How to Record a Remote Podcast Guest Well
Updated October 2026
A remote guest is recorded on their own device in their own room, so you control less. Ask for the basics, keep a local backup, and level the two voices together.
The short version
- Ask the guest for a quiet room, a mic close to the mouth and headphones.
- Record locally on each device if the call app allows it, as a backup.
- Level the guest and the host to the same loudness before you mix.
- Clean each voice separately, then export a single loudness target.
Set expectations before the call
Send the guest a short note: a quiet room with soft furnishings, headphones rather than speakers, a mic close to the mouth, and a test recording a day before. Most poor remote audio is a guest who did not know these things.
Keep a local backup
Ask the guest to record locally on their device while you talk. The call audio is compressed, and a local file is far cleaner. If the call drops, the local file is the one you use.
Level the two voices
A guest on a laptop mic and a host on a dedicated mic will sound very different. Bring each voice to a similar loudness before you mix, and check the balance on headphones and on a phone speaker.
Clean each voice
Clean the guest and the host separately, because their rooms and their mics differ. Gentle settings are safer on the call audio. The call cleanup guide has the sequence.
Export one loudness
When both voices match, set the whole episode to one loudness target and check the true peak. Then export the master.
Match two voices in one mix
Multitrack in Tunedzy levels each voice on its own track and exports the episode at a loudness target.
Free tools for this
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask the guest to record locally?
Yes, if the call app allows it. It is the best backup and gives much cleaner audio.
What if the guest has a bad mic?
Ask them to move the mic closer and use headphones. Clean what you can, and record the next episode with better settings.
How do I make the voices match?
Level each voice separately before mixing, then check the balance on headphones and a phone speaker.
Keep going
How to Make a Podcast Sound Professional on a BudgetHow to Clean Up a Zoom or Video Call Recording
How to Edit a Podcast by Its WordsAll guides and comparisons · Tunedzy Go on your phone · Pricing