Audio Glossary

In this guide, we'll give you the basic audio terminology you need to successfully record, clean up, and edit your own audio recordings like a professional. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or a novice audiobook recorder, this audio glossary breaks down the most common audio terms in ways anyone can understand. By the end, you'll know how to optimize orders on the Podsworth app and learn ways to improve how you record.

Here are the 12 most common audio terms you should know:

Clipping

Exceeding the maximum gain (i.e. unity gain, i.e. 0 dB) that a given amplifier and/or recording device can handle. This introduces unpleasant sounding distortion into whatever audio you are trying to record.

Plosives

Unpleasant explosive sounds caused by a rush of air hitting a microphone's diaphragm. These are often caused by P and B sounds when someone is speaking into a microphone up close without a properly positioned pop filter (mesh or finely perforated metal suspended a few inches in front of the microphone).

Electrical clicks & pops

Unpleasant clicking and popping sounds caused by power issues, connection issues, problems with analog to digital converters, etc.

Mouth-clicks

The high frequency clicks caused by wet mouth flesh sticking, unsticking, and slapping together. The higher sensitivity of your microphone and the closer it is to your mouth, the more of these sounds will be present in a recording.

Mouth-smacks

The loud sounds caused by clicking one's tongue, especially while inhaling simultaneously.

Noise floor

The lowest point of useful audio signal, below which is either just noise or silence.

Steady-state noise

Relatively unchanging or very slowly changing background noise. This is usually caused by things like amplifier hiss, ground hum from power sources, air conditioning, ceiling fans, computer fans, traffic noise, etc.

Momentary noise

Short and/or quickly changing background noises, like sirens, vehicle horns honking, doors slamming, bumping the microphone or desk, items being dropped, etc.

Reverb / Roominess

The indirect sound of whatever you're trying to record bouncing off walls and coming into the microphone later than the direct sound of what you're trying to record. In musical applications, sometimes reverb is nice and desirable, but it is almost always annoying or distracting in podcast recordings.

Compressor

Reduces the peaks of an audio signal by a specified ratio starting at a specified threshold, thereby reducing the overall dynamic range of the signal.

Dynamic range

The distance between the quietest parts of the signal and the loudest parts.

EQ (Equalization)

Increasing or reducing specific frequency ranges of an audio signal. The primary goal of EQ for podcasts is to attenuate (i.e. reduce) unpleasant and/or distracting frequencies in a given recording and make that recording sound more pleasant and/or natural (i.e. like a real human voice, unhindered by a bad sounding environment and/or recording issues).

The next time you're recording content, keep these audio terms in the back of your mind to maximize your audio quality. Then, run your files through the Podsworth app to enhance your voice recordings and sound like a pro. No expertise or account required.