Pre-Interview Checklist: 10 Steps to Better Podcast Episodes

Want great podcast interviews? Here's exactly what you need to do before hitting record:

Key Tools You'll Need:

Pro Tip: Don't send questions before the show - it kills spontaneity and makes answers sound rehearsed.

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How to Mix AI and Manual Research

AI helps with podcast prep - but you need to add your own touch. Here's how to do both:

Using AI for Research

Here's what AI tools like GuestLab can do:

Tools like NotebookLM scan your documents and give you quick summaries. As Dr. Luke Hobson from MIT says:

"It's not about replacing us, but augmenting our abilities, helping us work smarter."

Adding Personal Touch

Here's how to combine AI help with your own work:

Alex Birkett puts it this way:

"AI-powered podcasting tools are slowly becoming a necessity for podcasters and marketers that want to communicate with their audiences in a more personal way."

Here's what to do:

1. Give AI basic guest info
2. Pick the best AI suggestions
3. Add your research
4. Make questions sound natural

Keep everything in one spot using Evernote or Trello. That way, you'll have both AI findings and your notes ready during the interview.

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10 Steps to Follow

Here's how to nail your podcast interviews:

1. Research Your Guest

Look up everything about your guest. Here's what matters most:

2. Test Your Gear

Do these checks before going live:

3. Build Your Questions

GuestLab helps you create:

• 10 topic ideas
• 20 specific questions
• Deep guest research

4. Quick Guest Chat

Jump on a 5-10 minute call to:

• Set up tech
• Go over format
• Handle questions
• Test audio

5. Keep Everything

Stay organized with this system:

6. Plan Your Flow

Here's your show structure:

7. Set Up AI

• Add LinkedIn info
• Write prompts
• Make talking points
• Save research

8. Sound Check

• Test room sound
• Position mic
• Set levels
• Check backup

9. Last Steps

• Turn off alerts
• Get water
• Load questions
• Open software

10. Wrap Up

• Thank your guest
• Back up files
• Plan social media
• Set release date

"It's so nice talking to you when you know so much about our podcast. We've spoken to so many people who know nothing about what we do. It's clear they haven't listened to our show before speaking with us." - Serena Louth, Kitchen Club podcast

"Finding the right guest is a mix of researching people with something to say, and people who can tell their story well." - Sam Datta Paulin

Pro tip: Don't send questions before the show. Here's why, from Lower Street's Sam Datta-Paulin: "Sending your podcast questions in advance could lead your guest to answer disingenuously. If they have had a lot of time to prepare fully baked answers before you sit down to record, often you will lose that element of spontaneity."

Tips That Work

Getting the Most from AI

Here's what AI can (and can't) do for your podcast:

AI works best when you use it to:

• Find fresh angles your guest hasn't covered
• Build smarter questions from past interviews
• Get quick guest background details
• Speed up audio fixes

Keeping It Human

Here's the REAL way to mix AI with podcasting:

"AI can help you do the work. It can't do the work for you." - Justin Burr, Google Spokesperson

Make AI work FOR you:

"Even if AI podcast tools prove to be sticky and engaging summaries of information for the general public, which remains to be seen, synthetic voices will never fully mimic the parasocial connections developed by human podcasters." - Justin Burr, Google Spokesperson

What these tools cost:

Helpful Tools

Let's look at the tools you'll need to start podcasting. I've broken them down by category and price point.

AI Research Tools

Here's what works right now:

Recording Software

Want to record your show? Here are your best options:

Need to edit your audio? These editors get the job done:

For interviewing guests remotely:

Here's the thing about podcast tools: More features DON'T always mean better results. Start with free options like Audacity or Waveroom. You can always upgrade later when you need specific features.