How to Soundproof a Room for Podcasting

Doors are one of the most common points of sound leakage. Even small gaps around the frame can allow noise to enter or escape the studio. Sealing your door is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make when learning about soundproofing.

Start by sealing the perimeter of a solid core door using the Sound Lock Acoustic Seal kit. These seals close the air gaps that often exist along the top, sides, and bottom of the door.

For higher isolation needs, upgrading to a heavier door such as Sound Lock Acoustical Doors (STC 56) can significantly reduce sound transmission.

Glass surfaces allow sound to travel easily, making windows another weak point in podcast studios. The most effective approach is installing Fantastic Frame Soundproof Window Inserts to create an additional barrier and air gap that helps reduce outside noise like traffic, dogs, or other exterior noise sources like an outside AC unit making loud noise.

If you have a soundproof booth in your studio, we recommend installing a Tru Acoustics soundproof window to keep sound from transferring from room to room.

Sound also travels through the structure of a room. Improving the mass and damping of walls and floors helps reduce that transmission. The best thing to do is upgrade your walls with RSIC-1 Sound Isolation clips or add mass loaded vinyl to your studs. We cover both of those methods in our guide on soundproofing walls.

If noise is coming from above you, use RSIC-1 clips for a reliable ceiling soundproofing solution. You can also lay down subfloor soundproofing to isolate the floor from the structure for a floor soundproofing solution instead.

Once sound transmission is reduced, an acoustic treatment is the final step in transforming a standard room into a controlled recording environment. For a recording space like this, you’ll probably want to target an RT60 of about 0.5s-0.9s, but the quality level of the studio and budget will be drivers for that.

Bare walls cause reflections that create unwanted echo and reverb. Acoustic panels absorb sound before it’s reflected, producing cleaner voice recordings. Materials such as CelluZorbe Cellulose Acoustic Panels or PolyZorbe are commonly used to treat podcast rooms. The former for budget friendly builders who may want to build a DIY acoustic panel, and the latter for a higher end design feature.

Panels can be installed on walls or ceilings to reduce reflections around the microphone. In larger spaces, decorative options like a wood wool acoustic panel can also provide absorption while improving aesthetics.