If you’re here, it means you’re ready to join the JS team as an Audio Intern! Welcome :) we are happy to have you and know this will be a stepping stone to launch your exciting career journey! Our aim is to give you experience, knowledge, and tasks that will help you grow. Follow the steps below to ensure a successful onboarding:

Step 1: Download Skype on Your computer and smartphone

We currently use Skype for our day to day instant communication. We highly recommend downloading it both on your main computer and smartphone to make it easier to keep up to date with the team, and to ask any questions regarding your tasks. It is a free application:

* Responsiveness on Skype/Email is key when working remotely. Make sure your notifications are turned on so you don’t miss a message & respond as soon as you can during work hours. If you won’t be as responsive one day, let us know in advance why.

Step 2: Fill out the form below to Send us your conact info

Although we use Skype for our main communications we sometimes also use email, zoom, and others. Please fill out the form so we can have your most updated contact info during the internship:

STEP 3: Learn How to Be More productive

Watch the video below and write down three things you think will be helpful for you during this internship and why.

Why is Audio Editing Important?

Editing helps convey the clients message or story clearly and creates an amazing listening experience for the audience, which brings brand growth. It removes mistakes and awkward pauses. Without editing, unwanted sounds and repetitive sentences may draw away the listener's attention from where it is desired.

Step 1: Learn These Audio terms

As an audio intern one of your exciting main responsibilities will be editing, mixing, and mastering all types of audio from podcasts, audiobooks, and many others! Here are some terms you should know:

Audio Production: Everything related to recording, editing, mixing, and mastering audio in order to get it ready to be released publicly. Audio production is most notably used for music creation, voice-overs, podcasts, audiobooks, and live productions.

Mixing: In sound recording and reproduction, audio mixing is the process of optimizing and combining multitrack recordings into a final mono, stereo or surround sound product.

Mastering: is the process of balancing the sonic elements of a stereo mix and optimize playback across all systems and media formats. It is done using tools like equalization, compression, limiting, and stereo enhancement. It’s the final polish that turns a finished mix into a release that’s ready for listeners to experience on all devices from iPhone speakers to high-end sound systems.

Step 2: Learn How to Edit Audio EFFECTIVELY

In the videos below you’ll learn the strategies that will help you edit, mix, and master more efficiently while creating a great overall sound! Make sure to pay attention and take notes on the most important parts. (*You’ll need to create a word doc with all your notes to help you retain the info and to make sure you are on the right track). These are meant to be helpful, you can use them in your audio toolbox, however if you have other ways to produce great sounding results, you can use them as well.

I hope you learned a lot in these videos, once you finish revising/organizing your notes for all the videos above, please add them to a Google doc or word doc and send it over via Skype.

Step 3: Edit, Mix and Master Your first Audio file

Okay, now it’s time to complete your first audio task, using everything you’ve learned:

• Download these two raw podcast audio files here and input into your DAW

• Edit, mix, and master both tracks and then export it a single final master file

  • For loudness, aim to have it around -20 to -16 LUFS. This loudness level will ensure the audio sounds great on all devices and across different platforms

  • The loudness requirements for Audiobooks are a lot more strict, so there will be an entire section on it, coming up

• Send over the completed master file via Skype, so we can analyze it and give you constructive feedback

If you have any questions let us know on Skype and we would be happy to help!

Now that you have completed section two of the onboarding process, you will now be trained on the specific audiobook requirement skills you’ll need to edit, mix, and master an audiobook successfully! You can get started below:

STEP 1: LEARN THESE AUDIObook TERMS

Audiobooks have very specific standards in order to get accepted by Audible, it will be helpful to learn the terms below:

ACX: Audiobook Creation Exchange is a marketplace for professional narrators, authors, agents, publishers and rights holders to connect and create audiobooks. It is the main way to get a book up on Audible.

Audible: is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content.

RMS: is the measurement of the average loudness of an audio file.

Peak: measures the loudest volume reached.

Noise floor: measures the loudness of your room tone. You should only tweak these settings after you’re done editing/processing and the files are are ready to be exported.

STEP 2: Learn How to Pass the ACX test

Learn the five most common reasons your audio files might not pass the ACX audio check, in this very informative video, then complete the form below:

STEP 3: Read the audiobook mastering guide

This mastering guide is a concise step by step, on how to master an audiobook for the specific requirements nesssary.

You can check it out here.

STEP 4: EDIT, MIX AND MASTER YOUR FIRST AUDIObook FILE

Okay, now it’s time to complete your second audio task, using everything you’ve learned:

• Download this single audiobook track of a full chapter here and input into your DAW

• Edit, mix, and master it using the ACX guidelines and then export the final master file

  • RMS for each file must measure between -23dB and -18dB, with peak values below -3dB, and a maximum -60dB floor.

  • There will be claps in some parts of the audio where the author made a mistake while narrating and they will start from the last few words or sentence, makes sure to edit it so it sounds like a seamless take with no mistakes.

  • Watch out for spaces that are too long or awkward, mess ups, odd noises that might need to be cut out, or even any background noises that might need to be reduced. Your goal is to make it an amazing listening experience for the audience!

  • To see the full ACX audio requirements, you can view them here

• Send over the completed master file via Skype, so we can analyze it and give you constructive feedback

• Try your best! Keep in mind, it will take some trail and error to get a hang of it :)

If you have any questions let us know on Skype and we would be happy to help!  Congrats on completing the onboarding process! We will continue to train you throughout the internship and provide you with guidance.