Are we rolling?: CUBE’s guide to podcasting

Whether you enjoy some comedy while you’re running, music chat while you’re driving, or sports star's commentary while you’re relaxing, the chances are you’ve listened to a podcast at some point.

In 2020, there were over 15 million podcast listeners in the UK alone, and that audience is growing! Forecasts predict close to 20 million people will be podcast listeners by 2024.

There’s an ever-expanding catalogue of podcast genres, and businesses are starting to tap into the trend. With 53% of listeners tuning into discussions and talk shows, why not host your own interview with a guest or guests to improve your brand awareness?

We’ve helped many companies like yours put together podcasts, and the key to their success has been recording remotely. That means you won’t even need to get everyone in the same room, or hire out a swanky studio, to achieve your mission.

Follow these six steps to ace your next podcast!

First of all, ask yourself: what podcasts do you personally like to listen to? What inspires you? How can you best represent your brand and give your audience something of real value?

These questions will help guide the style, vibe and language of your podcast: whether it will be casual or professional in nature, whether the guest or guests will be allowed to swear, and whether it’ll be very focused on answering questions or taking on a looser form, going off on tangents and having more of a chat.

Planning ahead is vital and should be carried out in the same way as if you were creating a video.

Consider the structure of your podcast – that is, whether you want to follow the standard setup of intro, main interview and outro, or whether your podcast is more news-focused or would work better in documentary style.

Think about the guest or guests you’d like to invite and how you’d ideally like the conversation to go. Make sure you have a chat with them beforehand explaining more about your podcast, what they can expect, what you’re hoping to cover and what you want your audience to gain.

You could even send them some questions and see what answers you get back, allowing you to craft what you ask during the podcast for the best possible final recording.

Don’t forget to find out what tech they have, too. At a minimum, make sure they have a decent set of headphones with an inbuilt mic. If they have a separate microphone, or there’s budget to provide them with one, this is optimal.

Now, the podcasting itself!

Make sure you use the right recording software, so you don’t waste all the fantastic material you’re about to capture. We generally use Zoom ourselves, as you can see the person you’re interviewing as if they were right there with you. The free plan allows you to be “on air” for 45 minutes, which should give you just enough time.

We recommend turning on the multi-track audio recording option, which you’ll find in your audio preferences. This records individual tracks for each person, making your post-production job easier. You can use software like QuickTime or Audacity to record at each end, in addition to Zoom.

Try and get hold of a dedicated microphone for recording at your end, especially if you’re planning on producing a series. There are plenty of reasonable options available online. Whatever you do, don’t rely on your computer’s internal microphone, and make sure both you and your guest or guests are wearing headphones!

Once your equipment is set up, you have your notes and questions in front of you, and your guest or guests are ready, turn on your camera and hit that record button! Stay smiling, talk through the questions, and keep the conversation as natural as possible. Remember, you have the flexibility to retake any parts that need it and to cut out any bits that don’t work afterwards.

While everyone’s on Zoom, snap some behind-the-scenes images to post on social media afterwards.

Once the cameras have stopped rolling, and you’ve gathered all the material you need for your podcast, share a folder or use WeTransfer to get the audio files you’ll require from your guest or guests. Make it as easy as possible for them to send you these, so they’re able and motivated to do so quickly and seamlessly.

You’ll also need to download your files from Zoom.

Then, it’s time to edit!

Next, pull out those behind-the-scenes pictures and post them. Fill your channels with buzz about your podcast and compel people to listen.

You’ll want to seem just as excited about your guest, or guests, as your audience should be.

You could even create a short teaser video using a snippet from the final podcast to build anticipation.

Finally, publish your podcast and await that coveted positive feedback from your many listeners!

If all this sounds a bit too much, or you could do with some support throughout the podcasting process, you can trust us to help. We’ve guided many businesses through the same steps and can even work in a producer capacity – dialling into your Zoom call alongside you to offer advice and feedback throughout and provide post-production to get it ready for launch. Simply contact us on 01628 260627 or at hello@cube.video today.

We can’t wait to hear what you come up with.