You have a podcast idea and are prepared to move forward, but one small problem is figuring out how many hosts your podcast should have. Can you manage the fort by yourself? Do you want to bring in a co-host? Or two or three?
Anything More Than Two Can Be Too Much
It’s true in reality and the realm of podcasting—we may have taken some artistic license with the proverb—that things get crowded once you have three individuals.
Recall that podcasts are audio formats. Only the voices of the podcast hosts and a few contextual cues allow listeners to distinguish between them.
When there are three or fewer persons, listeners can usually tell who is who. But once you go beyond that, things start to become murky. What does that entail for you, then? It depends on the kind of podcast you’re making.
It is your podcast at the end
If you’re determined to host your podcast yourself, go for it! Just remember that there are no natural breaks if there is no one to interact with. You’ll need to write a concise script and host the podcast yourself.
This is effective if your podcast is concise, to the point, and guides manageable portions. Make sure you’re passionate and knowledgeable enough about your subject to hold it on your own if you’re planning to produce episodes longer than twenty or thirty minutes. None of us can be as long-form as Dan Carlin’s four-hour specials. We also shouldn’t be.
Find the correct duration for your program; more than anything else, this will determine whether you wish to invite a co-host.
How Can You Know If The Co-Host Will Fit
The first half of the battle is won if they comprehend your podcast’s mission, vision, values, and goals after speaking with them.
They are interested in the subject – You need people who care about what you do or are attempting to accomplish since this will inspire them to overcome any challenges in your path. Content producers may already be excellent candidates for future co-hosts without realizing it because they are intrinsically motivated to provide high-quality content.
Their personality compliments yours – When working closely together, similar natures reduce the likelihood of ego conflicts, fostering better synergy and teamwork.
The Benefits of A co-host
A co-host adds variety to your program, which listeners will value.
Co-hosts can be a reasonable choice, especially if you have talented friends or industry professionals ready to offer their time.
Having a partner ensures covering for them if they need assistance because the host may not always be present when needed. (This boosts productivity by bringing in an additional individual with new thoughts and vigor.)
It’s an opportunity for growth since, as you both develop as a team through this collaboration, your companies should gain more exposure as a result of the joint team effort.
The exposure of a co-host is advantageous, and vice versa. Your podcast’s audience would become more diverse if you hired a co-host.
It can help you and your co-host look more credible if they are also a qualified expert in their subject.
Bringing another set of unique, complimentary thoughts to the discussion broadens the range of subjects covered in each episode.