Your One-Stop Guide to Recording Your Podcast Remotely

After the pandemic, organising podcast recordings from the comfort of your own home has become the norm. Some of your favourite podcasts might even be recorded under a stuffy blanket or in a cramped closet.

So what do you need to think about when recording a podcast from home? Here are some of our tips for making sure that your makeshift podcast setup is still able to impress and engage audiences.

Getting the perfect audio from home

Sound quality is more important than you think. We’ve written before about how important good audio is.

In fact, a study from 2018 by USC and the Australian National University shows that bad audio can even lower the credibility of your podcast.

So if you are producing a branded podcast – or a podcast where it’s important to build trust and authority in a certain field –  make sure you have quality audio.

Don’t skimp on high-quality gear. For crisp audio, you’re going to want to invest in a high-quality microphone. On the lower end of the price scale are microphones for about 80 pounds, whereas good microphones can cost anywhere upwards of 400 pounds.

The right environment is also important. Sitting in an echoey room is detrimental to audio quality. There is a reason podcast hosts record from inside closets or under blankets. You want to avoid hard surfaces and empty space to minimise as much echo as possible.

Once you’ve honed your sound, you can expect listeners to slowly start growing.

 

Want to record your podcast with professional gear, a producer and zero hassle?

We got you.

We can take care of the whole thing and leave you with the best audio-quality podcast possible.

How to record a podcast from different locations

Recording with a co-host

If you are creating a podcast, you might want to consider getting a co-host. For casual, conversational podcasts, the friendly co-host dynamic can make listeners feel like they are a part of the podcast friendship (what listener doesn’t appreciate a para-social podcast relationship?). 

For informative podcasts, having a co-host is a great mechanism to pose questions and provide answers in a way that sounds natural.

Also, hearing two voices helps add variation and makes the podcast more interesting from an audio perspective, which can draw listeners in as a result. 

But difficulties might arrive. When recording a podcast from 2 locations, make sure that you have properly planned the recording.

If you have especially good chemistry, it can be easy to speak over each other enthusiastically when you’re sitting in two separate locations. Establish rules about making sure to let someone finish their sentence – your producer will be thankful for it.

Make sure both hosts have put in the work. It’s important to make sure that both parties have planned the recording and gone through the planned episode you’re about to record beforehand – even if the podcast is not scripted. This will help you stay on track and save your producer lots of editing time in the long run.

Make sure that you have all the tech gear set up, and do a soundcheck before you get going. Of course, a lot of this is up to the producer. You can read more about all the things for a producer to keep in mind in our Producer’s Checklist post.

Recording with a guest

Make it easy for your guest. If you are recording with a guest in a separate location, make sure that they have technology that will work easily for them, using the apps and devices that they might already have at home.

While it’s always good to tell them to record the conversation on their end, the internet can always be spotty, you don’t want to rely fully on their audio recordings.

Always make sure you have a backup, and a way to retrieve the recording even if the internet fails you, or if you have a flaky guest who has stopped responding to your calls.

Consider their safety. If you have an interviewee who is sharing confidential information, use end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms to share information.

Scheduling

Make a schedule – and stick to it! Make sure to factor the time difference if there is any, and always call a little earlier to set up the gear.

For interviewees, give them a certain time to choose from for the recording, and send a reminder a day beforehand to make sure that they remember.

Of course, once the podcast is made, you want people to listen to it. Message Heard can help you level up your podcast and get it to reach your target audience.

And if you’re fed up recording under a hot blanket and editing your own show, the Production packages are a great way to make sure your podcast has flawless production.

Want to work with us?

Reach out via contact@messageheard.com with your ideas and questions!

Should You Pay to Make Your Podcast?

Are podcasting services worth it?! It’s a great question.

According to Sounds Profitable, there are around 2 million podcasts out there – and that number is growing! With this, there is also a growing number of podcast fans. The desire to create your own podcast for your brand might be greater than ever, too.

The world is changing, and it often feels unstable, but smart businesses are investing in marketing that will make their customers stick around – no matter what. And podcasting is just that.

But, there are a lot of things to consider before you start recording. This is why we don’t encourage you to just grab a mic, set up in your kitchen, and start recording – the quality, narrative and overall experience will suffer.  So, if you are wondering whether paying for podcasting services is going to be worthwhile, here are a few more questions to help shine a light on the importance of making your podcast the very best that it can be.

Question 1: Who is your podcast for? What purpose does it serve?

Is it for your friends? Or for potential clients? While there’s a stereotype about podcasts being a few people having a chat, this is only one way of thinking about the craft of podcasting – one that serves friends more than it does potential clients.

Podcasts that resonate beyond a friendship circle often do so because they are easy to follow, they provide value or insight into a topic, and therefore aren’t totally off the cuff. They’re a cultivated conversation – and they can take a variety of other formats. A conversation is just one option. So the first question to determine is who the intended audience is, and the purpose behind your potential podcast.

