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How Much Does It Cost To Start A Podcast
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How Much Does It Cost to Start a Podcast?

Tuesday, September 7, 2021  |   By Micme University

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Podcasting is a great way to promote your business, connect with your customers, or even make a bit of money if you get enough listeners. The barrier to entry for podcasting is very low, especially with the advent of tools like WordPress, but there are a few things you need to make sure you have before you start your show. We’ll go over what you need to start a podcast, how much it’ll cost you, and quick tips that’ll help you get started.

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How Much Does It Cost to Start a Podcast?

POV…. You’re considering starting a podcast, but you’re worried about the cost.

Starting a podcast seems like a difficult thing to do. Where do you start? Where do you get the podcast equipment? It’s expensive, right? Sure, it is if you decide to go with the most professional equipment and a huge list of special effects and flashy things you don’t need. But you don’t have to go down that route. A simple setup that’s easy to use can create an awesome podcast with stellar sound quality. This post will talk about how you can get started without breaking the bank.

We’ve broken down the costs and provided straight-to-the-point prices to assist you in evaluating the cost of the podcast you’d want to start. All of the cost estimates are based on the purchase of high-quality podcast equipment, which isn’t expensive, that will help you achieve amazing audio quality.

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Affordable Podcast Equipment

You can’t really put a price tag on a podcast, but you can get started with a small budget. Let’s take a look at some quality podcast equipment options many use to start their podcast. The world is your oyster when it comes to your podcasting equipment setup. You don’t need loads of money to start a podcast, but you do need to consider your long-term goals and how you’re going to achieve them.

Here’s a list of basic equipment you need to record your first podcast episode:

  • A laptop (“Free” since you already have one)
    • You probably already have a laptop, desktop or even a smartphone. So there’s no need to give a price for this because what you already have will probably be enough.
  • A USB Microphone ($90.00)
    • There are a few types of microphones. Your computer’s built-in microphone, a condenser microphone and a dynamic microphone. But the only one you’re going to worry about buying is a dynamic microphone.
    • Here’s our recommendation: ATR2005usb by Audio Technica – Of the many types of microphones available, dynamic microphones will be the best bang for your buck. The AT ATR2005usb is a classic, high quality, rugged mic.
    • You’ll need to make sure you have 1 mic per person recording, and each mic will be plugged
      into its own input on the audio interface. This model comes with the option of connecting
      it to your computer, bypassing the need for an interface or mixer.
  • Headphones (“Free” since you already have some or $60.00 if you’d like to upgrade):
    • Just use the earbuds you already have to save some money.
    • But, If you are looking for something a little more, here’s our recommendation: Audio Technica m20x. 
    • Headphones are one of the most useful pieces of gear you can have. Always make sure to listen to your levels to make sure they are properly set before recording. If you don’t, you risk recording poor quality audio.

This really is all of the equipment you need to start recording your podcast.

Cost – $90.00 (Add $60.00 if you want to also buy the headphones)

You can read our full podcasting equipment guide here. Get easy to understand advice and links to tutorials on how to use your new podcasting equipment.

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Podcast Recording/Editing Software

Recording Podcasts can be simple with basic audio recording software, but if you want to create high-quality podcasts, you need to use robust, fully featured audio software. Podcasting software allows you to record high-quality audio, remove background noise, edit your recordings, and turn them into MP3 files. By using podcast editing software, you’ll be able to create better sounding podcasts that stand out from the millions of podcasts already available on the Internet.

Here is a list of some of the audio recording software that you might want to look into:

  • Audacity (Free)
    • is a free downloadable programme that can be used for recording, editing, mixing, and exporting sound files. It has many features, including volume normalization, noise reduction, sampling rate conversion, panning, and much more.
  • Reaper ($60.00)
    • A powerful yet easy to use digital audio workstation (DAW) for recording and editing audio with lots of different effects like compression, equalisation etc.
  • Zoom.us (free)
    • video teleconferencing software. The free plan allows up to 100 concurrent participants to video conference while recording their session for you for up to 40 minutes.

All of the options are full-featured audio editing software that provides more than enough functionality for producing podcasts. You should always start by researching the software that is available to you. The only thing that might hold you back is the learning curve these programs have. But in addition to cheap or no price tags, they all come with a robust library of tutorials and how-to content to help you learn.

Cost – Free (Or $60.00 if Reaper is the best option for you)

Free Podcast Editing
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The Podcast Hosting Service

The podcast hosting services market has been around for a while, but it’s been a relatively niche market. The reason for this is that podcasting is a fairly new medium, so while it has been around for a while, it has only been a viable option for a short amount of time, and so the market is still quite small. This is a good thing for you, however, as it means that there are a lot of services out there that you can choose from, and that the market is still in its early stages, so prices are lower than they may be in a few years time. In order to start a podcast, podcast hosting is necessary.

What is podcast hosting and why do you need it? Podcast hosting provides the infrastructure on which your podcast will be distributed. It also creates a space on the internet where each episode will live.

