What is Fader?
A fader is a sliding control on a mixing console or in software that adjusts the volume level of a specific audio track or channel.
Why Fader Matters for Podcasters
The fader is the primary tool for mixing audio. On a physical mixer (like the RODECaster Pro), faders are the vertical sliders that you push up to increase volume and pull down to decrease it. In a DAW (software), they appear virtually. Faders are logarithmic, meaning the distance you move them corresponds to how the human ear perceives volume change. 'Riding the fader' is a technique where an engineer manually adjusts the levels in real-time during a recording—lowering the fader when a guest laughs loudly and raising it when they whisper—to reduce the need for heavy compression later.
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Learn the art of riding faders and balancing levels with our Audio Mixing Guide.
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ID3 Tags
ID3 tags are metadata embedded directly into MP3 audio files that store information like the episode title, artist name, album name, and cover art. They help podcast players display the correct information about your episodes.
Metadata
Metadata is descriptive information about your podcast episode that helps platforms, players, and search engines understand what your content is about. It includes titles, descriptions, tags, and embedded file information.
Background Noise / Noise Floor
Background noise (also called noise floor) is the unwanted ambient sound present in your recording, such as air conditioning hum, computer fan noise, or room echo. It can distract listeners and make your podcast sound unprofessional.
Transcription
Transcription is the process of converting spoken audio into written text. For podcasters, transcriptions make content accessible, improve SEO, and enable repurposing into blog posts or social media content.