Professionals trying to speak to other professionals, or hoping to engage potential clients, need to give the right impression. You need to create a lasting relationship with your clients. And you know what they say: you only get one chance to make a good first impression! Ensure that yours meets your offering and level of expertise by cultivating the right quality. Podcasting is an extension of your brand identity – it is your brand’s voice. Make sure you cultivate an identity people want to engage with time and time again.

Question 2: What quality level does the podcast need to meet?

Following on from this, quality becomes the key to unlocking the right tone. This is because we can all tell when a podcast has been recorded in someone’s kitchen – it will be echoey, low quality, there might be background noise, and so on. None of this screams ‘quality’!

Quality comes from having the right equipment and knowledge. But investing in all your equipment upfront is a cost, and it’s hard to recreate a quality-controlled environment if you’ve never had one before. Doing this yourself isn’t as straightforward as it seems, and professional podcasting as a service means your gear is sorted for you – not just mics and headphones, but editing and mixing, too!

The quality of podcasts out there is only getting better all the time. Audio quality can be a big factor in whether people listen to the entirety of an episode or not. It’s a steep learning curve – and this takes time and money to do yourself.

 

Do you need help with making your podcast the absolute best that it can be?

Check out our podcasting services to get started on the right foot.

Question 3: What is your budget?

We have written before about budgeting. Budgeting a podcast can be tricky and require buy in from stakeholders if you really want to make your podcast a success. But ‘cost’ can come in a few different ways – what would be the cost of a podcast that doesn’t sound great? Or a podcast that just never finds an audience? How much time will you spend creating something that doesn’t quite work?

Time, equipment and knowledge all come together to make for a great outcome. While you might be willing to front the cost of a lot of fancy equipment, the execution and expertise of using this is a time-consuming and costly factor to overcome.

You may think you saved money by cutting some corners, but no DIY project is ever really free. A professional editor can make the recording and editing of your podcast easy so that you can focus on the more important part of the process – finding great stories to tell and speaking with your audience.

Question 4: What are you hoping to achieve with a podcast?

We believe in the power of a podcast to do big things for your brand. According to the Australian Radio Network’s Neuro Lab, listeners experience a 134% uplift in memory for audio content, when this is delivered across two or more listening channels (like radio and podcasts, for instance). This means that relying only on one format really puts your brand at a disadvantage.

So, what are you hoping to achieve? What are your goals? And how serious are you about reaching them?

Once you have created a podcast, the hardest part of the project will be to get it out there into the world, in front of the right listeners. This can involve transcribing your podcast, creating audiograms, the right descriptions, and much more. These parts of the process aren’t usually the ones you might think about in the excitement of creating something new – but without them, the goals of your podcast will be hard to meet.

If marketing your podcast is sounding like a lot of extra work, we can help!

Find out more about our marketing services.

A podcast might seem like just another way of marketing a product or service, but it can also be a lot more. With the right help in creating and marketing your podcast, the right people will hear it and you will grow your network, your community, the trust and awareness of your brand, and make sure people stay loyal to your brand.

Reach new demographics, new clients and new listeners by engaging professional podcasting help.

Want to work with us?

Reach out via contact@messageheard.com with your ideas and questions!

5 Steps to Getting the Most Out of Your Podcast Interviews

Are you having a guest on your podcast for the first time or just wondering how you can give your guests the best possible podcast-recording experience?

We got you. Here is 5-step guide to getting the most out of your interview with a guest…

Step 1:  Establish a relationship

Building a rapport with your podcast guest before they appear on your show can be hugely beneficial. Establishing this relationship will make your discussions flow naturally during recording, and perhaps even allow for them to provide you with more intimate details.

How can you do this? Have a few meetings beforehand, where nothing is recorded, to eliminate any first-encounter nerves!

Step 2: Ensure you are representing your guest responsibly

It’s important you are aware of your responsibility as the host of your podcast, especially in representing your guest.

This can be ensured by first following Step 1 and then making sure you let your guest correct themselves if they wish to do so. You want to create an open and welcoming environment so more guests want to take part in your podcast!

Do you like this advice? You might also like... The 5 ways to grow your podcast in 2022.

Step 3: Provide an opportunity for self-promotion

As a show of thanks for having an individual come and feature on your podcast, giving them an opportunity to promote their own current endeavours is a great way to show your gratitude. It’s simple — this way, you are both benefiting from the arrangement!

Also, your guest will then also be more likely to spend their time recording with you, if they get to say their piece, too.

Step 4:  Utilise open questions, and let your guest use them too

Open questions allow for a much smoother conversation and can prevent any discomfort when recording. So, questions that will only give you a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ response should be avoided; your listener will be able to tell if you have had to edit a lot out.

Depending on the theme of your podcast, having a guest speaker on will either take the form of an interview or a casual conversation. If yours is the latter, let your guest ask you questions too! Your listeners will only appreciate a greater understanding of their favourite podcast host.

Do you want us to help you with your podcast?

Check out our production services to get started!

Step 5: Promote, promote, promote

With the added influence of your guest, this provides an opportunity for a larger audience to be at the receiving end of your promotion. Furthering your reach in this way will help grow your podcast. If your guest has a different kind of audience to your podcast’s listenership, optimising your guest’s capabilities could expose your show to an entirely new demographic, too!

