In the digital age, distance is no longer an obstacle to content creation. With the right tools, you can record a high-quality podcast with guests from anywhere in the world.
In this complete guide, we will show you step by step how to record a podcast remotely.
More than a point of arrival where you simply land, quality content is the result of the road you've traveled. So while creating a good podcast is not something that happens by itself, it doesn't depend on your geographic location either: as long as you can guarantee certain aspects during the creative process, you'll be able to get to the finish line.
Generally speaking, this creative process can be thought of in three different stages: before, during and after the recording. And it is precisely in those three stages that you have to sharpen your eye and make sure that everything that should happen in each of those moments actually happens, especially when the production includes interviewing someone for an episode or having a guest star on the show.
So, let's start with the first rung of the ladder...
🎬 Before recording
As in so many other scenarios, in remote podcasting, planning saves lives. So, once you confirm that the person invited to the show is available and interested, you should be able to ensure that all parties involved are on the same page, and that includes checking such basics as:
- Let the date and time be clear to all, This is especially important if you do not share the same time zone.
- That everyone has a stable internet connection and can be in the right place to have a conversation: even if remote living allows recording on a beach under palm trees, internet access and a quiet, peaceful, undisturbed environment are two non-negotiables in a podcast recording. If someone involved in the show cannot guarantee either of these two aspects, it is best to reschedule.
- That there is clarity about which platform it will be recorded on and that it is available on all devices: Options, both paid and free, abound and range from Zoom to Zencastr. The key is to ensure that everyone knows where to connect and how to interact with the interface.
- That there is a good availability of time so that everyone can be focused at the time of recording: if the guest in question has a commitment immediately after the conversation, his disposition will not be the same and, far from concentrating, his mind will be here and there, wandering between our talk and picking up his children from school. For this reason, we recommend scheduling appointments at times that can usually be calm: the beginning and the end of the day, for example.
- That all available tools are used to ensure the best possible sound: if the guest has, for example, a microphone or a non-wireless headset with a microphone, it is important to verify that he/she can use it during the recording.
- That there is a sufficiently clear, concrete and complete context and objectives: It is not the same to arrive at a conversation knowing that you are going to talk about, for example, "innovation" as it is to arrive with a broader and deeper view and know that you are going to talk about the importance of artificial intelligence in closing gaps in access to rural education. Beyond the example, the point is that it is very important that whoever participates in the podcast has the full picture of what will be discussed, to whom, why and for what purpose. That way, it is guaranteed that their contributions will be of real value to the audience. Many times, at Naranja Media, the way we guarantee this is by delivering a written conversation guide to the guests so that they can arrive with more fluency, forcefulness and focus to the recording.
Obviously, ensuring all these aspects makes that, in a way, the remote recording of a podcast starts before the recording itself. The magic of the conversation as such also depends on everything we did before it. That's why, in Naranja Media we have a habit that we find very healthy and recommendable: to make what we call "pre-chats", very short conversations that, before recording, we have with those who are involved in the podcast to tell them all this briefly and thus promote a more enjoyable recording, prioritizing the quality of the audio that we will use for the production of the episode.
Now, having discussed this with those invited to the show, you can move on to the next step and begin the step-by-step process on the day of the recording.
🎥 Recording, recording...
This is the time to turn on the spotlights and shine because this is where all the magic really comes from, this is the crucial stage where everything has to go right.
Therefore, before starting the recording as such, we recommend, once again, to check the sound quality or, in other words, to make a sound check.
What is a sound check?
This is a very quick and easy way to check that the audio quality is as we expect it to be. Doing this before you start the actual conversation will give you a wider margin of action in case the guest presents technical problems on the day of the recording.
Among the best practices that we carry out in Naranja Media are:
- Connect five minutes before the recording time to verify that our internet and the guest's internet are working properly.
- In case the guest's audio is not the best, you can always look for other options to prioritize the sound quality: we recommend in particular use the person's cell phone recorder as plan B. It is important to place it at mouth level, about four fingers apart, and diagonally.
- If the recording is on video, it is worth trying to get the best possible visual shot, which means placing the guest in an organized space where the camera can get a good shot: it is important to make sure that their body or face is not cut off in the shot, that they appear complete, that they can move freely and, above all, that they feel comfortable.
- Try to record in independent channels, that is to say that the voice recording of each person who interferes, converses or chats in the episode is recorded independently from the others. In this way, you guarantee that you can edit and intervene in a simpler way without one voice sounding at the same time as another.
In closing, do not forget that it is good to constantly perform all the good practices of the sound check during the entire recording, as we are not exempt from the guest moving around a lot and the sound not registering well. It is necessary to always be able to verify not only the quality of the conversation but also the sound quality.
Always recording
On the other hand, beyond sound, there is another principle that we use a lot in Naranja Media and that is: always recording. By this, we mean the crucial importance of recording everything and recording all the time. That is to say: before starting the interview, while we break the ice and warm up, we start recording beforehand because in those previous moments there can be a lot of valuable content and because we save ourselves the awkward moment of saying "we are recording now" and making guests feel more tense or nervous.
In our experience, we can guarantee that being always recording, from minute zero, lightens the conversation, makes it fluid, provides spontaneous moments such as laughter or jokes and gives comfort and naturalness to the space because no one feels that they are being "recorded" or that they have to pose to look good.
Expect the best and be prepared for anything.
Although many times you plan everything in advance, at the moment of recording many things can happen and take you out of the initial plan. That's why it's key to always keep calm and have mapped out some of the inconveniences that may arise during the recording, with possible solutions. In our experience, some of the most common ones are:
- Internet down: In this case, you can recommend the guest to connect with their cellular data. If this is not enough, you could prioritize the audio quality and remove the video from the recording so that all the bandwidth is covering the voice. If it still doesn't work, the best thing to do is to reschedule.
- A commitment or an inconvenience arises in the middle of the recording and the people involved have less time or willingness to talk: we recommend you to reschedule directly.
- That some sound, such as a pet or a very harsh environment, interrupts the recording: you can wait for the noise to pass or relocate the guest to another part of your home or office. If the noise is significant and persists, it is best to reschedule.
- That you feel the guest is distracted or busy with other things: ask if they can start over, looking for a different way to capture their attention, or approach the same topics with a different approach. To do this, it is important to always be paying attention and listening in detail, as well as polishing yourself in the art of having good, deep and relevant conversations. If you feel that the conversation is not what you expected, think about whether it is worthwhile to reschedule in a space where the person feels more fluid or more willing.
👀 After recording.
Last but not least: there are several things to check once you have finished recording to ensure that your remote podcast is working as it should.
We especially recommend that as soon as you finish the interview and stop recording, you download the audio, categorize it into a neat and tidy file folder and name the clip in a way that is clear and obvious to your whole team. We usually do it like this: 'Name of the person invited_ the company where they work or position_ day, month and year."
On the other hand, it is key to have a backup What happens if your computer is damaged or if the other person deletes their audio file? The best thing to do in these cases is prevention, which is much easier than a solution. Therefore, we recommend you to upload the audio to platforms such as online such as WeTransfer or Dropbox.
Remember that although here we are giving you a general overview, the podcastingand in particular the podcasting remote, it is not a mathematical formula or a straitjacket: this is what has worked for us, but you can find your own techniques and tools. This field is still one of experimentation. So learn along the way and enjoy the process.
Do you want to start your podcast and don't know where to begin? Let's talk, here you go directly to our whatsapp.