# Podcast recording audio checklist before you make clips > Check podcast audio before recording and clipping: verify microphones, both voices, loud speech, room noise, synchronization and the final mix. By CastCuts · Updated 2026-10-26 Listen to a saved test with every speaker before recording the podcast. Check microphone inputs, quiet and loud speech, room noise and the complete playback mix. Keep the originals and verify the finished source before clipping. Transcription cannot restore speech that was never captured clearly. ## Prove which microphone is actually being recorded Ask each person to speak separately while you monitor the intended recording setup. Then play the saved test with headphones; a working microphone indicator does not prove the final file uses that device. Listen for a distant laptop microphone, an unplugged guest channel or a voice that disappears when another person talks. Place the microphone where ordinary head movement keeps a consistent distance. Repeat the test after reconnecting equipment or changing software; the selected input may differ from your previous session. ## Test normal speech, an excited sentence and silence Use the volume and delivery that will occur in the interview, including a laugh or emphatic answer. Listen for crackling, harsh overload, pumping background noise and words lost at the ends of sentences. Record a few quiet seconds to reveal fans, traffic or equipment hum. Make practical changes in the room or microphone setup before the long take. Keep adjustments small enough to judge with another saved test. A waveform can help locate a problem, but listening determines whether the actual speech remains clear and natural. ## Verify the audience mix and picture synchronization If the session records isolated tracks, preserve them and make a complete listening mix externally. Check the export during a back-and-forth exchange, a solo answer and a late passage. Confirm that both people remain audible and that visible mouth movements match the sound. Listen on ordinary playback as well as headphones to catch a mix that depends on one channel or unusually high volume. CastCuts uses the source you upload; it does not assemble separate microphone files or perform a full podcast audio repair pass. ## Review the chosen answer after rendering Upload an MP4, MOV or WebM with picture and audio within the current limits, normally 512 MiB and two hours. Choose a complete 1–90 second passage without clipping words. Review available English captions, especially names, numbers and negatives. Listen to the downloaded 720 × 1280 MP4 without relying on text. Save sources and clips before the 24-hour expiry, then publish manually. ## Fictional worked example: meters move but the guest sounds distant Illustrative example. The people, recordings and results described here are fictional. A host sees activity in the recording software, but a saved rehearsal reveals the guest's laptop microphone is selected instead of the nearby external microphone. They correct the input and test a quiet answer and excited laugh. Later, a clip needs a surname correction rather than captions to conceal poor sound. Listen to a saved test file rather than trusting the setup's visual indicators. ## Check before you finish - Every speaker is audible through the intended microphone in a saved test. - Normal speech, loud delivery and quiet pauses have been reviewed. - The prepared video has a complete mix that stays synchronized throughout. - The downloaded clip sounds clear without requiring captions to explain missing words. ## Practical questions ### Can automatic transcription repair bad podcast audio? No. Transcription estimates words from the available sound. Review it carefully and fix source problems externally where possible; it cannot recreate a microphone that was muted during an answer. ### Should I upload each microphone recording separately? Prepare a finished video with the intended complete audio mix. CastCuts requires video and audio together and does not combine isolated recording tracks into a multitrack podcast project. ### Why check the downloaded MP4 if the source sounds fine? The final check catches poorly placed cut boundaries and confirms the actual file you will publish. Listen through the complete clip rather than assuming the editor selection proves every word survives. ## Use this workflow in CastCuts [Pair clear speech with reviewed transcript captions](https://castcuts.co/podcast-clips-with-captions) CastCuts selects continuous 1–90 second excerpts and exports 9:16, 720 × 1280 H.264/AAC MP4 files. Automatic transcription and transcript-based suggestions support English and require review. Free exports include CastCuts branding; Pro removes it from new renders for $9 USD/month, with the same processing and storage limits. Episode media is retained for 24 hours. Keep your originals and download finished clips before expiry. Publishing is manual. ## Explore this topic [Podcast recording to clips: prepare, import and preserve your files](https://castcuts.co/guides/topics/recording-workflows) ## Keep creating [How to diagnose podcast video and audio sync problems](https://castcuts.co/guides/podcast-video-audio-sync) [How to review automatic podcast transcripts before clipping](https://castcuts.co/guides/review-auto-podcast-transcripts) [How to prepare a video file for podcast clipping](https://castcuts.co/guides/prepare-video-for-podcast-clipping) [All creator guides](https://castcuts.co/guides) [Create a clip](https://castcuts.co/account)