Many podcasts are recorded using Zoom due to its user-friendly platform, excellent audio and video quality, high familiarity, and the convenience of connecting with guests remotely from any location. Zoom does come with some downsides, particularly in regards to audio quality but with proper preparation, solid content and a few tricks it can be used to produce a great show. Here’s how.
Set a date – Schedule a Zoom Call To Record Your Podcast:
- Offer a range of possible interview times to accommodate their schedule.
- Schedule content about two weeks out if possible so that you can have flexibility if a guest cancels and needs to reschedule. Be understanding if they need to reschedule due to unforeseen circumstances.
- Follow up with a reminder a day or two before the interview date. It doesn’t hurt to send a reminder email 30 minutes before time, either. Include the Zoom link and any other relevant details.
Communicate what to expect:
Your guests may be familiar with Zoom calls but are they famililar with podcasting? Explain the podcast format (interview, conversation, panel discussion, etc.). Share the estimated duration of the episode and recording time to manage their time expectations.
- Explain that the interview will be conducted via Zoom and reassure them about its ease of use.
- Ask about any accommodations that the guest may need (hearing/sight impaired, etc.)
- Prepare Interview Materials: Share an interview guide or questions in advance. This gives the guest time to prepare quality answers for the questions and clarify or object to anything they don’t know or can’t answer
Make Sure Guests are Prepared to Record:
To ensure you have the best audio quality to work from in the editing process, make sure your guests has ready:
- Headphones (earbuds are fine)
- Microphone (if your headset has a mic, that’s fine, too)
- Quiet room (no pets, no loud clocks, no kids, no street noise, no fans, etc.)
- Water or drink
- Stable internet connection (hard wired is best, WiFi / data driven internet should be strong)
Optimize for Quality Recording
The more individual audio tracks that can be sent for a single episode, the more control for better audio quality we can have. For the best quality, Be sure that you have your Zoom set up to record individual tracks for each participant. Here’s a quick reference on getting that set up:
Schedule a Brief Tech Check:
- Ideally, a day before the interview to ensure their equipment works well.
- Offer assistance with setting up Zoom for the quality that you need for your show, if necessary.
- Work to resolve any audio or video quality issues beforehand.
Remember, as your podcast grows you can always increase and upgrade the tools you use for production, its better to focus on content in the beginning to make sure that you produce a truly compelling show. Following the tips in this guide will help make sure that your production with Zoom helps to create that content easily.