The explosive growth of podcasts over the past five years has transformed them from a niche hobby into a powerful channel for reaching an engaged and highly dedicated audience.
For Gen Z, in particular, podcasts are more than just an easy distraction on a long commute. According to a study by Spotify, 58% of Gen Z say podcasts are the best way to tap into the zeitgeist. And with this in mind, it should come as no surprise that podcast listenership and ad spending are both continuing to grow – there’s simply no better way to keep your finger on the pulse.
But if you’re looking to get into the podcast space, it will likely come as no surprise to learn that listeners are increasingly expecting quality. They want crystal-clear audio, flowing conversations, and a consistent release schedule. If you can’t deliver, they’re likely to look elsewhere.
In order to meet these high expectations, hiring a podcast studio is an excellent choice. You can benefit from technical expertise, professional-grade equipment, and expert support – but only if you pick the right studio to work with!
In this post, we’ll run down the factors you should be thinking about if you’re looking into podcast studio hire.
High-quality recording equipment
The most obvious reason for working with a podcast studio is that they will simply have access to better equipment than most DIY setups could hope for – at least without investing a substantial amount of money and finding the storage space to keep it all.
But with this in mind, you’ll want to make sure that the podcast studio you hire does actually have all the professional-grade equipment you need to produce a top-quality podcast. That includes:
- Microphones. You’ll ideally want access to high-quality XLR microphones, with a choice of condenser and dynamic mics to suit different situations.
- Headphones. Specialised audio monitoring headphones are quite different from commercial headphones designed for listening to music. Check the podcast studio you’re considering has headphones that are up to the job.
- Mixers. A mixer is essential to ensuring you can control the volume levels of individual microphones and deliver a balanced recording. A mixer with EQ controls will also allow you to tweak the balance of warmth or brightness on individual voices for added clarity and listenability.
- Accessories and extras. Besides the obvious core recording equipment, there are a range of accessories and additions that range from essential to helpful. These include pop filters for minimising unwanted sounds and boom arms for holding mics in the right place.
Of course, all of the equipment we’ve discussed here is designed to help you record top-quality audio. If you want to upload your podcast to YouTube or share it on social media, you’ll want to think about recording video, too. In which case, make sure that the podcast studio you hire has hi-definition cameras, as well as visually pleasing backdrops you can use.
A full range of services
Once you’ve had a chance to examine the equipment on offer, the next step is to think about how much support you need in getting your podcast over the line and into your listeners’ ears.
First and foremost, as we mentioned above, you’ll need to think about whether you want to have video for your podcast, or whether you’re happy with audio only. If you do want video, you’ll need to make sure this is something that the studio you’re considering actually offers.
Then, you’ll want to think carefully about how much of the podcast recording process you’re happy to tackle yourself. And it’s not just about the actual recording session itself. Once you’ve got your podcast recording sorted, you may need help with:
- Post-production and editing. This is the vital – and technically challenging – process of turning the raw recording of your podcast into a smooth and clean listening experience. That means reducing any background noise, editing out those coughs and sniffles, adding intros and outros, and a range of other essential steps.
- Uploading to major platforms. Once your podcast is ready to share, you need to make sure it’s available on all the key platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and YouTube – ideally with an enticing description, a thumbnail and other key additions to attract the curious listener.
- Selecting social media clips. If you spend any time at all on social media, you’ll be well aware of how much engagement short, attention-grabbing podcast clips can garner. Every episode, you’ll want a selection of key moments to share across your socials.
- Adding transcripts and chapters. Transcripts and chapters aren’t just great for accessibility – they can help your podcast get discovered on search engines more easily, as well as forming the basis for a blog post if you want to get the most out of your content. Podcast chapters provide a time-stamped breakdown of a podcast conversation, usually found in the show notes, which helps viewers navigate their way through the conversation, and pick out any key points or snippets they may want to revisit or share with others.
