Basic Cost of Podcasting

Do you want to start a podcast in the New Year? Outside of the time commitment that comes with launching and sustaining a podcast, there’s also some cost associated.

There are 5 things you will need to budget for 

  1. A PC/Mac 

  2. A microphone

  3. Software (DAW)

  4. Podcast Host 

  5. Podcast Editor 

I’m going to assume that you already have a PC/Mac if not some libraries have podcast studios. 

A microphone

There’s a whole range of options that can be overwhelming.

Before buying a popular microphone you’ll need to think about where you’ll be recording. At home? In your living room? Bedroom? 

Find a quiet place with soft surfaces, closets are a good option.

There is no one size fits all

Take yourself to a good music store. Tell them you want to start a podcast and how many hosts your show will have. Your mic should be durable, portable and easily connected to your computer 

Pod Tip

To start off,  use the earbuds that come with your phone they are a good sound quality to start. As you grow as a podcaster, it’ll become easier to explore equipment.

Software $0 - $20/month

You will need software to record and edit your podcast - this is commonly called a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). If you have a Mac, Garageband comes free with your machine. 

Audacity is good for beginners (PC/Mac) you will find a lot of tutorials online and a lot of people use it. 

Paid options Adobe Audition/ Reaper or Hindenburg

Podcast host $5 - $80/month 

Your podcast needs to be stored somewhere, this will be your podcast host. The function of your podcast host is to push your show out to most/all of the available podcast directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher).

For a monthly fee, your podcast host will store your episodes and make it available to the different podcast directories. You need a podcast host! Please do not try and use your website as your podcast host.  Based on how often you produce an episode and the length of your podcast you will need to estimate how much “storage/space you will need to pay for each month with your podcast host. 

Some good podcast host options that have been around for a while are: 

Podcast Editing $65 - $150/episode

If your show represents your business, pay an editor to edit your podcast, one thing that makes people drop a show is “bad audio”. If you want to edit for yourself be aware that this can be the biggest time investment in producing a podcast.  

These are some of the costs you need to consider when starting your podcast. Once you’ve started there’s other tools that can be useful such as Wavve for audiograms, Zencastr for remote interviews and much more. But its best to start simple and expand in time.

BeginnersPatricia Jenkins