|
|
|
Newsletter continues after sponsor message
|
|
|
🎶 Ok, now let’s talk about music. Many of you are using original, non-copyrighted music in wonderful ways and it's making your podcasts better.
But, the key here is, that a little bit goes a long way. And often, we’re hearing too much (or too loud!) of a good thing. Or the wrong thing. We’re hearing haunting, sorrowful music in a podcast about late-night college parties. Lively, peppy music in sad stories.
And, the most frequent problem, is that we’re hearing music that runs under the entire podcast.
So, start to think about what the point is of your scoring – does it set a mood? Does it mark a transition, from one scene or point that you’re making, to another?
And let’s talk about levels here, too. In some podcasts, the music is so loud that it makes it hard to hear what you’re saying. It’s easy to adjust the music levels with editing software to bring it louder when appropriate and then move it to the background. Or, as often helps, fade it out entirely.
|
|
Same with natural sound. And sound effects.
If it's a piece about basketball, it’s great to have the sounds of the ref’s whistle and the shoes squeaking on the floor and the final buzzer and the crowd cheering, but make sure it’s not overpowering the voices in your piece.. You can pop that sound up in key moments and make it part of the story. If you’re talking about the big game, use the crowd cheering, for example, at key moments to illustrate the point you’re making – the home team just took the lead! Or after describing the free throw that won the game. The sound you use should bring words you're saying to life.
As we heard in one of our college podcast finalists this year: “People talk a lot about sound effects. I’m not very interested in that. I’m interested in the effect of sound on people.”
And then, for us as journalists at NPR, and what we’d hope you’ll do in your podcasts, is make a distinction between “natural sound” and “sound effects.”
Natural sound means you went to the basketball game and held out your microphone or recorder or smartphone and got audio of the action. We LOVE that. Try holding the microphone down by your feet as you walk through the woods, or hold it right up to the skillet as you fry that egg or next to a door as you knock.
On the other hand, a sound effect is something you didn’t record in the moment – and usually comes from googling “basketball buzzer sounds” or “helicopter noise.” We’re not so wild about that. In journalism, we have strict rules about not misleading the listener with sounds that aren’t natural. These sounds can work in a fictional story to bring it to life, but remember, a little goes a long way. |
|
In recent years though, many of you are going all in with sound effects. It’s fun, yes, but for the audience, it can be tiresome.
Again, as with scoring music, less is more.
Steve Drummond, executive producer, NPR Ed |
|
Stream your local NPR station. |
|
| Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| | Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You received this message because you're subscribed to Student Podcast Challenge emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