Perhaps you may feel confident in tackling some or all of this on your own. But you’ll want to make sure the podcast studio you choose is willing and able to take on those aspects that you lack the time or resources to manage yourself.
Flexible pricing and packages
As with any investment, price should be one of your major considerations. You’ll want to set yourself a clear budget to work with, and then try to balance the cost of the studio against the range and quality of services they offer. Ultimately, there’s no sense in trying to save money and ending up with a final product you can’t stand behind. After all, it’s your podcast – if it isn’t a smooth and enjoyable listen, it likely won’t get the positive attention you’re hoping for.
You’ll also want to consider whether you want to pay for a one-off recording session or you’re looking for a regular slot to keep the momentum going and build a consistent release schedule. If you’re thinking the latter, then consider whether the podcast studio offers a pricing plan that matches your needs.
Here at Liverpool Podcast Studios, for instance, we offer a choice of either one-off sessions or three different monthly plans. These plans provide enough time to record weekly episodes with priority booking, as well as varying levels of support with captioned clips. We also upload your finished podcasts to various different platforms for you and schedule these to go live at a time that suits you, saving you the hassle while helping you to get your podcast out there and promoted effectively. You can pick the option that best fits your needs – and your budget, of course.
Take a look at our podcast production services page for a full overview of what we offer.
A proven track record
In the age of online shopping, we’re all used to doing a bit of research before we make a big purchase. There’s so much information out there to help steer you in the right direction – and it’s no different with podcast studios.
So before you make any decision, you’ll want to do your due diligence and see if your studio of choice has happy customers singing their praises and a track record of delivering quality. You’ll want to look at:
- Their website. If the podcast studio has done good work for prominent clients, they’ll certainly be willing to shout about on their website. Look for customer reviews, case studies, and samples of their work.
- Google reviews. Simply searching for the studio should turn up at the top of the results page a set of Google reviews that you can use to inform your decision. Take the time to read a few and get a sense of how happy their previous customers were.
- Social media. Does the studio have an active social media presence? Do they regularly share examples of their work or helpful podcasting tips? Social media can be a great way to get a sense not just of the quality of the work, but of the expertise of the people running the studio.
With all of this information to go on, you should be able to get a pretty clear picture of the overall reputation of the studio – something that’s very important if you want to make a good decision.
The right level of support
Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to get a sense of just how much support the podcast experts running the studio will offer you. If you’re relatively new to making podcasts, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not just going to be left to your own devices with some microphones, a few pop filters and a mixing board.
Will someone be on hand to answer any questions you have? If you’re not sure exactly how you want the episode to come out, will you be able to ask questions and get advice from someone who knows what makes for a great listening experience?
These are questions you’ll want to consider asking up front if you feel you’ll need a bit of extra know-how to turn your great idea into a compelling podcast. Here at Liverpool Podcast Studios, for instance, each of our clients gets a dedicated producer, who will help them tackle everything from minor technical issues to big-picture decisions about making an episode work. But not all podcast studios will offer this kind of dedicated service.
Liverpool Podcast Studios: Your top choice for podcast studio hire
Working with a podcast studio is a great way to realise your vision for a compelling, listener-friendly podcast. It can help you not just deliver crystal-clear, professional-quality audio and video, but also tackle everything from post-production and editing to generating attention-grabbing social media clips for you to share.
Of course, not every podcast studio is going to be able to deliver everything you need. Even if they have all the equipment on hand to record your podcast, they might not offer the level of support or the range of services you need. But with a little advance research, you can make sure you find the right studio for you – one that can take you from your very first episode to long-term success.
At Liverpool Podcast Studios, we’re committed to offering a true end-to-end podcast production service. We cover every aspect of the production process, from recording and editing to making social clips and transcripts. You can explore our services page for an insight into what we offer, and visit our clients page to get a glimpse of the range of brands and businesses we’ve worked with.
Or, why not get in touch and discuss your needs with one of our podcast experts?