They record something, listen back, and immediately decide they sound awful.

But the solution isn't necessarily to change your voice. It's to get comfortable using it.

Mary talks about connecting your voice to your personality and understanding how emotion, breathing, and even body movement affect the way you sound.

We also got into vocal warmups, sibilance, microphone selection, and why a microphone that sounds great on one person might sound terrible on another.

My advice has always been to try a microphone before buying it. Rent one if you can. Record yourself in the room where you'll actually be podcasting.

You might save yourself a few hundred dollars.

A Good Podcast Needs More Than a Good Microphone

There's one question Mary asks people before helping them launch a podcast.

Why do you want to start one?

If you're starting a podcast because somebody told you it's a great way to make money, you might be disappointed. If you're doing it because you have something worth sharing and you're prepared to put in the work, that's a much better starting point.

The first seven or eight episodes are barely the beginning. You're still learning how to interview, how to speak, how to edit, and how to make something people want to come back to.

And sometimes the best thing you can do to improve your podcast is stop making new episodes long enough to listen to one you've already made.

Mary and I covered a lot of ground in this conversation, and I think there's something here for anyone who records a podcast, whether you're just starting out or you've been doing it for years.

You can also find Mary and her podcast coaching services at Organized Sound.

And if you're thinking about starting a podcast, or you've already got one that could use some help, just book in here and we can talk about it.