Inside My Audio Production Workflow: The Tools I Use to Turn Raw Recordings Into Finished Content

Producing professional podcasts, audiobooks, interviews, and branded audio is rarely about pressing a single button and making everything sound great. The real work happens through a combination of recording, editing, restoration, mixing, sound design, and quality control. Over the years, I have developed a production workflow that combines traditional audio production techniques with some of the newer AI powered tools available today. This case study looks at the tools I use throughout that process and, more importantly, how I use them together to turn a raw recording into polished, professional content.

The Recording Starts With the Right Source

A good finished recording begins with a good source. Whenever possible, I want the cleanest recording I can get from the microphone, recording environment, and recording platform. For remote productions, I use Riverside.fm as my virtual recording service. Riverside gives me a way to record guests remotely while maintaining control over the production process, and it has become an important part of my workflow for podcasts, interviews, and other projects where everyone is not in the same room.

Remote recording presents its own challenges. A guest might be recording in a home office, a bedroom, or a space with computer fans, HVAC noise, traffic, or room reflections. Even when everyone follows the recording instructions, you can still end up with material that needs additional cleanup. This is where the post production side of my workflow really begins.

Editing With Pro Tools and Cubase Pro

For editing and audio production, two of the main DAWs in my workflow are Pro Tools and Cubase Pro. Both provide the editing precision and flexibility I need for professional audio production, whether I am working on an audiobook, podcast, interview, or branded content project.

Editing is about much more than removing mistakes. I am listening for unwanted pauses, repeated words, false starts, distracting noises, inconsistent volume, awkward edits, mouth sounds, breaths, and other problems that can take the listener out of the experience. With long form projects, especially audiobooks and podcasts, maintaining a natural rhythm is just as important as making the recording technically clean.

This is also where experience matters. There is a temptation to make every recording sound completely processed, but professional audio should not necessarily sound processed. My goal is to make the production sound natural, consistent, and polished while preserving the personality of the speaker.

iZotope RX for Audio Restoration

One of the most important tools in my restoration workflow is iZotope RX. RX is particularly useful when I encounter problems that cannot simply be fixed with conventional editing or EQ.

I use RX for tasks such as reducing unwanted background noise, repairing clicks and pops, removing problematic sounds, reducing mouth noises, addressing electrical interference, and cleaning up recordings that have other technical problems. It can be especially valuable when working with remote recordings, where I do not have complete control over the recording environment.

Audio restoration is often about making careful decisions. Removing too much noise can make a voice sound unnatural, metallic, or overly processed. The objective is not always to eliminate every trace of background noise. Sometimes the best result is a subtle reduction that allows the voice to remain natural.

De Noiser and Voice Cleanup

Noise reduction is another important part of the workflow. Depending on the recording, I may use noise reduction tools within iZotope RX or other de noiser plugins to address consistent background sounds.

The key word here is subtlety. A voice that has been aggressively processed can actually sound worse than a voice with a small amount of background noise. I generally approach noise reduction as a restoration process rather than an opportunity to make the recording unnaturally silent.

This becomes particularly important with audiobooks and long form spoken word projects. The listener may be hearing the same voice for several hours, so consistency and natural sound become extremely important.

EQ With FabFilter Pro Q

Once the recording has been cleaned up, EQ becomes one of the tools I use to shape the voice. FabFilter Pro Q is one of my go to EQ plugins because it gives me very precise control over the frequency spectrum.

Every voice is different. Some voices need a little more clarity, while others may have excessive low end, harshness, or nasal frequencies. Rather than applying the same EQ settings to every project, I listen to the voice and make adjustments based on what the recording actually needs.

Pro Q is particularly useful for making small, targeted adjustments. A few carefully chosen EQ moves can make a voice sound clearer and more balanced without making it obvious that processing has been applied.

De Essing for Harsh Sibilance

Sibilance is another common issue with spoken word recordings. Sounds such as S and T can become particularly noticeable when someone is close to the microphone or when a recording has been processed to increase clarity.

I use de esser plugins when necessary to control excessive sibilance. Again, the goal is not to remove those sounds completely. A voice without natural sibilance can sound strange and lispy. The objective is to control the harsh frequencies while keeping the speaker sounding like themselves.

This is especially important for audiobooks and podcasts, where the listener is hearing a voice continuously for an extended period of time.

