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Case Study: Oral History to Podcast

Using oral history interviews for podcasts can present challenges. Oral history interviews are not usually created specifically for audio productions but instead for long-term research and education purposes. When the idea of a podcast arises after the fact, identifying the compelling stories and quality audio that sustain the interest of listeners can be a challenge.

The Park History Program learned important lessons when we went to the oral history archives in search of interviews to feature in what became A Sense of Place: Stories of Stewardship from the National Park Service. One podcast goal was to highlight the range of people and occupations required to take care of America’s parks. Another goal was to help listeners understand parks in new ways.


Tips if you anticipate using oral history interviews for audio productions:

  • Good audio quality is essential. While a good audio technician can eliminate some pops, hisses, and other sounds that interfere with sustained listening, they cannot work magic on poor quality audio.

  • To enhance sound quality, record in a quiet place. Record ambient sound such as birds chirping, the wind blowing, or the rush of a stream later and mix the sound during production.

  • The podcast production will need to be scripted. What is the story you want to tell? Who is the central character? What does the setting of the story look like? If you are producing a podcast series, how does one production fit with the next?

  • How will you choose the most compelling interview excerpts to highlight? Does the audio need to be edited?

  • Learn how to write for the ear. Use short sentences. Use simple sentences. Use informal, conversational language. Read the script aloud to gauge complexity of language and its rhythm. How To Build Your Editorial Muscles shares great advice.

  • Create scenes that take listeners to a particular time, place, and issue to be resolved. Use vivid descriptive language.

  • Will the podcast have a musical signature that helps listeners identify it and sets the tone? Blue Dot Sessions provides, for free, acoustic music productions designed to accompany podcasts and video productions. Explore the library of sound samples.

  • Who will be the podcast narrator/host who will introduce and close each episode and read the script? The narrator uses tone of voice and pacing of narration to guide listeners through the story.

  • Start small. Many podcasts last 30 minutes or an hour. But an audio production that lasts 7 to 15 minutes can be really effective. And creating a production will take more time than you think!

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Last updated: October 25, 2023