These days, you’ll find plenty of podcasts on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And as you listen to more of them, you might find that you’re one day inspired to start recording your own show. If that happens, you’ll want to think about your setup.
If you don’t have a microphone yet, you might want to consider using the Voice Memo app on your iPhone to record episodes. But is it worth using for that reason? Let’s find out.
What Are the Pros of Using Voice Memo to Record Podcasts?
Before we look at the drawbacks of using Voice Memo on iOS for recording podcast episodes, let’s look at the positives. Below are four reasons why you might want to consider using it.
Lower Setup Cost
If you’ve already got an iPhone, the biggest appeal of using Voice Memo for recording your podcasts is that the setup cost is low. Although studio-level mics aren’t as expensive as you might think, they still require an investment on your part.
You might still be deciding whether you want to delve into the world of podcasting properly, and if that’s the case, it makes little sense to buy something you don’t know that you’ll use. Starting with the Voice Memo app will give you a feel of whether podcasting is something you want to pursue long-term.
The Quality Is Reasonable
If you’ve got the choice between recording audio on your computer or the Voice Memo app on your iPhone, picking the latter is a much better option. The sound quality is typically higher, and fewer people will notice that you didn’t use a microphone to record your podcast episodes.
One thing worth keeping in mind, however, is to not hold your iPhone too close to your mouth. Otherwise, you’ll find it more difficult to achieve crisp audio when you get around to editing everything later.
You Can AirDrop Your Recording Directly to Your Mac
When you’re ready to start editing your footage, you’ll want to remove as much friction as possible. Importing your audio from the Voice Memo app to your Mac is straightforward; you can just AirDrop the clip to your device.
After AirDropping your audio, you can use a program like Adobe Audition to make your voice sound more of a production-level quality.
It’s Convenient
Having somewhere that’s dedicated to recording your podcast episodes is a good idea. However, one disadvantage of owning a studio is that you need to go there to record your shows. If you’re in your early days or you want to get more people involved, using the Voice Memo app on your iPhone provides a little more flexibility.
Recording via the Voice Memo app on your iPhone is also a good idea if you want to perform interviews with others. Moreover, you can use it to get sound effects from the streets – before importing everything to your computer.
What Are the Cons of Using Voice Memo to Record Podcasts?
While using the Voice Memo app to record podcasts has plenty of benefits, things aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. You’ll need to consider two big disadvantages, and we’ll put them down below.
Your Voice Quality Isn’t as Good as a Proper Microphone
Perhaps the biggest drawback of using the Voice Memo app to record your podcasts is that – while the sound quality is good – it’s not on the same level as a proper microphone. You might notice a lot of inconsistencies in your sound levels, which can get pretty irritating when you edit them later.
Although you’ll find the app fine for recording in the early days, you should strongly consider upgrading to something better if you’re serious about podcasting in the long term.
You Might Have a Lot of Background Noise
When you record a podcast episode, you’ll want to eliminate as much background noise as possible. The only exception is if you’re using sound effects to demonstrate something that you’re talking about – such as busy streets or a doorbell ringing.
If you record your podcast with Voice Memo, you should make sure that you’re in a quiet place to do so. Choosing a café, for example, probably isn’t the best option. Although you’ll find several tools that can help, having high levels of background noise will make your job much more time-consuming when editing your footage.
Voice Memo: An Ideal Starting Point for Podcasters
We understand that buying high-level equipment can cost a lot of money, but you don’t need an expensive setup. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, our best advice is to just get started. Pick a topic that interests you and that you’ve got knowledge of, and hit the record button.
In your early stages, using Voice Memo on your iPhone is a good starting point for recording your podcasts. However, if you get to 20 episodes and you still enjoy podcasting, you should consider investing in something that lets you record higher-quality audio.
Danny is a freelance writer who has been using Apple products for over a decade. He’s written for some of the largest technology publications on the web and previously worked as an in-house writer before carving his own route. Danny grew up in the UK, but now writes about tech from his Scandinavian base.
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