100 Podcast Questions: Guide on How to engage Listeners

Okay, so you’re holding a microphone, ready to talk to someone on a podcast. Suddenly, you feel confident and brave, like you can handle anything. You’re like the big-time interviewers you’ve seen on TV, asking all the important podcast questions to learn about your guest.

But what makes you different from those famous interviewers? It’s not just about confidence; it’s about skill. Hosting a good interview is actually pretty tricky. Sure, people like James Lipton make it look easy on shows like “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” but trust me, it’s not a walk in the park. It’s an art, and you need practice to get good at it.

The good news is, everyone starts somewhere, even those big-name interviewers. We’re here to help you with. Soundorp helps you set you up for interviews and get you ready by recommending reliable equipment and software, teaching you how to ask interesting questions to keep the conversation lively, and even showing you examples of questions you should avoid. Plus, we’ll share some behind the scenes tips to make sure for great interviews.

Interview Requests

The courage to submit an interview request comes simply from your interest in the interview subject. Script or compose an e-mail to ask your favorite author, actor, sports celebrity, podcaster, or whomever you want for an interview. You may need to submit the request multiple times, and sometimes you may have to work through numerous people simply to get a “no” as your final reply. That happens. It doesn’t mean that individual is mean, a rude person, or otherwise. They just don’t do interviews. For every “no,” you will find ten others who will enthusiastically say “yes.”

Explain Your Show

Not everyone knows what a podcast is, so be ready to explain it briefly. You might need to use different words or give a simple explanation so they understand what you’re asking.

So, when you’re reaching out to someone for an interview, think about how you can make it appealing to them, be flexible with timing, and make sure they understand what your podcast is all about.

I have discussed this topic in detail on this blog -> How to Prepare for a Podcast Interview.

Prepare really good questions for podcast

If you’re just starting out in podcasting, you might not have experienced an interview like this before — a relaxed, personal conversation that could turn into something deep or even controversial, depending on the topic of your podcast. Whether you set up the interview yourself or it was arranged for you, don’t underestimate the challenges that reporters face; it’s not as simple as it seems. There’s a science to it, and here are just a few tips to take to heart so you can hold a good, engaging interview:

Follow this Progression

When you’re interviewing someone, it’s important to structure your questions in a logical way. Let’s say you’re interviewing a filmmaker who’s making a horror movie. Here’s an example of how you could progress your podcast questions:

1. Starting Point: Begin by asking what inspired them to make a horror movie. This sets the stage for the conversation and lets them talk about their passion for the genre.
2. Exploring the Genre: Next, delve into what they think makes a great horror film. This allows them to share their insights and expertise, giving listeners a deeper understanding of the craft.
3. Influences: Ask about who inspired them in the horror genre. This gives listeners insight into the filmmaker’s creative influences and helps contextualize their work.
4. Personal Opinion: Wrap up by asking for their opinion on the scariest film ever made. This brings the conversation back to their personal tastes and allows them to share a memorable moment with the audience.

By following this progression, you’re starting with a specific topic (the filmmaker’s current project) and gradually broadening the discussion to explore their broader interests and expertise in the genre. This keeps the conversation engaging and allows for a natural flow of ideas.

Study Your Target Audience and Customize Questions For Them

Your target audience should be the focal point of everything you do with a podcast. As much as you can, spend time getting to know your audience by studying their values, beliefs, desires, and dreams. You may create some incredible interview questions if you are aware of some of the regular aches and hardships that your target audience faces.

Use an audience research tool like Sparktoro to do online audience research in Quora subreddits. Watch the YouTubers they like most. Take a look at their preferred newsletters. Observe their preferred social media influencers. Directly communicate with listeners by sending out surveys or doing online polls.

Use Who, What, When, Where, Why, How to Generate Unique Ideas

The five w’s, a concise list of inquiries, are a great tool for applying fundamental principles to generate original, thought-provoking questions. The six questions that journalists typically ask are these, not these five:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

Many of the concepts in this blog were generated using this framework. I would just choose a topic—for example, “personal questions”—write down each of the five w’s, and then begin to come up with a brief list of inquiries for each area. You can also formulate your own original queries by using this structure.

