50 Podcast Interview Questions for a Captivating Show

Podcast interview questions can make or break a show. 😬

If you are working on your next episode and you want to find the best podcast interview questions for your podcast guest, you have come to the right place!

Your audience will be deeply interested in the conversation you are having, with no awkward silences! We’ve got you covered. 😍

Today we are going to share with you our top 50 questions to help your guests open up about their life, their work, or their favorite food (if that’s the answer you’re after). Your listeners are going to be thrilled to discover them or see them in a new light. Plus it will make you stand out from all the other interview-style podcasts and podcast hosts.

The list is be a great start, but keep in mind that the ultimate goal for you is to create your own questions (and even find a signature question). With that in mind, we will also share our do’s and don’ts at the end of this article. 🧑‍🏫

If you are new to podcast interviews, or worried about upcoming guest interviews on your show, having a strong list of questions prepared puts you at ease.

We are here to help you be an excellent host and interview with good, interesting podcast interview questions. Your guests and listeners are going to enjoy every minute of the interview!

Let’s get started! 🚀

The 50 best podcast interview questions for 2024

Obviously, the list below should be adapted to the type of interview you’re conducting. You need to put yourself in the shoes of your listeners and wonder what they expect to learn from your podcast interview. 👟

For every type of interview-style podcast (personal, professional… serious, funny…) there are types of questions that might be perfect and others that might be inappropriate. Just be careful! There’s definitely a difference between a personal hobby podcast and a branded podcast for your business.

As soon as you find a good guest for your podcast interview, start to create a list of potential questions that you can ask. Then you can go through it after researching your guest in order come up with more individualized questions. 🧑‍💻

To help you better prepare for your podcast interview, we divided the list into two categories: Personal questions and the professional questions.

Personal questions for interview-style podcasts : 🤝

• How would you be described by your friends and your family?
• How would you describe yourself (using one, two or three words)?
• What are you passionate about in life (and maybe how do you spend your free time)? 
• What is the thing that makes you most nervous today?
• Have you done podcast interviews before?
• What ideas and beliefs have changed for you over time?
• What makes you smile?
• What are you not very good at?
• What makes you feel inspired and allows you to be the best version of yourself?
• Who has been a guide and life mentor for you?
• If you could hold on to one memory, what would that be?
• What was a turning point in your life?
• What do people misunderstand about you most?
• What’s an “insult” you’ve received that you’re proud of?
• What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?
• What is your morning routine?
• How would you like to be remembered?
• How would your parents describe what you do for a living?
• What are your best tips for making the world a better place? 
• What is your favorite book (audio ones count)?
• What’s your favorite video content account on social media?
• What gives you the most hope in the world?
• What is your favorite spot in your city?
• What does self care look like for you?

Professional questions for interview-style podcasts: 👔

• What education path led you to this career?
• What are some of the challenges you faced when you first started?
• What gives you the motivation to keep going during hard times?
• Do you have one piece of advice for someone starting in your career?
• What do you wish you knew when you started?
• What are you most excited about in the years to come?
• What is a common myth about your job or the industry you work in?
• What do you wish everybody understood about your job?
• What is something about your industry that has surprised you?
• What makes a great team?
• Have you thought about giving up?
• What are some of the mistakes you’ve made and how could you have avoided them?
• What’s your biggest failure—and what did you learn from that experience? 
• What’s the most important lesson your job has taught you that you think everyone should learn?
• What is indispensable for your job (a tool, a concept, …)?
• Do you have a career mentor? If so, who is it?
• Who are your customers/clients/followers?
• What is the most important strength someone would need to work in your industry?
• How did you choose the current job you were in?
• What technology innovations do you think will have the greatest impact on your industry?
• What tips do you have for people who are getting ready for interviews at your company?
• What podcast or audio book do you suggest for people looking to learn more about your business topic?
• Who should listeners follow on social media if they want more content on the topic we are talking about today?
• If you were to write a “how to” guide, what would the title be?
• How do you come up with your best ideas?
• What’s one question you wish I’d asked you, and how would you have answered it?

Expert Insights for Interview-Style Podcasts: 👨‍🏫

• What is the biggest misconception people have about your field of expertise?
• How has your field evolved in the last few years?
• What are essential tools or resources you recommend for those looking to deepen their knowledge in your area?
• Can you share an experience that significantly shaped your approach in your field?
• How do you differentiate facts from opinions in your area of expertise?
• What’s the toughest question you’ve had to answer in your career?
• What emerging trend should people be paying attention to in your sector?
• How do you keep your knowledge up-to-date in a constantly evolving field?

Creative and Quirky Queries for Interview-Style Podcasts: 🌟

• If you had a superpower related to your profession, what would it be?
• What would be the title of a movie based on your career, and who would play you?
• If you could swap careers with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
• What’s the most unusual or unexpected question you’ve ever been asked?
• If your job was a sport, what would it be?
• What advice would you give to your younger self, but with a humorous twist?
• Can you share a little-known but fascinating fact about your job?
• If you had to associate a song with your professional journey, what would it be?

