How to Be a Great Podcast Guest [The Don't Be an A**hole Guest Guide]
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Navigating the world of podcasting as a guest can be daunting, whether you're seasoned or stepping up to the mic for the first time.
In this podcast episode, we dive into the essential tips and insights you need to become a standout podcast guest—no matter if you've faced past challenges, technical hiccups, or just want to refine your approach.
We share our hard-earned 5-years of experience from both sides of the mic, helping you show up with confidence, clarity, and a message that resonates.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF YOU:
Want to be a podcast guest
Didn’t have a good experience as a guest
Want to find podcasts to be a guest on
Started pitching yourself to be a podcast guest
Had to excuse yourself to go throw up (thank you, food poisoning)
Have unnecessary stress
Get spooked by the tech stuff
Don’t feel like yourself when guest podcasting
Can’t remember why you're doing what you're doing
We can totally relate to you: we've been through all the pain and suffering too so you're fully embraced here and we're going to help you just like we help our clients and students.
You are in the right place because we are dedicated to helping you make better content so you can get a bigger ROI on your efforts.
But before we start, if this is your first time here, welcome to the Pod Sound School!
I'm Studio Steve, a graphic designer, video and audio producer, and instructor at Pod Sound School with about 20 years of experience in professional audio production.
And my co-host Veronica is Pod Sound School’s content director, marketer, and strategist, specializing in crafting authentic and engaging content that connects with audiences and drives tangible results.
If you’d like to show up feeling confident because you know:
You sound good
The cameras are set right
You're talking about engaging/intriguing topics
The value you bring is doing something for your business
You’ll get an ROI on all of your efforts
Check out our Smart and Simple Video Podcasting group coaching program, where we help you launch a podcast the right way so you feel confident about all things podcasting.
To learn more about how podcasting can help you grow your business, get our top video podcasting hacks and gear picks, and stay up to date on the latest news, click here to subscribe to Pod Sound School’s FREE Creator Hub Newsletter.
PART 1: CRAFT A SUCCESSFUL PODCAST GUEST PITCH (WORK ON YOUR PITCH)
In part one, we're going to tackle “work on your pitch.”
This one confused me at first because I just want to be a better guest so why do I need to work on my pitch?
Here’s the reality: a LOT of people are actively seeking to be on many podcasts as part of their PR strategy which is not surprising because it's one of the best things you can do for your PR!
We receive pitches all the time so we can attest to the high level of people competing to be a podcast guest.
Since the competition is fierce, you’ve got to have a strategy that will help you rise above the noise and stand out from the crowd of people fighting to be a podcast guest.
1. PITCH TO SHOWS WITH ALIGNED AUDIENCES
Pitch to podcasts with audiences that are interested or in alignment with what you have to offer. This is very important.
When you're crafting your pitch to be a guest on someone else’s show, whether it’s an email or DM, tell the host how you'll be contributing to their audience instead of making it about you and your credentials and accolades, and how cool you are.
That is okay, but keep it very minimal, just one paragraph.
The rest should be about the amazing contribution and value you are going to give the podcast and its audience.
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Take time to research the podcast and the host. Make sure that you don't send just a general broad pitch. Make it so it's personal.
The podcast host should know you did your research and took the time to learn about them, their cause, and what their podcast and audience is all about.
It’s very important to do your research before you craft your pitch.
3. BEWARE OF HIRING A PR FIRM TO PITCH FOR YOU
And if you are hiring, this is a big one because we've gotten emails from people who work with PR firms and they send emails to a hundred or 200 podcasts to see who responds or replies to that email.
Funnily, they’ll accidentally email a template with fill-in-the-blank placeholders containing instructions like, “Say something about the podcast here.” because no information was entered to replace the placeholder instructions. LOL
This is lazy, lazy, lazy, and so unprofessional.
So if you hire a PR firm, just make sure that they are doing what they're promising you that they will do because this can hurt your brand and reputation and you’ll miss the opportunity to be in front of other people’s podcast audiences.
