How-to
Your first podcast studio session: what to bring and what to expect
How a two-hour podcast studio booking actually runs, minute by minute: what to send your guest, what to bring and wear, the test you must not skip, and what to check before you leave.
By the BookMyPodcastStudio team · Updated · 6 min read
A two-hour podcast studio booking gives you about 75 minutes of actual recording. The rest goes on setting up the microphones, a test recording, and checking and copying your files at the end. That is room for one unhurried episode, or two short ones if everyone is prepared. Here is how to use the time, from the day before to the moment you leave. (Not at the booking stage yet? Start with how to start a podcast in India.)
How long does a podcast studio session really take?
Plan on the split below for a first session. An experienced host with a regular studio can shave the setup, but the test recording and the file check are not optional.
Where a two-hour booking goes
A typical split for a first session. About 75 of the 120 minutes are recording.
- Setup0–15 min0–15 min. Seats, microphones and cameras are positioned
- Test15–20 min15–20 min. Thirty seconds recorded and played back
- Recording20–95 min20–95 min. The conversation itself, with a short break
- Extras95–105 min95–105 min. Intro, teaser and any retakes
- Files105–120 min105–120 min. Checking every track and copying to your drive
If your episodes run to an hour, a two-hour slot is right. If you want to record two episodes back to back, book three hours or a half day; longer blocks usually cost less per hour, as the guide to studio rental costs shows.
Before the day
Confirm the details with the studio
A short message the day before saves the first fifteen minutes of your slot: how many people are coming, whether you are filming, and what you expect to take home. If you have not already asked, check whether GST is included and what an overrun costs.
Prepare an outline, not a script
Write the opening line, five or six questions or talking points, and the closing line. Reading a full script sounds like reading. Print it or put it on a tablet; a phone on the table buzzes into the microphone.
Brief your guest
Send the address with a landmark, the time to arrive, roughly how long it will take, and the topics. Guests who know what is coming give better answers and need fewer retakes.
What to bring to a podcast studio
| Bring | Why |
|---|---|
| A portable drive with free space | Two hours from three cameras is large. A download link is not a backup. |
| Your outline, printed or on a tablet | A phone on the table vibrates into the microphone. |
| Water | Voices tire. Still water, not fizzy. |
| Your logo or show artwork | If the studio has a screen behind the set. |
| A phone charger | You will want the phone after it has spent two hours on flight mode. |
What to wear for a video podcast
- Solid colours work best. Fine stripes and small checks shimmer on camera.
- Avoid pure white next to pure black; one of them loses detail.
- Leave bangles, long necklaces and anything that clinks at home.
- Bring a layer. The air conditioning may be switched off while recording.
On the day, step by step
First fifteen minutes: setup
Everyone sits where they will sit for the recording. The operator, or you, adjusts each microphone so it is about a hand’s width from the mouth and pointing at it. Once it is set, stay at that distance: leaning back makes you quieter and brings in the room. Phones go on silent with vibration off, or on flight mode.
Five minutes: the test recording
Record thirty seconds of everyone talking normally, then play it back on headphones. This is when you find the dead microphone, the humming light or the camera that is out of focus. Skipping the test is the most expensive mistake in this guide.
About seventy-five minutes: the recording
Start with ten seconds of silence so the editor has a sample of the room, then go. A few habits make the edit easier:
- If you stumble, pause, take a breath and say the whole sentence again. A clean restart is easy to cut; a mumbled correction is not.
- Do not talk over each other on important points. Nods are silent; “mm-hmm” is not.
- Keep hands off the table. Taps and bumps travel straight up the microphone stand.
- For anything over forty minutes, take a two-minute break for water.
Ten minutes: the extras
While everything is still set up, record the pieces you will want later: the show introduction, a short teaser, a thank-you to the guest, and a retake of any answer that went wrong. They take five minutes now and a second booking later.
Before you leave the studio
Then copy the files to a second place the same day. Until there are two copies, there is no backup. If the studio is editing for you, send your notes within a day, while you still remember which take you preferred.
The mistakes first-timers make
- Booking exactly the length of the episode. A one-hour episode needs a two-hour slot.
- Arriving at the start time. The clock starts when the slot does, not when you sit down.
- Not listening back. Thirty seconds of playback at the start, and again before you leave.
- Leaving without the files. “We will send them” is fine if you know when. It is not a plan on its own.
Still choosing where to record? See the best-rated podcast studios in each city, run through the nine checks before you book, or find podcast studios near you.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to record a podcast episode in a studio?
Book two hours for an episode of up to an hour. On a first session about 15 minutes go on setup, 5 on a test recording, 75 on recording, 10 on extras such as the intro, and 15 on checking and copying files.
What should I bring to a podcast studio?
A portable drive with plenty of free space for your files, your outline printed or on a tablet, water, and your show's logo if the studio has a screen behind the set. The studio provides the microphones, headphones and cameras.
What should I wear for a video podcast?
Solid colours. Avoid fine stripes and small checks, which shimmer on camera, and avoid pure white next to pure black. Leave jewellery that clinks at home, and bring a layer in case the air conditioning is switched off during recording.
Do I need a script for a podcast recording?
No. Bring an outline: the opening line, five or six questions or talking points, and the closing line. A full script read aloud sounds like reading.
When do I get my files after a studio recording?
Raw files can usually be copied to your drive before you leave; an edited episode takes longer and the time should be agreed in advance. Before leaving, play back a few seconds of every microphone and camera, and ask how long the studio keeps its own copy.
