Questions to Ask a Podcaster
For anyone about to interview the person behind a podcast: a student with an assignment, a reporter writing a profile, someone planning a show of their own, or a listener with one turn at the microphone in a live Q and A. These are questions about making the show, not the ones a host puts to a guest, and they run in the order the conversation tends to go: the show and where it came from, guests, recording and editing, finding an audience, money, and advice for a beginner. With only ten minutes, take one or two from each group and save the Money group until the host has had a chance to talk about the work.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The Show
What made you start the podcast, and which shows were you listening to back then?
Why ask it
The shows in their ears at the start usually explain the format they picked, or the one they were pushing against. Ask which of those they still play, because the ones they dropped show how their taste has moved since.
How do you describe the show to someone who has never heard it?
Why ask it
Anyone who has pitched a guest or a sponsor has a one-line version, and it is worth hearing word for word. For a profile or a class report, set that line beside what the last three episodes were about and ask about any gap between them.
Where do your episode ideas come from?
Why ask it
Hosts tend to answer with a place: a notes app, the inbox, an argument over dinner. Find out how many ideas are sitting on that list today, because a host with fifty waiting and one who starts from nothing each week plan very differently.
Who is the listener you picture when you record?
Why ask it
Some hosts name a real person, a sister or a former coworker, and some describe themselves five years ago. Follow up by asking who turned out to be listening, since the two are often different people.
How did you settle on the format: solo, co-hosted, interviews or a scripted story?
Why ask it
Format tends to decide the workload more than the subject does, so a would-be podcaster should ask what each option would have cost in hours. If they switched formats along the way, the episode where it changed is worth a listen before you write anything up.
What did the first episode sound like, and is it still in the feed?
Why ask it
Expect a wince and then a story about a bad room, a long intro or a nervous voice. A host who took it down and one who left it up have each settled something every new show runs into, which is whether early work stays in public.
How did you choose the name, and what was it nearly called?
Why ask it
The rejected names show what they were afraid the show would be mistaken for. Someone planning a show should also hear whether they checked that the name was free in the podcast apps and as a web address, and what they would check now.
How often do you publish, and what happened the last time you missed a week?
Why ask it
The schedule is printed on the show's page, so the second half is the one to wait for. A host who heard from listeners after a missed week has learned something about habit that the download chart does not show.
Which episode changed your idea of what the show was?
Why ask it
Plenty of shows have one episode after which the host stopped imitating someone else. Write down its number and play it afterwards, because it will tell you more about the podcast than the trailer does.
Which episode are you proudest of?
Why ask it
Before you meet, look for the episode the show's own page pushes hardest. When the one they name is a different one, ask what the popular episode had that the proud one lacked.
How do you and your co-host divide the work, and who has the last word on an edit?
Why ask it
Skip this one for a solo show. With two hosts, the split of booking, editing and posting is rarely even, and how easily they describe it tells you whether the arrangement was talked through or just happened.
Guests
How do you decide who to invite on?
Why ask it
Listen for a rule: someone with a new book, someone the audience asked for, someone who has not told the story elsewhere. A host with no rule is usually booking whoever says yes, which is a fair answer for a young show and worth saying out loud.
Who is your dream guest, and have you asked them?
Why ask it
The name matters less than the second half. A host who asked and heard no has often changed something in the next invitation, and one who has never asked can say what they are waiting for.
What do you say when you invite a guest, and how often do you get a yes?
Why ask it
If they will show you a real invitation, look at its length and its first line, which are most of the lesson. A beginner can borrow the structure the same evening, though not the sentences.
How do you prepare for a guest, and how much of that preparation makes it into the episode?
Why ask it
Preparation rarely shows up in proportion: a host may read a whole book for one exchange. The research that never comes up has to go somewhere, and whether they file it for a later episode or let it go says how far ahead they think.
Do you send questions ahead of time, and what do you say to a guest just before you record?
Why ask it
Hosts split on sending questions, and the reasons on each side are about how rehearsed they want the answers to sound. The talk before the record light is the more useful half for a beginner: it is a script for putting a nervous person at ease.
