The Secret to a Great Podcast Episode Starts Before You Click Record
Mike Langford
[{'start': '1.920', 'end': '7.440', 'text': 'Want to know the secret to recording an'}, {'start': '4.000', 'end': '10.080', 'text': 'amazing podcast episode with your guest?'}, {'start': '7.440', 'end': '12.160', 'text': "Here's a hint. It starts before you"}, {'start': '10.080', 'end': '15.440', 'text': "click the record button. It's called a"}, {'start': '12.160', 'end': '18.000', 'text': 'prep call or a prep session. Every'}, {'start': '15.440', 'end': '21.600', 'text': "professionally produced show you've ever"}, {'start': '18.000', 'end': '24.160', 'text': 'watched has some level of prep before'}, {'start': '21.600', 'end': '27.760', 'text': "they record the episode. And it's really"}, {'start': '24.160', 'end': '29.920', 'text': 'important. It starts with making sure'}, {'start': '27.760', 'end': '32.000', 'text': 'you do that prep session on the'}, {'start': '29.920', 'end': '34.480', 'text': 'recording platform that you plan to use'}, {'start': '32.000', 'end': '36.480', 'text': "for the episode. So for us, it's"}, {'start': '34.480', 'end': '39.520', 'text': 'Riverside. We make sure that the host'}, {'start': '36.480', 'end': '41.440', 'text': 'and the guest are on Riverside and'}, {'start': '39.520', 'end': '44.480', 'text': 'having their conversation for the prep'}, {'start': '41.440', 'end': '46.079', 'text': 'call there. Why? Well, number one, we'}, {'start': '44.480', 'end': '47.760', 'text': 'want to make sure that the guests can'}, {'start': '46.079', 'end': '49.200', 'text': "actually get on Riverside. It's actually"}, {'start': '47.760', 'end': '52.239', 'text': 'been a problem for us in the past where'}, {'start': '49.200', 'end': '54.239', 'text': 'CEOs or executives at large companies'}, {'start': '52.239', 'end': '56.079', 'text': 'have a firewall on the system and they'}, {'start': '54.239', 'end': '58.160', 'text': "can't have camera access or microphone"}, {'start': '56.079', 'end': '60.320', 'text': "access in the browser. That's a"}, {'start': '58.160', 'end': '62.079', 'text': 'challenge, right? So, we need to make'}, {'start': '60.320', 'end': '64.239', 'text': 'sure that their tech team unlocks that.'}, {'start': '62.079', 'end': '67.520', 'text': 'So, we want to make sure that we can see'}, {'start': '64.239', 'end': '69.280', 'text': 'them and hear them and they can hear us.'}, {'start': '67.520', 'end': '72.479', 'text': 'Now, we also want to do a little bit of'}, {'start': '69.280', 'end': '73.840', 'text': 'a, you know, quality check, making sure'}, {'start': '72.479', 'end': '75.680', 'text': 'their lighting is good. Are they sitting'}, {'start': '73.840', 'end': '76.880', 'text': 'with a window behind them or is there a'}, {'start': '75.680', 'end': '78.400', 'text': "window to the side where they're like"}, {'start': '76.880', 'end': '80.400', 'text': 'two faced, you know, shadow on one side,'}, {'start': '78.400', 'end': '82.400', 'text': 'bright on the other side? We want to fix'}, {'start': '80.400', 'end': '85.040', 'text': 'that. Give them some recommendations for'}, {'start': '82.400', 'end': '87.680', 'text': 'how they should position themselves on'}, {'start': '85.040', 'end': '88.799', 'text': 'camera so that they look their best. We'}, {'start': '87.680', 'end': '89.920', 'text': 'also want to make sure they sound their'}, {'start': '88.799', 'end': '92.560', 'text': 'best. We want to make sure that the'}, {'start': '89.920', 'end': '95.040', 'text': "microphone that they're using actually"}, {'start': '92.560', 'end': '97.119', 'text': 'is adequate for a professionally'}, {'start': '95.040', 'end': '98.799', 'text': "produced podcast. We don't want them"}, {'start': '97.119', 'end': '101.520', 'text': 'using their earbuds or the built-in'}, {'start': '98.799', 'end': '103.360', 'text': "microphone in their laptop. That'll"}, {'start': '101.520', 'end': '106.000', 'text': 'sound terrible. This is not a conference'}, {'start': '103.360', 'end': '107.840', 'text': 'call. This is a professional podcast.'}, {'start': '106.000', 'end': '110.159', 'text': 'And then lastly, we want to get a sense'}, {'start': '107.840', 'end': '112.479', 'text': 'of the the sound on their end, right? We'}, {'start': '110.159', 'end': '114.880', 'text': 'do recommend you wear headphones when'}, {'start': '112.479', 'end': '117.040', 'text': "you're recording. That avoids microphone"}, {'start': '114.880', 'end': '118.399', 'text': 'bleed, like the sound of, you know, your'}, {'start': '117.040', 'end': '119.920', 'text': 'speakers hitting your microphone and you'}, {'start': '118.399', 'end': '121.200', 'text': 'kind of start to hear your own voice or'}, {'start': '119.920', 'end': '123.520', 'text': "the the other person's voice coming"}, {'start': '121.200', 'end': '125.439', 'text': 'through. So, want to avoid that. Now,'}, {'start': '123.520', 'end': '128.239', 'text': 'the other things we do on the prep call'}, {'start': '125.439', 'end': '130.560', 'text': 'that really help the content of the'}, {'start': '128.239', 'end': '132.239', 'text': 'episode is we do things like talk about'}, {'start': '130.560', 'end': '134.080', 'text': "what we're going to talk about. What are"}, {'start': '132.239', 'end': '135.599', 'text': "the topics you're going to be covering?"}, {'start': '134.080', 'end': '138.400', 'text': "You don't want to just wing it when you"}, {'start': '135.599', 'end': '140.400', 'text': 'fire up the podcast. Have some level of'}, {'start': '138.400', 'end': '143.599', 'text': "conversation about what you're going to"}, {'start': '140.400', 'end': '145.840', 'text': 'talk about. And then lastly, and I think'}, {'start': '143.599', 'end': '147.840', 'text': "this actually should come first, we're"}, {'start': '145.840', 'end': '150.000', 'text': 'looking to create some conversational'}, {'start': '147.840', 'end': '151.200', 'text': 'chemistry between the host and the'}, {'start': '150.000', 'end': '152.800', 'text': 'guest. even if they know each other'}, {'start': '151.200', 'end': '154.640', 'text': "before. It's kind of like a practice"}, {'start': '152.800', 'end': '157.040', 'text': "chat, getting to know the other person's"}, {'start': '154.640', 'end': '159.120', 'text': 'conversational style, knowing what they'}, {'start': '157.040', 'end': '161.280', 'text': 'think is funny. I always jokingly say'}, {'start': '159.120', 'end': '163.120', 'text': 'like, "How much work is this guest going'}, {'start': '161.280', 'end': '166.720', 'text': 'to be? Am I going to have to really pull'}, {'start': '163.120', 'end': '170.000', 'text': 'information out of them?" So, have the'}, {'start': '166.720', 'end': '174.160', 'text': "prep call. I assure you it's going to"}, {'start': '170.000', 'end': '177.599', 'text': 'make for a much higher quality episode'}, {'start': '174.160', 'end': '177.599', 'text': 'when you click the record button.'}]