Ask Open Ended podcast Questions

Closed ended questions are the ones that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” or just a few words. For example, “How long have you been studying plate tectonics?” This kind of question won’t leave much room for a detailed or interesting response.

Open-ended questions, on the other hand, are to encourage a more detailed and thoughtful answer. Instead of asking, “How long have you been studying plate tectonics?” you could ask, “What got you interested in plate tectonics?” This will give the person you’re interviewing the opportunity to share more about background, interests, and experiences, leading to a richer and more engaging conversation.

Prepare twice the number of podcast questions that you think you’ll need

Some interviews you hear grind to a halt for no other reason than the interviewer believed that the guest would talk his head off on the first question. You’re certainly in for a bumpy ride when you ask a guest, “Tell the listener a little bit about your experience at WidgetCo” and the guest replies, “It was a lot of hard work, but rewarding.” (Yeah, this is going to get painful.) Write down a series of podcast questions that could fill your podcast with brief, one-or-two-word answers. This way, if you find yourself struggling, you have a hidden stockpile of questions to call upon. After a few quick answers, you can always fall back on the “Would you expand a bit on that please?” question.

Know Which Questions to Avoid 

Knowing what questions not to ask is just as crucial. Make sure you thoroughly investigate your guests to learn about their backgrounds and favorite subjects to discuss.

The more information you have about your visitor, the more confidently you may pose inquiries without fear of offending them.
Before you press record, take a moment to find out if there is anything your visitor would prefer not to discuss. Make sure your guest is on board with that before you hit record. Some shows gain their reputation by delving into these “off-topic areas.”

Here are some points for more clarity:

• Leading: Don’t you think [controversial opinion]?
• Vague: Can you tell me about yourself?
• Too Personal: What’s your biggest regret?
• Invasive questions: Questions that pry too deeply into personal matters.
• Double-barrel questions: Questions that ask two different things within a single question. This can confuse your guest and lead to incomplete or unclear answers, disrupting the natural flow of the interview.

Never worry about asking a stupid question

However, When asking questions that may sound obvious or frequently asked, remember: Chances are good that your audience has never heard them answered before. Okay, maybe a writer has been asked time and again, “Where do your ideas come from?” or a politician has heard, “So, when did you first start in politics?” often. When you have a guest present for a podcast, there’s no such thing as a stupid question; what’s really dumb is not to ask a question that you think isn’t worth the guest’s time. He or she may be champing at the bit in hopes you will ask it.

5 Types of podcast Questions to ask

On an interview, whether that’s for a podcast, a YouTube video, or even a written interview. As you very well know, when it comes to an interview, it’s the questions that the host asks that can be the difference between an episode that people pass on and an episode that is noteworthy and gets shared. So make sure you stick around because these five questions will make a huge difference in your career as an interviewer.

Alright, let’s count down, starting with number five.

Question #5: Why?

Why Why? Why Why? Why You know, I think we’re conditioned to just believe that this question, “Why” is so annoying, right? We typically hear about kids asking us again, “Why Why? Why Why?” I’ve been with kids myself, and I will completely understand how annoying it can be. But As an interviewer, this is your most powerful tool because when it comes to the content that you’re collecting from the person you’re interviewing, when a person answers your questions, they’re going to answer with a surface-level answer. It’s this question as a follow-up, “Why?” that helps them continue to go further and deeper, which is where the goal lies.

So don’t be afraid to ask “Why” In fact, your audience is going to be very appreciative because if they don’t understand why something is happening the way it is or what a person is saying, then you on their behalf are going deeper so that they can understand too. “Why?” is also great because it allows for reasoning behind certain decisions that were made too, and I don’t think it’s annoying at all. Now, obviously, you don’t want to just use that one word. Actually, that would be a fun challenge if I could do a complete podcast interview just asking that question, “Why?” the entire time. That would be really funny. I’ll save that for a later date. Anyway, next, let’s get to number four.

Question #4: What Happened Next?

