Audio for podcasting
Format, bitrate, and encoding recommendations for podcast audio — how to prepare recordings for Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and standard RSS feeds.
| Setting | Recommended value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Format | MP3 | Universal support across all podcast players and directories |
| Bitrate (voice only) | 128 kbps mono | Transparent quality for speech; half the size of 256 kbps stereo |
| Bitrate (music/high quality) | 192–256 kbps stereo | Better for shows with music intros or high audio quality standards |
| Sample rate | 44.1 kHz | CD standard; required by most podcast platforms |
| Channels | Mono (voice), Stereo (music) | Mono halves file size with no perceptible quality difference for speech |
Record in WAV or FLAC. Most DAWs and recording software (Audacity, GarageBand, Adobe Audition) record to WAV by default. This is correct — you want a lossless source to edit from. Never record directly to MP3 if you plan to edit afterward.
Edit, mix, and master in WAV. Apply your noise reduction, EQ, compression, and leveling to the WAV file. Each save as WAV introduces no quality loss. Converting to MP3 after editing introduces only one generation of compression loss — the minimum possible.
Export to MP3 as the last step. Once your episode is complete, convert the final WAV master to MP3 for distribution. For voice podcasts: 128 kbps mono. For shows with music or sound effects: 192 kbps stereo.
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and most directories accept MP3 at standard bitrates. Some platforms also accept AAC (M4A), which achieves similar quality to MP3 at slightly lower bitrates — but MP3 remains the most universally compatible choice.
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