Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Interview podcasts are one of the most common formats out there, and even if you don't plan on creating an interview podcast, if your show goes on long enough, there's a very strong chance that you'll want or need to interview someone at some point.
So with that in mind, let's take some time to plan for a successful interview and create an experience that's valuable for you, your interviewee, and of course, your listener!
This lesson covers background research, outlining effective questions, and creating a comfortable environment to get the best responses from your guest, whether they're in person or remote.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
•What are some specific things you've liked about interviews that you've listened to in the past? How can you incorporate these elements into your own podcast?
•What is something specific that's bothered you about an interview in the past? How can you avoid doing this?
•Who is the first person you want to interview? How will you reach out to them?
•Can you determine a specific date/time/location for the interview? Try not to leave things vague or open-ended. Even after a guest has agreed to join you, saying "I'll keep in touch about recording" is much less effective than saying, "Looking forward to our interview next Tuesday at 9am– I'll email you the link tomorrow." Be specific!
•How will you contextualize/introduce your guest to your listeners?
•What are some "how/why" type questions you can ask?
•For remote interviews, what platform will you use? Here are some options:
-Ecamm Live Interview Mode: geni.us/ecammtom
-Riverside.fm
-Squadcast
-Zencastr
-Streamyard
-Or have your guest record locally on their end and send you the file (here's a YouTube video where I explain how this can work).
This is an easy way to ensure the best quality, but it takes a bit more time to edit and also requires your guest to have a bit of technical knowledge to ensure that they record and send everything correctly.
*Avoid using Zoom to record your interviews as it degrades audio quality. Sometimes using Zoom for the conversation is fine, but be sure to record separate high quality audio that can be synced together afterwards. Ecamm Live does have a Zoom integration option, which allows you to bring in guests via Zoom at higher quality.
———————————————————————
Affiliate links earn a commission from qualifying purchases which helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.
—————————— SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ——————————
Become a Channel Member: geni.us/joinchannel
——————————— CONNECT ———————————
🎯 Subscribe! bit.ly/TEPsub
Instagram: @sodarntom
Main Site: himynameistom.com
Podcasts: himynameistom.com/podcasts
——————————— VIDEO GEAR ———————————
•Sony FX3 (Main Camera): bhpho.to/3EJuBde (B&H)
•Sony a7SIII: bhpho.to/3f8mMlS (B&H)
•Sony a7IV: bhpho.to/33mOGZo (B&H)
•Sony 24 1.4 (Main Lens): geni.us/sony24 (Amazon)
•Sony 50 1.8 Lens: geni.us/sonynifty50
•Tamron 20-40 2.8: geni.us/Rp3NeMc
•Zeiss 85 1.8: geni.us/zeissbatis (Amazon)
•YoloBox for Recording & Mobile Streams: geni.us/Gh3d1n (Amazon)
•Elgato Prompter: geni.us/elgatoprompter (Amazon)
•Rodecaster Video: bhpho.to/3Ub88j2 (B&H)
——————————— AUDIO GEAR ———————————
•Rodecaster Pro II: bhpho.to/3wCwaqI (B&H)
•Sennheiser MKH 50: geni.us/mkh50 (Amazon)
•Shure SM7B: geni.us/tepsm7b (Amazon)
•Tall Mic Arm: geni.us/A39EvH (Amazon)
•Short Mic Arm: geni.us/zc7hAbW (Amazon)
•Rode Headphones: bhpho.to/3JNacqg (B&H)
•Blue XLR Cable: geni.us/bluexlr (Amazon)
—————————— LIGHTS & SUPPORTS ——————————
•Nanlite Forza 200 (Key Light): geni.us/9Ofr (Amazon)
•Aputure Light Dome Mini: bhpho.to/4eMAiJs (B&H)
•Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: geni.us/pavotubes (Amazon)
•Aputure MC RGB Light: geni.us/IuE4 (Amazon)
•Rolling Camera Stand: bhpho.to/3PbJGg3 (B&H)
•Big Tripod: bhpho.to/3lRoTyz (B&H)
•Small Tripod: geni.us/oQOh3Az (Amazon)
———————————————————————
🎥 Check out my full gear list here:himynameistom.com/gear
———————————————————————
– Who Am I? –
Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher. I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for everything related to audio and video production.
All videos on the channel are created by me without the use of artificially generated assets for editing or production. The only AI here is my Average Intelligence.
You can take a look at my bio to learn more about my background, both personally and professionally: himynameistom.com/about
My channel and courses are open and welcoming to people of all races, ages, genders, and orientations. I’m glad you’re here.