4. START PITCHING YOURSELF TO BE A PODCAST GUEST
If you are not currently pitching to podcasts, that is something that I highly recommend you do.
Pitching yourself is something that I do and recommend my clients and anybody that I come in contact with do because podcasts are a great way to:
connect with audiences
put yourself and your services in front of other people
share your expertise
network
So if you're not doing it, start doing it. If you follow the best practices I'm sharing here with you, you'll be golden.
Even though it can be frustrating, scary, and painful, you sweat profusely like me when you do it, or never feel a hundred percent about your performance — all of that stuff — it’s always worth it because the benefits are so great.
It doesn't matter the size of the podcast. You never know what opportunities can come from a good podcast interview — so many doors and new opportunities can open up for you so it's definitely something to look into.
And if you are also someone who has been approached to be a guest and you're like, “Yes, absolutely, it's a match. I love this podcast but holy sh*t, I don't know anything about podcasting. What do I do?” Keep reading.
We're going to talk about two more big things that will help you be a great podcast guest from the start.
PART 2: FOLLOW OR ASK FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND PRACTICE GOOD COMMUNICATION
In part 2, we’re going to tackle: how to follow or ask for instructions and practice good communication.
I said, “follow or ask for instructions” because unfortunately, far too many podcast hosts don't give their guests adequate instructions.
They don't say anything about the equipment the guest is going to need. They provide the link to Zoom or another virtual podcast recording platform and that’s the end of their communication.
Good communication is key for everybody to feel comfortable and not so anxious when it’s time to sit down and do an interview.
Some podcast creators who have been doing this for a while have a system in place and will send you emails to let you know every single detail of what will happen and how it happened. However, this may be because it’s an established show with a big production team.
This is why we need to have a little bit of grace with podcast hosts who are producing their shows by themselves. Remember, they are the host on camera, producer, and production team behind the scenes.
Sometimes podcast hosts don't have the time or bandwidth to put a lot of thought and attention into the communication that needs to take place before the interview, and for that, we need to have some grace.
But if they're dropping the ball, then that's why you're here and that's why we're going to tell you what to ask for.
Let’s break down how to follow or ask for instructions and practice good communication with the podcast host.
1. ON WHICH PLATFORM WILL THE INTERVIEW BE RECORDED?
It's super important to ask the host what solution will be used to record the podcast episode.
Zoom (not recommended!)
Ask that question if you have that information. It's important because there may be things that you have to check to ensure there are no technical issues.
Is it preinstalled and ready to go for the interview?
Do you need to create an account to log in?
Can you navigate around the software and menu options?
Do you have the software set up correctly with your camera?
Have you done a sound check with your microphone?
Do you need to use headphones so there’s no echo?
Is your internet connection stable?
Get familiar with the platform before the day of the interview.
If needed, watch a few videos that demonstrate the recording solution. Riverside has many videos, blog posts, and a lot of resources for people to get familiar with Riverside, and the same with SquadCast. So do that.
2. CAN YOUR COMPUTER HANDLE THE RECORDING SOLUTION?
Make sure your computer is up to date!
I had a situation with one of our guests where I was very excited to have her there with me but then her computer didn’t work. It was an old computer that she needed to retired.
Thankfully she did that, contacted me, rescheduled the interview, and that interview took place.
To avoid a similar situation, verify your computer has the power to handle the recording solution and check far in advance of the interview.
3. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED FOR THE INTERVIEW?
Ask what kind of equipment is needed for the interview.
Will they be sending you equipment?
Do you need to buy equipment?
It's important that you look and sound your best when it comes to these interviews because it's your brand, your reputation, and your authority.
You want the interview to benefit your business and brand, not just serve the audience. You're showing up for yourself, growing your authority, and networking so you need to look good.
But keep reading because we’ll discuss the technical considerations in depth in part 3 of this episode.
