7 Interviewing Tips for Podcasters
Most podcasters who have hosted an interview will tell you it’s a lot harder than it looks. How do we create an environment that fosters natural dialogue, playful banter, and easy improvisation? Most of my interview tips come down to two basic ideas—creating a comfortable environment and preparing an outline that allows for in the moment magic to happen.
Hospitality Mindset
Your guests should feel appreciated, respected, and taken care of during the entire process. Remember that the person you’re interviewing might be nervous, and a comfortable environment fosters vulnerability and easy conversation. You don’t want your guest to see behind the fourth wall. They don’t need to know about tech problems or scheduling issues or the hectic morning you’ve had. It’s crucial that you get your own stress under control, focus on the guest, and create (at least the illusion of) a smooth recording experience. Ideally, everyone involved is absorbed in the conversation and forgets about the microphones at some point.
Be ready to pick up the conversational slack. If you were hosting a dinner party instead of a podcast and there was an awkward lull in the conversation, you would likely feel obligated to steer the group discussion in a new and promising direction. Hosting a podcast is similar. The conversation may dip, but it’s the host’s responsibility to track the energy and keep things moving. Remember, you have the reins and you are guiding your guest through this experience.
You also need to be on the same page with your co-hosts or team. It’s extremely awkward and confusing when hosts or producers openly disagree with each other or display tension in front of the guest. No one can give a good interview if the people they’re talking to are fighting with each other. Before the interview, have a check-in with your team to be sure everyone has the same understanding of the setup, goals, who is asking which questions, and overall interview plan.
The recording environment is another big thing to consider when thinking about hospitality. A lot of in-person interview podcasts use a couch or two large armchairs in a living room style setup with lamps rather than recording in a sterile, dark studio. Make sure water or tea is available for the guest and that the room is a comfortable temperature.
Some podcasters will even make the effort to travel to guests’ homes to conduct interviews. This can of course help the guest relax, but it’s also a big draw for audiences even without video. For example, one of the most played podcast episodes of all time was Call Her Daddy’s audio-only interview with Miley Cyress in which Alex Cooper (host) traveled to Cyress’ home for the episode. In this instance, Cyress opening her home was a point of interest even though there were no visuals because it added a layer of intimacy.
Over Prepare
Wonderful, unexpected moments seem to occur more often when podcasters are well prepared. Research your guests, know their achievements and credentials, know what they are currently promoting, and read their bio online if possible. Find out if they have a hobby or recent life event.
If your guest used to be a clown or grows their own mushrooms or was in the background of a music video once—you could open the interview by asking about one of these things.
It’s also good to have more content prepared than you need. Organize your questions and topics into essential and non-essential beforehand for a smooth interview. You never know what’s going to happen during a recording. The guest could be less chatty than expected, be in a bad mood, get cagey about certain topics, or the conversational energy could be low.
These situations are inevitable, but to avoid awkwardness or cutting the interview short—have extra questions, a couple of open-ended discussion topics, and maybe a relevant personal anecdote ready. Not every host and interviewee are going to have naturally good chemistry, so having extra notes to lean on when improvised conversation fails can make a huge difference.
Stay on Topic (But Also Don’t)
There are certainly podcasts that thrive on letting guests talk themselves into a crazed, embarrassing hole, but unless that’s your goal, gently nudge guests back to relevant conversation by asking a new question. There is a happy medium between hammering through questions on your outline and letting the interview go off the rails. Digressions are often my favorite part of interviews because they spring organically from something the interviewer and host are connecting over (or disagree about, though that can make for equally good content).
Keep in mind that the excess digressions can be cut out in post production, and sometimes it’s better to let the guest keep talking because it gives you more interview material to choose from. For the most part, I suggest removing or avoiding ‘secondary digressions,’ which is when there is a digression within digression—only keep these if they’re gold.
Incorporate Larger Themes
Depending on the guest, you may be able to openly dive into larger themes and cultural analyses. Guests who are journalists, work in politics, or are literary authors can give this kind of interview. Other guests whose experience falls outside of these areas may need to be guided more subtly through the themes of an interview. Using a combination of open-ended and leading questions to guide the guest in the direction you want to go is a good method in these situations.
For example, an interview I produced that featured some of Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends was constructed in a way that allowed the women to share their experiences through natural conversation, but the questions and editing highlighted themes of coercive control and the infantilization of women.
Don’t Talk Too Much
Talking more than your guest is an interview faux pas. Beyond the awkward disrespect, it’s a disappointing experience for the listener who is expecting to hear from the guest and may have only come to your podcast feed because they follow said guest.
You want the guest to do at least 60% of the talking, so make sure all discussion topics are in their wheelhouse and that the overall tone of the interview is a good fit for the guest.
Avoid Tech Freakouts
One way to make your guests really nervous is by having disorganized tech. Mics, recording equipment, computers, and video calls are notorious for making people nervous. It’s a piece of equipment that they’re not sure how to use but need to use while performing in a (sometimes high stakes) professional setting—pretty nerve wracking.
If the interview is being recorded remotely over the internet, it’s essential to make time for a no-stress setup and sound check call. This could be with you, the host, if you are tech savvy or an audio engineer or producer. Explaining things slowly and assuring the guest that if tech issues arise there is help and it is not their fault does wonders for creating a relaxed environment.
Warm Up
I think a lot of people forget that podcasting is performing. Just like an athlete or actor, you need to be alert and in a flow state to conduct the best interview possible.
I like to do vocal warmups and ecstatic dancing (an embarrassing activity that involves throwing your body around wildly to increase blood flow and endorphins) before recording a podcast. Some people go for a short walk, have a chat with a friend or coworker to get into conversation mode, or meditate. Find what makes you feel the most prepared and create your own warm up routine.
