Podcast production: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What podcast production is

A podcast producer helps you plan, record, edit and publish a podcast, handling audio cleanup, intros, show notes and distribution to listening apps. The producer keeps each episode consistent so your listeners know what to expect from one week to the next.

Signs you need it

  • You want to start a podcast and do not know how to plan the episodes, the recording or the publishing.
  • You have recorded episodes but they sound uneven, and the editing takes you too long.
  • You want a consistent intro, outro and format across every episode.
  • You need show notes, episode titles and descriptions written for each release.
  • You want help getting the podcast onto the listening apps your audience uses.
  • You have a schedule to keep and need someone to manage the releases.

What the pro does

  • Plans the show's format, the episode length, the guests and the release schedule with you.
  • Sets up the recording in a quiet space, with a test session to check the levels and the sound.
  • Edits each episode, cleans up the audio and adds the intro, outro and any music you have approved.
  • Writes or edits the show notes, titles and descriptions for each episode.
  • Publishes the episodes to the platforms you choose and checks that each one plays correctly.

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number of episodes and the length of each.
  • Whether recording is included, and the number of guests or hosts.
  • Editing level, from light cleanup to full editing with music and segments.
  • Show notes, transcripts and social clips, if included.
  • Number of platforms the podcast is published to.
  • Setup work, such as building the intro and the show format.

What a written quote should spell out

  • The number of episodes, their length and the release schedule.
  • Whether recording, editing and show notes are included.
  • The intro, outro and music, and who arranges the music rights.
  • The platforms the episodes are published to, and who holds the accounts.
  • Who owns the episodes and the project files, and what happens to them if the work ends.

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Who holds the podcast's hosting and listening accounts, and will I keep access to them?
  • How do you handle a guest who has a poor connection or a noisy room?
  • Will you write the show notes, and will I approve them before release?
  • Who arranges music rights for the intro and outro?
  • How many revisions are included, and how far ahead do you need the episodes?
  • Will you deliver the episode files and the project files if I change producers?

Red flags

  • Asks for the podcast's hosting or listening accounts to be put in their name without a written agreement.
  • Promises that the podcast will grow to a set number of listeners.
  • Publishes episodes without your approval.
  • Cannot explain how the episodes will be recorded and checked.
  • Asks for full payment before the release schedule is agreed.

What you can do yourself

You can record a short episode on a simple microphone in a quiet room, and edit it with a free or built-in tool using a fixed intro and outro. Hire a podcast producer when you need a regular release schedule, when several guests or hosts are involved, or when you want the show's sound and publishing handled to a consistent standard.

Licenses and permits

Podcast production is not commonly licensed, so a license is usually not required for this work. Check with your state or local licensing agency about business rules that apply to you, and confirm the music rights for the intro and any clips, and ask the producer for samples of finished episodes as proof of skill.

Podcast production questions

Who should own the podcast account?

You should. Hosting and listening accounts should be in your name, with the producer given access only as needed. Put this in the agreement before the first episode.

How long should an episode be?

Let the content decide. Plan a length that suits your audience and your topic, and tell the producer the target so they can plan the editing time.

Will the podcast appear on every listening app?

Most shows are published through a single hosting service, which then sends the episodes to the major listening apps. Ask the producer how distribution works and whether any app needs separate setup.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer podcast production remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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  3. 3. They reach out

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