Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary:

Your Podcast Consultant – Podcast Tips To Avoid Podcasting Mistakes
Host: Dave Jackson
Episode: The Great Outdoors: Where Your Podcast Dreams Go to Die
Date: April 10, 2026
Duration: ~9 minutes

Episode Overview

In this concise episode, Hall of Fame podcaster Dave Jackson tackles a frequent challenge for new podcasters: the unpredictable realities and pitfalls of recording content outdoors. Drawing on both a question from Reddit and his own decades of experience, Dave offers practical advice, realistic expectations, and sanity-saving tips for anyone considering taking their podcast “to the great outdoors.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Outdoor Audio Problem

Listener Question (00:46–01:30): Dave references a Reddit user struggling with poor audio quality when recording outside, citing wind noise, random background voices, and inconsistent sound levels, even with a simple wireless setup.
Key Insight:
- Indoors, it's manageable, outside, it's unpredictable.
  - “Indoors, everything is pretty much manageable, but outside, it just feels unpredictable.” (Dave quoting listener, 01:18)
- Even basic equipment doesn’t guarantee usable outdoor audio due to environmental unpredictability.

2. Controlling What You Can

Advice (01:31–03:30):
- Control as much as possible:
  - Use thick curtains (indoors) to control sound and light.
- Outdoors, your control is limited:
  - You can’t control wind, passersby, or sudden noises like barking dogs and car horns.
  - “If I want to get my neighbor to mow his lawn, all I have to do is press record.” (Dave Jackson, 02:19)
- Wind protection is essential:
  - “You want to make sure every microphone has a windscreen of some sort, because you can’t control the wind.” (Dave Jackson, 02:36)

3. The Consequences: More Editing or Accepting Imperfection

Editing Dilemma (03:31–04:30):
- Outdoor recording greatly increases editing time due to background distractions.
- Sometimes, leaving the background noise in is preferable:
  - “Sometimes trying to remove the background noise can leave the audio worse than if you just left it in there.” (Dave Jackson, 04:13)
- Dave recounts just owning the noise:
  - “Here I am live on the floor of podcast movement, talking to Davey Derrig, and I will just leave it in...” (Dave Jackson, 04:04)

4. Should You “Loosen Your Grip”?

Embracing Imperfection (04:31–05:45):
- Outdoor podcasts require “extra patience” as some things are uncontrollable.
- Ask yourself:
  - “Do I need this background noise? If I did this in a studio where it was quiet, would it hurt the overall vibe of the show?” (Dave Jackson, 05:12)
- If background noise is part of your show’s style, outdoor recording may be necessary—but realize Mother Nature may not always cooperate.

5. Year-Round Feasibility and Creative Workarounds

Logistical Concerns (05:46–06:45):
- Seasonality: Can you truly record outside all year?
- The “car recording” hack:
  - “Cars do a great job of blocking outside noise. That’s great until it’s, I don’t know, 15 degrees outside and you’re freezing...” (Dave Jackson, 06:17)
  - Beware of safety—don’t idle the car indoors due to carbon monoxide risk.

6. Recommended Gear

Portable Setup Suggestions (06:46–07:24):
- Zoom Podtrak P4 next: Battery-powered and pocket-sized.
- Pair with a Samsung Q2U or Shure SM58 for a lightweight, quality mobile rig.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On unpredictable outdoor conditions:
- “Outdoors, everything’s pretty much manageable, but outside, it just feels unpredictable.” (Listener, quoted by Dave, 01:18)
On unwelcome environmental ‘collaborators’:
- “If I want to get my neighbor to mow his lawn, all I have to do is press record.” (02:19)
On embracing the chaos:
- “Sometimes trying to remove the background noise can leave the audio worse than if you just left it in there.” (04:13)
On the core question:
- “Do I need this background noise? If I did this in a studio where it was quiet, would it hurt the overall vibe of the show?” (05:12)
On practical hacks:
- “Cars do a great job of blocking outside noise. That’s great until it’s… 15 degrees outside and you’re freezing…” (06:17)

Important Timestamps

00:46 – Listener question about outdoor audio issues
01:31 – Analyzing what you can (and cannot) control
02:36 – Windscreens & outdoor realities
04:04 – Embracing live background noise
05:12 – Deciding if outdoor sound matters for your show
06:17 – “Car studio” and its limitations
06:46 – Portable gear recommendations

Summary Takeaways

Outdoor podcasting is inherently unpredictable. While some factors can be controlled (using windscreens, choosing quieter spots), many cannot, leading to more editing or lower audio quality.
Evaluate whether recording outdoors truly adds value to your show. If not, seek alternatives like studio or car recording.
If you must record outside, use the best portable gear available and adjust your expectations. Sometimes, it’s better to leave some noise than to over-edit.
Ultimately, patience, flexibility, and gear know-how are vital when braving the podcasting “great outdoors.”

