In short: Prepare a short outline with the segments, questions and timings, and check the guest's name and job title with them before the day. Pack the outline, your intro and outro saved in two places, the guest's details, water and a snack that is not chocolate. Switch notifications off, not only the sound. On arrival, ask where the microphones are and say your first line out loud before recording starts.
A recording day moves quickly, and one missing item can hold up the whole session. This list covers what to prepare at home, what to pack and what to check when you arrive. It is written for a host or a guest who wants the session to be about the conversation.
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Before the day
Write the outline. Use one line per segment, with the questions in order and a timing beside each. Keep it to bullet points. A host who reads every question word for word sounds like they are reading, and the guest picks up on it.
Check the guest's details with them in advance: how their name is spelled, how their job title should be read out and the link to their website. Names are the easiest thing to get wrong, and the easiest to fix beforehand.
Choose clothes in plain colours. Small checks and narrow stripes can shimmer on camera, and plain white can look harsh. The what to wear on camera guide covers this in more detail.
Look after your voice. Run through the sheet in the tongue twister guide before you leave, and keep room-temperature water to hand. Skip fizzy drinks.
What to pack
- The printed outline and a pen.
- Your intro, your outro and any other audio you plan to use, saved on a memory stick and in cloud storage.
- The guest's details and their website address, printed.
- Headphones, if you normally use them to monitor.
- A water bottle and a small snack that is not chocolate.
- Your phone, switched to silent with notifications turned off, not just the sound.
On arrival
Ask where the microphones are and whether someone will set the levels. Then say your first line out loud at speaking volume. The level check is a good moment to hear your voice in the room, and it means the first time you hear it is not during the recording.
A worked example
A 45-minute interview with a local founder. The night before, the outline has five segments with three questions each and a timing beside every segment. The guest's name is checked against their company website, because the spelling in an email differs from the one on the site. The intro file is on a memory stick and in the cloud. On the morning, the host runs the warm-up sheet, drinks water and switches the phone to silent. On arrival, the outline goes on the desk and the first line is said out loud before the level check.
Common mistakes
- Reading a script, or reading each question word for word.
- Getting the guest's name wrong in the intro.
- Keeping the intro audio in one place only.
- A phone that buzzes during a take.
- File names such as "final_v3_new", which are hard to find under pressure.
The room matters as much as the list. Room sound explains why a treated room often beats a better microphone, and mic technique for podcasts covers distance and angle. Guests who are new to the format can read how to be a good podcast guest before the day.
If you are recording at the barn, the Podcast Studio is one room with four setups: interview, panel, solo and production. The same list works for each of them.
Related guides
- Mic technique for podcasts: distance, angle, plosives
- Recording a remote guest properly
- Room sound: why a treated room beats a better mic
- 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.
Questions we get asked
What should I bring to a podcast recording?
A printed outline with the segments and timings, your intro and outro files on a memory stick and in cloud storage, the guest's name and job title, water, and your phone with notifications switched off.
Should I read a script on a podcast?
Usually not. Keep to bullet points for each segment and the questions in order. A script read on mic sounds like reading, and listeners notice.
What can go wrong on a podcast recording day?
The usual failures are a wrong spelling of the guest's name, intro audio held in one place only, a phone that buzzes during a take, and an outline that is too long for the time booked.
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