Influential Introvert: Communication Coaching for Professionals with Performance Anxiety - How to Record a Podcast Interview with a Remote Guest (Plus Free Checklist)

Episode Date: July 13, 2019

At some point, most podcasters recording a remote interview will flub it up in some way, whether that’s by technical or human error. On Podcasting Step by Step, I talk you through exactly what you need to do to minimize those snafus that happen when recording an interview with your computer. Download your free Pre-Record Checklist.   Visit sarahmikutel.com for more articles on how to podcast. Ready to start your own show? Download my free guide: “8 Mistakes New Podcasters Make and How to Fix Them.”  Looking for a podcast media host? Use my Libsyn affiliate code POSTCARD to get the rest of this month for free and next month free.    I’m your podcast launch consultant, Sarah Mikutel. If you’d like to learn more about me, you can check out my other podcast, Postcard Academy travel podcast. This travel podcast is for the ‘experiences not things’ kind of person who believes travel goes deeper than a fantastic meal (though that is pretty great). Every week, I interview people who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world. You’ll learn how they did it and get their best insider food and culture tips.    Thank you so much for listening to Podcasting Step by Step. I know you’re busy and have many listening options, so it means a lot to me that you’re here. You are the best.  Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you’re in a meeting or just talking with friends.Download it at sarahmikutel.com/blanknomore and start feeling more confident in your conversations today.

Have you been wanting to start a podcast for a while now, but something's holding you back? Maybe it's fear of putting yourself out there or confusion about the technology. I'm Sarah Mikital and on podcasting step by step, I'll break down how to podcast with a little loving motivation to give you the skills and the confidence you need to finally launch that show of your dreams. Let's get started. I have a little confession to make. I usually record remote interviews via Skype with a software called e-cam call recorder, which has worked

really great for me. But last week, I wanted to give squadcast another try. This is another service that helps podcasters conduct interviews, and it came out of beta a few months ago, so I thought, all right, let's give this another try. And Squadcast works really well, but unlike call recorder, which is what I'm used to, Squadcast doesn't automatically start recording when you and the guests are connected. And I did not realize this until I was a good 20 minutes into the interview I was doing. So that feels really cool when you have to tell your guest, oh, I'm sorry, we were not recording at all this entire time. So thankfully, my guest was totally relaxed about it and we started over for real this time. At some point, most podcasters recording a

remote interview will experience some kind of pickup, whether technical or human error. My aim for this episode is to help you minimize those snafus and to share exactly what you need to do to record a podcast interview with the remote guest. You can find a pre-record checklist if you go to sarahmicatel.com slash prerecord checklist, all one word. To start, here is the equipment you need. You'll need a computer, headphones, microphone, and recording software. Now, for microphone, I highly recommend a dynamic mic, like the Audio Technica ATR-2100 or the Samsung Q2U. They are both XLR and USB, meaning that you can plug them directly into your computer. I would stay away from the Blue Yeti unless you have a

really excellent recording environment that is silent and full of material that will absorb but bouncing sound waves. The Blue Yeti is a quality mic under the right conditions, but it's a condenser mic, so it's going to pick up a lot of sounds that you don't want picked up. If you've already bought the Blue Yeti, make sure that you're using its cardioid setting. That's the one that looks like a little heart-shaped icon. This will focus more of the mic sensitivity to the front where you're speaking rather than the sides and the back of the mic. Also, FYI, the Blue Yeti is a side address mic, meaning you're not supposed to speak into the top. of it, but from the side. And then for recording software, I'm a Mac user, so I really like

Skype and e-cam call recorder. That's Mac only, and it's a one-off cost of about $40. PC users can use a Malto call recorder, and that's got a free version and a premium version that's around $30. And I really like Squadcast, but it does come with a $20 a month price tag. I believe they have some other pricing options in the works based on how many hours you're using the service. But at the time of this recording, it's $20 a month. And this just might be too steep for podcasters who are already subscribed to a bunch of other services that are out there for podcasters. I feel like every week or even every day, new services are coming out.

Two of my favorites are Descript, which I use for editing, and then also Adobe Edition, which I use for editing and mixing. But back to Squadcast and Skype. What is the difference between these two? Well, when you interview via squadcast, they're going to record audio locally on both sides of the conversation and then save the files to the cloud as you record. This is different than recording via Skype with call recorder or a Malto. When you record that way, your audio records locally on your side, but your guest audio is going to get processed through Skype. So when you're done recording and you export both of those tracks, your guest is going to sound a little bit louder.

and that's okay. You can fix the audio levels later when you're editing and mixing. So to reiterate, I like squadcast and I also like Skype with call recorder. There are other services out there that you can use to record like Zoom and Zincaster, but the ones that I previously mentioned have produced the best results for me and the other podcasters that I know. You can find links to the equipment that I use at sarahmicotel.com slash equipment. So what equipment does your guests need? Well, in ideal world, your guest is going to have the same equipment that you do. At the very least, they need to have headphones to plug into their computer and have Skype downloaded if you are going to record that way. If your guest doesn't have a Skype account, you can create one for them

and then just send them the username and password, and that's something that you could just keep using for a future guest if you wanted to. Then all your guests would need to do is download the Skype software. If you want to use Squadcast, as of this recording, it only works with Chrome, So you'll have to download that browser onto your computer if you don't have it. And so will your guest. Then you set up an interview time. You send that to your guest with a link to click on at the time of the recording. Don't forget to hit record.

