90+ Podcast Interview Questions To Ask (With Scripts, Follow-Ups & Niche Templates) – 2025

In 2025, podcasts have evolved from hobbyist side projects into one of the most trusted forms of digital media.

Whether you’re hosting a storytelling show, an expert Q&A, or a long-form conversation, the quality of your podcast questions defines everything — your rhythm, depth, and audience connection.

Listeners tune in for more than surface talk — they crave depth, authenticity, and the feeling of “being in the room.” That’s why great podcast hosts don’t just ask questions; they design conversations.

All of which, according to Spotify for Podcasters’ Creator Tips (2025 edition) and Apple Podcasts’ “Building Authentic Conversations” guidance, both of which stress that the art of the question will be what will keep listeners engaged long-term.

A Simple Framework For How To Use This List

The greatest mistake beginning podcasters make is asking too many questions or asking them in the wrong order.

The perfect late-night talk show interview feels spontaneous-sounding, to be sure, but it’s really late-night structured spontaneity.

Below is a strategic plan used by veteran hosts and producers at Spotify Studios, NPR, and Wondery.

Episode Timing Map: From Hello To Goodbye

💡Pro Tip: Time is relative — this cadence works just as well for 30-minute and 60-minute long pieces. Stretch or contract depending on the quality of the conversation.

Question Intent Matrix

All podcast questions are one of five “intent types.” Understanding intent lets you switch gears in the interview when the guest switches energy.

Snug Checklist Before You Press Record (Prep & Ethics)

Podcasting prep is not a soundcheck — it’s an artistic and moral responsibility. Apply this checklist before each recording session.

Research & Intent

• Research guest history, portfolio, and recent work.
• Listen to 1–2 previous interviews (don’t ask questions they’ve already answered).
• Plan your uniquely yours — what conversation only you can share with them?

Logistics & Consent

• Obtain written consent to audio record (email or signed release).
• Define how to reuse quotes, clips, or snippets.
• If working on sensitive topics (trauma, politics, etc.), restate boundaries.

Technical Prep

• Check mics, headphones, and internet connectivity.
• Record a 15-second test snippet for host and guest.
• Always have a backup track recorded (Zencastr, Riverside, or local copy).

Ethical Guardrails

• Never ambush guests with prohibited questions.
• Verify facts before publication.
• Hold “off-the-record” material in confidence.
• Cut for sense, not manipulation — preserve the meaning.

Spotify and Apple both emphasize that trust > virality. A trusting guest provides you with their best content.

90+ Podcast Interview Questions

Below are 90+ professional-grade podcast questions thematically grouped in clusters. All of them have purpose notes and sample follow-up questions to keep the flow going.

Opening & Warm-Up Questions

Purpose: Humanize, warm up, and set conversational tone. 

1. How are you today — mentally, creatively, emotionally?
2. Something that inspired you recently?
3. What is your typical morning routine?
4. What made you laugh last week?
5. If you weren’t doing what you’re doing today, you’d be.
6. Who has influenced you most recently?
7. Something listeners would never suspect about you?
8. How do you prepare for big public speaking gigs?
9. What book or podcast are you currently binge-listening to?
10. What’s a tiny achievement you’re proud of?

Follow-up script: “That’s interesting — how has that experience shaped the way you do your job today?”

Origin Story & Journey Questions

Purpose: Share a story, uncover motivation, and build an emotional connection.

1. How did your journey initially begin for you?
2. What or who motivated you to take the leap into this career?
3. Did you ever know this is your calling, or was it something that caught up with you?
4. Who was your biggest supporter when you started out?
5. What was your “aha” moment — moment of no return?
6. What were some surprises early on which you had to push through?
7. How would you define “success” today versus then?
8. What was your greatest mistake, and what did you learn from it?
9. Were there ever moments when quitting seemed like an option?
10. What was your first year in this line of work like?

Follow-up script: “When you were facing that roadblock, what or who propelled you forward — attitude, people, or circumstances?”

Work, Process & Methodology

Purpose: Provide tactical, professional, and educational value.

1. Walk us through a typical day in your workflow.
2. What is your production or creative process in great detail?
3. What are the primary tools or platforms you focus most of your time on?
4. How do you manage prioritizing time when working on a couple of projects?
5. What is your secret to avoiding burnout?
6. How do you deal with criticism — especially conflicting opinions?
7. What is the most underappreciated skill in your line of work?
8. How do you stay hyped during tedium?
9. Do you have a clear system or approach?
10. What is something you’ve recently altered in your process?

Follow-up: “You said [method/tool]. Why do you use that over something else?”

Business & Entrepreneurship

Purpose: Highlight strategic, leadership, and financial skills. 

1. How did you come to find your business opportunity?
2. What is your model of revenue today — and how did it evolve?
3. How do you measure growth outside of revenue?
4. How do you make decisions in uncertain situations?
5. What was one leadership takeaway from 2024–25?
6. How do you balance vision and execution?
7. What was one thing that didn’t scale as you’d hoped?
8. How do you get teams pumped up when times are slow?
9. What was a business myth you’ve personally debunked?
10. In your opinion, where will your profession be heading in 2026?

Creativity, Art & Career Development

1. How do you approach creative blocks?
2. How do you inspire yourself?
3. What does artistic integrity mean to you?
4. What piece changed your creative mantra?
5. How do you know when to stop working on a concept?
6. What are your views on art vs. commerce?
7. What’s your greatest creative risk?