Dealing With Plosives

Plosives are another problem that can appear even when a recording has otherwise been captured well. Those low frequency bursts caused by sounds such as P and B can overwhelm a microphone capsule and create a noticeable thump in the recording.

I use dedicated plugins and restoration tools when I need to repair plosives in post production. Ideally, plosives are prevented during recording through proper microphone technique, positioning, and the use of a pop filter. But when one gets through, having restoration tools available can save an otherwise excellent take.

This is one of the recurring themes in my workflow. Good production starts with good recording technique, but professional post production gives you tools to solve the problems that inevitably make it through.

AI Voice Isolation With ElevenLabs

AI has introduced another interesting option into the audio restoration process. I have also incorporated voice isolation tools from ElevenLabs into my workflow when dealing with challenging recordings.

Voice isolation can be useful when the original recording contains significant background noise or environmental distractions. Rather than simply applying conventional noise reduction, AI based processing can attempt to separate the voice from unwanted sounds.

I see these tools as another option in the restoration toolbox rather than a replacement for traditional audio production. Sometimes a conventional restoration technique produces the most natural result. Other times, AI based isolation can rescue material that would otherwise require extensive processing.

The important thing is knowing when to use each tool and, just as importantly, knowing when not to use it.

Music and Sound Effects With Artlist

Once the voice recording is clean and properly edited, the production can move beyond technical cleanup and into creative sound design.

For music, sound effects, and other production assets, I use Artlist.io. Having access to a large library of professionally produced music and sound effects gives me the ability to build a sonic identity around a project without having to source every element individually.

Music can completely change the feeling of a podcast or branded production. A carefully chosen intro can establish the tone of a show before the host even says a word. Sound effects can help create transitions, emphasize moments, or add atmosphere. In the right project, these elements can make the production feel much more intentional and engaging.

The trick is knowing when to use them. Good sound design should support the story rather than compete with it.

Video Production and Multimedia Assets

Audio production increasingly overlaps with video production, particularly as podcasts continue moving onto platforms where audiences expect video as well as audio.

Artlist also gives me access to video related production assets that can be incorporated into multimedia projects. This is useful when producing video podcasts, branded content, promotional clips, social media material, and other content that needs to exist beyond the traditional podcast feed.

My approach is still fundamentally audio focused, but the modern content producer needs to think about the complete production rather than treating audio and video as completely separate worlds.

Putting It All Together

The most important part of my workflow is not any individual plugin or piece of software. It is how the tools work together.

A typical project might begin with a remote recording through Riverside.fm. The resulting files are brought into Pro Tools or Cubase Pro for editing. I then use iZotope RX and other restoration tools to address noise, clicks, mouth sounds, plosives, and other recording problems. FabFilter Pro Q can be used to shape the voice, while de esser processing helps control excessive sibilance.

If the recording presents more difficult background noise, AI based voice isolation tools from ElevenLabs can provide another option. Once the dialogue is sounding clean and consistent, I can add music, sound effects, and other creative elements from Artlist to create the final production.

The final stage is about balance and quality control. I listen to the production as a complete piece rather than simply checking individual plugins. Does the voice sound natural? Is the volume consistent? Are the edits distracting? Does the music support the content? Are the sound effects helping the story? Does the finished production sound professional on headphones, speakers, and everyday listening devices?

Those questions are ultimately more important than which plugin happens to be on the screen.

The Technology Is Only Part of the Process

One of the biggest lessons I have learned through years of producing podcasts, audiobooks, interviews, and branded content is that having access to professional tools is only part of the equation.

There are thousands of plugins, restoration tools, AI services, recording platforms, music libraries, and editing programs available today. It is possible to spend a fortune on software and still produce mediocre audio.

The real value comes from understanding what the recording needs and choosing the right tool for the job. Sometimes that means using sophisticated restoration software. Sometimes it means making a tiny EQ adjustment. Sometimes it means removing a plugin entirely. And sometimes the best solution is simply getting the microphone closer to the speaker and fixing the recording technique before the production ever reaches the editing stage.

My current workflow combines established professional audio tools with newer AI technology, allowing me to approach each project based on its individual requirements. The technology continues to evolve, but the objective remains the same, create audio that sounds clean, natural, engaging, and professional, without making the production itself get in the way of the content.