One of the fun things about being in the podcasting space is receiving an invitation to speak on a show. In the case of the photo below, I was a guest speaker on the All Things Audio show hosted by Madalyn Sklar and Suze Cooper.
This podcast is recorded live on Twitter Spaces and then released as a podcast episode later after some finessing by Suze Cooper. Which is why you may notice there are two microphones in this shot. In the foreground is the ATR-2100 which was plugged directly into my iPhone and behind that is the Heil PR40 which is plugged into the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 which is connected to my computer recording my side of the conversation to Hindenburg Journalist Pro.
In the traditional podcasting space this is called a "Double-Ender" recording. Which means each person records their side of the interview and then sends the saved file to the host for post-production.
Higher fidelity audio files and the ability to have control over the final audio product. Let's say my dog barks while Madalyn is speaking. If we didn't have individual tracks, then Suze wouldn't be able to mute my side of the conversation to remove the barking from the final episode. It's more than just that, but having a better quality audio from each individual and the ability to remove unnecessary ambient sounds are two important aspects to recording this way.
Being a good podcast guest means being prepared. Making sure my audio is spot on is only the beginning. I've got to be sure I respond to questions succinctly without monopolizing the conversation or droning on endlessly. When I think of my responsibility as a guest, I think of the different ways I can add value to the conversation for the host and more importantly for the listeners.
Being a podcast guest is rewarding and fun without the responsibility of hosting, post-production, and managing the show. In the case of All Things Audio, I have been privileged to be a guest speaker a few times and appreciate the warm, generous, and welcoming format and flow of their show. Madalyn and Suze are gracious wonderful people and highly skilled podcast hosts.
I highly recommend being a guest on a podcast or social audio show before starting your own podcast. It's a great way to get a sense of how things work and ease your way into your own show.
