The Essential Podcast Preparation Guide

Preparing for a podcast recording can feel overwhelming, but with the right plan, you can ensure your session is smooth, efficient, and produces the highest quality content. This checklist is designed to help you prepare for your recording session at our studio, so you can focus on what matters most: your message.

Part 1: Podcast Content & Logistical Planning

• Define Your Goal: Before recording, know your purpose. Is this episode meant to educate, entertain, or promote? Having a clear objective will help you stay on track and deliver a focused, impactful episode.

• Create an Outline: A solid outline or script is your roadmap. It helps you maintain a natural flow, keeps the conversation focused, and ensures you cover all your key points, including a strong intro and a clear call to action at the end.

• Be Aware of Runtime: It can be very easy to go tangents and extend conversations. If you want your podcast to remain within a specific runtime (very common when recording multiple at a time), it’s essential to keep track of the time. In our studio we provide all podcasts with a countdown timer for you to keep the discussion on track.

• Prepare Guest Information: If you have guests, come prepared with their bios, photos, and any important links you want to mention on the show. Sending them your talking points or questions beforehand will help them feel more comfortable and prepared.

• Plan Your "Call to Action": Decide what you want your audience to do next. Do you want them to visit your website, subscribe to your newsletter, or follow you on social media? Knowing this in advance ensures you can guide your listeners effectively.

• Coordinate Your Guests: If you are recording multiple episodes in one session, be sure to confirm the arrival schedule with each guest. We recommend allowing for approximately 15 minutes between each podcast recording. This time allows for any necessary clothing changes, mic checks, graphic updates, and a show reset. It also provides a good opportunity to greet and prepare your next guest and allows for any small adjustments to production.

Part 2: Technical & Asset Preparation

• Bring Your Presentation Materials: Our studio is fully equipped to handle presentations. If you have a PowerPoint, Keynote, or other visual content, you can easily connect your laptop to our systems, and we'll display it on our stunning 4K LED video wall. Learn more about using a Video Wall for Podcasts.

• Provide Visual Assets: If you have videos, ads, or other visual content, please provide them to us on a hard drive or cloud link in advance. Our video server will play these assets back during the show, making your podcast a truly professional and visually dynamic experience.

• Remote Guest Coordination: If you're hosting remote guests, ensure they have the necessary connection information and ask them to test their microphone, camera, and internet connection ahead of time.

• Live Stream Details: If you plan to live stream, have your stream keys and login information ready for your chosen platforms.

Part 3: On-Site Studio Flow

• Arrive Early: Giving yourself plenty of time to get settled, review your outline, and do a soundcheck with our team ensures a relaxed and productive session.

• Practice Studio Etiquette: To ensure pristine audio quality, please avoid noisy clothing or jewelry and refrain from chewing gum or eating crunchy foods during recording. Also, keep your cell phone off and away from the podcast desk to prevent any audio interference.

• Trust the Professionals: Our professional audio board operator and floor manager will be on hand to assist you. They handle all the technical aspects of the recording, allowing you to focus completely on your performance.

Post-Session & Delivery

• Final Deliverables: At the end of the production, we will provide you with a "live cut" version of your show, which is a professionally edited video file ready for use. If you are not familiar with what a live cut is, you can click here to learn more. Optionally, we can also provide individual camera feeds upon request for your own post-production needs.

• Your Responsibilities: The final deliverables are yours to edit and deliver to your hosting platforms. We also highly recommend preparing short video clips or graphics for social media to promote your episode once it's live.

  
  

Ready to record a podcast that looks and sounds incredible? We invite you to explore our podcast production services and contact us to start your next project.