Industry Deep-Dive for Interview-Style Podcasts: 🏭

• What are the most common clichés about your industry and why are they inaccurate?
• How would you explain the importance of your industry to a five-year-old?
• What is the biggest misconception the general public has about your job?
• How does your sector impact people’s daily lives?
• What is the least known innovation in your field that has a huge impact?
• What ethical challenges does your industry face?
• How is your sector adapting to environmental concerns?
• What advice would you give to someone who wants to make a difference in your industry?

Alright, this list should get you started and should help you create a meaningful conversation with your guests. However, you cannot just take some random questions and hope your podcast will stand out… You need to come up with some awesome original questions! Here are the do’s and don’ts you need to follow to create great questions:

The DO’s : ✅

Conduct your own investigation on the people you’re inviting 🕵

If you want to ask excellent interview questions, you need to spend time looking for interesting details in the past or the previous work of your guests. Sometimes, they spend weeks on the road going from one interview to another… you need to show them that you took the time to understand their life (or that at least you tried)!

They are going to appreciate your effort and the quality of your conversation will skyrocket. Most importantly, they’ll remember this interview with you and be likely to recommend your show to others. 🤝

Examples

A great podcast interview question is specific. For example, if you read that your guest is coming out with a new book, ask them questions about it! They are probably planning to talk about it, in hopes of sharing the news with your audience! Or on the other hand if their new book was just released, read it! Then you’ll be able to ask even more specific questions. 📕

Another example is if your guest just came out with new, open video content such as a Youtube channel, you can ask them questions about that.

A final example is if your guest just came out with a free new podcast show, listen to it! Then you’ll be able to relate to their listeners and ask the best questions possible! 👂

Bottom Line

Taking the time to learn about the personal life and career of your guests ahead of time, show that you’re an interested interviewer that wants to learn even more during the interview itself.

It also gives you more to talk about, and more information on which you can base new questions. And it allows you as the host, to ask even more individualized questions.

Try to find the answers YOU or YOUR AUDIENCE are really interested in 🤔

While doing your research, you might want to understand more about certain aspects of your guests’ lives. This is where it becomes interesting: if you haven’t found a good answer to your questions then this might be an original subject to discuss during your interview and your audience will be delighted to be the first to hear about it. Again, this way you can show your guests that you really took the time to prepare for the interview. 🤩

Create your signature question ✍️

A signature question is a question that you ask at some point in every episode of your podcast. Of course, this question depends on the type of podcast that you produce but it it is a great way to add consistency between your episodes. Moreover, your audience will remember it and be excited at the beginning of each episode to find out your guest’s answer.

Let the people speak! 🗣️

Before your guest comes on the show, reach out to your audience on social media and ask them which interview questions they want you to ask on your podcast. This is a powerful way to engage your audience and promote the appearance of the guest on your show!

It’s also great for your guest to share the post with their audience so they can see which interview questions their listeners want to hear the answers to as well!

The DON’TS :  ❌

Do not ask questions that your guest doesn’t want to answer 🤬

Here is a key piece of advice: The subjects that you should avoid during an interview are simple they are the subjects your guest does not want to answer. If the question is too personal or inappropriate, your guest might not like it and it may greatly affect the quality of your interview… Your guest won’t leave (although sometimes it is possible) but you will have a hard time trying to calm down the atmosphere and a talkative guest might suddenly become tight-lipped about his or her life. 😣

You’ve taken the time to find a good guest for your podcast interview, so don’t ask them questions that are going to make them uncomfortable. Your audience deserves better than this, and so does your guest! You want to become their favorite podcast interviewer, not their enemy.

Do not ask questions that are always asked 🤫

Your guests are probably fed up of being asked the same questions over and over again… Try to avoid them, and start your interview directly where it’s important and relevant. Again your guests will be thankful and this will have a positive impact on the quality of the conversation you’re having with them. 🎯

Sometimes the biggest challenge is to create fresh questions about topics your guest is an expert on. Chances are you’ve invited your guest on your show to talk about a specific topic, something related to your podcast topic. And while you should stick to that, try and find unique questions about that topic that you can ask. It helps things go smoother in audio and video episode recording, and keeps those that listen to your podcast more interested!

The interview questions that you ask your podcast guest should be able to help your audience learn something when they hear the answer. So pick your favorite podcast interview questions to ask your guest and stick with them! But also don’t be afraid to create new questions throughout the recording process. 💡

But make sure they aren’t inappropriate and that they are questions that your guest won’t mind answering, ensuring they have a great time throughout the recording process!

To conclude

Do not hesitate to save the list of questions at the beginning of this article to have a cheat-sheet, you will be more relaxed to have a back-up! Just keep in mind our do’s and don’ts to create your own original questions, and you are now equipped for your next interview-style podcast.

We can’t wait to hear your new episode and all the amazing podcast interview questions that you came up with, especially that all-star signature question! 😉

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