Podcast Interview Question List for 2024
Preparation and research is the key to an inspiring interview. Asking questions about the guest’s expertise and their background will often provide the best content for your listeners. View our guide on conducting a great podcast interview.
Podcast Question Generator
Use our generator to find some great podcast interview questions. Help inspire some ice breaker questions to ask your guest. We recommend you combine these topics with your own question to create the perfect unique episode!
Should I send interview questions upfront?
Some guests require a pre-vetted list of questions. It’s polite to send the questions ahead of time. We recommend you don’t send the exact questions, but instead the topic area that you want to cover.
Sending the topics in advance can help ease nerves and allows the guest to todo some preparation.
Questions to avoid asking
Just as important as knowing what questions to ask, is knowing the questions to skirt. If the guest is regularly interviewed you do your research to avoid asking common questions. You risk getting a canned answer that does not resonate with your audience.
As a matter of curiosity, you should avoid asking any deeply personal right away. You can start with some ice breaker questions, such as “What does your morning routine look like?”
Don’t ask too many questions! You should be listing most of the time, thinking of a natural flow to segway into your next question. Check out our guide to interviewing.
Question Tips
Six tips for asking great interview question. Get interesting story's from your guest.
- Ask unique questions (or you may end up with canned responses)
- Avoid Negatively phrased subjects
- Double-check common myths and research in advance
- Fine Deep questions
- Ask great followup questions
- Have a mix of thought provoking and open ended questions
Great podcast questions
Below is our full podcast question list from our generator.
"What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?",
- What is your biggest failure, and what did you learn from it?
- What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a career similar to yours?
- What are the best resources that have helped you?
- What is the one common myth about your profession that you want to debunk?
- Who has been the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about them?
- What was the happiest moment of your life?
- Who has been the biggest influence on your life?
- Who has been the kindest to you in your life?
- What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?
- What is your earliest memory?
- What is your favourite memory?
- Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?
- Are there any funny stories or memories or characters from your life that you want to tell me about?
- What are you proudest of?
- When in life have you felt most alone?
- If you could hold on to one memory from your life forever, what would that be?
- How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?
- How would you like to be remembered?
- Do you have any regrets?
- What does your future hold?
- What are your hopes for what the future holds for me? For my children?
- If this was to be our very last conversation, is there anything you’d want to say to me?
- For your great-great-grandchildren is there any wisdom you’d want to pass on to them?
- Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?
- If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
- What is your first memory of me?
- Was there a time when you didn’t like me?
- What makes us such good friends?
- How would you describe yourself?
- Do you think we’ll ever lose touch with each other?
- Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to tell me but haven’t?
- Where did you grow up?
- What was your childhood like?
- Who were your favorite relatives?
- Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?
- How did you and grandma/grandpa meet?
- What were your parents like?
- How would you like to be remembered?
- When and where were you born?
- Where did you grow up?
- How would you describe yourself as a child?
- Do you have a childhood nickname?
- How would you describe your perfect day?
- What did you think your life would be like when you were older?
- Do you have any favourite stories from your childhood?
- Did you enjoy school?
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the best podcast topics?
Find a topic you, your audience and your guest can resonate with. You are best to focus on a niche, For example rather than food, you could concentrate on baking.
- What is the ideal length for a podcast interview?
Agree on an end time upfront with your guests and stick with it, If you don’t know how long you need, then produce a topic list and assign 10 minutes per topic. 40 minutes works as a strong starting point.
- Are podcast guests typically paid for their appearance?
No. There are cases where you can pay a podcast guest. Generally, if they are an expert on a special episode. The majority of podcast guests are unpaid.
- How to get interviewed on podcasts?
Start reaching out to smaller podcast/podcast hosts that you share interested with. Once you start to build up a portfolio you can then share this to get on larger POdcasts. You should utilise any network or contacts yo have and reach out to them, by posting on social media you have started doing guest appearances on Podcasts!
