Podcast Guests: 11 Ways to Find People Worth Interviewing

Do you need guests for your podcast?

This is the million-dollar question. And the truth is, it depends on your podcast. There are many examples of successful solo podcasts, so if you want to be a one-person band, nothing is holding you back.  But there’s definitely a reason that 44% of company podcasts follow an interview-style format. The interview-style podcast is a reliable and effective formula. Just look at Joe Rogan’s podcast, for instance. By doing interviews, you can include industry experts, and interesting figures, and easily create new and dynamic content. 

Here are some reasons you should include guests on your podcast: 

Benefits of having guests on your podcast 

Expertise & insight 

Inviting a guest onto your podcast is a great way of featuring their expertise, know-how,  or experienced-based insight. This will immediately add immense value and interest to your content. This also means you can comfortably cover topics that fall outside your own knowledge. 

New perspectives 

Similarly, having guests on your podcast is an invaluable way of platforming new and different perspectives. Even if you don’t necessarily agree with your guests’ opinions or approach to something, this is a natural way of sparking conversations and introducing fresh takes to your listeners. 

Wider audience 

A huge benefit of having guests on your podcast is the access you get to their network. Your guests’ communities and followers are likely to listen to your podcast when they’re featured, giving you a great chance to expand your show’s reach. This does hinge on an effective marketing strategy and ensuring that your guest does some promotion of their own too. 

11 Ways to Find Podcast Guests Worth Interviewing

Here are some strategies for finding interesting podcast guests for your show: 

Keep your eyes & ears open 

Before you start your search, remember to keep your eyes and ears open all the time. Though sitting down in one session to build a guest list can be effective, you’re also likely to come across potential guests in loads of different scenarios. This can include: watching the TV, scrolling social media, talking to friends, and so on. So try to note down any names you come across, even when you’re not technically thinking about your podcast. 

Ask within your personal network 

The first port of call should be your personal network. This means your friends, family, and your personal social media network across all platforms. Reach into your community and ask if anyone knows someone worth interviewing. You might be surprised by the results. 

Your podcast production team 

If you have a podcast production team, then you definitely shouldn’t be the only person searching for podcast guests. Make sure to task as many different people on your team with identifying potential guests for your show. This reduces the burden on you but also diversifies the kind of guest list you’ll end up with. 

Ask your listeners

Your podcast listeners are a rich resource you should definitely tap into. The benefit of doing this is knowing your audience will suggest people they actually want you to interview. By directly giving them what they want, you’ll keep them listening. This also automatically expands your search to potential guests you may never even have encountered otherwise. 

Research the topic, not the person 

Make sure you’re not just focussing on finding big names. Sometimes this won’t get you very far, especially if you don’t narrow down your search. Try reversing the process by looking into a topic of interest, reading up on it, and highlighting a few names that seem to pop up frequently. 

Look at businesses 

If you come across a cool business, product, or innovator in their field, look them up and find out who their key players are. These people can often make really fascinating podcast guests. 

Harness social media

In the search for podcast guests, social media is your absolute best friend. Search the depths of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok, and you’ll likely find several names worth interviewing. Remember to venture beyond the people you follow by harnessing each platform’s search function.  

Don’t forget traditional outlets 

Just because social media is effective doesn’t mean it’s the only place you should look for podcast guests. Traditional media like newspapers, magazines, TV, and books can be a rich resource for potential podcast guests. Take note of who writes your favorite columns or articles, or what people are in TV interviews. You can also look at the authors of the books you enjoy (and the people they cite). 

Listen to other podcasts 

Listening to other podcasts is a really effective way of finding podcast guests. Obviously, you can poach their guests and invite the same people to your show. But you can also take note of the kind of people they’re interviewing to inspire your own guest list. It’s also a good idea to ensure you take a different angle from previous interviews so that you’re not just repeating or copying another creator’s content. 

Ask your previous podcast guests 

Don’t forget to ask your previous podcast guests for recommendations and endorsements. If you’re lucky, they’ll make a personal introduction, increasing the likelihood of getting that person on your show. This is another way to jump outside of your own bubble. 

Pay a service or agent to find a guest for you 

If you’re really having trouble finding podcast guests or simply don’t have the time or energy, try paying a service to find someone for you. There are several services and agents out there that connect podcasts with guests and vice versa. They’re likely to boast an extensive and impressive network and will take your needs into consideration. If you’ve got the budget, this is an extremely time-effective way to nail down an impressive podcast guest. 

