Exploring The Diverse Range of Podcast Formats 🎙️
Just like flamingo’s, podcasts come in all shapes and sizes, each having their own unique flair! 🦩
Choosing the right format for your podcast is crucial to ensure it stands out and attracts the attention of the perfect audience. 🎧
In this blog post, we will explore the different types of podcast formats, providing you with some of examples of our own productions and giving you super insightful tips to help you decide which format is the right format for your podcast!
Elegant Interviews
(The Interview Format)
Square One Law’s ‘Fear Less, Do More’ is an interview style podcast
The interview format incorporates both hosts and guests. The guests who are interviewed can be celebrities, experts or individuals with interesting stories to tell. The conversations can vary, from exploring specific topics to more casual, laid back chats.
Important Things To Note:
Preparation and research is vital to ensure the right questions are asked and the guest is comfortable with being asked those questions.
Engaging questions are great to get the conversation flowing and help the guest feel more relaxed.
Active listening is very important to ensure the guest feels both heard and respected
Examples of interview format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
Flying Solo
(The Solo Format)
Elaine Wilson from the Eccentric England Podcast, a solo podcast.
In a solo format podcast, the host delivers all of the content and often shares their own personal insights or stories. This is an ideal format for both thought leaders and experts who work within a particular field and want to discuss their own insights.
Important Things To Note:
Authenticity is key when it comes to solo podcasts, ensure your voice and personality are true to you, this will help to distinguish you from others in a similar niche.
Solo podcasts rely a lot on strong storytelling, ensure your narratives are engaging in order to keep the audience captivated.
As a solo podcast, you will be the only narratice throughout the podcast, ensure that you maintain your energy and enthusiasm throughout to keep the listener engaged.
Examples of solo format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
The Duo
(The Duo Format)
Sophie McCartney and Lucy Couldwell, hosts of the duo podcast, Tired and Tested
The duo format involves two hosts who each offer different perspectives within the conversation. This is a format that relies heavily on good chemistry between both hosts in order to keep the audience engaged and keep the conversation flowing nicely. Bad chemistry between the two hosts would not only make the listeners uncomfortable, but would also make for bad podcasting.
Important Things To Note:
Chemistry is very important in a duo podcast. The better the chemistry between the hosts, the more enjoyable and engaging the podcast will be for listeners.
Ensure the host’s roles are clearly defined. This will help to balance the conversation and ensure the podcast runs smoothly.
The hosts should compliment each other when it comes to their individual knowledge and personality. There should. be a balanced dynamic between the hosts.
Examples of duo format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
Flock Frenzy
(The Panel Format)
The Business and IP Centre’s ‘Let’s Talk About’ panel style podcast
The panel format podcast usually consists of a panel of experts or enthusiasts discussing a topic together. There is usually one host on a panel session who leads on questions. This is a great format for debates, in-depth discussions and sharing diverse views on a topic. Panel podcasts are similar to roundtable podcasts, however a panel podcast is more structured, and is led by a moderator who guides the conversation, whereas roundtable podcasts usually consistent of more spontaneous conversations.
Important Things To Note:
A strong host is important to help guide the discussion and also ensure that all guests have a chance to speak. They are also great at ensuring the conversation stays on track.
It’s important to have a clear, defined agenda to make sure all guests are aware of what to expect and remain both focused and coherent throughout the discussion.
Examples of panel format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
Feathered Tale
(The Narrative Format)
Big on Small, a narrative style podcast, hosted by our Podcast Producer, Samantha Castro
The narrative format is a storytelling podcast, and often uses a combination of different voices/narrations. Narrative podcasts usually include sound effects and music, to help create an immersive experience for the listener. They are structered similar to traditional storytelling formats which can be found in books, radio or movies.
Important Things To Note:
If the narrative is based on real life events or it includes factual information, you should ensure all research done in preparation is thorough and accurate. This helps to build credibility with the audience and prevents mis-information from being shared.
You should always ensure that all parts of the narrative contribute well and cohesively to the overall story. You should avoid unnecessary subplots or details that don’t properly serve the main narrative.
Examples of narrative format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
(Flamingo Heights hasn’t produced a narrative format podcast yet, but our Podcast Producer, Samantha, has! )
Around The Watering Hole
(The Roundtable Format)
Project Groundwater Northumbria’s podcast, The PGN podcast is a round table format.
The roundtable format is a podcast which features a group of people, usually from the same background/industry who equally contribute to the conversation. There is usually at least one host leading on questions and discussions. This is a format that works really well for informative discussions that want to remain casual and laid back.
Important Things To Note:
You should strive for equal participation from all of the guests to ensure the discussion is balanced and everyone’s voice is heard.
Ensure all guests are aware of what is going to be discussed and are also comfortable with improvisation, as this can sometimes happen during round table discussions.
Round table podcasts are usually more casual, but it’s helpful to plan a loose structure or agenda to ensure all intended topics are covered and the discussions don’t become too chaotic or stray too far from the topic.
Examples of round table format podcasts produced by Flamingo Heights
Other Popular Formats
Although we've discussed several podcast formats in this blog post, the possibilities are virtually endless. Here are a few other formats:
Storytelling or Fiction Format
Examples of Podcasts That Use This Format
Current Affairs or News Format
Examples of Podcasts That Use This Format
Scripted Fiction Podcasts
Examples of Podcasts That Use This Format