When Tools Make Bad Audio Sound 'Good', Who Loses?
Tue Feb 03 2026
A lot of people are excited about AI tools that promise instant, studio-quality podcast audio.
Record on your phone. Click a button. Sound professional.
But that story deserves a closer look.
Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, founder of Podknows Podcasting and the Podmastery community.
In this episode of Podcasting Insights, I unpack what happens when technology starts erasing the difference between effort and outcome — and ask what podcasting quietly loses when “good sound” becomes a default instead of a craft.
This isn’t an anti-AI rant.
And it’s not about gatekeeping beginners.
It’s about incentives.
Standards.
And what we’re rewarding at scale.
You’ll learn:
• Why AI audio tools raise standards and lower effort at the same time
• How one-click fixes create a podcasting “house sound”
• The difference between accessibility and erasing craft
• Why effort still matters, even when listeners can’t hear it
• The question creators should be asking before relying on AI cleanup
Links:
Waves Voice Regen:
https://www.waves.com/voice-regen
I’d love YOUR feedback:
https://www.podmastery.co/survey
I’ve been doing this for 20+ years and run a successful podcast marketing agency.
Want me to audit your podcast?
https://podmastery.co/lite
Mentioned in this episode:
A Podknows Production
Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/
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A lot of people are excited about AI tools that promise instant, studio-quality podcast audio. Record on your phone. Click a button. Sound professional. But that story deserves a closer look. Hi, I'm Neal Veglio, founder of Podknows Podcasting and the Podmastery community. In this episode of Podcasting Insights, I unpack what happens when technology starts erasing the difference between effort and outcome — and ask what podcasting quietly loses when “good sound” becomes a default instead of a craft. This isn’t an anti-AI rant. And it’s not about gatekeeping beginners. It’s about incentives. Standards. And what we’re rewarding at scale. You’ll learn: • Why AI audio tools raise standards and lower effort at the same time • How one-click fixes create a podcasting “house sound” • The difference between accessibility and erasing craft • Why effort still matters, even when listeners can’t hear it • The question creators should be asking before relying on AI cleanup Links: Waves Voice Regen: https://www.waves.com/voice-regen I’d love YOUR feedback: https://www.podmastery.co/survey I’ve been doing this for 20+ years and run a successful podcast marketing agency. Want me to audit your podcast? https://podmastery.co/lite Mentioned in this episode: A Podknows Production Podknows helps brands and creators to build their podcasts into virtual sales and marketing teams which get them results even when they're sleeping. Find out more at https://podknows.co.uk/