How to Save Hours Editing

Send a question for 'Ask Megan'

Hey, Podcasters!

If you’ve ever stayed up late scrubbing through waveforms, you know how podcast editing can easily go from a "quick polish” into an all-night project.

But the reality is, editing will take as much time as you give it. And that doesn't need to be a long time.

Changing a few habits before and during recording can make the whole process faster and less stressful!

Where to Start

Rethinking your workflow can feel overwhelming. It helps to begin with small changes:

• Capture clean audio up front by recording in a soft room, wearing headphones, or using a dynamic mic.
• Always do a test recording even if it's just a 60-second test. This can save you hours of “surgical” editing later.
• Have an outline (not a script) to keep conversations focused and cut down tangents, which means less trimming afterward.

These shifts may seem small, but they add up quickly and free you to focus on the content instead of chasing every edit.

For more of our top tips, check out this ​episode​ of Buzzcast.

Rethinking What “Good Editing” Means

A clean episode doesn’t mean perfect.

The team at ​We Edit Podcasts​ reminds creators that the most sustainable edits focus on clarity, not scrubbing every “um.”

A natural conversation will always sound better than one that feels over-polished. They share more mindset tips on their ​blog​.

What Podcasters Are Doing Differently

Podcasters spend an average of 3-8 hours editing their show. That’s a big commitment. And not always a practical one.

In the​ Buzzsprout Facebook group​, podcasters have been swapping resourceful ways to save time.

Some clap or snap to mark mistakes, others coach guests to restart sentences, and many avoid crosstalk by nodding instead of chiming in.

Little habits like these can take the pressure off and make editing feel less overwhelming!

Keep Podcasting

Editing will always take effort, but it doesn’t have to take over your week.

The most important thing is building a process you can sustain for the long run because that’s what keeps your podcast growing.

Have a question for Megan? Send a text!

That's all for this week! Thanks for listening & keep podcasting!