Remove And Prepare For Podcast Distractions
Need the bathroom? Got a drink? Comfortable chair? Phone silenced?
Here are some things most people don’t stop to consider right before recording their podcast.
Have you ever tried to think when you really need to go to the bathroom?
Had that panicked feeling where you weren’t sure you could hold on another minute? Is it possible to think about anything else at all when you feel this way?
Now imagine feeling this way while recording a show.
If your body is screaming at you to make the trip down the hall, you’re going to start paying more attention to the clock than to your guest or co-hosts.
You start doing the mental math. “Can I hold on for five more minutes? Ten?”
Do yourself a favor, find a natural stopping point, quit recording, apologize, do your business, and restart.
Maybe revisit the topic you were just discussing to get the momentum flowing again.
Put your phone away.
If you can’t do without your phone for an hour, that’s a whole other article.
Your phone should not be visible to you, and by not visible, I mean in your pocket or your purse, somewhere you can’t see it at all. It probably shouldn’t even be in the room.
If your phone screen lights up, doesn’t that make you hesitate for just a moment, wondering what it was?
That brief moment may be all it takes for you to lose track of the conversation happening around you.
Momentum may stop while you try and reorient yourself. You might lose a great idea you were about to share, or forget a question you were about to ask. Are you really so tied to your phone you can’t do without it for an hour?
Maybe your excuse for having it in the room is that you want to be able to look something up while recording. This could mean you’re not prepared.
Put the phone in another room and wing it.
Stopping to google something during a show is a bad idea anyway. Whoever’s speaking will know you’re not paying attention, and they might be relying on you to respond.
A comfortable chair is a must.
If you’re squirming, or worried about your back, or having to stretch every few minutes, then you’re once again not paying attention. If you start feeling pain or discomfort, you might as well stop recording and find another way to sit.
Thirsty?
Maybe you like to have a glass of something during the show, but what should it be?
It should not be alcohol. Depending on your type of show, you might think it adds to the fun.
But I promise that when you go back to edit, you’re not going to like all the work to fix problems caused by people who thought they were funnier or more interesting than they were.
What else should you avoid?
Milk and dairy products. They coat your mouth and throat, and you end up making a lot of irritating mouth noises.
Warm or tepid drinks are usually best. Coffee is ok as long as there is not a lot of cream. Tea is preferred. Room temperature water is optimal.
The goal is to remove as many distractions as you can in advance. You’re going to have enough to handle during the show, why make it harder?
I am a 30-year major market veteran of radio and other media. I’ve been a news anchor and reporter, as well as a morning radio host. My goal is to teach the soft skills needed to be successful in podcasting and broadcasting, the little intangibles no one else is sharing.
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