So after a VERY long time of procrastinating we are very pleased to announce that we are just about to start recording our brand new Macro content project, The Digital Circus LIFE. We are very much looking forward to creating a podcast that is all about regular people doing some of the most remarkable things in their business and day to day life. We will be starting by interviewing as many of our Digital Circus members as possible and although some of these will be in person we recognise that the vast majority of our interviews will be conducted remotely. So with that in mind we thought that before we start recording we would share some simple technical tips for being a virtual podcast guest so that we can help to make sure the recording is as good as it can possibly be.

Internet connection

This is a big one! Please try and find somewhere to sit somewhere with a strong internet connection/ signal. We wouldn't want to lose you half way through the interview! We sometimes find before we start to record online that it helps if you reset your router and restart your laptop before you go online. It's not a necessity to do this but it helps to re-establish your internet connection if it's been a bit glitchy.

Background

Find somewhere quiet and uncluttered to film in. Ideally somewhere with good natural light in front of you not behind you. We will be using the video as well as the audio from our podcast so we want you to feel happy with the aesthetic when it goes on our YouTube channel!

Microphone

We recommend you use an external microphone if you have one. Please ensure that it Is connected to your device before recording. More often than not we realise half way through a video that we're only connected to the laptop in-built microphone and haven't switched it over to the external microphone!

Focus mode

Don't be the person that "dings" half way through the recording! Set you device onto focus mode, switch off/ silent mode your phone and if close down any tabs on your laptop that could be any kind of distraction during the recording.

Headphones

If you have headphones please do wear them as they are great for helping to avoid echo and improving sound quality. If you don't have them? Don't worry, we'll work with what we've got!

Open your browser in Chrome

Depending on what software we have chosen to record with we recommend that you open it in a Chrome Browser on your device, particularly if we are using Riverside which is our preferred podcast recording platform. If we're ever using Zoom to record it's definitely worth checking your zoom account is up to date. We've all been there when you've gone to login and its decided to run an important update just as you're about to start a meeting!

Before the session...

It's always useful to have as much information about our podcast guest as we can before we hit the record button, both in terms of making sure we get in right on the day but it also helps us to speed up the post production process.

Before we start its great for us to know..

1. Who we are talking to, How they would like to be referred [ i.e are they a Joseph or would they prefer it to be shortened to Joe] and what their job title is along with a short bio.
2. Relevant web and social links for us to share out when the podcast episode is live.
3. Any logos [ in PNG or JPEG format] alongside a candid photo that would be suitable for the podcast episode cover art. We really like relaxed imagery rather than super corporate looking brand imagery so make sure you send a picture with a smile!! And preferably one where we can see your head and torso and we tend to remove the background for our cover art!
4. And most importantly...Please do tell us if there are any topics of conversation that you would 100% like mentioned in our chat and even more so if there are any topics that we should steer clear from. We want to ensure you feel comfortable throughout your podcast interview.

The most important tip for being a podcast guest

RELAX AND BE YOURSELF!

Remember that we as the podcast hosts are very much looking forward to chatting to you and we will do everything we can to put you at ease throughout the recording. This is your time, there are no wrong answers so please do relax and enjoy yourself!

We are recording our first season of The Digital Circus LIFE this summer and will be launching in Autumn 2023. We would absolutely love it if you supported us and gave it a listen! More information will be coming soon!