Congrats on getting booked for a podcast interview! If the podcast host sent you this, it’s because they want you to sound as good as possible during your interview. In this article, you’ll find tips on how to sound like a pro.
I started podcasting back in 2007 and between hosting multiple podcasts and one local talk radio show, I’ve learned how to get great sound from a podcast guest without spending a fortune.
Prepare for Success
1. Listen to an Episode
Every podcast is different. Some are long and conversational while others are focused and to the point. Some podcast hosts will edit the episode to make you look or sound great, and others don’t edit at all. Some podcasts invite multiple guests to one episode, others have a live audience. Some podcasts even have an in-person fact checker. Set yourself up for success and listen to an episode before your guest interview.
Listening to an episode prior to your appearance will give you a feel for the format and the host. If you are on a big media tour and doing dozens of interviews each week, you should try to listen to the first five minutes of each show you’re scheduled on.
The most embarrassing podcasting faux pas tend to happen when the guest is not familiar with the show. Don’t go on Joe Rogan if you don’t know who Jamie is or if you are not prepared to talk about your topic for at least three hours.
2. Ask About the Audience
Podcast interviews tend to start with some off-the-record chit chat and tech setup. During that time, ask the host about the audience.
- Why do they listen to the podcast?
- How advanced are they on the topic?
Knowing the audience will keep you from being too advanced or too patronizing.
Ask the host about the goal for the episode. Does the host want to hear your story first, or do they want to hear your tips right away? If the host doesn’t have a goal, expect the episode to be more conversational.
The interview will be a success if you help the host accomplish their goal. Of course, you want to promote your book or business, but you must make the episode a success first. A good interview is a dance between the host and the guest, and the better you are at dancing, the more the audience will like you. If the audience likes you, you’re more likely to be invited back and recommended as a guest to other podcasters.
Use Good Microphone Technique
3. Keep a Consistent Distance from the Microphone
Moving your head toward and away from the microphone will sound bad and make the listener dizzy. Turning your head from side to side and speaking to the left and right of the microphone also disrupts the listening experience. Using a microphone arm will allow you to place the microphone the right distance and will decrease these preventable audio disruptions.
Position the microphone slightly off-axis to avoid spitting directly into it. Angle your sound source slightly to the side so that your voice doesn’t hit the microphone head-on. This technique helps prevent popping sounds from plosive words like “popcorn” and “puppet.” With proper microphone placement, you can avoid the need for a bulky pop filter.
4. Speak Up
Talk past the microphone. You don’t need to shout, but speaking in your full voice will make you sound more confident. It will also allow the recording software to “turn down your gain” which lessens the room noise or the sound of your dog barking on the other side of the door. If you are talking quietly, not only will you sound timid, but the host will have to boost you in post which will make your air conditioner sound loud on the recording.
5. Don’t Bump the Microphone
Cheap microphones turn tiny bumps into loud booms. I thought about demonstrating what it sounds like, but I know some of you are listening on earbuds, and I don’t want to hurt your ears. A good microphone arm will help prevent bumps.
Pro Tip: Plug your headphones into your microphone. Then, in your computer’s system settings, set the microphone as both your microphone and your speakers. With this arrangement, you can hear the host and yourself in your headphones. It will also help you hear bumps and other audio issues which can help you eliminate them.
Use Decent Gear
6. Buy a Real Microphone
The ancient Romans had a saying: Virum Vestus Reddit, meaning “The clothes make the man.” Just as people judge you by your attire, podcast listeners judge you by the quality of your microphone. Nothing says “I’m a credible guest” like using a real microphone, and nothing screams “amateur” like relying on your laptop’s built-in microphone.
If you want to present yourself as a successful professional, don’t wear clothes with holes—and don’t use your laptop’s built-in microphone. Fortunately, good microphones are more affordable now than ever before.
In the audio version of this post and the YouTube video, I have demonstrated the audio quality for the following equipment:
Built-In Microphone
Here is the sound on my built-in microphone.
Samson Q2U
Here is how I sound on the Samson Q2U (affiliate link).
This is a dynamic microphone that will last forever and plugs directly into your computer via USB. It has a headphone jack on the back so you can hear your voice in your headphones. You can usually find this microphone on Amazon for less than $70.
The downside of this microphone is that it is a bit less flattering for some female voices. It also doesn’t look like a podcast microphone on video podcasts.
Rode Podmic USB
If you want to step it up, I recommend the Rode Podmic USB. This dynamic microphone does everything the Q2u does plus it has a built-in pop filter and delivers a fuller, richer sound for great podcast audio. You can typically find this microphone on Amazon for $199.
Listen to the following clip to hear how a female voice sounds on the different microphones:
There are many good microphones available, and almost anything is better than nothing. When choosing a podcasting microphone, look for one labeled dynamic. Dynamic microphones are the standard in radio and are favored by top podcasters. They’re ideal because they don’t require extensive acoustic treatment for your room and can effectively block out background noise, like road sounds.