Think big and feature your guest heavily in all of your promotion, including tagging them on social media where their fanbase might see them.

If you want to more about podcasting for your brand, check out our other blogs…

And if you are curious about working with us, reach out or email us at contact@messageheard.com

Should You Convert Your Blog into a Podcast?

Branded podcasts are on the rise. Not just terms of active listeners, but also in the number of shows being created and shared. Currently, 6.5 million adults in the UK are listening to at least one podcast a week. This means that if you’ve been sticking to blogging up until now, you might be missing out on one of the best ways to tell the world about your brand or business – podcasting.

But is it as simple as turning your blog into a podcast series? And what would this involve? In this article, we unpack what you need to know to ensure a smooth transition blogging to audio.

5 top reasons to convert your blog into a podcast

 

1.     Repurpose for smart and efficient content production

If you’ve already got your content production down in words, you’ve got the material you need to get started. Why not make more of your knowledge and insight, and repurpose? It’s an efficient way to take your content and stretch it further.

Using existing blog posts as a basis for a podcast comes with a few caveats, but it can be a great way to start fielding ideas that you know your audience is interested in. It’s also a great way to get more engagement from your existing content as research show that 80% of listeners will complete an entire episode, or most of an episode. This means that if you’re struggling to get readers to the end of an article, it could be a good alternative.

2.     Expand your audience in new directions

Appealing to a wide range of people means tapping into different channels to reach them. By the end of 2025, it’s predicted that there will be over 144 million monthly podcast listeners in the US, with an average listening time of 23 minutes a day.

Listeners are diverse, but almost half of all listeners in the US are under 35 years old. This is great news if you’re looking to target a younger audience. Equally, half of all listeners have a full-time job and an income between US$100-150k. They have the purchasing power to really make an impact on your business.

3.     Increase brand recognition and accessibility

While blogging is straightforward, it’s only one way of telling the world about your brand. Not only is audio more accessible for many who may not have the time or desire to read through long texts online, but it also adds a far more personal touch. When we hear a voice, we have an opportunity to connect in a more friendly, intimate way. Personalise your brand’s offering through a branded podcast that will create opportunities for your audience to really get to know the people behind the name.

Many podcast listeners also enjoy their favourite episodes while doing other tasks – like commuting, or household chores. Podcasts are easy to listen to while completing other tasks and are totally portable, making them a great medium to improve the accessibility of your message. Offer your audience a branded podcast that fits in with their everyday life. 

4.     Explore new storytelling possibilities

While a blog can be easy to access and create, there’s only so much you can do when it comes to telling your brand’s story in words. What new storytelling options might you unlock with a podcast?

With a variety of formats and genres out there, branded podcasts open up space to consider what new stories you’ve got to offer the world. We’ve talked before about the various formats you might consider for your branded podcast – including the solocast, the documentary, the interview and even the fictionalised podcast. There are no limits to the creativity you can use to share memorable stories.

5.     Create more memorable content

And speaking of memorable, did you know that audio is 36% more memorable than video? This means that investing in audio can offer a far more memorable message for your listener, over investing in other media. If you’re wanting to send a message to your audience that will stick with them, turning your blog into a podcast can be a great way to go.

The sticking points: What to be aware of when converting your blog into a branded podcast

Keep it professional

Because of the sheer number of podcasts out there, anything that doesn’t sound slick and put-together is going to stand out – for all the wrong reasons. A third of listeners will stop listening if they detect a podcast is low quality. That means there’s no room for bad sound quality, dodgy editing or disjointed episode structures.

An experienced producer can make all the difference. We have the knowledge to ensure your podcast passes the quality test.

Take a look at our branded podcast production packages to find out more about how we can help give you a consistent, quality result in audio format.

Know the medium

If you’ve never made a podcast before, you might struggle to create something that really maximises the medium. While your audience might be excited by the pivot, podcasts and blogs appeal to different people in different ways. In other words, you can’t just read out your blogs and call it a podcast!

If you have tried to dabble in podcasting from a blog already, but are noticing that your output isn’t quite translating, you might not be maximising the new medium.

Our Power Up package is here to offer your branded podcast the boost it needs to really make sure it reaches your audience in the right way.

All in all, we’re biased when it comes to the power of the podcast – but the stats are here to back us up! Though podcasting is an effective medium for telling your brand’s story, it’s also a crowded marketplace.

Make sure your podcast stands out from the crowd with the right production, strategy, and delivery methods in place.

Get in touch to learn more about how we can help turn that blog into a whole new listener experience.

FAQ: How Long Should My Podcast Be?

Welcome to the second in our FAQ series where we lay out simple, practical guides to the most commonly asked questions from our podcast production clients.

Question: How long should my podcast be?

Answer: As long as it is good!

As simplistic as this may sound, the truth is that there isn’t a magic number to hit or a particular length that will transform your podcast into a success. However, there are some simple questions you can ask to help you figure out exactly what the optimum length should be for your podcast. In this article, we share those questions to help you get closer to hitting the right podcast duration!