What do you do with a guest who gives one-line answers, or one who will not stop talking?
Why ask it
These are two separate problems with two separate fixes, so let them take each in turn. You should come away with actual phrases, the sentence they use to interrupt politely and the one that opens up a quiet guest.
Have you recorded an interview and decided not to release it?
Why ask it
A yes comes with a reason, such as bad audio, a guest who asked, or a conversation that never caught, and each reason shows a different standard. Do not press for the guest's name, since the decision is the story.
Which guest surprised you most once the microphones were on?
Why ask it
This is the one to bring to a live Q and A, because it produces a story the whole room can enjoy and needs no setup. A reporter can follow with what the host had expected, which shows how they size people up beforehand.
What do you ask of a guest after the episode goes out?
Why ask it
Some hosts send a link and ready-made clips, and some ask for nothing. If guests sharing the episode is part of how the show grows, this is where you find out how deliberate that is.
Production
What equipment and software do you use, and what would you buy first on a small budget?
Why ask it
Take the model names down for later, then pay attention to the second half. Whatever they would buy first is the short shopping list for a first show, and whatever they call optional saves a beginner the money.
Where do you record, and what did you do about the sound of the room?
Why ask it
Closets, parked cars and blankets over a desk all come up, and those answers cost nothing to copy. If they rent a studio, ask what a session runs where they live, because rates differ a great deal from place to place.
How do you record a guest who is in another city?
Why ask it
You are asking which tool they trust and what their backup is when a connection drops. The instructions they send guests beforehand, headphones on, a quiet room, phone silenced, are worth asking for as a list.
How many hours of work sit behind one finished episode?
Why ask it
Have them walk through last week's episode stage by stage instead of estimating an average. Multiply the total by how often they publish and you have the weekly commitment a new show is signing up for.
How much of a recording do you cut, and what always comes out?
Why ask it
The answer describes their taste: some remove every stumble, others only the false starts and the dog barking. A student writing about the show can ask whether guests ever request a cut and how that is handled.
Do you script, work from an outline, or just talk?
Why ask it
Shows that sound loose are often outlined to the minute, so do not guess from listening. One page of notes from a recent episode, if they have it nearby, teaches more than a description of it would.
Do you edit the show yourself, and if not, when did you hand it over?
Why ask it
A host who still edits every minute can tell you what they would give away first if money allowed. One who handed it over often did so after a missed deadline or a bad month, and that story is the answer.
Where did your theme music come from, and what did you have to sort out to use it?
Why ask it
A friend's band, a paid library and a commissioned piece are three different arrangements. What is allowed depends on the license and on the country, so treat their answer as how it worked for them and check the terms that apply to you.
What went wrong in a recording that you only found out about afterwards?
Why ask it
Hosts who have been at it a while tend to have a lost file or an hour recorded through the wrong microphone, and they tell it well. The useful part is the habit they adopted the next day, a second recorder or a test clip, so ask for that if it does not come up.
How many episodes ahead are you, and what happens to the show when you go on vacation?
Why ask it
A host with a month banked and one who records the night before are doing two different jobs. The vacation half shows whether they rerun old episodes, announce a break or simply go quiet, and how listeners took it.
Do you publish video as well as audio, and has it been worth the extra work?
Why ask it
Opinions on this are strong and still shifting, so you will get a real one. Get both sides of the trade: the hours video added to each episode, and what it brought back in new listeners or anything else they can point to.
Audience
How did your first hundred listeners find the show?
Why ask it
The honest list tends to start with friends, family and one post in the right place. A beginner should ask which of those could still be done today and which depended on a moment that has passed.
What have you tried to grow the audience that you would do again, and what was wasted effort?
Why ask it
Get one of each, with the episode or month it happened, so the answer is a case and not a theory. Where the wasted effort cost money, the amount is worth having too, since that is a mistake a beginner can skip for free.
What do your download numbers tell you, and what do you wish they could?
