One of the most daunting aspects of building an audio course can be editing the audio. It’s time-consuming and if you don’t already have the skills, there can be a learning curve you will have to work through. The ideal audio needs to be engaging, free of “ah’s” and “um’s”, and rid of background noise. If this is one of the main hurdles preventing you from starting your own course, this article will offer a few solutions on how to delegate this work so you can focus on building the additional materials and promotional aspects of your course.
What are the main benefits of hiring a podcast editor?
- Save time Instead of spending your hours going through the audio, pay someone else to do it. This allows you to focus on recording more material, building course files, and marketing your product.
- The quality will be great from day one If you were the one editing the audio, and presuming you have minimal previous experience, you will have to learn the ins and outs of an editing software/program. Thus increasing your time spent learning the new skill, which is not a waste of time, it just depends on what your priorities are. By hiring a professional to edit, they will know all of the tips and tricks to ensure your audio quality is top-notch with no background noise or hissing to distract the listener right from the get-go.
- A second opinion They can offer you ideas on information to include in the course, specific words to include, and what to take out (what’s fluff). This is especially important if you are the only other one working on designing the course.
Option 1: Hire a freelancer
A freelancer is someone who works for themselves and takes projects for companies or other freelancers. These projects can last anywhere from a day to multiple months. The important part here is that the freelancer does not work for the company at the end of the day and does not receive any of the benefits. Freelancers are typically paid at an hourly rate or agree on a contract, depending on the project.
The one downside of hiring a freelancer is the fact that at the end of the day they do not have to report to the company or person who hired them. Sometimes it can be tricky to find the right person for the job who will be trustworthy, and produce a good product. The information below includes various well-known, trusted sites that offer a variety of freelance options.
Popular freelance sites
Upwork
Extra fees:
- 3% processing fee charged to all payments to freelancers
- 10% service fee on all payments
Plans: Basic (Free), Plus ($49.99/mo), Business ($849/mo), Enterprise (varies)
Fiverr
Plans: There is no membership price to hire a freelancer on Fiverr. Freelancer prices vary per individual and range from $5 to $995, depending on the services needed and the skillset of the freelancer.
Extra fees:
- $1 processing fee for orders up to $20
- 5% fee of total order for those over $20
Freelancer
Plans: There is no cost to sign up, post a job, and receive bids on Freelancer. Once a project bid has been accepted, there is an introduction fee that will be charged. There is a seven-day cancellation policy in which the introduction fee can be refunded if the project is canceled. The fee varies depending on the type of project:
Extra Fees:
- A 3% fee is levied on each payment made to the freelancer for hourly projects
- A 3% or $3.00 USD (depends on which value is greater) is applied for fixed-price projects
Quill
Plans: The prices on Quill vary by the freelancer. The site allows you to browse freelancers, view their portfolios, send them inquiries, and the select who fits your needs best.
Guru
Plans: Freelancers found and hired through Guru come out at the wonderful price of $0.00. There is no fee associated with posting a job on the site, but there is a 2.9% fee charged for each invoice paid. Invoices paid through eCheck or wire transfer receive 100% of the transferring fee back though.
PeoplePerHour
Plans: The bronze, silver, and gold plans are free to join. The system is based on how much money you spend on the platform, so more money will equate to more points, ie more benefits for you.
Option 2: Work with an audio production company
An alternative to audio editing is finding a professional audio and voice editing services company either online or in-person. A benefit to selecting an audio editing company is the fact that they typically offer multiple services that can come together as a package deal sometimes.
It is also convenient to have your editing, transcription (if needed), and marketing all done under one company instead of hiring three different people to do each item individually; reduces the chance of miscommunication. There are a few options listed below which include prices, how to get a quote, and what services the company offers.
Travsonic
To figure out how much your project would cost through Travsonic, you must fill out the online quote and provide: the project due date, type of service needed (audio editing), and a description of the project. A benefit to using Travsonic is that if you reside in the area, you can pay to use the in-house recording booths instead of having to buy your own recording equipment.
AUDIOBAG
The turnaround time for Audiobag is 1 to 7 days for audio under 60 minutes. They will eliminate verbal flubs, adjust the volume level, and add in extra audio segments to piece together the perfect clip. Premium audio editing with prices starting at $127 for 5 minutes and go up to $467 for 90 minutes of editing material. They do offer packages of 10 to help customers save 25% on overall costs
Video Caddy
Video Caddy offers audio services for ad jingles, corporate audio, podcast editing, audio conversion, radio programs, and music editing, and mixing. To find out more about their pricing, submit a quote request online and a service representative will contact you.
Other Audio Editing Options
Don’t forget that these are just a few of the options available to you--if none of these work for you, there are plenty of more resources out there. Think of these as starting points for you to think about. Keep searching until you find a company or freelancer that works for you and understands what you want your audio to sound like, and most importantly, can meet your budget needs.
Build your audio course now!
Now that you know where to find someone to edit your audio, get to recording and sign up on Avocado Audio so your course can be published.