Interview podcasts are one of the most common formats out there, and even if you don't plan on creating an interview podcast, if your show goes on long enough, there's a very strong chance that you'll want or need to interview someone at some point.
So with that in mind, let's take some time to plan for a successful interview and create an experience that's valuable for you, your interviewee, and of course, your listener!
This lesson covers background research, outlining effective questions, and creating a comfortable environment to get the best responses from your guest, whether they're in person or remote.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
•What are some specific things you've liked about interviews that you've listened to in the past? How can you incorporate these elements into your own podcast?
•What is something specific that's bothered you about an interview in the past? How can you avoid doing this?
•Who is the first person you want to interview? How will you reach out to them?
•Can you determine a specific date/time/location for the interview? Try not to leave things vague or open-ended. Even after a guest has agreed to join you, saying "I'll keep in touch about recording" is much less effective than saying, "Looking forward to our interview next Tuesday at 9am– I'll email you the link tomorrow." Be specific!
•How will you contextualize/introduce your guest to your listeners?
•What are some "how/why" type questions you can ask?
•For remote interviews, what platform will you use? Here are some options:
-Ecamm Live Interview Mode: geni.us/ecammtom
-Riverside.fm
-Squadcast
-Zencastr
-Streamyard
-Or have your guest record locally on their end and send you the file (here's a YouTube video where I explain how this can work).
This is an easy way to ensure the best quality, but it takes a bit more time to edit and also requires your guest to have a bit of technical knowledge to ensure that they record and send everything correctly.
*Avoid using Zoom to record your interviews as it degrades audio quality. Sometimes using Zoom for the conversation is fine, but be sure to record separate high quality audio that can be synced together afterwards. Ecamm Live does have a Zoom integration option, which allows you to bring in guests via Zoom at higher quality.
———————————————————————
Affiliate links earn a commission from qualifying purchases which helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.
—————————— SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ——————————
Become a Channel Member: geni.us/joinchannel
——————————— CONNECT ———————————
🎯 Subscribe! bit.ly/TEPsub
Instagram: @sodarntom
Main Site: himynameistom.com
Podcasts: himynameistom.com/podcasts
——————————— VIDEO GEAR ———————————
•Sony FX3 (Main Camera): bhpho.to/3EJuBde (B&H)
•Sony a7SIII: bhpho.to/3f8mMlS (B&H)
•Sony a7IV: bhpho.to/33mOGZo (B&H)
•Sony 24 1.4 (Main Lens): geni.us/sony24 (Amazon)
•Sony 50 1.8 Lens: geni.us/sonynifty50
•Tamron 20-40 2.8: geni.us/Rp3NeMc
•Zeiss 85 1.8: geni.us/zeissbatis (Amazon)
•YoloBox for Recording & Mobile Streams: geni.us/Gh3d1n (Amazon)
•Elgato Prompter: geni.us/elgatoprompter (Amazon)
•Rodecaster Video: bhpho.to/3Ub88j2 (B&H)
——————————— AUDIO GEAR ———————————
•Rodecaster Pro II: bhpho.to/3wCwaqI (B&H)
•Sennheiser MKH 50: geni.us/mkh50 (Amazon)
•Shure SM7B: geni.us/tepsm7b (Amazon)
•Tall Mic Arm: geni.us/A39EvH (Amazon)
•Short Mic Arm: geni.us/zc7hAbW (Amazon)
•Rode Headphones: bhpho.to/3JNacqg (B&H)
•Blue XLR Cable: geni.us/bluexlr (Amazon)
—————————— LIGHTS & SUPPORTS ——————————
•Nanlite Forza 200 (Key Light): geni.us/9Ofr (Amazon)
•Aputure Light Dome Mini: bhpho.to/4eMAiJs (B&H)
•Nanlite RGB Tube Lights: geni.us/pavotubes (Amazon)
•Aputure MC RGB Light: geni.us/IuE4 (Amazon)
•Rolling Camera Stand: bhpho.to/3PbJGg3 (B&H)
•Big Tripod: bhpho.to/3lRoTyz (B&H)
•Small Tripod: geni.us/oQOh3Az (Amazon)
———————————————————————
🎥 Check out my full gear list here:himynameistom.com/gear
———————————————————————
– Who Am I? –
Hi! My name is Tom Buck, a lifelong A/V nerd and former high school Digital Media teacher. I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for everything related to audio and video production.
All videos on the channel are created by me without the use of artificially generated assets for editing or production. The only AI here is my Average Intelligence.
You can take a look at my bio to learn more about my background, both personally and professionally: himynameistom.com/about
My channel and courses are open and welcoming to people of all races, ages, genders, and orientations. I’m glad you’re here.
