You’ve bought the microphone, mentally rehearsed your intro multiple times and the acoustic foam is on its way. You’ve watched enough YouTube videos on the set up process to feel genuinely confident and compiled the list of guests you want to reach out to.
The podcast dream feels within reach but then the question comes – is your standard broadband good enough to run a proper podcast studio?
It’s something you need to ask yourself. The Internet is full of advice about microphones, editing software and soundproofing. Yet the connectivity question is usually glossed over with a vague “you’ll need a good connection” and nothing more.
That’s not particularly helpful when you’re trying to figure out if your current broadband package will make the cut. The short answer is probably yes, it will work – there are just some caveats worth understanding first.
What Does “Standard Broadband” Mean?
The term “standard broadband” covers a fairly wide range. In some households, it means a reasonably solid 50-100Mbps connection. In others, it could be a shaky 10-20Mbps line that goes down as soon as someone tries to stream Netflix.
In urban and suburban areas, most broadband packages sit somewhere between 35 and 100Mbps for download speeds. It sounds like enough and it usually is for solo recording. But when it comes to podcasting, upload speed is what you need to be looking at.
The Upload Speed That Nobody Talks About
If you plan on recording solo episodes which you edit and upload afterwards, your broadband won’t have any struggle. Even an hour-long completed one is typically between 50MB and 200MB and uploading that to a hosting platform will take a few minutes at worst, even on modest upload speeds.
Where you may experience some trouble is if you have a guest join remotely. In that case, you’re now streaming audio – and even video – in real time. That requires consistent upload bandwidth.
The key word there is consistent. Most standard broadband packages offer upload speeds between 5 and 20Mbps. If your connection averages 8Mbps upload but dips down to 2Mbps every few minutes will cause choppy video and dropped audio.
What About Professional-Level Recording And Streaming?
If your podcast ambitions stretch into live streaming or video podcasting with multiple guests, standard broadband may start to show its limits more clearly.
Live streaming to platforms like YouTube requires a stable 5-10Mbps upload just for the stream itself, not including whatever else you need for the actual recording session. At that point, a standard connection will feel squeezed – especially if other devices in your home are using bandwidth simultaneously.
There are some platforms out there like Riverside.fm which record audio and video locally on the participant’s device. After the session, it syncs everything so the actual recorded files stay crisp regardless of the perceived call quality. This is something to consider if your upload speeds are on the lower end.
How To Get The Most Out Of What You Have
The good news is that you don’t need to upgrade your broadband package to get significantly better results. Just a few simple tweaks to how you manage your connection can make a real difference, and most of them cost nothing at all.
Avoid Having Other Devices Use Bandwidth Simultaneously
Other household devices, including smart TVs, can use bandwidth unnecessarily while you are recording a podcast session. Make sure those are turned off or set up Quality of Service (QoS) on your Wi-Fi router which will prioritise your recording device’s traffic.
Test Prior To Your Session
There are free online tools where you can test your Internet speed at that moment. These take about thirty seconds to tell you what you’re working with before you actually go live.
Use Platforms That Record Locally
These tools can be a podcaster’s lifesaver if your broadband is unpredictable. Regardless of any connection hiccups during the actual session, you still get studio-quality recording at the end of it.
Record At Off-Peak Times If Possible
Neighbourhood Internet traffic will usually peak in the evenings once everyone is home from work for the day. If you have the flexibility to do so, consider recording mid-morning when the connection is likely to be more stable.
Consider A Backup Plan
If your broadband connection drops mid-session, your mobile’s hotspot is a surprisingly capable emergency backup. It’s not ideal of course, but it’s far better than losing an entire interview.