4. ASSUME THE INTERVIEW WILL BE ON CAMERA
Just assume all podcasts are video podcasts because the last thing you want to do is to assume it's audio only and show up in your pajamas and your hair thrown up in a messy mom bun …unless it's an actual pajama podcast.
You DON’T want to show up, be shocked, and regret how you and/or your recording space look. A bad look can damage your reputation and brand.
So assume that from this point forward it's a video podcast, especially because more and more podcast hosts and creators are getting into recording remote interviews for YouTube and repurposing the videos for social media.
5. SHOW UP IN ADVANCE
Show up before the scheduled time for the interview. When you show up in advance, like 5 or 10 minutes, you’ll have time to have an icebreaker and time to get comfortable with each other.
This may be the first time you are meeting each other so don't show up late or at the exact time the interview is scheduled to begin.
Show up with a few minutes to spare so you have time to get your bearings, do a sound and camera check, and connect with the host.
6. TELL THE HOST WHAT YOU NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE
Before the interview begins, open up about your comfort and readiness level.
When you turn on your camera before the interview and notice you need to make a few adjustments, communicate that to the host.
If you don’t like…
the way you look
the camera angle
your lighting
how your hair is
or whatever
…let the host know you need a few minutes to get comfortable and look your best. Or tell them you’d like to check your audio or things like that.
By taking a few moments to make those adjustments before the interview, you won’t have those concerns distracting you in the back of your mind. You’ll be more present and connected, and have a better time.
Maybe you’re focused on impressing the host and you’re willing to just sit through the discomfort but don't sit through the discomfort. If your earbuds keep falling out, maybe you can talk about it with the host and find a way to just use your laptop speakers.
You can always step back and say…
Hey, before we get into it, can I ask you a couple of questions?
Can you tell me about your audience?
What are you trying to achieve with this episode?
How can I be better for you?
What do you want?
Is there anything you don't want me to do?
How do you think my shot looks?
It's like being in a school situation where you’re so relieved when somebody raises their hand and asks that question you were too afraid to ask.
BTW, the host is going to be very happy that you asked as well.
Keep in mind that you're probably a big wig to the host.
In a lot of cases, they're a little bit intimidated by you. They've been wanting to get you in a conversation so they'll take you in your pajamas on a phone in your car. (Seriously)
They're not going to say anything so ask them, “How do I look? Is there anything simple I can do to improve my setup?”
I love it when a guest takes a moment to say, “Oh wait, hold on.” and we pause to set up our shot. As the host, it gives me the freedom to be like…
Oh, yeah, my lighting isn't quite right.
Oh, my camera isn't quite to the height that I wanted.
Wait, I hear an echo. Let's do a sound check.
I have had an interview where I had an echo going on but I didn't let the interview start until I got rid of the echo. That is something that can ruin an entire interview. Don’t sit there with someone for a whole hour if the audio is not good.
7. FOCUS ON SERVING THE AUDIENCE
We're all doing our best. If there's something that you don't like during the interview, don't allow that to turn you off.
In the moment, it may feel like you don't have chemistry with the host or that he/she is not asking the right questions.
Just remember that there's somebody out there who needs to hear what you have to say, focus on that and move on. You’re there to connect with the audience.
And definitely try your best to not take things personally.
Take the perspective of the host and know that they probably had two or three conniption fits over tech issues and panic attacks before they even got on this call with you …even though they look so perfectly well composed.
They are also likely thinking about many different things all at the same time, trying to listen to you and respond to you in a way that's going to be good for their editor and their audience. So have some grace with them as well.
Things you can help get you calm and focused before an interview:
Center yourself
Do some stretches
Do some breathing exercises
Most importantly, enjoy yourself and be you. You don't have to put a mask on or be somebody else. Be yourself and have fun because enthusiasm is contagious.
Anytime a guest on a podcast is so present and so generous with their time and energy …that shit is magnetic. So it's just a win-win situation.
8. DON’T SHOW UP DEAD
I know that you may be shy, guest podcasting may be new for you, and you're not a performer but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Even if this is new territory for you, you need to show up with energy and vigor.
