How to Record High-Quality Online Interviews With Guests

To record a high-quality online interview, fix your guest's setup before you hit record. Get their camera to eye level, put the light in front of them, switch them to a phone if their laptop struggles, have them wear wired headphones and look at the lens, and mute anyone who isn't speaking.

The video on this page shows each of these fixes on camera, side by side with the problem it solves.

Why do remote interview guests often look and sound bad?

Because they are recording on whatever they have. As the video puts it, you almost have to assume your guest is "dialing in from a crappy webcam, poor lighting, poor sound". Your audience came to see and hear the guest, so it is worth a few minutes before the interview to make the most of their situation. Each fix below takes seconds.

How do you fix a guest's camera angle?

Raise the camera to their eye line. A laptop flat on a desk shows a lot of ceiling and looks up the guest's nose, which is not a flattering angle. Ask them to prop the laptop up on something so they are looking at a normal eye line. You will see more of the room behind them, and in most cases they can tidy that up.

If they are on a phone, ask them to rest it on something steady, such as a bookshelf, so the picture doesn't shake.

How do you light a remote guest?

Turn them towards the light. A window behind the guest throws them into silhouette, with no light on their face at all. In the video, the presenter turns his laptop around so the window is in front of him and he immediately pops out from the background. With the room lights switched on as well, his face stays lit whichever way he points. If your guest can't move, ask them to turn on the lights in the room. For more on cheap fixes, try these free lighting fixes for better video calls.

Should a guest use a laptop or a phone?

If the laptop is struggling, switch to the phone. When you hear dropouts or fan noise, ask the guest to close the laptop and dial in on their smartphone. The reason given in the video is that the camera in a phone is far better than the one in most laptops. The guest is also usually about a foot from the screen, so the framing is closer and the microphone picks them up better, with no fan noise to worry about.

If they are calling from a boardroom video unit, they will look small in the frame and sit a long way from the microphone. Ask them to come as close to the camera as they can and frame them up, which also gets them closer to the mic.

How do you get clean audio from a remote guest?

• Headphones on. They don't need a built-in microphone. Headphones let the guest hear you without your voice feeding back through their microphone and creating an echo loop.
• Wired, not Bluetooth. Avoid Bluetooth, because it is unreliable: it drops out, needs batteries and doesn't always work.
• Mute anyone not speaking. In a group interview, mute the people who aren't talking so no background noise comes through.

The same rules apply to your own end of the call. Get the audio right for your next video call covers the host's side.

How do you get a guest to look at the camera?

Ask them, and give them a reminder. Guests tend to look down at their laptop screen or off to the side, and they won't know what looks good on the recording. Looking at the lens is the key, and because it doesn't feel natural, they will need a little coaching from you during the interview. A simple trick: suggest they stick a post-it note with an arrow next to the lens, so they remember where to look.

For the questions themselves, learn why you should never script your interviewee, and for the wider recording process, record videos faster with less fuss.

Online interview recording questions we get asked

How do you record an online interview in high quality?

Fix the guest's setup before recording: camera at eye level, light in front of them, a phone instead of a struggling laptop, wired headphones, eyes on the lens, and everyone not speaking on mute.

Is a phone better than a laptop for a video interview?

Often, yes. The camera in a smartphone is usually better than a laptop webcam, the guest sits closer so the framing and microphone pickup improve, and there is no laptop fan noise.

Should interview guests wear headphones?

Yes, wired ones. Headphones stop your voice feeding back through their microphone and causing echo. Bluetooth headphones are best avoided because they can drop out and need charging.

How do I stop a guest being backlit?

Turn them so the window is in front of them rather than behind, or switch on the lights in the room. Light on the face is what makes the guest stand out from the background.

Want your own end of the interview sorted for good?

A Ridge Films Desktop Studio puts a camera, lighting, microphone and teleprompter permanently at your desk, so every interview you host looks and sounds the same. To see if it suits how you record, book a call.