What is the industry standard? 

While there’s no silver bullet, there are some helpful industry standards that can help you set some benchmarks and inform the choices you make going forward. Those industry standards are that:

1. The average length of a podcast episode is 36 minutes and 34 seconds as reported by Pacific Content in 2019

2. The majority of podcast episodes out there are between 20 - 40 minutes according to Buzzsprout

3. As of 2019, podcast episodes are only getting shorter, not longer!

While these can be good to note, there are plenty of successful podcasts of all shapes and sizes out there that flout the rules. There are ultra-short podcasts like The Best Advice Show, right up to marathon listens like Hardcore History, whose latest episode runs for over 5 and a half hours! One of the most successful podcasts out there, the Joe Rogan Experience, has an average run time of over 2 and a half hours.

So, what makes these shows work? Their runtime is both purposeful and intentional. This is the secret to a balanced episode length that gives your audience just the right amount of listening time. Now, let’s go into more detail about how you can determine a purposeful and intentional runtime for your own podcast episodes. 

Best practices when determining your runtime

Question 1: When will people be listening? How much time will they have in that context?

In other words, is your podcast perfect for a 5-minute breather in the middle of the day, for a commute, or is it better for a long drive? Consider the location and timing of the listener. Think about when and where your listener is likely to want to listen to your podcast episodes, and use this to determine a few benchmarks. 

Question 2: Is it about the journey or the take-away for the listener? 

This is about the purpose behind your podcast. What outcome do you want for the listener? If it is about giving them key information or a takeaway in a digestible way, you might consider a shorter run time. If it is more about the unfolding of a story and the journey through that story, you might need more time to unpack things. 

Question 3: How much budget do you have? 

Naturally enough, longer run times mean higher production costs. Take for example things like studio rental, edit time, and the cost of having a producer on board during the recording. For more insight into budgeting your podcast, take a look here.  

Question 4: How much time does the host have for recording and prep? 

Another important practical point: If your host has other commitments, consider how best to use their time. If they are tight on availability, it is better to spend time preparing than recording aimlessly for 3 hours. Be aware of how much prep is likely to be needed, how much time they’ll have to put in, and then how much time you have to record. This will all impact just how much can go into a final episode edit. 

Question 5: Does your host sound better with more space or tightened up? 

Some presenters sound better when they are given the space to ad-lib and go off-script - they might want to exert their creativity, and may benefit when given space to play. 

Others excel when delivering within firmer guidelines - including some scripted parts, or even if they simply know there’s a limit on available time. The former may mean you need a longer run time to really get the most out of this host. 

Question 6: How long has your podcast existed?

It’s worth noting that most successful podcasts that are longer than one hour per episode have been around for a long time, too. So, as a rule of thumb, we don’t suggest going for over one hour of runtime, unless there is a really specific, intentional reason to do so. 

Having said this, we do also suggest that you think creatively about how to make every second of your podcast really count. You may need to build up to longer episodes with more of an audience and budget behind you, or this may never really be necessary. Consider the value of every moment that goes into that final cut!

There you have it - some clear questions you can use to determine how long to make your podcast. If you’re still not sure or are looking for a second opinion on maximising the value of each episode, Message Heard can help. Get in touch with us at contact@messageheard.com or by clicking here.

The Ultimate Podcast Producer Checklist

Your guide to everything your producer is thinking about during a recording. Spoiler: pressing record is just the start…

Our clients often tell us that they have a lot of anxiety around the workflow of a podcast production. We totally get that! You’ve never done this before. 

Think of it this way, just like you get to work and check your to do list, our producers have their own little checklist. 

Remember: Their number one job priority is making you and your podcast sound good! 

To alleviate some of your concerns, we’re going to give you a sneak peek about the things they are thinking about so that you don’t have to!

The Producers Checklist

These are the questions every producer worth their salt should be thinking about the whole time during a recording. 

These are the questions every producer worth their salt should be thinking about the whole time during a recording. 

• Do you sound good? 

  • We make sure that the mic is set up and working fine. We also guide the wider set-up to make sure you are sounding your best. 

• Is your energy up?

  • The mic and producer pick up what you don’t. Authoritative, enthusiastic, conversational - whatever energy you are going for, the producer will be looking for this throughout the performance and giving you prompts when needed. 

• Are we recording! 

  • Gotta have that one. 

• Is the guest all set-up and ready to go? 

  • Where applicable, the producer will also be checking in on all of these points for your guest also. 

• Are you sticking to the script and hitting the key points you’ve planned for? 

  • It can be easy to lose sight of this when you are in the hosting seat - the producer will be across this and guide the conversation when needed. 

• Are they going off-script or ad-libbing? 

  • This can be great - but the producer needs to make sure you are staying on message!

• Are you saying the right words and the correct words? 

  • These sorts of slips are really tricky - and sometimes impossible - to fix in the edit!

• Are you speaking clearly and explaining yourself well for your listening audience?