It doesn't matter how small or big the audience size of this podcast is that you're about to be on. If you're not going to show up and take a little time to put some effort into it, then don't be on the show to begin with.
Clean yourself up, have some energy, schedule it at a good time of day, and have a cup of coffee or whatever you need to do to make yourself feel energetic so you can contribute to the show.
Showing up looking and sounding like a zombie will be a big waste of everyone’s time, the episode will never see the light of day, and the bad experience will be burned into the host’s mind. So put in the effort.
9. RAISE YOUR VIBRATION
Ultimately, what makes some of the best, most rich podcast episodes is when we're energetically connected.
For example, we did three or four takes of this podcast episode. We had to spend 20 minutes between each take talking because our energy wasn't at the right level, mine in particular.
This might be new to you if you've been following our show for a while, but I have a middle name and it's Craig. And whenever I'm a dick, that's me being Craig. So Craig unfortunately finds his way into our business and everything we do. And we have to sit and talk and put Craig in check.
As an audio guy, I’ve always had this philosophy and I truly believe that when we're recording, we're actually also recording our energy.
It's not just our voice that gets transmitted through the microphones and lens of the camera, it's also our energy.
So energetically it’s really important to be in as good of a place as possible.
And be easy on yourself as well. Give yourself whatever pep talks you need and there are all sorts of confidence-boosting, breathing, power-posing, and fun activities you can do to boost your vibration.
PART 3: AVOID TECH HEADACHES
In part 3, we’re going to tackle: the technical considerations.
Here we're not going to get into talking about specific pieces of equipment, cameras, or microphones because all of those things could be their own blog posts.
To keep things simple, my advice to you is to work with what you have.
As mentioned earlier, it's always a good idea to ask the podcast host:
“What kind of equipment do I need for the interview?”
“Are you going to provide that for me or do I need to purchase it?”
And when I say providing it for you, we're really trying to encourage hosts to actually send equipment to their guests to increase the quality of the recordings. Go here to learn more about the Pod In The Box concept.
1. BUY A USB MICROPHONE
If sending you a Pod In The Box isn't within their budget, buy a USB microphone, please. It's worth it. You're going to use it again. We're talking 70 US dollars, a very affordable rate.
RECORDING TIP: Get the USB microphone nice and close to your mouth so it sounds really good.
2. BUY A RING LIGHT
For lighting, buy a ring light. They're cheap and common now because so many people went virtual during the pandemic.
All of this equipment has become commonplace. You can get it at Best Buy. You can get it at Walmart. You can get it at Target. They just have this stuff. I'm sure you've seen a ring light. So get yourself one.
3. USE NATURAL LIGHT
You can also move yourself in front of a window if you have nice light coming through the window.
THE PROBLEM: The thing about windows though is a lot of times, depending on the time of day, that light can be way too harsh. You want to be careful about that. It's not the same as being outside with direct sunlight on your face, instead, you'll just look like a white blob on screen.
So get a ring light or some good lighting on your face. Ring lights are cool and I recommend them to anyone who is just starting. If you're not going to be building your own podcast studio, then all you need is a little ring light.
4. FOLLOW CAMERA BEST PRACTICES
Let’s assume that you're just going to use what you have or what the host is going to send you, especially if this is just going to be a one or two-time thing, and you just want to test the waters of podcasting. Let's just use what you have to the best of your ability.
Here are two key camera best practices:
Composition
Background
COMPOSITION BEST PRACTICES
Okay, so let's start with composition. Composition refers to how your head, shoulders, and chest are positioned in the frame.
PROBLEM #1: Since so many people use their laptop cameras, it's very common to see a camera sitting way below someone’s eye level and angled right up their nostrils.
PROBLEM #2: It's also really common for people to assume that their head, because it's a circle, should be in the middle of the frame — it’s an intuitive thing for people for some reason.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB #1: In actuality, you want the circle of your head to be much closer to the top of the frame with just a couple of inches of headroom above us. Get yourself positioned in a way that’s similar to how you see me and Veronica below.