Why ask it
Podcast figures say less than most outsiders assume, and a host who knows their limits will explain what a download does and does not count. Each hosting company and app reports in its own way, so ask which dashboard they are reading from.
How do you take a harsh review or a one-star rating?
Why ask it
Some hosts read every review and some have a friend read them first, and neither is wrong. For someone starting out, the follow-up that pays is whether a piece of criticism ever led to a change they are glad they made.
How do listeners hear from you between episodes?
Why ask it
Whatever they name, a newsletter, a group chat or a social account, takes hours away from making the show. Find out which one they would keep if they had to drop the rest, and why.
How do you write an episode title, and has a title ever changed how many people pressed play?
Why ask it
Titles are the part of podcasting closest to headline writing, which makes this a good one for a journalism student. Ask for a pair of episodes, one they titled well and one they would retitle.
Have you been a guest on other podcasts, and did their listeners follow you back to yours?
Why ask it
Guesting is often recommended as the way to grow, and here you get one person's actual result. If it worked, ask how they chose the shows; if it did not, ask what they think was missing.
What do listeners write to you about, and has a message ever changed an episode?
Why ask it
The mail shows what the audience thinks the show is for, which can differ from the host's own idea. A message that led to a correction or a whole episode is a good scene for a profile.
Money
What do you pay for each month to keep the show running, and what did you spend before the first episode?
Why ask it
Hosting, editing software, a remote recording tool and artwork are the usual lines, and the totals range from almost nothing to a real bill. Prices and plans change, so take their list as categories to budget for and look up the current figures yourself.
Does the podcast earn money, and from what?
Why ask it
Leave it open and let them choose how much to say; plenty of shows earn nothing and the host is happy to tell you so. If there is income, ask which source came first, since that is the one a newer show might reach.
How long was it before the show covered its own costs?
Why ask it
Some shows never have, and a host who says so plainly is doing the next beginner a service. If it did break even, ask what changed that month: one sponsor, a listener support page, or a cheaper way of working.
How did your first sponsor come about?
Why ask it
Find out who approached whom, because a sponsor who wrote in and a sponsor the host chased are two different lessons. Whether a network, an agency or a marketplace sits in the middle varies from show to show, so ask how it is arranged for theirs.
Do you read the ads yourself, and is there anything you would refuse to advertise?
Why ask it
A host-read ad borrows the trust listeners have in the host, and most hosts have thought about where that stops. The refusal is the part to quote, as long as they are comfortable naming the kind of product.
Who owns the feed, the name and the back catalog: you, a co-host or a network?
Why ask it
Few beginners think about this until a co-host leaves or a network offers a deal. The answer depends entirely on what was signed, so ask what they agreed to and what they wish they had put in writing sooner.
What has the show brought you that is not money?
Why ask it
This list is sometimes longer than the income one, with clients, a job offer, a book or friends in other cities on it. It also answers, more kindly, the question of why they keep going when the numbers are small.
Advice
What would you tell someone who wants to start a podcast this year?
Why ask it
Say 'this year' out loud, so the advice has to account for how crowded the apps are now compared with when they began. If the answer is 'just start', ask what they would have ready before pressing record.
What do beginners worry about that listeners never notice?
Why ask it
Cover art, intro music and the perfect microphone are the usual suspects. Then turn it around and ask what listeners do notice straight away, which is the list to spend your effort on.
How many episodes should someone make before deciding whether to carry on?
Why ask it
There is no right figure, and you are really asking when it stopped feeling like an experiment for them. Write down the number they give and treat it as one host's experience when you plan your own first run.
What came closest to ending the show, and what kept it going?
Why ask it
Shows mostly go quiet for ordinary reasons: a new job, a baby, a co-host who moved away. Whatever kept this one alive, a listener's note or a shorter format, is something you can plan for before you need it.
Which podcasts do you listen to in order to learn, and what have you taken from them?
Why ask it
Ask for something specific they borrowed: a way of opening cold, a segment, a rule about length. You leave with a listening list chosen by someone who has already made the mistakes.