When you sign up with a podcast hosting service, an RSS feed is created for your podcast. I’m not going to go into exactly what an RSS feed is and how it works, but simply put, it gives your podcast an “identity” filled with information that the biggest podcast directories, like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts, use to communicate with your podcast and distribute it around the internet, allowing you to reach millions of potential listeners.

  • Libsyn ($15.00 per month)
    • The official podcast hosting partner for the most popular podcasts and media companies. 
    • If you partner with Micme to launch your podcast, we’re happy to be able to offer you 1 free month by using our Libsyn promo code.
  • Anchor (free)
    • Distribute your podcast to the most popular listening apps, including Spotify, with just a single tap, and host unlimited content completely free, forever.

Cost – $15.00 per month

Libsyn Podcast Hosting how much does it cost to start a podcast
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Custom Podcast Intro / Outro

Custom podcast intros and outros are an important part of your podcast. They are often the first thing people will hear when they listen to your podcast. The intro sets the mood for your listeners and tells them what kind of experience they can expect from the podcast. The outro tells listeners how much you appreciate them and helps them to connect with you on a more personal level.

Custom podcast intro and outro production can help you get listeners hooked on your podcast right from the beginning, all the way until the very end. You have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to background music and voice over talent for your podcast.

  • Basic Royalty-Free Music ($50.00) or (Free)
    • Premiumbeat.com is a great place to go if you need access to music. You can buy single songs that come with a royalty-free licence for you to use on your podcast.
    • Pixabay.com/music offers free music for your podcast and includes a royalty free license to use the music for free in your podcast.
  • Production of a full custom podcast intro and outro ($275.00)
    • Micme.com offers full custom podcast intro and outro production to elevate your  podcast. Our service includes:
      • Professional Voice Over Artist-Browse our world-class voice over artist roster and choose the voice you want to read your script.
      • Script Writing: Write your podcast’s intro and outro scripts to hook your listeners. You write your script, we edit it (up to 120 words)
      • Royalty-Free Music-Browse high quality, royalty-free background music and choose the song that best fits your brand.
      • High Quality SFX & Mixing & Mastering-high-quality SFX and mixing and mastering of your intro and outro in 320kbps mp3.

This is, of course, an optional part of your podcast. But adding some sort of an intro and outro will take the quality of your podcast to new heights. It will help your podcast feel more like an event.

Cost – $50.00 ($275.00 if you’d like have a custom podcast intro and outro produced)

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Podcast Cover Art (Podcast Artwork)

When people think about podcasts, they usually think about the audio. However, there is more to it than just that. In order to create a successful podcast, you need good podcast artwork that can attract listeners and make them want to learn more about what you have to say on your show. Not to mention, major platforms like Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts require you have podcast artwork for approval on their sites.

The cover art for podcasts is often overlooked. It should be eye-catching while still reflecting the content of the podcast.

  • Canva (Free)
    • Design your own podcast artwork for free using an online graphics service like Canva.

Make sure to make your podcast’s artwork to the below specifications or you might run into problems when trying to get approved on the major platforms like Apple Podcasts:

  • Between 1400px by 1400px and 3000px by 3000px
  • In jpg format
  • In RGB color space
  • No bigger than 500kb in file size

Cost – Free

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Outsourcing Your Podcast Production (Optional)

Full disclosure, this is where we insert a shameless plug for our podcast production service. If you know you don’t need/want to outsource tasks for your podcast, you can skip this section. It also won’t be included in the grand totals section.

Having said that, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “I could do that better myself,” while watching a tutorial on how to use Audacity or Garageband to edit their podcast. Then I proceed to watch them struggle and edit for hours and hours.

Good news! You don’t have to do it yourself anymore! Hiring someone to do it for you can save you time and hassle. While it may feel like it’s costly at first, you’ll get your money’s worth in saved time and the ability to focus on tasks that put dollars back in your pocket, like serving your new found customers.

Now, I can’t stand here and tell you that outsourcing will solve all of your problems. There will be times when you need to just sit down and do some work, and there will be times when you’re forced to do so. Outsourcing is meant to make your life easier and save you time. And when done properly, it will help you grow your audience.

The reason to outsource podcast editing, podcast launch and podcast intro production is because it frees up your time from menial tasks. It will solve a ton of problems that you’ve been having. You can use that time to focus on promoting your podcast and interacting with your listeners. You’ll also have to further develop the product you’re selling, which in turn will make you money.

This is the time to be discovered. With podcasting becoming more and more popular by the day, now’s the time to make your mark. The time to launch your podcast is now. Let us help you launch your podcast into the world.

For a complete resource on what services Micme offers, visit our podcast production pricing page here:

Micme.com
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Additional/Optional Production Costs

The following add-ons won’t be included in the grand totals section because you don’t need them to start your podcast. But it’s nice to know what you can grow your podcast into. 

