A car podcast works because the conversation turns natural: you sit side by side, the scenery rolls past the window and nobody feels like they’re being interviewed. But recording a podcast in a real car comes with serious problems: engine and wind noise, mics that are hard to place and, above all, the fact that you should never record while driving. The easiest alternatives are recording with the car parked or doing it in a virtual 3D vehicle, where everyone talks from home and the road never ends.
Here’s why the format hooks people, what to watch out for in a real car and how to set it up in remocast’s Out the Window scene.
Why car conversations work
You’ve probably seen interviews filmed inside a car: celebrities singing along with the driver, comedians heading out for coffee in a classic car, YouTubers chatting on the way somewhere. Shows like Carpool Karaoke and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee made the car famous as a set.
There are concrete reasons:
- Nobody has to stare at each other. Sitting side by side, people relax. Many of life’s best conversations happen on long drives for exactly that reason.
- The trip gives you material. What you see out the window, a song on the radio, the toll booth or the wrong exit are excuses to change topics without forcing it.
- There’s a beginning and an end. “We’re driving from Austin to San Antonio” is a script in itself: you set off, you make progress, you arrive.
- The space is intimate. Two to four people in a closed space builds rapport. That’s why the format works for interviews and for chats between friends.
If you’re figuring out what kind of show to make, this style fits several common podcast formats: the interview, the friends’ roundtable or the travel diary.
The problems with recording in a real car
It sounds easy until you try it. These are the most common obstacles.
Safety comes first
Never record while you drive. Driving while holding a podcast conversation, checking audio levels or looking at a camera is a dangerous distraction. In film and TV, many in-car scenes are shot with the vehicle towed or on closed roads for exactly this reason.
If you want to do it in a real car, the safe options are:
- Record with the car parked somewhere quiet.
- Have someone drive who isn’t part of the conversation and doesn’t touch any gear.
- Set up all the equipment before you leave and don’t touch it during the ride.
Noise
A moving car is one of the worst recording rooms there is: engine, tires on the road, wind, air conditioning, horns and highway traffic. Some fixes:
- Record with the engine off and the windows up.
- Turn off the AC or heat while recording.
- Avoid rush hour and busy streets.
Funnily enough, a parked car has one advantage: the seats and headliner absorb quite a bit of sound, so there’s less echo than in an empty room. If you record at home and echo is the problem, see how to reduce echo in a room.
Microphones
There’s no room in a car for tripods or mic arms. The most practical option is lavalier mics, one per person, plugged into a recorder or a phone. A single mic in the middle picks up everyone, but it also picks up all the noise. Check the batteries before leaving and do a ten-second test with each voice.
Camera and light
For video, the light changes constantly: tunnels, tree shadows, the sun in your face. Fixed cameras on the windshield or headrests help, but editing gets complicated with three or four people.
The virtual alternative: a car that drives itself
If what you want is the road trip feel without the risk or the noise, you can take the format into a virtual space. Everyone records from home with their usual mic, and the scene provides the trip.
remocast is a 3D studio that runs in the browser with nothing to install (there’s also a desktop app), and it’s free. One of its scenes, Out the Window, is exactly this: a podcast inside a vehicle that drives itself down an endless road.
Who fits. Up to 12 people, depending on the vehicle. There are 9 vehicles and 10 landscapes, so the same show can drive along the beach one day and through the mountains the next. You can add a custom license plate and stickers, for example with your podcast’s name.
The avatars. Each participant has a 3D avatar that can wear a photo of their face. The mouth and hands follow their voice, so it’s clear who’s talking. Others can react with emoji: laughing, crying, thumbs up and thumbs down.
The camera. The cinematic camera jumps from window to window to whoever is speaking, like those interviews filmed with cameras inside the car, but nobody has to edit anything. For the details, see how the automatic camera that frames whoever is talking works.
Surprises on the road. There are optional road events: a tornado, UFOs, zombies, meteors, a volcano and more. They add humor to a chat between friends or give you an excuse to change topics. If the show is more serious, the host turns them off with a single switch.
Record and ask. The host can record the trip as a video and create live polls for everyone to vote on, with results on each person’s screen. It’s a nice way to close with something like “Where should we drive next episode?”
To start, the host creates an Out the Window room from the Library in their account, picks a vehicle and a landscape and shares the link. Guests join with their own account, whether one is in Toronto and another in London. If it’s your first time with remote guests, how to record a podcast with remote guests has a checklist.
Episode ideas for a car podcast
- The ride with a guest: the host “drives” the guest and asks about their story while the scenery changes.
- Friends’ road trip: three or four people, one question per stretch of road and the road events turned on.
- The road trip playlist: everyone brings a song or a recommendation and talks about it.
- Hometown drive: the guest describes their city as if you were driving through it, even if the landscape is made up.
- Debate drive: a controversial question when you set off and a poll at the end to see who won people over.
If you like using scenes for shows with friends, there are comedy nights too: see stand up comedy games online. Create your free studio and hit the road with your first guest.
Frequently asked questions
How do you record a car podcast safely?
Never while driving. Record with the car parked, or have someone drive who isn’t in the conversation and doesn’t touch the gear. Another option is a virtual car, like remocast’s Out the Window scene, where everyone talks from home.
What mic should I use to record a podcast in a car?
Lavalier mics are the most practical, one per person, plugged into a recorder or phone. Record with the engine off, windows up and the AC off to cut down on noise.
How many people fit in Out the Window?
Up to 12, depending on which of the 9 vehicles the host picks. Smaller vehicles have fewer seats.
Can you turn off the road events?
Yes. Tornadoes, UFOs, zombies and the other events are optional, and the host can turn them all off with one switch for an uninterrupted chat.
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