Issue 01 The MicPrep magazine
Guest booking, pre interview craft, and the economics of running a weekly independent podcast in the United States.
Nine articles on booking, consent, kit and cost, written for hosts who record a guest every week and edit the same night. Every piece is reported from working shows, not from a press kit.
practical guide
A guest form only earns its place if the answers turn into questions. Here is the field list that produces a usable prep sheet, when to send it, and how to chase the bio and headshot without nagging.
Read the articlecomparison
Three ways to capture a remote guest, and three different failure modes. What a double ender, a cloud recorder, and a plain video call each do to your audio, your workload, and your guest's patience.
Read the articlemistakes to avoid
The episodes that fall apart rarely fail in the edit. They fail in the booking, the confirmation, and the ten minutes before the record. Here are the eight failures that cost a weekly show its slot.
Read the articleregulation and compliance
Consent rules for recording a conversation change at the state line, and a signed release covers what consent does not. What US interview shows need on tape, on paper, and in the file with the audio.
Read the articlecase study
In 2012 This American Life pulled a full episode after a monologist's account failed verification. The vetting steps that were skipped are the same ones a one person interview show can still run.
Read the articletrends and outlook
Video is now a booking question, not a post production one. What YouTube and Spotify distribution changes about the ask you send a guest, the setup you request, and the budget you need.
Read the articlechecklist
A working countdown from two days out to the thank you note. Confirmations, releases, levels, backups, room checks, and the assets you should never leave a record without.
Read the articlenumbers and benchmarks
Hosting, editing, transcription, software, music, and gear, priced the way a weekly interview show actually pays for them. Where the money goes per episode and what changes when you hire an editor.
Read the articlefield report
Hotel rooms, corporate conference rooms, and expo floors each break audio in their own way. Notes from recording guests outside the studio, and the kit that keeps a location interview usable.
Read the articleOn air Booking desk
MicPrep books the guest, sends your questionnaire, chases the bio and the headshot, and hands you a finished prep sheet on recording day. Bring your own running order and keep it.
