Tips for Keeping Podcast Production Costs Down

Podcasts have long transcended their status as being nothing more than roughly 30 minutes of chitchat at a roundtable. They’re big business these days, with big-name PR agencies launching one after the other. Thankfully, not every podcast has to be a huge project that involves years of research. Guest-blogger and radio DJ Sander de Heer is here to show that audio productions are generally less costly to churn out than video productions, and that nothing more than a field recorder can go a long way. That said, some things should not be underestimated. Creating Foley still requires a professional Foley artist, and getting someone who’s an authority in their field on your podcast isn’t easy either. Let us share some tips.

Want to know more about the gear you need to make a podcast? Read How to Make a Pro-Grade Podcast on a Budget.

Think About It

Blowing your budget on the first season – or worse, on the first episode – is never a good idea since you won’t have any money left to follow up a successful season or episode. As such, think about how many episodes you want to make beforehand, and see if you can record multiple episodes in one day. If you’re interviewing someone on-location, you might be able to drop by other guests on the same day. Are you inviting guests over to your place? Then find out where they’re travelling from so you don’t run into unexpectedly high travel costs that you have to reimburse them for. In sum, don’t start recording any episodes before you’ve come up with a roadmap for the series or season.

Keep It Simple

You can easily keep the format simple without sacrificing production quality. After all, it’s better to spend more quality time with one great guest than cram multiple stale interviews into one episode. Less is more, so don’t hesitate to go for a shorter-but-spicier instead of longer-but-uninspiring episode.

Ask Your Colleagues

Why hire professional journalists if you can tap into in-house knowledge? You might know staff or colleagues who’ve written articles or done relevant work before. Ask them if they know any interesting people that you could invite onto the show to interview. They’ll no doubt love chiming in and will be proud that they get to contribute to the podcast.

Sponsoring

Sponsors are a great way to make your podcast economically viable, so see if you can think of any products or brands that fit the narrative of your podcast. Subtle name-dropping and smooth shout-outs are the name of the game here. Every listener will understand that making a podcast takes time and money, so there’s no reason for you to feel like a sell-out if that’s what you’re worried about. You could even get a local council or charity involved if your podcast touches on specific social issues. Who knows, they might’ve been looking for a partner like you.

How do you feel about ads on podcasts? Share your thoughts below.

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