Podcast Playbook (Part 7): How to Edit Your Podcast Like a Pro — My Full Workflow for Clean, Studio-Quality Sound

Episode 263 of The Business Development Podcast takes you deep into the editing stage of podcast production, where a raw recording transforms into a polished, professional show. In Part 7 of the Podcast Playbook series, Kelly Kennedy shares his complete start-to-finish editing workflow, honed over hundreds of episodes. From understanding your DAW workspace to identifying and fixing common audio problems, he covers the why and how behind every step, always keeping the listener’s experience front and center. Kelly also breaks down his go-to plugins, explains their real-world use cases, and offers detailed guidance on creating a consistent, clean sound that keeps audiences engaged.

Listeners will walk away with a clear, repeatable process for editing like a pro, including the exact sequence Kelly uses to repair, enhance, and master audio before releasing it into the world. Alongside the technical instruction, he shares valuable mindset advice—normalizing the learning curve, encouraging practice, and reminding creators that great editing isn’t about chasing perfection, but about respecting your audience’s time and attention. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned podcaster looking to tighten your process, this episode delivers the tools, techniques, and confidence to elevate your show’s production quality.

Key Takeaways:

1. Editing is for the listener, not you, and should focus on making the show easy and enjoyable to follow.

2. Understanding your DAW workspace is essential before making any edits.

3. Common audio issues like hiss, hum, reverb, plosives, sibilance, clicks, and uneven levels must be identified and fixed early.

4. Use the right plugins to solve problems efficiently without overprocessing the voice.

5. Always fix issues before enhancing audio with EQ, compression, or clarity tools.

6. Edit for your ears, not your eyes, and trust what you hear over what you see on the waveform.

7. Keep a human feel by leaving natural pauses and personality in the conversation.

8. Maintain consistent loudness levels to meet podcast industry standards and avoid listener volume adjustments.

9. Record and use room tone to make cuts seamless and keep edits invisible.

10. Perform a full quality control listen-through on multiple devices before publishing.