For more help:
Dave plugs his consulting and coaching services at SchoolofPodcasting.com (skip for summary purposes).

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Have you ever had one of those situations that you go to a friend and as you're asking the question outside and you actually hear your own words, you go, oh, yeah, I think I know the answer to this.
[00:14]
B
Welcome to your podcast consultant. Small lessons with big Value. With more than a decade of experience and millions of downloads, this hall of fame podcaster is a featured speaker, author, and mentor to thousands. Now he wants to work with you. He's your podcast consultant. Dave Jackson.
[00:46]
A
I saw this on Reddit. They say. I've been trying to record some casual outdoor style podcast content recently. Not studio, more like conversations outside or at events. And honestly, the audio has been way worse than I expected. Indoors, everything is pretty much manageable, but outside, it just feels unpredictable. There's wind noise, random background voices, sometimes my voice is clear and then suddenly it drops or it clips a bit. I'm not even using anything super complicated, remember that? Just a small wireless setup, but it still feels inconsistent depending on the situation. I'm not trying to get perfect studio quality or anything that's good because you're not in a studio, just something clean enough to actually use. So I guess my question is, is this just kind of reality of recording outside, or are there some basic things people do that make a big difference? So the problem here is you kind of hit it right on the head when you started off, and that is, indoors, everything is pretty much manageable, but outside, it just feels unpredictable. So, not a dumb question. I get it. You're new to this, and so some things you need to keep in mind, try to control as much as you can. So, for example, I'm in my studio right now, and on the windows, I have super thick, dark black curtains. Why? Because I sometimes shoot video in here and I have to control the light. So what you can do, really, because you can't control the wind, you can't control other people making noise you can't control. My neighbor loves to mow his lawn. If I want to get my neighbor to mow his lawn, all I have to do is press record. So when it comes to outside here, again, you want to make sure every microphone has a windscreen of some sort, because you can't control the wind. The other thing you can do because what happens is dogs bark, cars beep their horns, whatever it is, all these things that you can't control. Which means what? Which means more time to edit, or you've just got to loosen your grip and go, all right, I'm just going to leave the car crash in the background and Forget that it never even happened or what I do. I've recorded some things at events and I'll just say, here I am live on the floor of podcast movement, talking to Davey Derrig, and I will just leave it in because sometimes trying to remove the background noise can leave the audio worse than if you just left it in there. So keep that in mind. And I get it. I know some people that do kind of walking podcasts, and that's fine. You just have to bring extra patience because there are going to be those times when things happen that you can't control and you kind of have to realize that it's not going to be perfect because something's gonna happen, the wind's gonna blow or whatever. And if that's what you're going for, you wanna ask yourself, do I need this background noise? If I did this in a studio where it was quiet, would it hurt the overall vibe of the show? And if the answer is yes, it would, well, then you gotta do it outside, which just means some days Mother Nature is not gonna be in the mood to podcast. And then you also have to ask yourself if that's really part of it, can I do this year round? I know people that will actually record in their car in their garage because cars do a great job of blocking outside noise. That's great until it's, I don't know, 15 degrees outside and you're freezing and you don't want to turn on the car because then you might accidentally die from carbon monoxide poisoning. So there are all these things to think about if part of the show is is going to be recording outside. A real portable device for recording is the Zoom Podtrak P4 next. It actually runs on batteries if you wanted to. And you could basically buy a small mic cable and a Samsung Q2U or Shure SM58 and you'd be good to go. You know, you could fit the the P4 next in your pocket and be off to the races. Now, if you need more help with your show, you know where to find me. Schoolofpodcasting.com start use the coupon code listener and that comes with the 30 day money back guarantee. You get access to courses, coaching, one on one consulting with me. It's all there. Schoolofpodcasting.com along with a 30 day money back guarantee. I'm Dave Jackson. I help podcasters. It's what I do. Been doing it for over 20 years and I'd love to see what we could do together because I want to be your podcast consultant.