Do You Need Headphones to Record a Podcast?
Yes. Checking the sound is how you sound good.
Wearing headphones is the number one thing you can do to sound better. Keep reading to learn more.
You’re probably aware that if we’re having a conversation, the voice I hear in my head when I talk isn’t the same as the voice you hear when I talk, and vice versa. That’s because each of us is physically hearing ourselves differently than we’re hearing each other. It all has to do with the way sound vibrates and travels to our ear drums.
Sounds that originate outside of my body sound differently than those that come from inside of my body. That’s because I typically can only hear outside sounds in one way – through the air around my body and into my ears, where it vibrates my ear drums, and brain perceives sound. If the sound is really loud, maybe I’ll feel some vibration in my body, particular in the low notes, like how the speakers at a rock concert can make your body pulse.
For sounds that originate inside of my body, I typically hear them in two ways – the sound of my own voice traveling back into my own ears, plus the sound of my voice vibrating from the vocal chords in my throat all the way up to the tiny bones in my inner ear. These vibrations produce their own sonic experience, causing my brain to hear myself twice, one sound layered on top of the other to create a unique sound that only you hear. It’s what you think you sound like when you speak.
Of course, most people hate the way they sound when they listen to themselves in a recording. So how can you work to make sure your voice sounds the way you want it to, when you’re not able to hear it directly? That’s where headphones come in. Headphones amplify the sound coming out of your mouth, loud enough that your brain dismisses those bone vibrations. That’s right, with headphones you can hear what you actually sound like! That’s the first step to experimenting with your voice, and finding a sound that fits your needs.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure there’s no echo. Nothing is more frustrating than hearing a millisecond delay of yourself in your head. The key term here is “zero-latency monitoring” which means the ability to monitor (i.e. hear) your own voice with no delay, so that you hear yourself live as you speak. If you’ve ever wondered why there’s a headphone port on your microphone, this is the reason!
Plug your headphones into your microphone instead of your computer,
Make sure the microphone is selected for the input and output in your computer’s sound settings,
Check to make sure the microphone volume is turned up, and you should be hearing yourself live in no time!
Now that you know why you should be wearing headphones, and how to set them up, you’re probably wondering if there’s any time you shouldn’t be wearing headphones? Well, my instinct is to say no, but I know from working with clients that there are times when you don’t want to wear headphones – or more accurately you don’t want to be seen wearing headphones. If you’re leading livestream or a webinar, chunky headphones might not add the right flair to your outfit. A thin wire hanging down from your ear might throw off the lines of your suit or necklace. Sure you can invest in Secret Service style in-ear monitors, but that’s an awful lot of set up for most people! So yes, there are times when you might choose not to wear headphones, so that you can present yourself in the manner you wish to present yourself. That’s totally fine, it’s a choice after all, just own it. And try, maybe before hand, to pop the headphones on and warm up a bit with the microphone. Even Aretha Franklin did sound checks after all…because checking the sound is how you sound good.
If you’re working on a podcast I’d love to be a resource for you. As a podcast producer I can help you navigate the in’s and out’s of the journey, and help you spend time and resources where they matter most for your unique goals.
