Available for download, Playlist Rider from Waves is a plug-in designed for easily controlling the volume levels of individual tracks in your podcast mix. You can also use the software in real time, making it useful for live streaming, as well as podcasting. Whereas compressors and limiters can color the sound by audibly restricting the dynamic range, Waves Playlist Rider preserves the original dynamic relationships within your source material, including speakers within a program, bumpers, music, clips, intros, and outros.

The GUI is relatively easy to use. Set your target to one of three commonly accepted broadcast levels in the center of the plug-in. Set the threshold in such a way that intentionally low-signal elements are left alone, so you don’t unintentionally bring up volume fades or low-level noise in recordings. Finally, a Tonal Character Shaper can be utilized, which compares your source material with a pink-noise-generated curve to smooth out obvious, unbalanced differences between the audio heard in different tracks.