Would you like to start a podcast, but are afraid of the costs that might await you?
We’ll help you get an overview of what podcast costs await you and where it’s worth investing!
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Table of Contents
1. Podcasting Microphone (average cost of 80$-400$)
Let’s start at the very beginning of the signal chain with the (one-off) equipment podcast costs.
Let’s just assume that you already own a computer. Whether PC or laptop, Apple or Windows. If you find this topic interesting, here is our blog article on podcast microphones.
The most important piece of equipment for a podcast is, of course, the microphone. The quality of the microphone also determines the impact of your podcast, i.e. how professional you come across and how long people can listen to you. A gaming headset does have a microphone, but people don’t like to hear it in a podcast.
The cheapest (usable) solutions here are USB microphones for around 80$. There are also USB microphones below this threshold, but they usually sound really cheap. In this price range, we can recommend the Beyerdynamic Fox.
At under 100$, you’re well served for the entry level.
Slightly above this, between €100 and €200, you will find higher quality USB mics – such as the Rode NT-USB for €150. Here, an important pop protection is already included, which helps to avoid excessive emphasis on Ps and Bs. If price is not an issue but you want to achieve the industry standard of microphone quality, then the Shure SM7B is a good choice. This microphone can be found everywhere, from YouTube to radio stations. However, it must be said that there are additional costs on top of the 380€. There are of course several other microphones, the choice is huge!
If you want to learn more about professional sound, you’ve come to the right place! In our sound&go Blog there all kinds of articles about microphones and podcasting.
2. Podcast microphone accessories
This category includes inconspicuous peripherals such as cables and tripods. Usable tripods start at €20. We also recommend getting a so-called spider or shock mount and a pop shield.
Popfilter – from 10 $
Røde Mic shock mount SM6 – 59 $
You only need an XLR cable if you are using a real microphone. This is not necessary with a USB mic. Otherwise, we recommend high quality XLR cables for approx. 20€.
This means you should budget at least €100 extra for accessories.
3. Audio interface (tends to drive up costs)
You can’t simply connect the XLR cable to the computer either. The cable first goes into an external sound card and from there into the computer via USB. The sound card is then called an audio interface. The price range for beginners starts at around €100 for the Arturia MiniFuse 1 or Focusrite Scarlett Solo. An audio interface also has the advantage that the sound output to your headphones or speakers is of a higher quality. Laptops or PCs often have inferior sound cards built in, which add noise or other interference to the signal.
If you are a beginner, you should not worry about such technical components and should not unnecessarily increase your podcast costs. Instead of the XLR microphone Shure SM7B, you can use the USB alternative Shure MV7, for example, or a Rode PodMic USB
4. Best podcast headphones
Here you should simply use the most comfortable headphones that you know best and can wear the longest. It is only recommended that the headphones enclose the ear completely and do not press on your ears so that the recording feels natural to you and does not cause any pain in the long term.
Headphones with a cable are also recommended, as wireless connections cause a delay in the signal.
If you want to go a little further, you can make a distinction: In recording situations, closed headphones are worn so that the sound signal coming from the headphones is not picked up by the microphone. In addition, you should always pay attention to the frequency range of headphones in the higher price range. A flatter curve means a more neutral sound. Beats headphones, as they were fashionable a few years ago, have a strong bass boost. Of course, we advise against this.
5. Intro, jingles, recording, editing software and sound design
If you haven’t dealt with sound editing yet, it’s high time you did – there’s a lot of quality potential here. And especially if you do it yourself, you could also reduce your podcast costs. For more information, take a look at our comprehensive article “The 5 best podcast editing software“.
Jingles, as well as intros and outros, are something that should be done by someone with little knowledge. Again, there are cheap options such as Fiverr or Upwork, as well as professional studios and sound designers who can do this for you. From €20 to €500, everything is available. But don’t save money in the wrong place, an intro and jingle should be of high quality, as it will be used in every episode. Read our article on the topic of podcast intros.
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Of course, you can also pay an external technician to do the post-production editing for you. With hourly wages and additional podcast costs, this can quickly add up to a three-digit sum per month.
With us, however, you can get away with it a little more cheaply. We now also offer podcast editing in our store! Send us an inquiry if you are interested!
