Podcast format chooser: interview, panel, solo or narrative

By James Jones, founder of Granary Digital · Updated 5 November 2026

A format is the shape of each episode: how many voices, whether they talk freely or follow a script, and how much the edit has to carry. Choose before you book, because a wrong choice shows up later as extra hours in the edit.

Before you choose

Each format suits a different kind of show. The four below are the ones our Podcast Studio is set up for, so the choice does not change the room.

Four formats

Interview

One host and one guest. The host asks questions and the guest answers. This is the most common format and the easiest to plan, because the guest's answers set the pace. Keep your questions short and let the guest finish.

Panel

Three or more people on the same episode. A panel needs a host who keeps turns in order, a microphone for each voice and a plan for who speaks first. Editing takes longer, because you cut across several voices.

Solo

One voice speaking to the listener. Solo episodes suit a single expert, a founder explaining their approach or a short series of lessons. They need the most preparation, because nobody else can carry a slow section.

Narrative or production

Scripted and built in the edit, with interviews, narration, music and sound design. This is the most work after the recording. Plan the script, the interview cuts and the music before the recording day.

How to choose

1. Count the voices. One or two people suits an interview or a solo. Three or more is a panel.
2. Decide whether the episode is talked through or built. If you need a script, music and cut-in interviews, choose narrative.
3. Check your edit time. A panel or a narrative episode takes longer to edit than an interview. If your time is short, choose the simpler format.
4. Test the choice on one planned episode. Write the run order in the chosen format, using the episode planner and run sheet, and see whether it fills the time you have.

A worked example

A small business owner wants a monthly show with a different guest each time. She chooses an interview, because it is two voices and one guest to schedule. Her first run sheet has a two-minute intro, a thirty-minute interview and a short close. She plans the guest questions from the guest's own website, so the conversation starts from their work rather than from a generic brief.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a panel without a host, so the turns are hard to keep in order and the edit has to untangle people talking over one another.
• Going solo when the subject needs a second view.
• Writing a narrative episode with no script, and finding the story in the edit.
• Forgetting the cold open, so the first minute is housekeeping rather than a reason to listen.

Our Podcast Studio is set up for all four formats, so the room does not change with the choice. For the first months of a show, start a podcast: the honest first 90 days covers how the format fits into the calendar.

Related guides

• Start a podcast: the honest first 90 days
• Name, artwork and trailer checklist for a new podcast
• Episode planner and run sheet
• Guest booking email and prep sheet
• All guides and tools

The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.