Personal & Human

1. What makes you stay humble?
2. How do you emotionally replenish yourself after difficult projects?
3. Who gives you real talk critique?
4. What is one personal routine that fuels your productivity?
5. How is work-life balance trending with you these days?
6. How has failure impacted your confidence?

Controversial or Tension Questions

Purpose: Spark honesty without hostility.

1. What’s one thing in your field of work that really gets your goat?
2. Have you ever had a fundamental disagreement with your colleagues over something?
3. How do you stay being a version of yourself amidst social media influence?
4. What’s one decision others judged but you still hold dear to?
5. What do you believe the press gets most wrong about your line of work?

💡Tone Tip: I’d love to hear your thoughts — you can be as diplomatic or as honest as you want.”

Lightning Round / Rapid-Fire

Brief, spontaneous podcast questions to end on a high note.

1. Favorite non-this podcast?
2. Coffee or tea?
3. Night owl or early riser?
4. Personal motto that needs to be lived by?
5. Ideal podcast guest?
6. Favorite flop?
7. Hidden talent?
8. What song best describes your year?

Closing & CTA Questions

1. What’s next on the horizon?
2. How can listeners assist your project at the moment?
3. What’s one thing you want listeners to take away?
4. Where can folks follow/connect with you?

8 Niche-Ready Question Templates

Every niche has a short intro (to set tone) and 6–10 very specific podcast questions.

1. Startup & Entrepreneurship Podcast

For entrepreneurs and founders to discuss strategy, funding, and scalability.

1. What was the initial problem your startup sought to address?
2. How did you acquire your initial users or investors?
3. Upon what metrics do you base most of your strategic decisions?
4. How do you handle investor pressure or pivots?
5. What does a 2025 sustainable growth model mean to you?

2. Wellness & Mindfulness Podcast

Everything regarding overall health, emotional well-being, and mental wellness.

1. How has “wellness” evolved in your thoughts over the last five years?
2. What does “healthy boundaries” mean to you nowadays?
3. How do you cope with creativity burnout or emotional exhaustion?
4. What is your favorite grounding practice?
5. How do you bring gratitude into daily life?

3. Tech & Innovation Podcast

1. What’s the most exciting tech trend these days?
2. How do you balance creative innovation and moral responsibility?
3. Worst product design fail ever?
4. How do you see AI revolutionize creative industries?
5. What’s one technology that you wish people understood better?

4. Entertainment & Pop Culture Podcast

1. How has streaming changed the art of storytelling?
2. What do you think about curation vs. authenticity on social media?
3. What pop culture moment captures 2025 for you?
4. Who are your creativity role models?
5. What’s the biggest myth about fame?

5. Education & Learning Podcast

1. What’s the biggest issue for teachers today?
2. How do you measure student engagement in online learning environments?
3. What do you envision AI in education to be in 2030?
4. How should education use storytelling?
5. What’s something your students have taught you?

6. Art & Design Podcast

1. What are the questions that currently shape your practice?
2. How do you know a piece is “done”?
3. How significant is imperfection in artwork?
4. How do you achieve visionary guidance and client needs?

7. Sports & Performance Podcast

1. How do you mentally prepare for those decision moments?
2. How has analytics been applied to your performance today?
3. How do you deal with defeat or loss?
4. What’s the proudest comeback you’ve had?

8. Relationship & Lifestyle Podcast

1. How do you show healthy communication in relationships?
2. What is one personal habit that made your relationship with others better?
3. How do filters on social media transform expectations from others in a relationship?

Example Interview Flow + Annotated Transcript

• Host: “Your first company failed in 2018 — what did you learn from that experience that you take with you today?”
• Guest: “That experience taught me to hire slower and fire faster.”
• Host (follow-up): “That’s fascinating — can you give me an example of how that strategy unfolds in your leadership today?”
• Annotation: This interaction utilizes emotional recall → insight extraction → forward projection. Optimal pacing for Act II of a podcast.

How to Write Follow-Ups That Reveal Insight?

• Wait 3 seconds after your guest has finished. Silence inspires honesty.
• Paraphrase what they said: “You indicated you weren’t ready — why weren’t you?”
• Stacked why’s: one rational (“Why did it happen?”), one feeling (“Why did it matter to you?”)
• Switch always with empathy, never with interrupting.

Metrics & Evaluation Criteria For A “Good” Interview Question

Expert Tips, Safety & Best Practices

• Listen more than you speak — shoot for a 70/30 ratio.
• Never interrupt emotional pauses.
• Use real names sparingly; explicit permissions for third parties.
• If your guest has challenged a fact, check before going to print.
• Keep archives for transparency.

Downloadable Assets (CTA)

Free Downloads:

1. Interview Flow Planner (editable)
2. 8 Niche Question Templates (PDF)
3. Pre-Recording Ethics Checklist
4. Follow-Up Phrasebank

FAQ

Here are a few questions and queries that others have asked on the topic of podcast questions, which you might find helpful at the same time.

Podcast Questions To Keep In Mind

What separates an excellent interview from an excellent interview is intentional curiosity. The most effective hosts don’t ask questions — they establish spaces for truth.

Use these 90+ podcast questions as modular tools. Combine them with empathy, structure, and silence — and you’ll create not just episodes, but moments people remember.

Next step: Download your planner, review your guest’s story arc, and prepare three “follow-up zones.” You’re not just hosting — you’re curating an experience.