6. Recording (for remote podcasts) incl. cost tip!
Does it cost anything to record your podcast now? Of course not, if you record a solo podcast. Then you can record directly into your editing software.
However, if you have podcast partners who do not record with you, you should take care of a good recording situation. If your partner is recording with MacOS, there is a very simple free solution: Use the Quick Time Player, click on “File” and select “New audio recording”. Then select the microphone you want to record and press “Record“. This way you can easily save podcast costs without sacrificing quality.
If you make remote recordings very often, you can of course record 40 minutes with Zoom for free, but we absolutely do not recommend this. There are better solutions!
For regular remote podcast recordings, it’s worth subscribing to SquadCast* (from $20 per month) or Riverside* (from $15 per month) so that you can easily record audio tracks as an admin. These are then transferred without loss after recording so that the sound quality no longer has the typical Zoom character.
Be sure to make a short test recording before recording to see if it works!
7. Podcast hosting
To publish all your podcast episodes on the desired podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer etc. you need a hoster.
We recommend SpotifyforPodcasters or Podigee as hosting service. You can read why this is the case in our blog article on the best podcast hosting providers.
Podigee is the most expensive, the premium provider, so to speak, at €12-19 per month for beginners. In return, the statistics are guaranteed to be stored only in the EU and all data collection is GDPR-compliant. How practical for European based podcasts.
Podcaster.de is very popular in German-speaking countries. We find the site easy to understand and each episode can be created quickly and easily. For just €5 a month, you can create 3 podcasts at the same time. The number of episodes is also unlimited, but the amount of data is throttled. You can upload 250 MB (approx. 5 hours of audio) every month. If you need more, you can add more at any time.
Typical American Podcast Hosters are Buzzsprout* and PodBean*
Even if the hosting platform doesn’t drive up your podcast costs, you shouldn’t save money on this point in particular! This service will determine how and where your product will be found in a few years’ time.
8. Visuals (Podcast cover)
With your podcast, you create a concept and thus also an intimate connection to your audience. What does your podcast stand for? What makes it unique?
First impressions are always visual, which is why your cover – i.e. the preview image of the podcast – should be of high quality and, above all, suitably designed!
Convey your message to the outside world, but stay true to yourself. Because if the visuals aren’t convincing and don’t match your brand, you can quickly lose interested listeners. That’s why it’s worth investing time and/or money here.
Let’s take a look at three price levels for visual design:
CANVA (free)
Canva is THE tool for self-created designs.
The cool thing is that once you have inserted your “corporate identity”, i.e. your distinctive styles & fonts, you can export these designs for all common formats.
So get to Canva!
FIVERR (starting at 5$)
If you don’t have the time, you don’t have the design skills and your budget is not yet sufficient, you can also use freelance platforms such as Fiverr.
There are special offers just for podcast cover designs. These start from around §5.
In the best case, a designer will respond to you exactly, but that’s really a stroke of luck. As mentioned above, communication through the design is crucial.
DESIGNER (starting around 100$)
The most professional way to design a podcast cover is to work with a designer. Ideally, a designer is responsible for your entire corporate design.
The designer knows you and your brand and knows what’s important. And honestly, if your podcast cover is discovered by people in the charts and you or your company are immediately recognizable, then that’s branding. And then that’s brilliant.
However, how much a professional designer costs depends on a number of factors:
- Time spent
- license rights
- Should illustrations be included
- Level of experience of the designer
- Style of the designer
9. Marketing expenses
If you are already a well-known content creator or influencer, you should of course already be able to achieve a lot with your reach. But it’s still worth turning the advertising crank in this case too. You can often use contacts to ensure that your podcast is shared and has a wide reach. However, if the podcast is a new format, your first content or you want to cover a completely new topic, you should also think about marketing! Because listeners don’t come by themselves. There are some podcasts out there that want to be heard. Draw attention to yourself. This also works depending on your budget. Good social media marketing will also cost you time.
10. Podcast production services - Hire a podcast editing professional?
If you are dedicated to start a professional podcast, you might aswell think about hiring a podcast producer, who will help you to create a podcast. He will also help you to hire a podcast editing professional. This will, for sure, help you to focus on the content you produce, because you will have someone who will care about all the technical aspects. The Problem is: It will be really expensive. You pay an editing professional per episode, the podcast producer wants its fair share, aswell.. And if you take it to a professional level, you might as well record inside a podcast studio.
