Free tool · For guests
Podcast Interview Prep Sheet
The host said yes. Type your short intro, what you want listeners to remember and a story for each, and get a one-page prep sheet plus a six-line card to keep in view while you record. It times your intro, counts your messages against your stories, and flags a recording time with no time zone. No sign-up, no AI, nothing stored.
If it is in our directory, we add how long its episodes typically run.
Say it right on air. Check the pronunciation on a recent episode.
With the host's time zone, so the sheet cannot send you to the wrong hour.
Ask the host if you do not know.
Shape every example for them.
Who you are, what you do, one credential this audience cares about. About 30 seconds out loud.
One per line, in plain language. 3 to 5.
One per line, in the same order. A few words each: enough to remind you.
The sentence you would like to see in the clip.
One address, said the same way every time. The rest goes in the show notes.
Anything you will not discuss. Tell the host before you record, not during.
The full page: read it the day before, print it or keep it in your notes.
PODCAST INTERVIEW PREP
[Show name] with [host's name]
Recording: [day, time and time zone]
Length: [how long it runs]
Audience: [who listens]
MY 30-SECOND INTRO ("Tell us about yourself")
[Who you are, what you do, and the one credential this audience cares about]
WHAT I WANT LISTENERS TO REMEMBER
1. [Core message 1]
2. [Core message 2]
3. [Core message 3]
STORIES READY TO TELL
1. [Story or example for message 1]
2. [Story or example for message 2]
3. [Story or example for message 3]
THE LINE
[One sentence that is easy to quote]
THE ASK AT THE END
[The one place listeners should go, said the same way every time]
CONFIRM WITH THE HOST BEFOREHAND
- Audio only, or video too?
- The recording link, and whether they want a local backup
- Any topic or angle they most want me to focus on
- The link and one-line bio for the show notes
- Roughly when the episode publishes
AN HOUR BEFORE
- Wired headphones in; a real mic or earbud mic, never the laptop's
- Record a 20-second test in this room and listen back
- Phone on Do Not Disturb, notifications off, door closed
- Devices charged, water in reach
- This sheet open, off camera
- Join a few minutes early
IN THE ROOM
- Answer in 60 to 90 seconds, then hand it back
- Tell the story, then the point; not the other way round
- If you stumble, pause and restart the sentence: most shows editWrite your answer to "tell us about yourself". Almost every host asks it first, and a 30-second version sets the pace for the rest.
Add the ideas you want listeners to walk away with, one per line. 3 to 5 is enough for one conversation.
Decide the one place you want listeners to go. The host will ask where people can find you, and one answer said the same way every time is the one they remember.
Nothing is sent or saved: this runs entirely in your browser, and every word on the sheet is one you typed.
Booked once? Line up the next one
A free guest profile carries your bio and topics, so hosts searching your subject can find and invite you. Free while we’re in early access.
How it works
- 1
Write your short intro
Who you are and what you do, in about 30 seconds out loud.
- 2
List what listeners should remember
3 to 5 messages, with a story or example for each.
- 3
Copy the sheet or the recording card
Read the sheet the day before; keep the six-line card in view while you record.
What the prep sheet checks
The sheet is the one our guide to preparing for a podcast interview tells you to write. The checks are the ones that cost guests the most on the day: an intro that turns into a life story, a message with no story behind it, and an ask with three addresses in it.
| Check | The rule |
|---|---|
| Your intro | About 30 seconds out loud: 75 words at 150 a minute |
| Core messages | 3 to 5, in plain language |
| Stories | At least one story or example for every message |
| The ask | One web address, said the same way every time |
| Recording time | A clock time carries its time zone |
| In the room | Answers of 60 to 90 seconds, then hand it back |
How long podcast episodes run
Length decides how many stories you get to tell, so ask the host. For a sense of the range: across the 382 shows in our directory whose feeds publish episode lengths, the middle show’s typical episode runs 33 minutes. Type a show’s name into the sheet and, if we list it, you get its own figure.
| Typical episode | Shows | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 minutes | 83 | 22% |
| 20 to 39 minutes | 161 | 42% |
| 40 to 59 minutes | 83 | 22% |
| 60 minutes or more | 55 | 14% |
Each show’s figure is the median length of its recent episodes as its own feed declares them, solo episodes included, so it describes the show and not your interview.
Around the recording
Hosts often ask for a bio before the recording: the guest bio generator writes the read-aloud version, and the one-sheet builder puts it on a page with your topics. Once the episode is out, share it and tag the host: how to promote your podcast guest appearance covers the week after.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a podcast interview as a guest?+
Listen to one recent episode, then write a one-page prep sheet: a 30-second answer to "tell us about yourself", 3 to 5 things you want listeners to remember with a story for each, one line worth quoting, and the one place you want listeners to go. Confirm the format and the recording link with the host, and test your audio an hour before.
What should be on a podcast interview prep sheet?+
The show, the host's name, the recording time with its time zone and the length; your short intro; your core messages; a story or example for each; one quotable line; your call to action; anything you will not discuss; the questions to confirm with the host; and a pre-flight list for the hour before. The generator lays them out in that order.
How long should my answer to “tell us about yourself” be?+
About 30 seconds, which is roughly 75 words at a conversational 150 words a minute: who you are, what you do, and the one credential this audience cares about. Save the backstory for the host's follow-up question.
How long is a typical podcast interview?+
Ask the host: shows vary more than people expect. Across the 382 shows in our directory whose feeds publish episode lengths, the typical episode of the middle show runs 33 minutes; 22% of shows typically run under 20 minutes and 14% run 60 minutes or more. Those figures include solo episodes, so they describe the show, not your interview.
What should I ask the host before the recording?+
Audio only, or video too?; The recording link, and whether they want a local backup; Any topic or angle they most want me to focus on; The link and one-line bio for the show notes; Roughly when the episode publishes. Hosts expect these questions, and asking them early is part of being an easy guest to book again.
Is this prep sheet free, and does it use AI?+
It is free with no sign-up, and it does not use a language model. It arranges the words you type into the prep sheet structure from our interview preparation guide, in your browser: nothing you type is sent to a server or stored.
