How to Prepare for a Podcast Interview
Be Prepared
The key to a successful podcast interview is to be prepared. With a little work ahead of time your interview will go smoothly and you'll reduce your stress during recording by about 1 million percent.
When you have a guest on your podcast, remember, they are exactly that: a guest. You want to show them some podcast hospitality. Keep in mind, your guest is agreeing to do something very vulnerable. It can be really intimidating to talk into a microphone. Your job as a host is to make sure they feel comfortable and guide them through the process.
Let's start with reaching out to your potential guest. Make sure to explain to them who you are, what your podcast is about, and why you really want to talk to them. Give them plenty of time to respond and schedule a record. People can be really busy, so make sure they know what to expect and that you value their time.
Once your guest has agreed and you've scheduled your record date, send them all of the information they might need to be a successful guest on your podcast. Include the format of the show, anything they might want to have prepared, and most importantly, logistical details like parking, how to get into the building, anything to bring. If you're recording remotely include all the information on recording from home. It's a great idea to even have them test out that equipment ahead of time, so you're all set the day of the record.
Next, you'll want to prepare for the interview itself. Research your guest and come up with a few questions you want to cover for your podcast. But don't feel too attached to those questions. The best interviews are more like a flowing conversation, not a kind of stilted checklist. Find out as much as you can about your guest and listen to or read other interviews they've done. There might be questions that they get all of the time, so avoid those questions.
Pro tip: since podcasting is an audio medium, be sure you know how to pronounce your guest's full name before you press record.
Before the day of the interview, check in with our guest to see if they have any questions.
When they arrive the day of, your job is to make them feel comfortable. The more comfortable a guest is, the more likely your conversation will just flow. Give them a tour of the space, offer them something to drink and show them where they'll be sitting.
It's a good idea to get your guests to put their headphones on and to sit in front of the mic well before you start recording. You can have a light-hearted conversation with them to get them warmed up and feeling used to hearing themselves in their headphones. You're also building a rapport between the two of you before you get started, so the conversation will feel more natural once you actually press record.
During this time, you could also walk them through the format of the show and give them advice on mic technique. Depending on how much you edit, I always tell guests if they don't like how they said something or if they stumble on a word. Just take a pause and start again. I'll edit that part out.
Once you and your guests are settled, you can press record and start your episode. With that prep you did, the episode should run smoothly and your guests should feel ready to talk.