When you think of podcast recording, you probably picture someone sitting in a studio with a Neumann microphone that costs more than your rent. Spotify wants to change that, making podcast creation something you can do in noisy environments and without expensive gear. The company’s one-button voice isolation feature, Podcast Audio Enhancement, debuts today in Spotify’s Anchor app for podcast creators.
The feature requires a single button press in the Anchor app. Doing so drowns out background noise, bringing your voice to the forefront. So if you want to record your latest episode on a crowded convention floor or at home with barking dogs or crying babies, you theoretically can, though we can’t say how effective it is just yet. In addition, the Anchor app lets you toggle the feature on and off during playback to compare the results.
Spotify isn’t the only Big Tech company to invest in voice isolation, as AI advances lead to better filtration without expensive dynamic microphones. For example, Zoom and Google Meet offer background noise reduction tech in virtual-meeting apps. But Spotify trying to improve audio to the point where it’s good enough to release as a podcast feels a bit tougher than just clearing things up on a video call.
After facing a Joe Rogan PR crisis earlier this year, Spotify continues its push to make itself a one-stop shop for podcast listening and creation. The push began in 2017 and accelerated in the following years as it became more evident how lucrative podcasts can be. The streaming service acquired publishing companies, struck a now-defunct deal with the Obamas and snatched up online production tools like Soundtrap. Spotify bought Anchor in 2019 for over $150 million and has since used it to make podcast creation as simple and effortless as possible.