Which parts of a podcast do people read?
- The cold open and the show intro.
- The guest introduction, with names and titles said correctly.
- Sponsor and ad reads, which often have lines that must be said exactly.
- Solo episodes, and short clips recorded for social video.
The conversation itself usually works better from a few notes than from a full script.
The built-in way: Voice Memos and the Camera app
For audio, Voice Memos records with the built-in microphone, a supported headset or an external microphone. To filter out background sound, open Control Center while Voice Memos is open, tap Voice Memos at the top and choose Voice Isolation. Apple's steps: Apple Support, Make a recording in Voice Memos on iPhone.
For video, the Camera app has a Pause button while you record, and on supported models Dual Capture records the front and back cameras at the same time. Apple's steps: Apple Support, Record a video with your iPhone camera.
- Write the intro and the sponsor read in Notes.
- Say them out loud until you can say them without looking.
- Record in Voice Memos or the Camera app, and pause between parts.
The limit: neither app shows your script while it records, so you learn the lines or look down to read them.
Read the script on screen while you record, with Cue
- Tap Templates and choose Podcast and voiceover. Pick Episode intro, Guest introduction or Sponsor read and tap Use template. It opens as a new script you can edit. Or tap New script and paste your own.
- Tap Open Teleprompter. For a video podcast, Cue films you with the front camera while the script scrolls on the screen.
- Open the Text size tool and tap Test read to set Speed and Size to the pace you talk.
- For audio only, switch Record from Video to Audio. The camera turns off and the script keeps scrolling. Audio is part of Cue Pro.
- With take breaks in the script, the prompter stops at each one, so the intro, the guest introduction and the sponsor read are separate takes. Tap a take in the strip above the record button and choose Retake to redo only that part.
- Tap Finish, put the takes in order and combine them. Video is saved to Photos in 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9. Audio takes combine into one audio file saved in Files.
Then bring the file into the editor you use for the episode. Recording with the teleprompter and camera is free; filming in takes, Audio and 4K are part of Cue Pro.
Make the read sound like you
- Rewrite the sponsor read in your own words where the sponsor allows it, and keep the required lines exactly as given.
- Check the microphone level on the Record screen before a long take.
- Put the phone at eye level, so a video podcast does not look down at you.
For the delivery itself, see how to not sound like you're reading a script.
Questions
Can I use a teleprompter for an audio-only podcast?
Yes. In Cue Pro, switch Record to Audio. The camera turns off, the script keeps scrolling, and the audio takes combine into one audio file saved in Files.
Will the script show in my video podcast?
No. The script is shown on your screen only. The video records what the camera sees and what the microphone hears.
Can I record the intro and the ad read separately?
Yes. Put a take break between them. The prompter stops at each break, you record one part at a time, and you can retake one part without redoing the others. Filming in takes is part of Cue Pro.
Is there a podcast script template?
Cue has three free podcast starters: Episode intro, Guest introduction and Sponsor read, each already split into takes. Cue Pro adds more, such as Cold open, Trailer for the show, Listener question and Episode recap.