Paper notes solve the problem until the camera joins. Then every glance down is a cut, the intro takes three attempts, and the sponsor paragraph — the one with the URL and the promo code — is where the episode stumbles.
Podcasts are audio-first, but most now record video too: YouTube clips, full video episodes, promo material. A teleprompter like NanoPrompter keeps your structure on screen while your eyes stay where the audience is. This page covers the three moments podcasters actually use it: intros and outros, sponsor reads, and solo episodes.
The three moments you need it
Intros and outros. The first 20 seconds decide whether a clip gets watched. Written openers read from the prompter come out tight, and the same closer every episode builds a habit for your audience.
Sponsor reads. Brands require wording: claims, disclaimers, promo codes, URLs. Missing one on tape means a retake or an awkward edit. With the copy on the prompter, the read is complete, once, in your natural tone. Bonus: “promo code NANOFIFTY” spelled correctly instead of retried three times.
Solo episodes. Hosting a guest is easy — you react. Solo shows are where structure matters. An outline scrolling as bullet lines keeps the episode moving without turning you into a news anchor. Write prompts, not paragraphs: “Origin story → the 2019 mistake → what changed”.
The 3-step podcast workflow
1. Prepare the rundown. Structure the episode as short lines: segment, key points, transitions, timecodes for ad slots. Paste it into the editor. For sponsor reads, write the full copy word for word; for conversation segments, keywords only.
2. Place the prompter where the eyes go. Video: window under the lens, big font. Audio-only: prompter on the second screen, mic in front of you. Either way, dark mode keeps the screen from lighting your face blue during evening sessions — dark mode explains the reading view options.
3. Record segments, not marathons. Intro, then pause. Segment one, pause. Sponsor read as its own take — clean audio, no cleanup later. The prompter remembers the whole rundown; you just press play and space.
Podcast-specific tips
- Pre-write the question you’ll ask guests. Same technique as solo episodes: the question on screen comes out sharp, and the follow-ups stay improvised.
- Mark ad slots in the rundown. A line like “— AD BREAK 1 —” scrolling past reminds you without the editor guessing in post.
- Keep episode titles as your first line. Saying the exact episode title on tape keeps your intro and the upload consistent.
- Co-hosted shows: the host closest to the camera angle uses the prompter for rundowns; guests never need to see it.
- Long sessions? Font size and speed are adjustable mid-recording from the keyboard — or a game controller if you record standing or at a distance.
What a teleprompter won’t do for a podcast
It won’t make an interview interesting, and it won’t fix audio — that’s your mic and room’s job, and the image above is the part of the chain worth spending on. If your episodes wander because the structure is loose, write a better rundown; the prompter just displays whatever you give it. The script writing guide adapts well to episode rundowns.
One more honest note: don’t put full scripts on conversational segments. Reading a dialogue you could have spoken naturally is the one way to make a prompter hurt a podcast.
Record the next episode tighter
Open the editor, paste your rundown, and give the next intro a single clean take. It’s free, in the browser, and your editor will notice before your listeners do.