  • This is crucial. Your producer acts as the listener’s proxy whilst you are recording. They will be listening out for comments that need expanding upon or to be made clearer, like industry jargon or unfamiliar acronyms. 

• Should you ask any additional questions for clarity or rephrase?

  • A second opinion is always helpful, isn’t it? Again, your producer is representing the listener during the recording - they will be able to catch anything missing. 

• Did you capture the recording?

  • VERY crucial.

As the host or guest, recording is your time to enjoy and have fun. The hard bit was done in the prep… and the rest… your producer is in charge of. 

If you are interested in working with a podcast producer to level up your podcast, get in touch contact@messageheard.com.

What podcast hosts can learn from chairing panel events

Having multiple podcast guests at once can feel like herding cats – everyone wants a chance to say their bit, everyone has an opinion and people can potentially start speaking over each other! But there are a lot of great benefits to this podcast style, if you can pull it off.

Panel-style podcasts are usually:

• Lively and dynamic in style – like listening to a conversation with friends!

• Good at bringing different perspectives together.

• A great way to share expertise and insight.

So, how do you make sure that everyone can be heard and understood, and that everyone contributes their best? In short: you need a great host to act as chairperson, guiding the debate. 

In this article, we break down our advice for using panel chairing experience for hosting a great podcast, including some top tips from serial panel chair and Executive Chair of Message Heard, Louise Beaumont (so many chairs!). 

Serial panel chair and Executive Chair of Message Heard, Louise Beaumont.

Choosing your guests

As is the case for any great podcast or panel, guest selection is really vital to making sure it all comes together. The best guests are those who have a depth of knowledge, are comfortable speaking on the topic and who bounce well off others. 

Being opinionated or passionate is usually a pro, and it can be helpful to select guests based on their ability to add different points of view to the same topic.

Trust-building and coaching

It’s often helpful to spend time with your panellists ahead of the day, and this also applies to a panel podcast. This will enable you to both build trust in the relationship with that individual guest and test out any avenues that might be ripe for further discussion. In the production process, we call this step the pre-interview which you can learn more about here. 

According to Louise, it’s also a chance to suss out how well your individual guest responds to some of your intended topics, so that you can ‘Coach them on how to make the answer more vibrant.’  This doesn’t mean showing them all your questions, but rather introducing in broad strokes the things you’re likely to cover.

It’s also a way to help improve their answering skills by encouraging them to ‘Add a killer fact or stat, tell the memorable anecdote. Keep it short and colourful, rather than lengthy and pedantic.’ All important for getting the most value out of your conversation.

A lot of this links to our more general tips about becoming a better podcast host, which you can read more about here.

Formulating the arc of the discussion

Another opportunity that comes from panel prep is developing the discussion arc. This translates neatly into the arc of the episode in any panel-style podcast. Louise says:

During the prep call, people can see that I’m building the story arc, and giving everyone a role in building it. They can see when and where I’ll bring out oppositional or supporting views.  And they can see I’ll be fair with airtime. Once you have a good story arc you can place each point of view in an order that will make sense to the audience – again, this makes it memorable – which is better for the panellists.

Planning your discussion arc is always a great way to ensure that you get everything you need out of the group and come away with a conversation that is dynamic but also has a flow from start to finish.

Encouraging surprising answers

The best moments in panel discussions often come out of surprising takes on the topic – ones that reveal a more passionate, opinionated or just unique sense of the subject. Prompting these surprises can be tricky, but Louise says it has a lot to do with the courage to ask more daring questions:

I’m on the audience’s side – I know I have to make the conversation sharp, vibrant and relevant for them, and also really to the point so they say ‘God, I wish I had thought of that question’ or ‘I wish I was brave enough to ask that question’ and then I have to get them really sharp, interesting answers – so the tough question pays off with an interesting answer.

It's worth also remembering that the courage to ask has to be accompanied by the right questions, asked at the right moment, and prefaced with the trust of the panellists themselves. Louise adds:

Getting surprising answers is a combination of knowing which questions to ask, and how to ask them (tone, style), but also having the trust of the panelist such that they feel they can tell that anecdote or furnish that fact

This is where the preparation really pays off, building on the trust you’ve already established ahead of time alongside the arc you’ve fleshed out, and keeping your audience in focus throughout the discussion.

Managing multiple speakers

One of the potential pitfalls of a panel discussion is losing the insights each panellist might deliver if they start to speak over each other or interrupt too often – or if one person takes up so much time, nobody else has a chance to weigh in!

It’s important to remember that, unlike a panel, you have editing on your side in a podcast. The main thing is to ensure there is minimal talking over each other by participants in the conversation. In a panel, using a device to help signal to the guests that it is time to come to a natural close could be helpful, as Louise suggests: 

‘My control mechanism is called ‘Waggy Pen’. In the prep call I hold up my bright pink pen and explain to people that when they see Waggy Pen, it’s my way of telling them to end at the next full stop. I do it so that I don’t have to talk over anyone – which is just aurally annoying for the listener, and also so the audience doesn’t realise how the conversation is being managed. Good for them, good for their fellow panellists, good for the audience.’

