5 Cool Free Tools Podcasters Need to Know About

You can utilise several free tools for Podcasting. These tools can be a godsend for independent Podcasters looking to work on a tight budget.

Here is where to find great tools that will help you create better content without impacting on budget.

Cleanfeed (free podcast remote recording)

Alternative to: Zoom, zencastr, Riverside, or squadcast

Cleanfeed is a real hidden gem.

The default go-to for recording remote podcast recording software is Zoom. It's what most podcasters seem to use because it's free. The problem with Zoom is that it was invented for meetings, not audio content. It records over the internet for the purpose of keeping it fast. For this reason the audio is highly compressed and can be very glitchy when recorded.

I've used Riverside.fm a lot which offers excellent audio, but I've seen it be buggy and complicated for anyone without a high-speed machine. I’ve analysed the audio from zencastr and the quality is noticeably lossy to me.

If you want good-quality audio without paying a subscription, check out Cleanfeed.

Cleanfeed records the audio at the source, giving you the best possible quality. 

There is no limit on time in the free plan, so you can record as much as you want.

Just sign up, log in, share a link, hit record and then download when you’re done. Easy!

You could also use this to record intros, outros and bumpers at a studio quality standard (never do this with zoom)

Cleanfeed does not support video. However, run it alongside Zoom; you can have video and high-quality audio.

Anchor (free podcast hosting)

Alternative to: Podbean, Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Captivate, Transistor

Anchor is the best free podcasting host available. The platform run by Spotify allows podcasters to bypass a subscription to host their show.

The slight caveat here is that you are in the clutches of a large organisation. Changing hosts after you launch a podcast can be complicated, so I always suggest paying for a subscription platform if you can afford it.

That said, it benefits the industry that a free option exists on the market. If you are starting, testing the water or are a pure hobbyist with a small budget, Anchor will save you over $100 per year.

Pixabay (free music for podcast intros)

Alternative to: audiojungle, premuimbeat, pond5

Most music requires a fee to purchase the licence to use it. Here's a way you can get music for free.

Pixabay is by far the best free music resource I have come across. Pixabay has organised the library nicely, and the quality of the music is good.

Even if it's not for your theme music, Pixabay offers a quick and easy way to grab music that you can use across sponsors, bumpers, promos or anything else.

Music downloaded from pixabay is royalty free and copyright free. Just be sure to credit the composer in your show notes (it's just a nice thing to do)

Canva or Adobe Express (cover art and graphics)

Alternative to: Photoshop, Illustrator

Adobe express has hundreds of podcast cover templates that you can customize

Canva and Adobe Express are design tools that makes creating graphics simple.

There's no need for any design experience as both platforms have hundreds of templates that do the work for you and that you can customise to make it look your own.

Canva and Adobe Express can provide you with a solution for cover art, audiograms, promotional graphics, and quote cards. The possibilities are endless.

Audacity (audio editing)

Alternative to: Adobe Audition, Pro Tools, Reaper

Audacity is a free multitrack editor. As a podcast producer, I always recommend hiring an editor who has experience. However, I also get that not everyone has a budget.

Think of it this way: if you want your living room painted, you can do it yourself to save money, but it requires time, it's a hassle, and it isn't going to look as good as if a professional does it.

If you are going to edit yourself, then Audacity is the best way you can do it cost-effectively. My one piece of advice for people who want to edit a Podcast themselves is to keep it simple!

If you have no experience in audio production, don't try and make it sound fancy without learning what you are doing. Mixing a voice track over music is NOT as simple as it seems. Mixing requires processing, control and a sense of timing.

Think about how you can make your Podcast sound good without advanced editing.