Should you podcast alone, or get a cohost? Cohosts can make some things easier, some things harder. Here's help you to pick what's right for your podcasting.
Potential benefits podcasting with a cohost
First, let's focus on the positives, and probably the reasons you're thinking of podcasting with a cohost.
1. A cohost can bring additional content and perspective
Unless you have a mental clone, another person on your podcast will have a different perspective from different experience. This could be in small areas like seeing something you missed, or in big areas like holding a drastically different set of beliefs.
This variety brings more ideas and a more thorough approach to content.
For example, one of our ONCE podcast cohosts studied Greek mythology. When the Once Upon a Time TV show had a story arc deep in Greek mythology, she brought fantastic expertise and perspective to our conversations! What would have taken me time to research and understand (if I even recognized things), she was able to explain from the knowledge she already had.
Here are several tools I recommend for collaborating with cohosts (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/8-tools-for-collaborating-with-podcast-guests-and-cohosts-tap220/) (episode 220).
2. A cohost can create dialogue
It takes a lot of intentional practice and personal development to monologue well. But even when you're good at talking by yourself, energy can be missing. For example, comedy is a lot easier when there's someone else to laugh at your story or punchline. Without that instant feedback, your timing could be all wrong or you may undermine your own comedy (such as with an “uh” while you wait for the joke to hit).
Monologues aren't bad. But dialogues can be a whole lot more authentic and personable. Thus, they can be more entertaining or more engaging for your audience.
Dialogues can also help your audience feel more represented. Your cohost could ask you the same questions your audience might be asking.
When I did my epic 10th-anniversary podcast episode (#301) with my wife, Jenny (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/a-life-changed-and-saved-through-podcasting-tap301/), I first imagined it being an interview with her asking me questions. But when we sat and recorded for nearly six hours (often interrupted by Noodle Baby), I feel like my stories became a whole lot more conversational, even though Jenny spoke actually very little in that episode. Simply her being there and being part of the conversation made it a whole lot more natural.
A lecture-style podcast, like The Audacity to Podcast, is not the only way to teach. You can teach through dialogue or even a shared presentation.
3. A cohost can share podcasting responsibilities
I think a lot of starting podcasters don't have realistic expectations for how much work creating and growing a successful podcast can take. Most of us can't simply record and publish in a single sitting with no other overhead. Podcasting effectively takes planning, preparing, presenting, producing, publishing, and promoting (https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/6-ps-for-a-proven-podcasting-workflow-tap165/) (episode 165).
I already covered an aspect of sharing the presentation responsibilities, but a cohost can also help in potentially three other important parts:
* Preparation: Collaborate on your content before you record. You bring some of the content, and your cohost brings the other content. You can segment this however works best for you.
* Production: Your cohost might have the skills to edit your audio or video, write your show notes, capture sound clips or screenshots, or design images to make your podcast better.
* Promotion: Having multiple people participating in your podcast means potentially double the reach to your existing and potential audience. You can both share the latest episodes on your personal accounts and take turns engaging in relevant communities.
4. A cohost can help with consistency