In a podcast, however, you can have the producer help you out here - they are able to help jump in and restart questions, as well as ensuring the flow of the entire conversation is intact. Editing afterwards can also sharpen the outcome. If you do feel the the need to interrupt, be sure to demonstrate that you are looking for clarification, or are genuinely just interested in digging into something related to that point – for instance, you might say, ‘Sorry to interrupt you, but that has reminded me…’ or ‘Building on what you were saying…’

Use the combination of good preparation, a switched-on producer and gentle conversational techniques to help maintain the overall flow of the discussion, and make the most of your chance to edit the recording after the fact. 

Remote moderation techniques

Adding in the remote recording factor that we are all dealing with these days, can be another layer of hosting complexity. Louise’s advice is to get, ‘Everyone in the [virtual] green room at the same time, so we can re-establish rapport, run through the story arc, remind everyone of the rules (short, sharp, vibrant).’ This may mean a quick reminder of everything ahead of the recording time and being ready with the technology – keeping the setup and recording process as simple as possible will help ensure everyone feels calm and ready for discussion.

 If you’re considering a panel-style podcast, we can help make sure it all goes off without a hitch. Our Convenor package is all about bringing together thinkers in your space and cultivating excellent conversations. Get in touch today if you are looking for the support to ensure your podcast is executed with success!

Want to learn more about making a panel podcast with Message Heard? Check out our Convener package here.

Planning a Podcast Interview? Start Here.

The interview format is one of the most common types of podcast out there. But even though there are a lot of interviews recorded, not all of them succeed! Cultivating a conversation that is insightful and valuable for your audience isn’t always as simple as it sounds.

This guide is here to help you navigate the interview process to make sure yours never falls flat, and that your podcast really stands out from the crowd. After all, you only get one run at a great interview. 

A quick house-keeping note - here at Message Heard, this format falls under our ‘duocast’ package. This is simply a shorthand for all podcasts involving two voices, so we use duocast and interview podcast interchangeably in this post.

So, back to business. Before we get into our step-by-step guide, it’s worth asking the question: Why are interviews (or duocasts) so popular with listeners, and what are the benefits of using this format? 

The benefits of a great interview

A successful interview has the potential to:

1. Communicate and connect with people

What better way to showcase a connection than through a great conversation? Successful interviews live on in people’s memory. This is a chance to connect not only with an interviewee, but also to communicate something intrinsic to the host. Bringing people together is the biggest opportunity of the interview format.

2. Showcase expertise

Your depth of understanding is on show through the questions asked and the answers received. It’s a two-for-one deal, where both the host and the interview subject have a chance to talk deeply on a subject that is of interest or curiosity to them.

3. Raise an individual profile

Raising your brand profile is often easier through an effective conversation than it is by simply stating what you know or have to offer. This is because calling in a great interview subject immediately offers you the chance to grow your network – leveraging their audience, as well as your own – and expanding the reach of a brand or individual.

The interview checklist

Stage 1: Research and planning       

Any good interviewer knows that it’s all about the preparation that goes in ahead of the conversation. Before your guest even sits down with you, it’s time to hit the books: read or listen to the guest’s previous interviews, look up their personal profiles or online presence, and start considering how you might angle your conversation. What have they not been asked before? What do you wish they’d talk more about? Come up with a focus for your interview based on your research, and start planning your initial questions.

With all of your questions written down, start to organise them into a structure that makes sense for the episode. Ask yourself: do these questions move between themes and topics in the most natural way? Consider the arc of an episode and where you’d like to ideally finish the discussion, as well as any key information that you need to get out of the conversation. Make sure this is covered in your line of questioning.

Stage 2: Pre-Interview priming

As well as doing your own preparation, it’s worth it to start priming your interviewee beforehand. Use an initial call, or a pre-interview, to get a shared understanding of:

• Your interview style

• What you’re hoping to achieve in the conversation

• Any technical information required

• And to give the subject a chance to speak their questions or concerns.

This is also where you are filling in the gaps from your desk research, as it is your chance to check any facts directly and clarify intent for the conversation.

Outline what you want to talk to about in the interview, but don’t give the subject the exact questions. This will keep the interviewee from overthinking their answers and will keep your recorded conversation fresh and in the moment.

Furthermore, this is your chance to begin to build rapport with the subject. Good rapport is always part of an effective conversation, and it can be tricky to do all of this in a few moments before recording, if you haven’t met the subject before.

Stage 3: Soundcheck and technical setup

Let’s face it: many of us are now recording remotely! If you aren’t able to record in studio (which is the optimum place to ensure quality) you will have to do a bit of extra work to ensure your podcast is recorded correctly and sounds great. Whether you’re able to use a studio or not, a producer or engineer can perform this soundcheck to make sure the host is focused on conducting the best interview possible on the day.

There are many good ways to record an interview. In general, we don’t recommend using Zoom or Skype to record, as these don’t record at an optimal quality. Consider one of the various recording platforms out there like Cleanfeed, Zencaster, Squadcast or Riverside. Technically, a tape sync is the technical term for a remote interview, and with a producer on board, it can be possible to arrange for a remote engineer in the guest’s location who will be able to set up and record remotely at a much higher quality. If safe to do so, this is worth considering too, to ensure the host and interviewee have the best audio at the end.

