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Hosting · 7 min read · October 2026

Podcast dos and don'ts: the rules nobody tells you

Eight years behind the camera and I see the same mistakes every week. Avoid these and you're already ahead of most shows.

Starting a podcast is easy. Making one people actually stick with is a different game. I've spent eight years behind the camera and a lot of that time watching hosts make the same handful of mistakes.

Good news: they're all easy to fix. Here's the honest list.

The dos

01Do get to the point, fast

You've got about 30 seconds before someone decides whether to keep listening. Skip the ten-minute "how's your week been" warm-up. Tell people what the episode is about and why they should care, then crack on.

02Do get close to the mic

About a fist's distance from the mic is the sweet spot. Lean back and you sound like you're in another room. Swing your head side to side and your volume goes up and down like a fairground ride. Find your spot and stay in it.

03Do listen more than you talk

Especially with guests. The best hosts ask a question, then shut up. The gold is usually in the follow-up: "Why?" "What happened next?" "How did that feel?" Lazy hosts jump to the next question. Good ones dig.

04Do think in clips

Every episode should have three to five moments that work on their own: a hot take, a story, a bit of advice that lands. Those become your reels, and reels are how new people find your show. If you're making a point that matters, say it in a way that would make sense without the rest of the episode.

05Do pick a schedule and stick to it

Weekly, fortnightly, whatever. Just be consistent. Audiences (and algorithms) reward shows that turn up when they said they would. Batch-record a few episodes at once so life doesn't get in the way.

Consistency beats talent. The show that turns up every week beats the brilliant one that turns up when it feels like it.

The don'ts

06Don't read a script

I'll keep saying it. Scripts make you sound stiff and, on video, make you look like a hostage reading a statement. Bullet points. Always.

07Don't touch the mic or tap the table

Mics are sensitive. That pen-clicking, ring-tapping, table-drumming habit you don't even know you have? It's going straight into everyone's ears. Hands still, phone on silent and off the desk.

08Don't talk over your guest

Two people talking at once is a nightmare to edit and painful to listen to. Let them finish. Nod, smile, react with your face rather than your voice. You can jump in when they've landed the point.

09Don't wear stripes, logos or anything noisy

Thin stripes flicker on camera. Big logos can cause problems if the content's used commercially. Jangly jewellery and rustly jackets get picked up by the mic. Keep it simple and solid.

10Don't judge the show on episode three

Most podcasts quit before episode ten. Early download numbers are tiny for almost everyone, so don't let them get in your head. Focus on getting better every episode, clipping the good bits for social, and building momentum.

Nail these and you're ahead of most podcasts out there. Want someone to handle the sound, cameras and edit so you can just focus on being good in the chair? That's what the studio's for.