Monthly advertising costs between $5 and $500

Podcast ads are becoming increasingly popular as podcasts gain popularity, with some podcasts reaching over 200k downloads per month. The basis of podcast ads is pretty simple: the host of the podcast talks about the product or service for a few minutes, then plays the 2-3 minute advertisement. The podcast listener then hears the advertisement, and the advertiser pays the podcast owner to broadcast it. The podcaster (you) is able to make money, and the advertiser gets their product or service in front of a highly targeted audience. This makes podcast ads a win-win for both parties! And this type of advertising has become a proven and very effective way for both sides to benefit.

Podcast advertising is growing in popularity every year, especially, since podcasts are now available on more platforms than just iTunes! The average podcast listener has grown by 68% since 2015, which means there’s more money to be made than ever before!

A Website for Podcasts

You can really benefit from having a website built for your podcast. Not only will this help with SEO, but it will also help with maintaining your audience’s interest in you and your podcast. Thanks to podcast websites, it is easy to keep your viewers updated on the latest happenings in the podcast industry, grow an email list, and provide a central place for your listeners to go.

Designing a website can help you get more listeners. Designing for a podcast specifically can help you rank higher on search engines and improve how people find and share your content. By focusing on your keywords and using SEO, you can design a website that will help you to get the listeners you want and the listeners you deserve.

Cost: Free (with Podpage’s free account)

Transcription – $1.25 per completed minute with Rev.com

If you’re producing a podcast and you’d like to improve SEO by converting your podcast episode into blog posts and other forms of content, you should try having your podcast episodes transcribed. Transcription services can speed up the process of turning your podcast episodes into blog posts and other forms of content, and this will help you create more content and grow your audience.

You can create tons of content from one podcast episode by having it transcribed into a blog post. If you already do this, then you know that the best way to post the transcript is as a blog post. Firstly, because having a lot of blog posts can increase your search engine optimization. If you’re not doing SEO (search engine optimization), then you really should be! Secondly, having a blog post gives you a lot more space to write about the topic. This means you can include all the juicy, juicy details that didn’t quite make it into the podcast!

Not only can you write a keyword-rich blog post for SEO purposes, but check out our post on why you should start a podcast to see how much content you can generate from a single podcast episode: Should I Start a Podcast? https://micme.com/should-i-start-a-podcast/

Mic stand–from free to $15

Any quality microphone for recording will usually ship with at least a small table tip mic stand. That is really all you need. Of course, you can upgrade to a microphone boom arm if you’d like. But those can start to get pretty pricey pretty quickly.

Since we’re looking at straight-to-the-point options that take all of the guesswork out of starting a podcast, stick with the mic stand that ships with your XLR/USB microphone or buy a $15 one from Amazon.

Pop filter-$15

Much like the mic stand, any quality microphone will ship with a pop filter in the box. These things aren’t rocket science and any pop filter will do the job.

Renting a podcast recording studio-$50 per hour

If you’ve read our post about How To Start a Podcast, you know that the room you record in is very important. Most of the time, you should be able to find a quiet room and a quiet time to record a podcast episode. Depending on your episode format and depending on if you can’t find a good environment to record in, renting a podcast recording studio in your area might be the best choice to make sure you get the best audio quality and are creating a high-quality podcast.

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Grand Total of Production Costs: How Much Does It Cost to Start a Podcast

This breakdown is for the most basic of podcast setups and episode formats. Which is you sitting and recording yourself talking about whatever topic you’re an expert on, and having a guest or two join either in person or remotely. There are other ways to record, though, and depending on your episode format, you might need some different equipment, which will affect your podcast budget.

But I suggest easing into podcasting and growing from here. It’ll be less stressful and more enjoyable. It’ll also make it easier to take on the more complicated podcast setups in the future, if you find you’d like to go there.

Recording Equipment: Cost – $90.00 (Add $60.00 if you want to also buy the headphones)

Recording/Editing Software: Cost – Free (Or $60.00 if you decide Reaper is the best option for you)

Podcast Hosting Service: Monthly fee is $15.00 ($180 per year).

Podcast Intro and Outro: Cost – $50.00 ($149.99 if you’d like to have a custom podcast intro and outro produced)

Podcast Cover Art: Cost – Free!

Total: $90 + $180 + $50 = $320.

You can get started and continue to podcast for a full year for the price of $320. Of course, we covered a variety of other options that will increase your costs, but it’s very affordable to get started creating a high-quality podcast.

A lot of people think that it costs too much money to start a podcast, but the truth is that it’s actually quite affordable. You can get started with your own podcast with very little money out of pocket, and if you’re serious about it, it’s possible for you to make money with your podcast in the future.

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More Useful Podcasting Resources

Podcast Planning to Start a Successful Podcast

August 30, 2021 2 Comments

How do I start a podcast? Where do I start? What do I need? We’ll answer all these questions. Here, Find everything you need to get started! Planning is the key to podcast success. Here are some things you must know before you start podcasting. You can’t just turn on your computer and start recording. You need an action plan.

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