Whatever your setup, you need to check your guests sound setup to make sure the recording is the best quality possible. This will also help you hit the ground running on the day of the interview and elevates stress for the interviewee.

Stage Four: Making the most of your recording day

Now is the make or break moment! The day of your recording, do your best to ensure both you and your subject are feeling relaxed and ready to chat. Try to keep the technical setup as pain-free as possible so they too can concentrate on delivering the best answers without getting distracted by other factors. If you’re recording remotely, ensure everyone is somewhere they won’t be disturbed and where there isn’t too much background noise – turn off your phone, email notifications, etc. Again, if you’ve got a producer, they can help make sure all the conditions are as optimal as possible for a great quality recording.

As you start to ask questions, this is the time to be very present in the conversation. Focus is vital here, as is listening. Having done some solid prep, you shouldn’t be afraid if your subject starts to deviate or introduce a tangent – either guide it back on track with a clear question or follow the track further and ask appropriate follow up questions if you’re curious and want to dig deeper. This is all part of active listening.

If you’re not sure you’re getting the information you need, be prepared to ask extra questions that might help tease out a topic. In essence, this is all about flexibility – just as a natural conversation can move around or shift, be aware when this is happening and consider whether to follow or turn things around. And if your subject is nervous or unsure, reassure them that they can always pause, take a moment, and start again.

It’s all about managing a conversation – as well as having one! Pay attention to how the discussion feels as it unfolds. If you’re interested and excited about it, chances are that this will come across to your audience too!

Stage Five: Editing and final touches

Here’s your chance to really tighten up a meandering conversation – you can move things around a little, if really needed, cut out any repetition or mistakes, and consider the pace of the episode as a whole. Dialogue pacing is crucial – you don’t want a subject to not sound like themselves, but you also want to help them out if they were nervous or particularly slow to speak. Sometimes, it can help to manually pace the dialogue here and there to create energy and shift up the tone in a monotonous part of the conversation. Help everyone out as well by cleaning up any uhms and ahhs, for a nice crisp quality to the speech.

There you have it, the 5 steps to nail a podcast interview and create a conversation that is a pleasure to listen to. Implement these tips to ensure your interview really makes an impact and stays with audiences well after an episode is finished.

Want to learn more about duocasts? Find out all the podcast production services we offer here.

How to Get Buy-In for a Branded Podcast

Getting a successful branded podcast off the ground requires internal buy-in. Learn how to sell your podcast idea to your organisation and secure the budget you need to get started.

Podcasts can make a huge impact to your content strategy, adding value to your business and helping you deliver against specific communications, sales and marketing goals. But for those who have never made a podcast, they can seem like a huge unknown. Overcoming any scepticism might be essential to getting the budget and support required to make your podcast happen. So, how can you make a compelling case for your podcast and generate buy-in internally?  

It’s important to prove your podcast is a valuable part of the marketing mix. For this reason, we want to share with you how you can establish the value of your podcast, track this value, and build the case for a company podcast.  

Make the link between your podcast and your organisation’s goals 

First thing’s first: What is the north star for your business? Make sure you’re aware of the key goals within your organisation, and plans for the short and long term. Placing your podcast in context is important to show that you understand the way this will further corporate goals.  

 Alongside your goals, it is also worth paying attention to the key challenges to overcome as an organisation. Do you have challenges or obstacles in your current communications strategy? How will a  podcast help plug the gaps, or shift the way your company communicates its key messages? How, specifically, can your podcast make a difference? These are the questions you will have to answer. 

For example, when we pitched our Twenty Twenty podcast internally, we focused on how the show would broaden out our audiences and diversify our portfolio — two things that help us live up to our aim of being a genre agonistic company. By focusing our pitch this way, we were able to align our larger business goals with our podcast idea.  

Use statistics to illustrate your point 

There are a lot of useful resources out there about the podcast market and the typical audiences they attract, which you can use to build your case. We particularly recommend using Ofcom for the statistics to back up your presentation, where it’s been stated that as of September 2019, around 7.1 million people in the UK listened to podcasts each week, a rise of 24% over the year before. You can find key information about genre and demographics. 

Another great resource is Statista, where you can find information about listener behaviour, ad spending, and lots of other key facts. For instance: 

• Driving is the most popular activity while listening to podcasts. 

• 79% of listening happens on smartphones. 

• The main reason for listeners to choose a podcast is said to be the sound of the description given. 

While some of these facts seem random in isolation, you might consider how it informs the way you reach out to an audience, the way you present your podcast, where and how you publish it, or the types of stories you decide to tell.  

With more data-based information, you can get more specific about the nature of your podcast and how it can support your business goals. As well,  you can support the  ideas that you’re proposing for your podcast so that they make sense in accordance with your desired customer base. 

Select key metrics in order to measure the success of your podcast 

One of the biggest selling points of podcasts is the level of data you can get, compared to traditional media. This makes setting metrics very important to both support your podcast idea and measure its success for future buy-in.   