Avoid condenser microphones like the Yeti. Condenser microphones work best for recording music. Since they pick up a lot of room noise, it takes a lot of work to get good podcast sound out of a condenser microphone. However, it can be done, and if you do have a Yeti, here is a link to an entire video on how to get it to sound good.
7. Buy a Microphone Arm
Whether you have an expensive microphone or a cheap one, a microphone arm will improve the sound quality of the podcast interview.
A cheap microphone placed four fingers away from your chin is better than an expensive microphone sitting on the desk. You’ve been listening to me talk on this RodePodmic up close. Now let me move it where it would be if it were standing on my desk. Suddenly the quality drops. But when it’s standing on my desk, I’m more likely to bump it and disrupt the audio quality further.
It’s better to get a cheap microphone and an arm than an expensive microphone that has to sit on a pile of books on your desk. You can find microphone arms on Amazon for less than $20 with same-day shipping.
8. Buy Headphones
One of the biggest differences between podcasts and TV is the use of headphones. If you watch videos of the most popular podcasts, you’ll notice that both the host and the guest wear headphones.
For remote interviews, headphones eliminate notification sounds, echoes, and the need for software echo cancellation. For in-person interviews, they help ensure consistent audio quality.
Podcast listeners use high quality Bluetooth headphones and savvy podcasters know they need to optimize the listening experience for those listeners.
I recommend wired monitor headphones. The Samson SR350 (affiliate link) headphones are available on Amazon for less than $20.
Expensive Bluetooth headphones have built-in microphones which will increase the likelihood of you making the classic podcast blunder of selecting the wrong microphone. Also, the Bluetooth radio can sometimes interfere with the microphone audio quality. Wires are your friend when you’re aiming for high audio quality.
Check out my comprehensive podcast gear guide, featuring different price points for equipment at Podcast.parts. I try to keep the Podcast Parts Guide up to date as I test new gear.
9. Test Your Setup
The day before your interview, log in to the software your host uses. Riverside.fm, Squadcast, ZenCastr, and Streamyard all have test rooms or green rooms where you can test your setup. They all work better in Chrome. Safari and Firefox are great for surfing the web but don’t work well for podcasting. If the podcast host is using Zoom, make sure you have the most recent version of Zoom installed on your computer.
You’ll want to close any extra browser tabs while recording as it will solve many of the problems that interfere with recording.
On the day of the interview, tap your microphone to make sure your settings are correct.
One classic podcast blunder is to spend money on a fancy microphone and fail to use it for recording. By default, your built-in laptop mic will record the conversation; the audio will be bad, and you’ll have spent the money for nothing. This happens to almost every podcast guest at some point. Feel free to share your horror stories in the comments. I once recorded an entire episode using my laptop microphone and that was after I’d been podcasting for ten years! I knew better and still made the mistake.
Performance Tips
10. Don’t Say “Uh huh”
In a normal conversation, it’s natural to say “uh huh” when the other person is speaking. This shows that you’re paying attention. But when podcast listeners hear two voices in their ears, it sounds chaotic. Humans use their eyes to focus their ears, but when the content is audio-only, individual voices are hard to differentiate.
Resist your soul’s urge to say, “uh huh.” Instead, just nod and smile.
11. Promote the Podcast
Podcast hosts love guests who help promote their shows. You are on the podcast tour because you have something to promote, and the host booked you in hopes that you would also help promote the podcast. The more you promote the show, the more likely you are to be invited back. Share the episode on social media. Add a link to it in your press kit. Include a link in your next email newsletter.
In your thank you note to the host, make sure to let them know what you did to promote the interview. Most podcasts have “friends of the show” who are frequently invited as guests. Episode promotion is a great way to become a “friend of the show.” You want the host to say, “I’d love to have you back any time.” That is code for “Next time you have something to promote, you are welcome to come on my show to get the word out.”
Want to help promote this podcast? Please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel! YouTube channels are judged by the number of likes, and your “like” will help people like you discover great podcasting tips like this one.
12. Smile and Have Fun
The best way to sound high-energy is to force your face to smile. Listeners can hear your smile. Guests who don’t smile sound bored, even when they are having a great time. Podcasting is showbusiness, and it’s easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than to feel your way into a new way of acting.
It’s good if you feel nervous. That feeling of excitement is the energy you need to sound good on a podcast and record a great episode. Enjoy the moment and don’t forget to have fun! You are about to speak into a microphone and people all over the world can hear your voice. That’s incredible! Your ancestors would have seen this as magic. Don’t let the magic fade. Have fun, smile, and you will do great.
If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment on this episode’s thread at AuthorMedia.social. I have spent an embarrassing amount of money testing gear and love talking about it. If you want help getting more guest interviews, check out the following course and episodes:
Course
How to Get Booked as a Podcast Guest
Related Episodes
