How to Record a Podcast with Others

Is reciting a monologue in front of your microphone not your idea of a podcast?

Looking to have a good time around a microphone and record a show with friends while drinking a couple of beers? Well, you’ve come to the right place (because we’re really in the know when it comes to podcasting and beer.)

What do I need before I start?

• Friends… but not too many: The more people around the table, the higher the likelihood of your podcast becoming slightly chaotic and confusing. Agree to choose a leader (the main host), this is the person who will give the floor to others. You’ll also want to consider sound management and whether a sound mixer can be provided by one of the hosts or perhaps someone who won’t be speaking. If the number of participants depends on your concept and you really are too many, you might want to opt for a rotating team (where certain members change from one show to another).

• A bit of organization: When you’re alone you can record whenever you want without any constraints. When there are several of you, you’ll need to be slightly more organized, because unfortunately, you don’t have total and absolute power over the free-time of your fellow hosts. The easiest way is to set a recurring date together and stick to it: 2 Saturdays a month, for example. Recording 2 or 3 episodes at once is also a popular tip with podcasters. Think about defining a plan for your show and share it with all of the hosts, this will be incredibly useful when it comes to guiding your podcast. Google Sheets, for example, could be a perfect ally. Last thing: divide the tasks. If your co-hosts take care of the social networks, you’re going to need to be the one who brings the beer (and therefore, the most important person in the group).

• Equipment: You’ll need as many podcast microphones and podcast headphones, so you may need to reconsider your set-up. In this case, a mixer is your best friend. Also think about the cost of equipment, recording as a group will be much more expensive than recording alone (but much more fun).

Equipment

There are two ways to record your podcast when there are several of you, the difference is mainly in the type of mixer that you choose to go with.

• Recording mixer option: With this setup, there’s no need for a computer connected to the mixer, as your show will be recorded directly onto the SD card connected to the mixer. The advantage is that when it comes to editing, all of the audio tracks of the hosts will be separated.

The Set-Up: First of all, you’re going to need a podcast mixer, microphones that you can plug in with XLR cables to the mixer. You might also need a headphone amplifier if your mixer does not have enough outputs for all headsets. Don’t forget to add an SD card (obvious but easily forgotten).

• Classic mixer option: If you’re used to presenting on the radio, this setup should be familiar to you. Simply connect your mixer to a computer where your preferred recording software should be installed.

From a distance?

Recording a podcast from a distance can also be fun. For example, if your guest is on the other side of the world or you’re looking to invite a guest on a regular basis. Note that this can be a little bit more difficult, especially when it comes to deciding who will speak next. However, in this case, everyone will simply need to learn to wait for their turn wisely which will obviously have an effect on the pace of your podcast. To record a podcast remotely, you might want to consider using Discord, in which case, each participant will record their part and then send it over to the person in charge of editing. You can also try other podcast recording software like Zoom or Skype! 

Already recorded with several people? Let us know how you went about it!