Best Practices for Being a Great Podcast Guest
You did it! You finally made it! You’ve been asked to be on a podcast and you don’t want to blow your big chance! Below are some simple tips to make that interview sound its best.
Back in the olden days most podcast interviews happened either in person. Sure, great tools like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and others offered options when the guest and the host couldn’t be in the same location, but their use exploded in 2020. That was the year that most people became very familiar with looking at a small talking head while sitting in the comfort of their own home.
However, those conversations are wrought with sound quality issues, not to mention the frequent frozen head on the other side of the conversation. And while the visual element makes sense for a conversation, it is the audio that podcast producers and listeners care most about. A bad recording, even if it is the best interview ever, will be distracting to the listener and may encourage them to stop listening and move on to something else. Or worse, the podcast producer may decide not to use the interview at all.
The Environment
A great sounding interview starts with a great environment. While there are software tools that can improve the sound quality of most recordings, that extra step often means time and cost to the producer. Take a look around and consider how sound acts in that space. Does it echo when you talk? Are other thing in the room that make noise that could distract from the interview or would need to be edited out?
Rooms with more fabrics and soft surfaces are best. Bedrooms, closets and even cars are better than room with hard surfaces like bathrooms, kitchens and garages. Hard surfaces ‘bounce’ the audio around causing echo which can be nearly impossible to remove from the recording. And that is all thanks to the physics of sound waves. Having softer surfaces around you during the interview will ensure a sound that is clear and usable.
One trick that works in a pinch is to be under a blanket. It sounds strange, but it is a trusted go-to used by professional reporters all over the world. The blanket fort creates a very small ‘room’ for the interview, and largely ignores sound that can’t otherwise be filtered out. You can’t go down and ask the cars, neighbors or nature to be quiet while you are being interviewed!
Another thing to consider are any other noises in the room or noises that can be heard in the room. Appliances, open windows and doors, pets and other people can create noises that are also hard to edit out. And the worst sound offender is the smartphone. Turn your phone to Do Not Disturb or better yet, shut it down for the duration of the interview. Not only is it distracting to the host and the listeners, but to you as well.
What are You Wearing?
Even though we’ve established that what you look like isn’t part of the interview, there is one part of your wardrobe that is a must: Headphones. This ensures that what the host is saying doesn’t get picked up by your microphone. As the guest, you may not notice this as much, but the producer will not be able to easily edit the audio if the host’s voice is coming through your speakers and being picked up by your microphone. Even if you have the top of the line microphone and are using speakers to hear the host interviewing you, the resulting audio will simply be too difficult to repair.
Headphones come is all sorts of flavors, and most will give you the result you are looking for. Over-the-ear headphones are most ideal as they not only ensure that your microphone won’t pick-up anything coming from them, but they also keep you focused on the interview by limiting the distracting noise around you. In-ear headphones or earbuds are fine, but not always comfortable for long periods of time.
Mic Check
As with most technology, there are levels of quality. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend lots of money for quality sound. What you have is less important than how you use it. If you plan to be a frequent guest on one or many podcasts, then sure, a higher quality microphone is a great investment. However, a poorly used tool rarely gets the job done well.
The best option is a USB microphone. This is a device that plugs into your computer via a USB cable. There is a myriad of options that can cost anywhere from ten to hundreds of dollars, but all of them work in the same way. Often, a USB microphone will have a place to plug in your headphones that you will for sure be using (see above) making it an even better set-up.
If you are interested in having a professional microphone, just note that you will likely need additional equipment. Most microphones will need a device to convert the sound from analog to digital or at least go through a mixer before getting into your computer. Also, traditional microphones use microphone cables that will not plug-in directly to the computer. The additional equipment adds more nobs and settings that you will need to become familiar with, and unless you are willing to invest the money and time to use it well, it may not be the best option.
Also, most software used by the producer will reduce the quality of the recorded sound for use over the internet, so the added quality on your end may not even make it to the finished product.
Which ever microphone you use, make sure it is placed 6-8 inches away from your mouth, at a 45 degree angle. That is about two fists away from you. Far enough to not pick-up small noises (licking lips, nose sniffs), but close enough to capture your natural voice. Think about the reporters you have seen interviewing people. They are not shoving the microphone in their subjects face, but they are also not several feet away from them either.
Most smartphones have combination headphone/microphone accessories. These are fine to use, but will produce lower quality audio for the recording. Again, not horrible, but a decent quality USB microphone will vastly improve the quality of your audio.
And above all - avoid using the built in microphone on a laptop, desktop, tablet or phone.
During the Interview
Lastly a few tips to ensure the interview not only sounds great, but is full of great content.
Speak at your normal volume. Microphones are great at capturing your natural sound and are equally great at capturing you yelling. When the final interview is released, you will want the listeners to hear your voice clearly. Louder noises cause distortion and will be distorting to the listeners. Remember, you are literally a voice in their ear - so no need to be loud!
Avoid moving around or making noise during the interview like typing, chair noises, fidgeting or tapping the table. Those noises are extremely distracting to the listeners, not to mention the podcast host. Also, alert others around you to remain quiet during the interview. If the interview has to stop and start again because of avoidable interruptions, it can harm the flow of the conversation and the message you are trying to deliver. If there is a noisy interruption - it is best to stop, wait for it to finish and start up right before the noise happened. For instance, if a car alarm goes off during the interview, it is best to pause until the noise goes away and then continue.
Lastly, avoid talking at the same time as the interviewer. Pause slightly before answering to allow for a clearer response. The pauses between questions and answers can easily be edited, but talking over each other is difficult to manage. And your goal is to convey what you are saying to the host and the listeners, so adding confusion can muddy up what you are tying to say. If you need to clear your throat, cough or sneeze, consider using the mute function to avoid capturing your body noises in the interview.
Tell Your Story
With these tips and tricks, your podcast interview is sure to be the talk of the internet. Most of all - enjoy the experience. Much of podcasting can be considered entertainment, but its ultimate goal is to spread a message to an interested audience. Don’t let manageable distractions get in the way of what you have to say.