Bonus: Best online resources for finding guests

Social Media 

As we touched on above, social media is a powerful tool for helping you to find a podcast guest. To make the most out of each platform, you’ve got to make sure you’re using them effectively. 

• Instagram. Post on your personal and podcast’s Instagram feed and stories asking for guest recommendations. Look at who previous guests follow and look at popular accounts. 
• Twitter. Tweet using hashtags looking for podcast guests. Also, search using hashtags to find accounts that are vocal around your specific topic of interest. Look at who those accounts follow too. 
• LinkedIn. Harness your own network and post looking for podcast guest recommendations. Look at key players in the companies and organizations you’re interested in. 
• TikTok. Use the ‘For You Page’ to find popular TikTokers who might make good podcast guests. 
• Use Facebook Groups and pages to find interesting people to interview. This works best if you already have a niche topic in mind. 

PodcastGuests

Podcast Guests is a website that connects podcasters with guests. It’s free to use for podcasts, and there are two ways to connect with guests. You can wait to feature in their weekly newsletter, or you can invite guests directly from their directory. 

PodMatch 

Podmatch is another site that matches podcasts to guests. It likens itself to a dating app but for podcasts. Podmatch uses automated matching technology based on details such as availability, compatibility, and even administrative details. It costs $6 a month to use PodMatch on a Standard subscription. 

MatchMaker 

Matchmaker is, as their name suggests, a matchmaker for podcasts and potential guests. You can search their directory, send direct messages through their platform, and browse their ‘Automagic’ recommendations. You can start using MatchMaker for free, and you’ll get a limit of 5 new conversations a month. 

Podcast Guest Collaboration Community 

You could try posting in this Facebook Group that’s all about connecting interested guests with compatible podcasts. With 50.3K members, this is a great place to start. Be mindful of the group guidelines when posting. 

Recording with podcast guests seamlessly with Riverside

Once you’ve got your guests lined up, it’s time to interview them. You want to ensure that the entire recording process is professional-quality and seamless for both you and your guest. That’s where Riverside comes in. 

Riverside is a browser-based remote recording studio that offers high-quality video and audio. It’s an easy-to-use platform with a range of tools which make your podcast guests’ workflow as smooth as possible. And you don’t even need to be an expert podcaster to achieve professional-looking results. Let’s take a look at Riverside’s key features: 

• High quality remote video and audio recording. Up to 4k video and 48kHz audio. 
• Record with up to 7 remote guests. Inviting your remote guests is as easy as a single-click link. 
• Riverside locally records each participant, which means that weak internet connection won’t impact the quality of your recording. 
• Browser-based recording studio with a mobile app. Your guests can join from their computer or mobile, depending on their preferences. 
• Multitrack recording so you can download a separate audio and video track for each guest. This makes your life easier during post-production. 
• Media board & screen-sharing tool for adding interest and personality to your podcast.
• Progressive upload during your session so that you don’t have to wait around for all your files to process. 
• AI Automated transcription of your podcast available in over 100 languages.
• Easy-to-use text-based editor that lets you edit your video podcast using your transcription. It’s just like editing a text doc. 
• Magic Clips tool that lets you create short-form social media clips at the tap of a button 
• Background noise removal tools to optimize the quality of your recording 
• Producer mode so your production team can control the recording from behind the scenes 
• Ability to livestream so that you can include a live audience in your podcast recording sessions
• Four pricing tiers to fit every budget and setup 

Start recording with Riverside

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FAQs on Podcast Guests

How do I find podcast guests?

There’s no specific way that you ‘should’ find podcast guests. As we saw earlier, you can employ several strategies to find your next interviewee. Just be open to all avenues - you never know who you’ll find. 

Do podcast guests get paid?

This totally depends on the podcast (and your budget). For obvious reasons, offering to pay a podcast guest is a good way to incentivize people to come on your show. Generally speaking, though, this isn’t a prerequisite. 

What does a podcast guest do?

A podcast guest adds interest, value, and expertise to your show. They also bring their audience with them which means your podcast gets more exposure. 

How many guests should you have on a podcast?

You can have as many or as few guests on your podcast as you want. Bear in mind though, that including too many guests on a single episode can make it difficult to manage the flow of the conversation and convey real value to your listeners. It’s all about finding the right balance. We’d recommend a maximum of three guests for one episode.