You got an email inviting you to be a guest on a podcast. The host is an AI, the interview happens in your browser, and you do not need to install anything. This guide walks through every step, from opening the link to reviewing your transcript after the conversation wraps up.
Open your invite link
The podcast team sends you an email with a personal link. Click it and you land on a welcome screen inside Mato. The page shows:
- The podcast name and cover artwork
- The AI host's name
- The topic you will talk about
- How long the conversation will take (set by the podcast team when they created the invite)
A strip at the bottom confirms three things: the estimated duration, that no preparation is needed, and that you approve the transcript before anything is published.
If the timing does not work, click Reschedule to pick a better date. The schedule page lets you add the interview to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook.
Confirm your details
Click Let's get started on the welcome screen and you move to the profile step. If the podcast team provided your LinkedIn or other public info, Mato pre-fills your name, role, and a short bio. Review each field and correct anything that looks off.
Two consent checkboxes sit below the form:
- Notify me when the episode is published. Optional. If you check this, enter the email address where you want the notification.
- I agree to participate in this interview. Required. This confirms you know the conversation will be recorded and that you can request edits or withdraw any answer before publication.
Click Continue to briefing once you are satisfied.
Briefing and tech check
The briefing screen gives you a final look at the conversation plan before you enter the room. It has three cards.
The conversation card
Shows the topic and, when available, a short note explaining why this topic matters for the episode.
Topics you might cover
A numbered list of questions the AI host may bring up. These are not a script. The conversation can go wherever you take it. Think of them as starting points.
Tech check
Mato runs a quick check on your setup:
- Microphone. The browser requests microphone access. Grant it when prompted. The status turns green once permission is given and Mato detects your mic.
- Quiet space. A reminder to find a room where you will not be interrupted for the interview duration.
- Stable connection. Confirms you are online. A solid internet connection keeps the conversation smooth.
- Modern browser. Checks that your browser supports the recording features Mato needs. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all work.
Camera toggle
Below the tech check, a toggle lets you turn your camera on or off. Video is always optional. If you enable it, Mato may use video clips in social posts for the episode. You can turn the camera on or off at any point during the interview too.
When you flip the toggle on, your browser asks for camera permission. A live preview appears so you can check framing.
Click Join interview when everything looks good.
Inside the interview room
The room opens in a two-column layout. The left side is your stage. The right side is a live transcript.
Your stage (left column)
At the top, a header shows the topic and a recording timer that counts up from 00:00.
The main area displays your camera feed if video is enabled, or a dark placeholder with a "Camera off" label if not. Your name appears in the top left corner of this area. A "REC" indicator pulses in the top right when recording is active.
Along the bottom of your stage, a mic level bar shows your voice activity in real time. Eight small bars animate as you speak, turning coral when they pick up sound. Next to them, a camera toggle button lets you switch video on or off mid-conversation.
AI host card (top right)
A floating card in the upper right corner shows the AI host. If the host has an avatar image, that image fills the card. Otherwise you see an animated blob visualization. Below the image, the host's name appears with an "AI" badge, and a status label reads "Listening," "Speaking," or "Paused."
When the AI host speaks, animated bars next to the status label pulse to show audio output.
Starting the conversation
Before recording begins, an overlay card appears on your stage: "Take a breath. [Host name] is ready when you are." Green dots at the bottom confirm that your mic, camera, and connection are ready.
Click Start the interview. Mato connects to the AI host, starts recording, and the conversation begins. The AI host opens with a greeting and the first question.
Talking to the AI host
Speak naturally. There is no script to follow. The AI host listens to your answer, follows up with related questions, and moves between topics at a conversational pace. You do not need to wait for a visual cue to start talking.
A progress bar below the stage tracks where you are in the conversation: Introduction (the first 10%), Main Discussion (the middle 75%), and Wrap-up (the final 15%). These are rough guides, not hard timers. The AI host adjusts pacing based on how the conversation flows.
Live transcript (right column)
As you talk, a live transcript scrolls on the right side of the screen. Each turn shows the speaker name, a timestamp, and the transcribed text. The AI host's turns appear in a serif font with the name in coral. Your turns appear in a sans-serif font.
Auto-scroll keeps the latest entry visible. If you scroll up to re-read an earlier exchange, auto-scroll pauses. Toggle it back on with the switch at the bottom of the panel.
Audio quality
Mato applies three audio processing settings to your microphone input automatically:
- Echo cancellation prevents the AI host's voice from feeding back through your speakers and creating an echo loop.
- Noise suppression reduces background sounds like keyboard clicks, fans, or street noise.
- Automatic gain control keeps your volume steady. If you lean back from the mic or speak louder, the system compensates.
These are all on by default. You do not need to configure them.
If your browser applies different audio settings, the interview still records correctly. You will not see an error.
Dual-track recording
Mato records two separate audio tracks during every interview:
- Your track captures everything from your microphone.
- The host track captures the AI host's voice output.
Keeping the tracks separate means the production team can adjust levels, remove background noise from one track without affecting the other, and produce a polished final mix. You do not need to do anything. The dual-track recording runs in the background the entire time.
If you enabled video, Mato also records a separate video track alongside the audio.
Pausing and resuming
The control bar at the bottom of the left column shows an elapsed timer on the left, a connection status dot in the center, and two buttons on the right: Pause and End interview.
Click Pause to freeze the conversation. The AI host stops listening, the recording pauses, and the progress bar holds its position. A coral Resume button replaces the pause button. Click it to pick up where you left off.
If the connection drops
If your internet connection drops during the interview, a recovery dialog appears over the room. It shows how long you have been disconnected and two options:
- Reconnect. Mato fetches a fresh connection, rebuilds context from your transcript so far, and resumes the conversation. Recording restarts from where it stopped. The AI host acknowledges the interruption and continues naturally.
- End interview. Saves your recording and transcript up to the point of disconnection and sends you to the review page.
Your recording before the disconnection is always preserved.
Ending the interview
Click End interview when you are ready to wrap up. A full-screen overlay appears with the message "Saving your conversation" and a "Please don't close this tab" notice. Mato:
- Stops the AI host connection.
- Finalizes the recording.
- Uploads your audio track and the host track to storage.
- Saves the transcript.
This takes a few seconds. Do not close the tab while the upload runs.
Once the upload finishes, a completion card appears showing how long you spoke and how many conversational turns took place. Mato then redirects you to the review page.
If the upload has a problem (rare, but possible on slow connections), an error dialog explains what happened. Your transcript is always saved even if the audio upload does not complete. Click Continue to review to proceed.
Reviewing your interview
The review page shows the full transcript organized by speaker. You can:
- Read through every exchange
- Leave feedback or notes
- Request specific edits before the episode is published
- Approve the transcript to let the podcast team know you are happy with it
Your feedback and approval status are visible to the podcast team on their dashboard. They can see whether you have reviewed the transcript and any notes you left.
Tips for a good recording
- Use headphones. They prevent the AI host's voice from being picked up by your mic, even with echo cancellation active.
- Find a quiet room. Noise suppression helps, but a quiet environment gives the best result.
- Use Chrome or Firefox. Both have strong support for the audio and recording APIs Mato needs.
- Keep your tab in the foreground. Some browsers throttle background tabs, which can affect the real-time connection.
- Talk at your normal pace. The AI host is built to follow natural speech. You do not need to slow down or enunciate more than usual.