Unlike more traditional media, podcasts can give you enough detailed data to  

help you learn more about your audience and the performance of your content. You will have access to data such as:  

• Demographic information 

• Amount of downloads 

• Consumption rates (i.e. how much of an episode people listen to)   

When we worked with Buffer, their Head of Editorial, Ash Read, told us: 

When it comes to budgeting, I also like to think about the end results we're after. With a podcast series, the number one goal is usually listeners/engagement — how many people can we get spending quality time with Buffer? But there are a number of ways you can "win" with podcasting and I like to build that into any pitch to make the case for a show. For example, Breaking Brand enabled our whole 90-person team to learn exactly how a business in one of our key customer segments operates and is incredibly valuable.

Consider your metrics carefully, and read more of our advice about how to measure the success of your podcast here.

Research the market 

Like with any new item of content, it’s vital to know more about the market you are in. look out at what other shows already exist, and where there might be an opportunity for you brand to add something new or different to the mix.  

A simple positioning exercise will help people understand your proposal in the context of familiar touch points eg. a show they have heard, or your competitors activity.   

In our pitches, for instance, we try to bring an idea to life with sentences like, ‘It’s X meets Y.” Giving clear reference points makes it easier to imagine what you’re going for, and helps to understand the placement of the podcast in the market. For example, a podcast about a rigged baking contest might be ‘The Great British Bake Off meets Serial”.  

Present a realistic budget 

Recently, we shared a blog about budgeting, and the key questions you need to answer in order to get a handle on your costs. Namely, questions around format, episode length and number, hosting, production, and promotion.  

 Keep your budget as realistic as possible - it’s important to make sure you aren’t caught short, or unable to execute the quality you hope to achieve. Equally, it’s important to show how the podcast will realistically create value at the costs you plan to spend. Read more about this subject in depth here.  

Gather examples and inspiration  

Once you’ve won over heads, it’s time to win over hearts.  

When you’re comparing your idea to the market, you might want to come up with a list of similar podcasts or other media that are reminiscent of what you hope to achieve. This is your chance to really show off your creativity! 

In essence, it’s important to create a sense of what your idea really feels like. Put together a playlist of inspirational shows to bring the idea to life. It’s possible that the people who you most need to convince haven’t really listened to many podcasts in the past - here’s your chance to make an introduction. One approach here could be building a podcast playlist to share with the decision makers in the team, you can use Spotify Premium or ListenNotes to do this.    

How to present your pitch? 

We hope this template gets you started on the buy-in you need to make your podcast a reality. You can find the template here - just copy it for your own use and edit that new version.

In addition to these tips, we’ve prepared a slide deck  for you to download that you can use to present your idea to your team. Personalise the pitch deck according to your needs. Good luck! 

Want to learn more? At Message Heard, we make podcasts that help your brand reach new audiences. Find out how we can help by getting in touch.

Why Sound Quality in Essential for Making a Successful Podcast

A new study shows poor audio quality effects enjoyment and credibility.

Videos spliced together with the images and audio ever-so-slightly out of sync. Echoey, hard to decipher podcasts. Grainy pictures. We all know bad quality content is a turn-off for audiences, but a recent study shows that in the case of poor audio quality, it doesn’t just affect the audiences enjoyment, it also lowers your personal credibility and that of your brand.

In a study conducted by scientists from the University of Southern California and Australian National University, two versions of an NPR podcast were shared with participants - one which sounded perfect and the other distorted to sound bad. They found that poor sound quality not only negatively impacted the ease with which the content was understood but also greatly diminished the perceived reliability of the source itself. 

The key takeaway for the researchers? “Next time you are recorded, make sure you have good sound quality,” they wrote “Your credibility depends on it.”

So, what does this mean for podcast production? What you’re saying might be really interesting and well-researched - but if the sound quality is bad, it will be detrimental to both your personal credibility and that of your brand.

We wanted to dig a bit deeper into why this can be such a critical factor, so here are three key reasons to prioritise sound quality from the very beginning of your podcasting journey:

1. No distractions for your audience - your listeners need to focus on your message, rather than trying to work out what that annoying noise is in the background… Is that an air conditioner I can hear? Are those emails pinging in? Are these people being held against their will in a lead-lined cellar….?

2. Effective sound design - music beds, sound effects and jingles need to be purposeful and impactful rather than adding sonic confusion. A recent episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour is a good example of this - it contrasted recordings taken in Madame Tussauds with the voice over from the studio to create a purposefully textured recording. 

3. User reviews - the tricky thing about audio quality is you don’t always notice it when it’s there but you sure do notice when it’s missing. User reviews can often reveal this all too late - which is why you need to be thinking about sound quality before you even go into production and especially before you start to ship episodes. In the anonymity of the internet, your listeners will not be forgiving. 

If you’re interested in understanding a bit more about what good audio quality actually sounds like, check out this mini-podcast. And, if you want to talk about improving the credibility of your audio content, get in touch jake@messageheard.com.