Tips for Editing a Podcast Interview

Interviews are probably the most interesting podcast content. They are interactive and educational. It’s a format that makes information easier to digest and absorb. Interviews also give the podcast a different perspective and angle.

However, editing and making sure that the interview goes smoothly is an entirely different story. As a podcaster, it is your responsibility to create episodes that your listeners can relate to and understand. You also need to safeguard your podcast’s quality.

When editing a podcast interview, here are some tips that you should keep in mind:

Think of background noise and fillers. Since you will be interacting with a different person, it is more likely that you’ll be dealing with tons of background noise and fillers. Phone interviews tend to be noisier, especially when your guest is taking the call at home. Sirens, traffic, and other background noises are common when you aren’t recording in a formal studio. If these aren’t too loud, then you can opt to leave that out. Often, you need not edit out every little umm or noise. Just focus on major background noise that tends to be distracting to your listeners.

However, you may need to edit out heavy breathing, pauses, filler words, and parts where you or your guest mess up and start over again. Keep in mind the quality of your output when editing your podcast.

Keep your audience in mind. When editing your podcast, always think of your audience. Prioritize their listening experience and how they will understand the lessons you are trying to impart. Ensure that the chunks of information are easy to digest and comprehend.

Your audience is also a priority when it comes to crafting the podcast interview. Look at what adds value. Aside from making sure that your guest is someone that your audience will enjoy listening to, think of the content as well. Will it make your listeners’ lives better? Are you imparting something valuable? Always ask yourself these tough questions when you go through your recording.

Consider the flow and message. Comprehension is an important consideration in editing your podcast interview. Make sure there is a proper flow to encourage easy understanding. Prioritize how the conversation goes in order to make the points clear.

Focus on getting the message across. Get the core message of the interview delivered to the listeners. Your message should have a beginning, middle part, and an end. This should be something you need to take into account.

Get inspired. Listen and observe the best interviewers out there. Find people that you look up to and pay attention to how they ask questions. Listen to the top interviewers in the country or even in your industry and observe how they conduct their interviews. Learn from them. You can make this a weekly habit in order to improve your craft.

Let this be an inspiration and a guide. The more you listen to interviewers, the more you understand that they have a certain flow that they follow. You can use this a pattern when you craft your own interview flow. Tweak this guide according to your taste and style and make it your own.

Make sure you’ve prepped prior to the interview. Nothing beats preparation in producing great content, no matter what the type is. Research on your guest’s background and listen to interviews that he/she might have done recently. Pay attention to the topics and questions asked. Depending on the topic that you will be discussing on your own podcast, you might want to ask questions that haven’t been raised before. List down the questions beforehand and ensure that you sequence these properly to create a cohesive flow. This lets you direct the conversation according to your message.

Most importantly, connect with your guest and ask excellent questions. These are the untold essentials to interviewing. Making sure that you build a connection with your guest before you start recording is a must. Your listeners can feel that there is disconnect, if this is otherwise. This also makes your guest comfortable and creates an air of ease for the both of you. Lastly, good questions make your interview worthwhile as well. The right queries will direct the conversation in a way where you are getting the points across. This extracts the juiciest content and helps you create the story that you want for your podcast.

There is no right or wrong way to editing a podcast. It all boils down to personal taste and how you approach your own podcast. The key takeaway here is once you’ve cleaned up your podcast interview of the fillers and the noise, just make sure that you’ve got a good flow going and that it’s easy to comprehend. What’s important is that you stay true to your podcast’s style and approach all throughout.

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