Recording without a plan is how episodes ramble and listeners drop off. This planner forces the decisions that make an episode tight — the single takeaway, the segment flow, and the hook — before the mic is on.
Name the one takeaway. Write the single thing a listener should remember in one sentence. If you can't, the episode isn't ready to record.
Map the segments. Block the episode into 3-5 segments with rough times so you keep pace and don't run long on the intro.
Write the cold open. Draft the first 30 seconds — the strongest line or moment — to hook listeners before any intro music.
Plan the CTA and next step. Decide the one action you'll ask for and tee up next week's episode so listeners have a reason to return.
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Lock these before you book a guest or open the recording software.
More free templates creators use alongside this one.
Great interviews aren't a random list of questions — they're a flow that warms the guest up, goes deep, and ends with a takeaway. This template gives you that structure plus a reusable question bank.
A run of show is the minute-by-minute script behind a smooth episode. This template lays out every segment, cue, and handoff with timing so you and any co-host or producer always know what comes next.
Bad audio loses listeners faster than bad content. This recording checklist walks you through gear, environment, levels, and backups before you hit record, so you capture clean audio you won't have to fight in editing.
Enough to keep you on track, not so much that you read a script. Most hosts do best with a one-page plan: the single takeaway, a segment map with rough times, and a written cold open. Improvise the rest.
Yes, with a tweak. For interviews, the segment map becomes your question flow and the guest prep happens separately. For solo episodes, the segment map carries more weight since there's no guest to drive the conversation.
