Podcast and Voice Recording: Intelligible Voices, Clean Episodes

With spoken word only one thing matters: that every word is understood without effort. That is why a podcast or voice session with us starts at the table, not at the microphone. Distance, seating, eye contact and a room that does not ring decide more about speech intelligibility than any piece of equipment. The 9 m² booth is for solo voices and audiobook work; the conversation table for groups of up to four stands in the live room, acoustically shielded and with a sightline to the control room.

Mario Wieser looks after podcast and voice-over sessions at Klangnest. He sets levels, keeps noise out of the recording, brings remote guests into the round over a stable audio link and edits episodes to conventions we agree with you before the first instalment. Advertising, audiobook and e-learning work follows the same principle at a different pace: short takes, unambiguous naming, delivery in the format your agency or publisher asks for.

How it works

1. Step 1

   Briefing and booking

   You describe the format, how many people, the episode length and whether guests will join remotely. We reply within 1 working day with a quote and a date; sessions run Monday to Saturday.

2. Step 2

   Table set-up and sound check

   Microphones, headphones and the link to remote guests are ready before you arrive. Ten minutes of sound check with everyone, then we roll.

3. Step 3

   Recording with an engineer

   Every voice lands on its own track. Mario logs slips and restarts as they happen so the edit moves quickly later, and steps in if a level drifts.

4. Step 4

   Editing and delivery

   Raw files reach you within 2 working days. The edit is delivered on the agreed date as an RSS-ready MP3 with chapter markers, and as WAV if you want it.

Who podcast and voice recording is for

Our service is for anyone whose content is the voice – whether that means one episode a week or a single voice-over job:

• Podcast teams and solo hosts whose home recordings struggle with reverb, traffic noise or uneven levels and who want a fixed production routine.
• Companies and institutions with internal or public formats – interview series, industry podcasts, science communication.
• Voice artists who need a booth with an engineer for commercials, corporate films, audiobook chapters or e-learning modules.
• Agencies and publishers who want to direct and approve a voice session from elsewhere over an audio link.

We do not seat more than four people at the table because crosstalk and intelligibility suffer beyond that. For singing and music, see our vocal recording and band recording.

How an episode session runs

An episode package covers up to 90 minutes of recording, which we edit down to a maximum of 60 minutes. A typical session looks like this:

1. Arrival and seating: the host sits facing all guests, headphones for everyone, water on the table.
2. Sound check: each person speaks at normal conversational volume, we set distance and level and test the link to any remote guests.
3. Recording: we record continuously, slips included. Anyone who stumbles pauses briefly and restarts the sentence – the cleanest route for the edit.
4. A break after about 45 minutes if wanted; the recording continues in the same file.
5. Wrap-up: short notes on topics and timestamps for chapters and show notes, backup of the multitrack.

Remote guests join over an audio link with their own return feed: they hear the room, the room hears them, and their voice sits on its own track like everyone else’s. For €25 per episode incl. 20 % VAT we set the link up and look after it throughout the recording.

What to prepare

The better the preparation, the less editing – and the more natural the conversation. Our recommendations:

• Running order: topic blocks with a time budget, not a script; intro and outro text may be word for word.
• Guest briefing: we ask remote guests for a quiet room, headphones, a wired internet connection and an external microphone if they have one.
• Names and spellings: a list of everyone involved and of technical terms for show notes and chapter markers.
• Music and idents: finished files with usage rights if your intro has music; we drop them in during the edit.
• For voice-over sessions: the final script, pronunciation notes, target platform and maximum length per take.
• The voice: arrive rested, skip dairy right before recording, keep the throat warm.

A general checklist on getting here, opening hours and how a session unfolds is in our guide Preparing your session; the points on voice and breaks apply to speakers just as much as to singers.

Editing conventions and chapter markers

Editing is a matter of taste, so we fix the rules together before the first episode and keep to them across the whole series. By default we remove slips that were restarted, long thinking pauses, filler words only where they pile up, and noises such as table knocks or phone vibration. Breaths stay, laughter stays, overlapping speech stays where it belongs to the conversation. Each voice is matched individually in level and tone, then the whole conversation is brought to a consistent speech loudness so listeners never reach for the volume control. Intro, outro and stings go in at the agreed positions. From the notes taken on the day we build chapter markers with timestamps and titles, embedded in the MP3 so they appear in common podcast apps; you receive the same list as text for your show notes.

What you receive and in which formats

Delivery is built so that you can upload the episode to your host without further processing:

Hand-over is by download link and all files stay in our archive for 12 months. Further formats, such as an audio file at broadcast loudness for a video, are added on request.

Turnaround, raw files and revisions

Raw files reach you no later than 2 working days after the recording. The delivery date for the edit is agreed when you book; for regular formats we set a fixed weekly rhythm so your publishing day never moves. Revisions to the edit are handled like a mix: two revision rounds per episode are included, as described in article 7 of our terms. Gather your notes with timestamps – “remove the name at 12:40” – and send them in one batch. Content changes that require re-recording are a new session. For voice-over work the take you or your director approve during the session counts as accepted; re-recording individual lines after a script change is charged by the hour.

What is not included

Not covered by the hourly rate or the episode package are editorial work and topic planning, script writing, casting of voice talent, podcast hosting and feed management, music licences for intro and outro, and transcripts. Recording time beyond the 90 minutes of the package is charged at the hourly rate. We do not offer video recording; if you publish your episode as video as well, we supply the matching audio track.

Further reading: preparation, FAQ and terms

How to plan your session, what to bring and how to reach us at Burggasse 95 is in the guide Preparing your session: a checklist. Common questions on dates, file sizes and rights are answered on the FAQ page. The terms are binding: article 5 on free cancellation up to 5 working days before the date and the 50 % fee for less than 48 hours’ notice, article 6 on deposit and payment, article 7 on revisions and article 8 on rights to the recording. Dates and quotes are available through the contact form or on +43 1 890 46 27.

Scope of the service

Rates

All prices in euros. Consumer prices include 20 % Austrian VAT; for businesses VAT is shown separately on the invoice.

The studio hour including equipment and engineer costs €75 incl. 20 % VAT. The episode package – up to 90 minutes recorded, edited to a maximum of 60 minutes – costs €240 incl. 20 % VAT; a remote guest adds €25 per episode incl. 20 % VAT. Voice-over sessions for advertising, audiobooks and e-learning are charged at €95 per hour incl. 20 % VAT. A 30 % deposit is due on booking, the balance after delivery – private clients within 7 days, businesses within 14 days of invoicing. Rights to the recording pass to you once payment is complete (terms, article 8).

Questions about this service

First episode or next series?

Describe the format, how many people and your preferred date – we reply within 1 working day with a quote and a proposed slot.

Request a session