Now, this question that you should be asking comes from the fact that a person who you’re interviewing is likely not wanting to be rude. And as such, they might stop in the middle of a story or come to a pause such that you, the host, can take it whatever direction you want. I recommend, if you like the story that’s being told and you want to learn more, in addition to asking questions like “Why?” if that makes sense, ask this: “What happened next?” And I love this because essentially what you’re doing is you’re giving permission to the person who’s telling the story or talking to keep going further. And this is yet another way to go levels deeper when it comes to the answers to surface-level podcast questions that you start with.

Question #3: How Are You Really Feeling?

Alright, next up, number three. This is for those of you in the back as well, in case you’re not paying attention. Alright, number three. I love this one because oftentimes you don’t just want to get facts and answers, you want to get feelings. You want to bring emotion. When you can have emotion come out in your interviews, whether that’s happiness, sadness, laughter, whatever the case might be, when you bring emotion to the table as the host, it’s better off for your show. It’s more likely to be something that resonates with your audience, to be shared, to be remembered.

So, the question I recommend you ask is this: “How are you really feeling in this moment?” What were you feeling when this was happening? What was going through your mind? This is often the moment in certain interviews when the person in fact, begins to either laugh or even cry. And there’s been many cases on my client’s show when the guests have cried. And they don’t do it on purpose, although I kind of like it because that means it’s real.

Plus if a person on the other end of the interview is crying, likely it’s hitting the mark for the person who is listening as well. I’ve had people reach back out to me and said, “I’ve never cried listening to a podcast episode before.” “I’ve never laughed so hard.” “What was your gut reaction when all that went down?” Take that, use it. I promise it’ll work.

Question #2: Mirroring – The Power of Repetition

Next, number two. And this one actually comes from a book called “Never Split the Difference.” In this book, there is a tactic that an FBI negotiator uses to help get more information from the person who has the hostages and whatever crazy situation might be happening. The technique is called “mirroring.” We mirror the person who just answers one of our questions. The way mirroring works is you simply repeat the same few last words that a person just said when they finish their thought.

And by doing that, and actually creating an intonation that’s sort of like a question, it’s essentially another way to give permission to the person you’re interviewing to keep going, the fact that you want to know more about it. And it’s very simple because you don’t have to make up any of the words, you just have to repeat the last few final words in that sentence. Try it in the next conversation that you have, even if it’s not an interview, maybe with a spouse or a kid. See what mirroring does. I promise you, it’s going to unlock some really cool things.

Question #1: Tell Me About a Time When…

Alright, let’s finish off with the number one strategy for how to pull out the best information from the person that you’re interviewing. And I think we all know that the best kind of thing that you can get from somebody is a story. Stories are relatable, people are just fine-tuned, since we’re babies, to listen to stories. And in fact, it transports us to that place and makes things more real.

So, your job is to pull a story from this person. So, I learned this tip from Alex Bloomberg from Gimlet Media and also the creator of the “Startup” podcast on a CreativeLive that I once watched. And he shared this strategy. He simply said, if you want to get a story from somebody, phrase it like this: “Tell me about a time when blank.” Blank being whatever the topic is. “Tell me about a time you ran a Facebook ad campaign and it didn’t go according to plan.” “Tell me about a time when you went live in front of your audience and the technology failed on you.” “This was literally yesterday.” “Tell me about a time when you wanted to give up on your workout but you kept going anyway.”

Being the best Listener is the key here

I guess technically that’s not a question, but in fact, what it is, you’re asking for the story, you’re giving a person permission to tell the story, and then your job after all of these podcast questions is to sit back and listen, which is often, especially for a podcaster, one of the hardest things to do. Yes, as a podcaster, listening is actually quite hard because you’re thinking about the next question. But here’s the other tip when it comes to interviewing: Yes, listen, but also be genuinely curious.

All of these tips here relate to this idea of being genuinely curious. That will guide you as you continue forward in your interviewing career.

Best Podcast Questions by Category

Best Pre-Interview Questions

• What would make this interview a home run if you looked back in 3 months? (from Tim Ferriss) 
• Are there any topics you’re most excited about discussing? 
• Are there any topics off limits? 
• How are you feeling? Anything you want to talk through before we start recording? 
• Have you ever recorded a podcast or interview before?