What has hosting taught you about listening that you use away from the microphone?
Why ask it
A reflective question that suits the end of a class interview or a profile, once the practical ground is covered. Answers about waiting through a silence or asking the second question are worth quoting in full.
What do you want the show to be a year from now?
Why ask it
Listen for whether the answer is about size, such as more listeners or a sponsor, or about the work, such as a new segment or fewer episodes done better. A reporter can check back on it in a follow-up piece, and a fan gets a reason to keep listening.
How will you know when the show is finished?
Why ask it
Some hosts have an ending in mind, a set number of seasons or a story that runs out, and some have never thought about it. Either way it makes a good last question, because it gets them talking about what the podcast is for.
Interviewing a podcaster about their own show
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you sit down
Hear the show at two ages
Play the newest episode and one from the first ten, and write down what differs: the length, the intro, the sound, how the host talks to the listener. Two differences you can name will give you better questions than a list can, and they show the host you did more than read the description.
Decide which interviewer you are
A student or reporter gets the most from The Show and Guests, where the stories are. Someone planning a podcast should spend the time on Production, Money and Advice. A fan with one turn at a microphone needs a single question from The Show or Guests and nothing else.
Learn the six words you will hear
Feed, hosting company, downloads, show notes, ad read and back catalog come up in almost any conversation about podcasting. Look each one up beforehand so you can follow an answer without stopping it, and ask the host how they use the term if it sounds different from what you read.
Say where the recording is going
A podcaster is used to being the one who owns the audio. Ask before you record, and tell them whether it is for a class, an article or a show of your own, and whether any of it will be published. Offer to check quotes about money or named guests before anything goes out.
While you are talking
They have sat in your chair
A host knows how an interview works from the asking side, so expect polished answers and the occasional question turned back on you. Answer briefly and return to them. If a reply sounds like one they have given before, ask for the version from a particular week.
Tie every answer to an episode
'Which episode was that?' is the most useful follow-up on the page. It turns a general claim about guests, editing or growth into something you can go and hear for yourself, and it gives a written piece a detail readers can look up.
Ask for the shape before the sums
With the Money group, begin with whether the show covers its costs and where income comes from, and let the host decide whether to put figures on it. People who would never name a total will often describe proportions, and proportions are what a beginner needs.
At a live Q and A
Keep it to one question with no speech in front of it. Pick one that produces a story, such as the dream guest, the guest who surprised them or the first episode, and leave money and download counts for a private conversation. Do not use the turn to mention your own show.
What to leave out
The pitch
Asking a host to listen to your podcast, book you as a guest or introduce you to a sponsor changes the conversation from an interview into a favor. If the talk went well, send a short thank-you afterwards and make any request separately, where it is easy to decline.
Opening with the download count
It is the first thing outsiders ask and it says little without context. Bring it up late, as part of what the figures do and do not show, and accept a range or a polite no.
Questions the feed already answers
If the show has a trailer or an anniversary episode that tells the origin story, say you have heard it and ask what has changed since. Repeating a question the host has answered on air tells them you did not listen.
Taking their rules as the rules
How music may be licensed, how income is taxed, what a network contract includes and what an app pays all differ by country, provider and agreement. Write down how it works for this host, then check how it works where you are before you rely on it.
If you are starting a show yourself
Sort the answers into now and later
Before a first episode you need a format, a listener in mind, a way to record and a schedule you can keep. Sponsors, video, an editor and a network are later problems. Mark each answer with one word or the other so the later pile does not stall you.
Copy the habit, not the equipment
The host's microphone suits their voice, their room and their budget. The habits travel better: a test clip before every recording, a backup file, a fixed publishing day, an invitation that fits on one screen.
Record a pilot nobody hears
Make one full episode you do not intend to publish, with the Production answers beside you. Time every stage. The total tells you whether the schedule you planned is one you can hold for a few months.
Tell them what you did with it
A month later, send two lines saying which piece of advice you used and what happened. It costs you a minute, it tells the host the hour was worth giving, and it is the natural moment to ask one more question.