How important is it, really, to wear headphones when you record your show? These days, people immediately associate a person with a mic and headphones with podcasting. And yet, some hosts still push back against the idea—after all, their laptop speakers work just fine for video chats, right? If Mary can convince you of anything this season, it will be to start wearing headphones when podcasting. In this episode, she acknowledges all the reasons you might be hesitant to pop on a pair before you hit record. But when you learn about echoes, feedback, voice monitoring, and the problem with Bluetooth, you'll probably come around. As it turns out, this particular piece of audio gear is so much more than just visual branding for your medium. Turn up the volume on your headset (but not too loud) to find out: The ins and outs of noise suppression settings on recording software; Why you need to be mindful of your headphone volume; Why you need to listen to yourself in your headphones (even if it feels cringey); The question of comfort: how to work around irritating headsets. Links worth mentioning from the episode: Setting up professional audio for Zoom Meetings - https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0059985 Connect with Mary! Leave a voice note with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email [email protected] Get the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.com Read up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletter To learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.ca Link up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/ Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and editing by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words Studio Post-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Podcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.