Getting the right sound starts with finding the right room. If you’re planning on recording in your home, then it’s important to find a space that’s somewhat isolated. That means choosing a space that’s away from high traffic areas like the living room or kitchen. You also want to try and choose a room with few to no windows, since windows are the biggest culprit for letting sound in…and out. If you’re in a multifamily residence, try to find a room that doesn’t share a wall with neighbors, so you don’t have to worry about them interrupting your recording or you distracting them with your dulcet tones.

It’s not just about finding a quiet space, but choosing a space with good acoustics. If you’re able to, choose a location that has good sound absorption already with fewer exposed hard surfaces, like a room with thick carpet. We often see people start by recording in their closet because all the hanging clothes help absorb reverb and improve sound quality. Read our article on how to soundproof a closet for recording for more information on this!

While recording in your closet is a solution, you may find yourself struggling to muster up creativity while staring at your old hoodie with the ketchup stain on it that you refuse to give up. If you’re ready for a more practical space, let’s upgrade to another room in the house. Install acoustic panels on the wall to absorb sound and reduce reverb to improve your sound quality.

We offer several types of acoustic wall panels depending on your needs and aesthetic. A favorite for podcasters that’s also easy to install is our CelluZorbe Cellulose Acoustic Panels, because it’s the most cost-effective option out there. Each panel only weighs a few pounds and can be applied to walls, ceilings, or be used as an acoustical core for a DIY acoustic panel.  

Another popular choice are the PolyZorbe panels, often chosen for their more professional look. They’re often used in homes, recording studios, theaters, restaurants, soundproof gaming rooms and other commercial spaces. The PolyZorbe panel is more economical than a fabric wrapped panel (which we have as well!). They also look great in any space, are tackable, and easy to install. We also offer wood wool panels that are customizable and easy to install, check out our Timberwool panels.

The best way to soundproof a podcasting room is to first address the sound transfer weak points, and then add density to other places. The priorities for soundproofing a podcasting room are:

1. Soundproof the Door
2. Soudnproof the windows
3. Seal the walls, floor and ceiling
4. Add Density to the walls, floor and ceiling

Home Podcast Studio Doors

Your average door is not sealed around the perimeter, allowing noise to get in through the gaps. The typical door in your home is also hollow-core, which is not dense enough to block much sound. We recommend replacing the hollow core door with a solid core door and then using the Sound Lock Door Seal kit. It’s relatively easy to install and will fill in the gaps around your door to completely seal it when closed and block sound from traveling into or out of the room. If you’re building a professional podcast studio, then you need recording studio doors. We typically see the builder go with an STC 56 Sound Lock Soundproof Door.

Podcasting Room Windows

Windows are almost always the least soundproof point in a wall. This weakness becomes obvious if they’re facing something noisy like a busy street or an outside AC unit making loud noise. A simple solution is using our Fantastic Frame Soundproof Window Inserts which can reduce sound through a window by up to 80%! Not only are they discrete, but once installed the inserts can be removed and reattached easily. Again, a professional studio will want a professional level soundproof window. We offer 3 levels of Tru Acoustics soundproof windows – STC 45, STC 49, and STC 56.

Walls, Ceiling, & Floor in a Bedroom podcast studio

For a home podcast studio, you can likely avoid this step if you picked a quiet room. For a professional studio, soundproofing all 6 surfaces (4 walls, 1 ceiling, 1 floor) is required and will be part of the architect’s specifications. Let’s jump back to the home podcast studio though. If you’re having trouble recording because sound is getting through the walls of your studio, you will need to soundproof them. As we mentioned earlier the key to soundproofing a room is making it as airtight as possible and then adding density. Consider every way sound can get into your space, and seal it up. For an existing room, the easiest way to do this is with acoustical sealant and a new layer of 5/8” drywall with Green Glue between the two drywall layers.

If you are building the podcast studio from the ground up, there are a slew of solutions for soundproofing your walls, ranging from adding mass loaded vinyl to Green Glue to a sound isolation clip system. For a more detailed breakdown check out our full guide to soundproofing walls. If you have issues with sound coming from above or below you, you will need to soundproof your ceiling and floor. For the ceiling, you can use the same strategy as you’d use for a wall (see our ceiling soundproofing article for more details). If you are wondering how to soundproof a floor, we recommend using our 10mm UnderBlock rubber flooring underlayment.

Now Record Your Podcast like a Pro!

Whether you’re discussing true crime, sports, or your love for meatballs (what? just me?), a good podcast has to sound great to build a following. And while we can’t promise you’ll get to the top of the Spotify charts, we can help you sound like you belong there. If you have bigger space needs for recording or performing, check out our article on how to soundproof a room for music. Give us a call or chat with us to to get expert help with materials or gameplanning your project!