A Practical Guide for Multi-Guest Podcast Episodes

Hosting a multi-guest podcast can be a lot of fun, and help your show grow organically but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Coordinating a round table episode is equal parts logistics, diplomacy, and technical prep. Even seasoned hosts can get tripped up by avoidable chaos: guests talking over each other, mismatched personalities, or simple tech issues that derail an otherwise great conversation.

(Podcast Editing for Writers.)

The steps below outline a workable approach to setting everyone up for a smooth, engaging recording.

Schedule a short phone call with each guest sometime before the date of recording. The objective of this call is to help the guest feel comfortable coming onto the podcast, set expectations, ask if they have anything they definitely do or don’t want to discuss, and inform them of what to expect during recording.

Share with them how you plan to lead the discussion, who the other guests will be, how long you expect the session to run, and if there are any topics you want to be sure they do or don’t discuss. Be sure to let guests know they’ll need to wear headphones during the recording if they are joining by phone or video call.

More experienced guests may not need a phone call, but you’ll still need to exchange the aforementioned information with them over email or through management.

For some reason, people seem to really hate wearing headphones during a recording. I have had innumerable conversations with guests about why they need to wear headphones and that we will absolutely not be able to air the episode if they won’t wear headphones. Somehow, on the day of the recording they have conveniently forgotten or refused headphones again.

Being firm but polite about this is crucial. The guest needs to understand that without headphones, there will be an echo created in the audio that can’t be removed and will make the episode unlistenable. There is unfortunately no work around for this.

Create a one-page PDF or email with the date, time, and tech info (Zoom link, mic tips, headphone reminder). Include the episode topic and structure (ex: intro, 2-3 discussion points, wrap up, opportunity at the end for guests to plug their own work) and how long the recording session will last.

This is especially important for podcasts without video. If you do have video, add some on-screen text of each guest’s name when they first appear on screen. Keep in mind that some listeners may just listen to the audio, so be sure to appropriately introduce the guest and let them say hello so that the audience can match their voice to their name.

After the introductions, continue to sprinkle each guests’ name into some of the questions, as it can still be hard for listeners to differentiate between new voices.

After asking a discussion question to the group, a small, “[Guest’s name], let’s start with you,” can go a long way in managing chaos. It sets the tone for structured, respectful conversation by indicating to all guests that they should take turns answering rather than leaving it open for anyone to jump in. This can also help prevent arguing or irritation among guests who may already have opposing viewpoints and could feel agitated or disrespected if they are steamrolled by another guest.

One of the most challenging parts of hosting a multi-guest episode is managing overlapping talking. This is important not only out of respect for your guests but also so that the listeners don’t become confused or overwhelmed when listening. I do a lot of editing for podcasts with multiple guests and if a recording has lots of overlapping talking, the final result is often chaotic and confusing for the listener, even after editing. The main problem is that several ideas are often being shared at once, which tears the conversation in multiple directions.

Not all guests will be a good fit for each other. Depending on the episode topic and style of your podcast, it may work well to bring on guests who have radically opposing views but this can also lead to uncomfortable disagreements that could ruin the episode. Think carefully about the dynamic between the guests you plan to bring on together and how that dynamic fits with the episode and overall tone of the podcast.

It’s the same situation if the people you bring on are in comedy. Not all comedic styles mesh and two funny people trying to out-funny each other can be deeply uncomfortable to listen to. When bringing on more than one guest, think of yourself as a matchmaker or casting director. Whose perspectives will bring light to the subject at hand in a mutually constructive way? Some disagreement can be a great thing as long as it doesn’t detract from the conversation.

Your role is to steer, not dominate. Keep your questions open-ended and be ready to pivot or dig deeper based on what your guests say. In order to direct the flow of conversation naturally, it’s crucial that you’re listening well to what your guests are saying.

A common host misstep is focusing too much on getting to the next question rather than listening and gently directing guests to the next point. This can create a disjointed feeling in the conversation and potentially make the guests feel like what they’re saying isn’t valued.

Occasionally there may be a guest you’d like to have on who you know has a tendency to dominate a conversation, interrupts frequently, or maybe just has a different conversational style than other guests you want to include. In these situations, consider breaking the episode into segments so that each guest gets a one-on-one conversation with the host rather than formatting the episode as a round table discussion.

Even if the guests would get along well, this formatting shift can sometimes yield more interesting results than having all the guests on at once. A smaller group gives guests more opportunity to dig into the questions without preventing others from sharing.

While guests may be excited to be on your podcast, it’s not their podcast, so they may not be as diligent about their recording setup, saving or sharing their files. To avoid lost tracks and awkward conversations, record your own backup track of each guest. This is generated automatically if you’re using a multi-track recording web service like Zencastr or Riverside. If you plan to speak with guests over Zoom or Google Meet, it’s a good idea to record the entire session yourself rather than relying solely on guests to send their audio files.

After recording, send the guests a thank you email and let them know when the episode will be released. Your guests have their own lives and careers and will rarely remember the release date. So, when the episode is released, send them a link and remind them to share the episode on their social media. It can sometimes feel awkward to ask, but you could miss out on thousands of potential new listeners (or more) if a high profile guest forgets to share the episode.

Clear expectations, thoughtful pairing of guests, and structure management during the conversation all go a long way in shaping an episode listeners can follow and enjoy. A little extra coordination on the front end pays off in a cleaner edit, a better experience for your guests, and a stronger final show.