Intro Questions

• How are you doing, for real? 
• What did you have for breakfast today? 
• How do you feel about [current event/breaking news/topic]? 
• What has been going on in your life recently that you expected and didn’t expect? 
• What has been on your mind recently that you hope to share with listeners?

Personal Questions

• Where are you from (tell your origin story)? 
• What books have changed your life the most?
• What is the hardest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your life? 
• Who has made the most influence in your life? 
• Who has taught you the most about your craft/career/hobby/etc? 
• Who is the one person that you admire the most (alive or dead)? 
• Who do you want to be like when you grow up? 
• When did you first start learning about your craft? 
• When have you grown the most in your life and what caused that growth? 
• Where did you learn how to do your main craft? 
• Where is your favorite place to vacation? 
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 
• What is your favorite State? 
• What is your favorite country to visit?
• What goals are you pursuing right now? 
• What are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? 
• What motivates you to get up in the morning? Are you driven by relationships, money, success, etc? 

Funny Podcast Questions

• “If you had to eat one [food/dish] daily for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
• “If you could have a superpower, but it had to be kind of useless, what would it be?”
• “What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you during [a vacation/a workday]?”
• “What’s the silliest reason you’ve ever [gotten in trouble/missed an appointment]?”
• “What would the title of your autobiography be if it had to make people laugh?”
• “If you could be any [animal/mythical creature], what would you be and why?”
• “If you were a [kitchen appliance/office supply], which one would you be?”
• “What’s the most hilarious [fashion trend/movie] you secretly love?”
• “What’s the weirdest [gift/dream] you’ve ever received or had?”
• “If you could start a rumor about yourself, what would it be?”

TIP:

Establish a contrast to go from a lighthearted funny podcast question to a more somber subject. You may say that comedy is a comfort during trying times and encourage your guests to share a moment when they had to go from laughing to conquering an obstacle.

Rapid Fire Questions

• What is your favorite album or song (recently or all time)? 
• What is your favorite meal (recently or all time)?
• What is your favorite book or books (recently or all time)? 
• What is your favorite movie or show (recently or all time)?
• What is your favorite drink (recently or all time)? 

TIP:

Take idea from these examples and Ask question related to that person’s genre or niche. That is more effective

Interesting Podcast Questions

Interesting questions captivate and engage both guests and listeners. Each question is a doorway to vast possibilities, encouraging your guest to think beyond the ordinary and share their unique perspectives.

• “If you could have a deep conversation with any [historical figure/fictional character], who would it be?”
• “If you were given a chance to explore the [ocean/space], which would you choose?”
• “If you had the power to change one event in your life, what would it be?”
• “What mystery or phenomenon would you love to solve or understand?”
• “What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited or want to visit?”
• “What’s one book/movie that profoundly changed your perspective?”
• “If you could witness any historical event, which would you choose?”
• “If you could instantly master any language, which would it be?”
• “What futuristic invention do you wish existed right now?”
• “What’s an unusual skill or talent you wish you had?”

TIP:

Keep in mind that these questions are most effective when they extend the imagination and increase comprehension. Continue to be curious and, if possible, tuck in thought-provoking questions to your podcasts.

Relationship Podcast Questions

1. What’s the key to a successful relationship?
2. How do you handle disagreements?
3. What’s your favorite memory with your partner?
4. How do you keep the spark alive?
5. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced together?
6. How do you support each other’s goals?
7. What’s the most romantic thing you’ve done?
8. How do you balance work and relationship?
9. What’s your favorite thing about your partner?
10. How do you handle long-distance?

TIP:

Everybody has a different relationship. There is protocol for these discussions that normally entails you if you don’t want to upset anyone:

• Value consent and comfort: Prior to delving into matters related to personal relationships, make sure your guest feels at ease enough to discuss consent and comfort.
• Respect to privacy Respect others’ privacy by not pressing a guest for information that could violate their or others’ privacy, even if they are forthright about their relationship.
• Steer clear of generalizations: Steer clear of broad generalizations regarding relationship kinds, gender, or orientation.
• Be tactful when discussing delicate subjects: Treat sensitive subjects like abuse, infidelity, or loss with extra consideration and allow the visitor to decline to respond.