And then your files will be saved to the cloud. What Squadcast is doing is called a double-ender. So it's recording both ends of the conversation. If you have a regular co-host or you're interviewing a fellow podcaster who knows how to record, you could do a double-ender by each record. your audio on your own side, and then matching it up later. Co-hosts often clap at the beginning of the recording, so with the person syncing up the audio later knows where the two tracks match up. This is in case they hit record at different times,

which they probably will. I think double-enders are too much of an ask for the average interviewee, so that's what makes squadcast such a nice option. And as I mentioned, I think Skype is just fine. In the episode on interviewing eight ways to up your skill as a podcaster. I talked about how you can set up your guest for success. This begins with you having a purpose for the episode, outlining how it's going to flow, and then sending your interviewee some questions in advance to think about, so they're not put on the spot with any tricky questions. That last point is up to the individual podcaster. Some people would never send questions in advance. I think that this just leads to better conversations. That has, that's been my

experience, and it makes people more comfortable as well. You also want to help your guests understand how to record the best audio possible. So tell them to record in a quiet space with strong Wi-Fi, or better yet, hardwired directly into the internet, wear headphones to prevent audio bleed, so you guys are not listening to each other through each other's speakers, turn off anything that might make noise like air conditioners and fans, and to close the windows, restart the computer to give it a little refresh, turn off programs syncing in the background on the computer, and turn off any programs that are going to make noise like email, and also silence the phone. So what else do you need for the best sound quality? Well, record in audio only and not

video. If you want to video chat for a little meet and greet with your interviewee, you can do that and then end the call and start it again with audio only. So that is going to help with your bandwidth. Now, if you want to record videos, you can put it on YouTube or somewhere else. Go ahead and do that. That's totally fine. It's up to you. Just know that your audio quality might suffer a little bit, especially if you are recording in a location with poor bandwidth issues. Make sure that you have the latest version of Skype on your computer and that your recording software is updated so that the eKM call recorder and a Malto. As the host, of course, you want to sound great and so you're using a microphone. If you're using something like the ATR 2,100, plug your headphones into your mic and your mic into your computer via USB. Make sure the mic is turned on.

And make sure that your computer has registered the mic as your sound input and is not using your computer's built-in mic. This is a very common mistake. If you're using Skype, go to Skype's preferences. Then in the audio video settings, make sure the proper mic, your external mic, is selected. You can test the sound of your call. by using Skype's sound test service before you get started. You also want to get comfortable with your mic placement. Don't hold the mic or it could pick up noise handling sounds. The mic should be in its stand or in a boom arm. If you're using the ATR 2100 or a similar dynamic mic, you want to speak

about a fist away from it and a little bit off access so you avoid those closives. So those are the harsh P&B sounds. And try to remember to always be speaking from the same. angle of the mic. If you need to take a breath or start laughing really hard, just lean back a little bit. Other things that you can do to ensure a great interview, show up early. Make sure that you are in your chair and ready to record at least 15 minutes before your interview is about to begin. This might be easy for some of you planners out there, but for those of us who fly by the seat of our pants, we might think, ah, we can just hop in our chairs two minutes before hitting record. I confess that I have done this a few times. Don't do this. Give yourself time to calmly prepare.

Review your notes, plug in your mic, make sure everything is okay with your computer. They can have a mind of their own sometimes. And then smile and think about the energy that you want to bring to the interview. You're excited to talk to this person and about sharing this valuable interview with your listeners. During the interview, break the ice with your guest. Ask them about something you know they're interested in, maybe something that they've recently posted on social media, anything that's going to put them at ease. You can reassure them that this isn't live. You're going to edit things, and you're happy to strike anything that they decide later. You know what? I didn't mean to say that. Can we just scratch that? And then ask them if they have a hard stop when the interview is scheduled to end,

because you might be having a great conversation, and then they're like, oh, I got to go. And then maybe you missed your favorite question. So make sure you know what their schedule is. Also, this is so important, let them know that any sounds they make on their end, like typing on their computer or shuffling papers is going to get picked up. And you can say, you know, it's totally fine. If you need to pause and take a break and look something up, just let me know. Those sounds are so hard to get out. So you don't want them ruining your interview.

And then hit record. Don't forget to hit record. If you're using Skype with call recorder, it will start recording as soon as you and the guests connect. So that's great. If you use something else like Squadcast, make sure you hit record. And then you can use your notes to maintain the flow and direction of the episode. So you don't need to be rigid about it. If you and the guest had in an unexpected and fascinating direction, then that's great.

Go with it. If you feel like the tangent is just getting a little too off base, use your outline to pull it back in and to get the guest back on track. If you're using Skype, sometimes, or any software, really, sometimes with the guess says is going to distort. If what they're saying is absolutely fascinating and you definitely want it to be part of the interview, just interrupt and say, oh, I'm sorry, can you start that again? I really like this point that you're saying and you got cut off. But if they're saying something and you don't really care, if it makes the interview or not, then you can just let it go and edit that part out later. And then have fun and just enjoy the conversation. And then after the interview,

you can send a thank you email that includes follow-up requests for anything you need like photos. And that is how you record a podcast interview with a remote guest. For a super simple yet comprehensive pre-record checklist that will save you from forgetting to hit record, head on over to sarahmicatel.com slash prerecord checklist. Thank you for listening to podcasting step by step. You are now one step closer to launching that podcast you've been dreaming about. but I want to get you even closer. I created a free guidebook for you with actionable worksheets called 8 mistakes new podcasters make and how to fix them.

To find that, head on over to sarah micahatel.com slash fix. Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot? I created a free conversation sheet sheet with simple formulas that you can use so you can respond with clarity, whether you're in a meeting or just talking with friends. Download it at sarah micotel.com slash blank no more.