media update’s Talisa Jansen van Rensburg takes a look at the benefits of including Lo-Fi into your podcast.
Who doesn't love that crisp, clean sound coming from their favorite podcast? Well, as it turns out, people are actually looking for those ‘flaws’ in the recording, such as
fuzz and crackle sounds, which evokes those feelings of nostalgia and familiar emotions —
enter Lo-Fi.
This is the process of recording a podcast, music or YouTube video but keeps in the sounds you’d normally edit out. For example, your pet barking or a motorcycle driving in the street. This is done to provide a certain aesthetic that causes the listener to experience different types of emotions —
especially nostalgia.
Lo-Fi is a diverse genre of music as an artist can take any song and turn it into a Lo-Fi song. This means that any brand can find the perfect fit for their podcast, with genres ranging from hip-hop to pop
Before leaping into the benefits of this type of music, take time to set the scene by hitting ‘play’ on this
Lo-Fi hip hop playlist while reading the article.
On that note, let’s get right to it:
1. Lo-Fi music is comforting
Why does Lo-Fi sound familiar to the listener? Well, this is often due to a song being remixed or a podcast being recorded in low fidelity. It has added sounds of birds, a coffee shop or water, which can be heard in the recording.
This means that the listener is able to identify recognisable sounds, leaving them feeling that they are in a comfortable space, allowing them to concentrate better.
Just think about your own working space: If you’re working from home, you may have become accustomed to your cat trotting across the tiles or your partner making coffee in the kitchen. These sounds are like
home.
Lo-Fi music also contains a lot of different audio, and by listening to it, your “
brain actively picks out the difference in sounds” which leads to improved productivity and focus. So if you’ve ever wondered whether listening to audio improves your ability to work better, there’s your answer:
Now isn’t that comforting to hear?
2. Lo-Fi is relatable
The goal of any podcaster is to get people to
really listen and keep engaging with their series. The best way to do this is by including human and relatable elements into your show.
For example, if your podcast series is about South African animals, you might include sounds of local birds squawking (like Hadedas) or even lions growling in the background to create a good ambiance for the duration of your episode.
This is also a good form of branding, as people will relate the sounds to your particular series, meaning when they hear these sounds in the real world, they’ll be reminded of that one episode they listened to on your show.
All-in-all, adding these sounds in your podcast will make your content a lot more relatable and authentic, helping your series to resonate better with your audience.
3. Lo-Fi makes the listener feel in control
Over the past year,
people’s stress and anxiety levels have increased, leaving them feeling helpless and out of control. Surprisingly enough, Lo-Fi can actually help soothe these feelings.
According to
Michael Viega, a music therapist at Montclair State University these types of audio have helped many people in therapy sessions. This is because the familiar sounds helped the listener “gain control of their soundscape.”
Being able to identify familiar sounds and pick up on it in audio allows the listener to feel as if they are able to “better manage their surroundings too.”.
Thus, by having Lo-Fi background music in your podcast, or by recording your podcast with all the crackles and fuzzles, you are enabling your audience to
keep it together. This makes them feel relaxed and safe, making them feel a lot better.
Do you enjoy listening to Lo-Fi sounds? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Pexels