When recording your podcast, it’s helpful to keep ad breaks in mind so they can flow naturally with your content. The best ad breaks usually happen during shifts in topics, when there’s a natural pause in the conversation or the episode.
Good to know:
Pre-roll and post-roll ads are automatically added to the start and end of your episodes. You don’t need to set those up — your only task is to mark the mid-roll ad breaks.
Post-roll often won’t contain ads, since most advertisers prefer to run in pre-roll or mid-roll. Don’t worry if you don’t hear ads in that spot; that’s normal.
While Recording:
Consider taking a brief pause (1-2 seconds) when you’re ready to insert an ad break later. This makes it easier to spot these moments when you’re editing and ensures the ad will fit seamlessly into your content.
For episodes around 15-20 minutes long, aim for one ad break. For episodes about 1 hour long, plan for 2-3 ad breaks.
Take note of the timestamps for where these natural pauses occur. You’ll need these timestamps to mark your ad breaks in Audacy Creator Lab.
Marking Ad Break Locations in Audacy Creator Lab Audio Editor
Once your episode is recorded and edited, here’s how to add your ad break markers in Audacy's Creator Lab audio editor:
1. Zoom in on the Waveform: Find the timestamp you noted during editing. You’ll see a dip in the waveform where the audio naturally pauses.
2. Click on the Timestamp: Once you’ve found the correct location, click on the timestamp in the editor. This moves the playhead to the break point.
3. Insert the Break: Click the "+Break" button in the toolbar. You’ll see a marker appear with a number indicating which ad break it is.
4. Repeat for Additional Breaks: If your episode has more than one break, repeat this process for each timestamp.
5. Save Your Edits: Once all your ad breaks are in place, save your progress. You’re done!
For users who are also using Creator Lab's audio editor for general editing, you can still follow the same steps when you’re ready to mark ad breaks. Simply ensure that you zoom in on the waveform, find the pauses you’ve created, and insert the breaks accordingly.