It’s a high risk for you, but if you want to have a high production value, there is another option. If you really do have a great idea and you are a journalist, for example, there are broadcasters and podcast production studios, who will help you launching a podcast with a production team. They will take the financial risk, if they like your idea. But keep in mind: If you didn’t do any successful projects in the past, the chance, that they will support you is rather little.
11. FAQ
How much does a podcast production cost?
That depends on the podcast, of course. You can possibly start a podcast with 250€-500€. However, depending on how much work you put into the podcast and how elaborate and high-quality it should be, the costs can quickly skyrocket.
Can I listen to podcasts for free?
Yes, listening to podcasts is free on most platforms. The major providers Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts are free.
How are podcasts paid for?
Podcasts are often a marketing tool. You can generate attention and reach with a podcast. If you are self-employed or plan to podcast for a company, the podcast will attract more customers. If you are a podcaster, you can also finance yourself with sponsors and paid advertising deals. Some podcast hosts already offer uncomplicated monetization on their platform.
How do I start a podcast for free?
You can record and edit your podcast with Audacity, Garage Band or DaVinci Resolve and upload it to Spotify via Spotify for Pdcasters, all for free. However, you will still need at least one USB microphone.
Is a Podcast worth the hustle?
A podcast is worthwhile if you find and address the right target group. The effect of a podcast being financially worthwhile is usually due to the fact that there are many more opportunities and contacts than without a podcast. It also increases awareness of your product or company. However, a podcast does not always have to be worthwhile, there are also podcasts that aim to inform or educate.
Can anyone make a podcast?
A podcast is worthwhile if you find and address the right target group. The effect that a podcast is financially worthwhile is usually due to the fact that there are many more opportunities and contacts than without a podcast. It also increases awareness of your product or company. However, a podcast does not always have to be worthwhile, there are also podcasts that aim to inform or educate.
How much do successful podcasters earn?
That depends on the advertising deals and the industry. Most podcasters have other sources of income. Successful podcasters earn several thousand euros with advertising deals. The more focused your target group is in a segment (e.g. you only address marketing experts with a podcast), the more you can charge for your advertising. A good guideline for advertising deals in the premium podcast sector is a price of €0.70 – €1.00 per listener. However, this also depends on where the advertising is placed in your podcast.
Conclusion - How much does it cost to produce a podcast? Estimated cost of producing a podcast
Surprisingly, we can see that the highest podcast costs are not even the audio itself! The equipment doesn’t have such a big impact at the beginning either.
But the more professional or individual you want to create a podcast, the more it costs. Whether it’s design, equipment or hosting – it’s always more expensive.
If you go into the highest professional league, there are even additional costs for the guests, but we don’t want to think that far ahead just yet.
The central question is rather: What work can you take on? Because as you can see from the last example, you can save a lot of podcast costs if you know how to help yourself with free alternatives. Audacity for sound or Canva for visuals, for example.
Everything gets expensive as soon as a service provider is involved for design or post-production. Except for hosting – this is an inevitable service provider that every podcaster has.
How much does a podcast cost you now? It’s difficult to say, as the costs for a podcast always vary. If you want to start small, you won’t get away completely free of charge, but you can start from around €100-200 including equipment. If we’re talking about a corporate podcast, the one-off costs can be up to €1500, depending on the scale. And please: Bear in mind the ongoing costs.
Ein Video Podcast schlägt gerade im Punkt Equipment nochmal zu Buche. Denn Kameras und Video Equipment sind nicht günstig! Das Hosting für Video Podcasts bleibt bei einem Anbieter gleich: SpotifyforPodcasters bleibt auch bei Video Podcast Hosting bei 0 Euro Pro Monat.
Podcasten muss nicht teuer sein! Wenn du keinen teuren Podcast Service in Anspruch nimmst und Kosten effizient arbeitest, kannst du deinen Hobbypodcast günstig produzieren. Wir hoffen, dir hat diese Podcast Kosten Übersicht gefallen und wir hoffen sie hilft dir, deinen Podcast zu erstellen!
In our Blog you will find a lot of infos about Podcasting and the technical aspects of it. For example how to create a free audiogram!
Is podcast editing or the technical effort too much for you? Send us a request and we’ll see how we can help you. Have fun podcasting!
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