Business Podcast Questions

1. What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?
2. How do you stay innovative in your industry?
3. What’s your biggest business challenge?
4. How do you manage your time effectively?
5. What’s your most successful project?
6. How do you handle failure in business?
7. What’s your strategy for growth?
8. How do you motivate your team?
9. What’s your vision for the future of your business?
10. How do you balance work and personal life?

TIP:

Your visitors anticipate publicity or promotion of some kind. Your viewers anticipate value. In the meantime, you want to create an engaging and genuine interaction. To keep everyone satisfied and stay away from the dangers of overt promotion:

• Avoid directly promoting the guest’s services when you can.
• Focus on storytelling and real-life explanations instead.

“Can you tell us about a time when your service significantly impacted a client’s business?” is one example of a question you might have. or “What is a case study that demonstrates the worth of what your business offers?

Controversial Podcast Questions

1. “How do you approach [sensitive cultural topic] in your work/life?”
2. “How do you view the impact of [controversial industry practice]?”
3. “Do you believe [specific conspiracy theory] has any truth to it?”
4. “What’s your perspective on [debated scientific theory]?”
5. “What’s your take on [ethical dilemma] in your industry?”
6. “Where do you stand on [controversial law or policy]?”
7. “What are your thoughts on [divisive public figure]?”
8. “What’s your opinion on [hot-button social issue]?”
9. “What’s your stance on [current political issue]?”
10. “Do you think [controversial topic] is justified?”

Closing Questions

• Can you share with the audience three must-read books?
• Can you share with the audience three must-use apps or softwares?
• What should I have asked you but didn’t?
• What is next on your journey?
• Where can people go find out about you and your work?

Create a Signature Question or Segment

Having a unique question or segment can set your podcast apart. Consider developing a signature question that you ask every guest. For example:

• “If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?”
• “What’s one book you think everyone should read?”

Tips for Effective Podcast Interviews

Preparation is key. Here are some tips to help you conduct effective interviews:

• Research your guest and their work in advance.
• Actively Listen: Pay attention to what interests you and investigate more.
• To maintain a natural flow of speech and to keep the conversation moving, balance your inquiries by asking a variety of topics.

How to Improve Your Podcast Even Further

Podcast interview questions are just one part of the equation for a successful podcast episodes.

To create a show that’s engaging and builds an audience, you will need more than just good questions.

Here are some other important factors that when executed can improve your podcast:

• Use good podcast equipment: Having the right microphones, lighting, and cameras can make your podcast look more professional.
• Use recording and editing software: Don’t only record using a Zoom or a smartphone. Instead, make use of specialized software that can facilitate guests’ high-quality recording. To smooth out the audio and get rid of any pauses or errors, editing software can also be quite useful.
• Repurpose your content: To reach a larger audience, think about reusing the content from your podcast. Your interviews can be made into blog entries, social media pieces, or even videos for websites like YouTube.

Conclusion

A podcast with interviews is only as good as the questions you ask and, of course, the production’s audio quality.

Prepare thoughtfully thought-out questions that will help both you and the interviewee succeed. Make an effort to make your visitors feel comfortable and to provide them something of value so they will return for more! Happy podcasting!

Podcasting is a different game, and without a precise blueprint, the game will get tougher midway. Grow your podcast from scratch with Zero Audience and learn about how successful podcasters cracked the code by winning our Free Guide with step by step Guidelines.

Get your complete podcast equipment setup by visiting Podcast Equipment Bundle. Get in touch with podcasting services and experts those will save you tons of time at Podcast Production Services.

With that being said, Let’s connect with all such free and paid tool/services you might need knowingly or unknowingly to fuel your growth. Here’s 21 BEST AI TOOLS AND PLATFORMS TO GROW YOUR PODCAST AND CONTENTS. There are some bonus tools in the end too to make your day to day life easier.

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