How to Sound Professional When Recording Podcasts at Home — Even in Small Rooms
Many podcasters record in bedrooms, offices, small spare rooms or improvised corners of the house. These spaces are convenient, but they naturally create echo, reflections and a “roomy” sound that microphones exaggerate.
The good news is that you don’t need a studio to fix this. With a few well-placed acoustic panels, you can achieve clear, controlled podcast audio in almost any home environment — even very small ones.
Why small rooms create difficult podcast audio
Small domestic rooms often have:
- hard walls
- short distances between surfaces
- little natural absorption
- parallel walls that bounce sound directly into the mic
This leads to:
- echo
- hollowness
- harsh reflections
- uneven tone
- more post-processing work
The solution is simple: treat the surfaces closest to your voice and microphone.
For a deeper explanation of how reflections affect sound in small rooms, you can read this overview from the University of Salford:
https://salfordacoustics.co.uk/sound-waves/diffraction/diffraction-and-reflection-in-rooms
1. Treat the wall the speaker faces
When you speak toward a microphone, your voice projects forward to the wall behind it. That wall is usually the biggest source of reflections that make recordings sound “home-made”.
Placing two acoustic panels on this wall removes those reflections before they return to the microphone.
Panels made from dense PET felt — such as the ones from AudioSilk — work particularly well here because they cover a wide area and absorb speech reflections efficiently.
2. Add panels behind the speaker
The second major reflection path is the wall directly behind you. Those reflections travel straight into the microphone and often cause a boxy tone.
Adding one or two panels behind you, roughly at head height, provides a tighter, cleaner sound.
3. Control the left and right sides (if room allows)
In narrow rooms, the microphone sits close to the side walls, so reflections arrive from both sides.
Adding a panel to your left and right helps create a more focused and intimate vocal quality.
This is especially valuable for spoken-word content where clarity is the priority.
For more guidance on panel placement in general home studios, you can also read:
https://audiosilk.com/blogs/blog/the-complete-beginners-guide-to-home-studio-acoustic-treatment
4. Optional: treat a small patch of ceiling or the desk area
You may also notice reflections from:
- high ceilings
- glossy desks
- large bare walls opposite you
A single panel above the microphone or opposite the desk can help smooth out bright, persistent reflections.
Small-room layouts that work well
A) Four-panel mini booth (ideal for tight spaces)
A simple recording zone can be created using four panels:
- one in front
- one behind
- one on the left
- one on the right
This is extremely effective in small bedrooms, box rooms, or anywhere you can’t treat the entire room.
B) Closet or cupboard recording
Closets naturally absorb sound thanks to hanging clothes.
To refine the sound further:
- place a panel behind the microphone
- place another on the inside of the door
This setup produces a surprisingly “studio-dry” sound.
C) Corner recording setup
If your space forces you to record in a corner:
- position one panel on each wall forming the corner
- keep the microphone slightly away from the point
- add one panel behind you
This prevents the “small box” resonance corners often produce.
Why PET felt panels outperform foam for podcasting
When treating a home podcast room, PET felt panels generally outperform basic foam tiles in the areas that matter most:
1. Better performance for speech clarity
PET felt absorbs reflections more consistently across common vocal frequencies, delivering a clearer, more controlled recording.
2. Fewer panels needed
PET panels cover a larger surface area, so you can treat a room effectively with fewer pieces compared to small foam tiles.
Extra advantages
- modern, clean appearance
- no chemical smell
- holds shape over time
- renter-friendly and easy to reposition
AudioSilk panels fall into this PET felt category, offering a practical and visually clean option for home podcasters.
Recommended home configurations
4-panel basic setup
- 2 in front
- 2 behind
4-panel mini booth
- front
- back
- left
- right
6-panel enhanced setup
- 2 in front
- 2 behind
- 1 left
- 1 right
Closet setup
- 1 behind the mic
- 1 on the door
What to expect after treatment
Once the closest reflective surfaces are treated, expect:
- much less echo
- a more intimate vocal tone
- reduced boxiness
- clearer consonants
- easier editing
- more reliable recordings
Even budget microphones benefit dramatically once the room is under control.
Summary
Professional-sounding podcast audio starts with controlling reflections around the microphone and the speaker. With just a handful of well-placed acoustic panels, almost any home environment — bedrooms, offices, corners, cupboards — can become a dependable recording space.
AudioSilk’s PET felt panels are well-suited to these setups, offering wide coverage, clean aesthetics and a lightweight, renter-friendly design that works in small and multipurpose rooms.