Composition is about where the camera is set up in relation to the subject and in relation to the background. When we play with those 3 different things, ourselves, the camera, and our background, we can achieve all sorts of different variations of shots.
For example, let's just talk about the camera that comes on our laptop.
One thing you can do if you're going to use the camera on your laptop is step away from the laptop a little bit. It might feel a little unnatural if it’s not how you normally work at your laptop but push it away from you.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB #2: Back off from your desk a little bit to get further away from your camera. If you're right up on your laptop, then the whole frame is just your face. And when it gets repurposed into a vertical video for social media, the whole frame is going to be your nose. So we need to get more of your body in the shot.
And then the other thing you could do is put your laptop up on a stack of books or get a nice laptop stand and get your laptop higher so that the camera is basically at eye level with you.
GOOD RULE OF THUMB #3: Get that camera up higher so it’s eye level. Even just a touch higher than eye level can be nice and flattering as well.
Take some time and experiment, and take some recordings on your computer to see where you’re positioned in the frame and check to ensure the camera is raised high enough.
BACKGROUND BEST PRACTICES
Now let's talk about the background because what's in the background is very important. Everything that appears in your frame says something about your character.
We have symbolism at play here. This is why you see many podcast hosts have a ton of books on a giant bookshelf behind them. What's the symbolism there? It says that they're well-read, educated, and the authority on something. That's why they have loads of books behind them.
Pay attention to what's in your background.
Is there a trash can behind you? Is there a pile of clothes behind you? Is there an unmade bed or sink full of dirty dishes behind you? Is there anything incriminating behind you?
Take a few extra moments to make sure your background looks nice and don't be lazy. Move the furniture around for this one instance.
Is it going to kill you to pull your desk out or move furniture around in your room or office a little bit just for this moment?
You'd be amazed at how much of a difference you can make in the way that you look on camera and how much it will improve the overall quality of the entire podcast episode.
All of the little clips of content that get repurposed from the podcast episode will look much more polished as well just by taking a few extra minutes to pay attention to what's in the background.
5. PRACTICE SETTING UP THE EQUIPMENT AND RECORDING ON THE PLATFORM
And then finally, practice recording on the platform.
The host is likely going to tell you they will be recording on StreamYard, Zoom (but hopefully not), Riverside.fm, or Squadcast by Descript.
All of those platforms have a free version where you can get in and test the platform, set up your camera to make sure it looks right, set up your ring light to make sure it looks right, set up that USB microphone you just purchased to make sure it sounds right, and do a practice recording.
If you do this, you'll find yourself being so much more confident on the day of the interview and ready to immerse yourself in the conversation and provide a ton of value.
Getting these things out of the way and taking the time to iron out the technical stuff beforehand will help you with authenticity.
WATCH OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO:
How to Be a Great Podcast Guest [The Don't Be an A**hole Guest Guide)
Conclusion
Becoming a great podcast guest takes more than just showing up — it's about preparation, communication, and genuine engagement.
By following the tips we've shared, you'll be well on your way to leaving a lasting impression on both the host and the audience.
Remember, podcasting is a powerful platform to share your message, connect with new audiences, and grow your brand.
Whether you're a seasoned guest or just starting out, every interview is an opportunity to refine your approach and make meaningful connections.
So, embrace the process, be yourself, and most importantly, enjoy the experience. The more you put into it, the more you'll get out of it.
WHO WE WORK WITH
We work with CEOs one-on-one directly. You can find out about that by clicking here. And we have coaching programs for podcasters, lots of fun programs, workshops, and things we're always putting on so don't be a stranger. We want to be in your corner, on your podcast production team — we’re here for you.
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If you're interested in this, make sure you go HERE to get all the information you need and learn more about how we can help you.
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In the video, I'll show you…
all the pieces of equipment I purchased for my studio
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the different tests that we did
It's a super fun video and super informative so go watch it right now.
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