The question of the cost to start a podcast has a short answer and a useful one. In short, it depends. More usefully, we can explain what it depends on, so you can compare options knowing what each price includes. Because two hours in two studios at very different prices can both be reasonable, depending on what you get in return.
The first option is recording on your own at home. Your initial cost is the equipment: microphones, an interface or mixing desk, headphones and, if you want video, cameras and lights. From then on recording is free, but all the technical work is yours and the result depends heavily on the room.
A second option is hiring a space by the hour. In Barcelona there are rooms and sets advertised on rental platforms at fairly low prices. They are usually empty spaces or have basic equipment, and in many the technician is not included, so you have to bring your own or know how to use whatever is there.
Finally, there is the podcast studio with a technician, where you arrive, sit down and record. In this case the price goes up because it includes the equipment already set up, the sound treatment, the lighting and a person who makes sure everything records properly. What changes from one studio to another is the length of the session, the number of cameras and whether editing is included.
Four things make the difference. Video: recording audio only is cheaper than recording with one camera, and one camera is cheaper than three. Live switching: if someone changes shots live while you record, there is almost no editing afterwards. Editing: handing over the raw files is not the same as delivering the finished episode. And social media clips: short pieces for Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn are usually charged separately.
Whenever you compare quotes, always ask whether the price is per hour or per session, whether VAT is included, whether there is a technician during the recording and which files you take away at the end.
We work by the hour, with a one-hour minimum booking and the studio open 24 hours a day. Podcast recording costs 120 euros an hour plus VAT, with three cameras, professional sound and a technician throughout the session. If you want live multi-camera switching, it is 240 euros an hour plus VAT, and with the episode edited and delivered, 290 euros an hour plus VAT. Short videos for social media are extra: the first three for 180 euros and each additional one for 50 euros. You will find everything in detail in podcast studio hourly prices.
It depends on how much you are going to record. A video kit with three cameras, lights, microphones and a mixing desk easily runs to several thousand euros, without counting the room or the time it takes to learn to use it. If you want to know which microphone to buy, we explain it in which podcast microphone to choose. With one episode a week for years, the investment can make sense. However, if you record once or twice a month, or you are starting out and want to know whether the format works, hiring works out cheaper and lets you focus on the content. It is like a car: buying one pays off if you use it every day, but for one trip a month, renting is usually better.
If you are unsure which option suits you, message us on WhatsApp and we will help you work it out. Still shaping the idea? Then start with how to make a podcast step by step.
For a company show, our guide to the branded podcast will also interest you, and if you are thinking about buying video equipment, so will the one on the podcast camera. For VAT rules on services in Spain, you can check the Spanish Tax Agency.
Written by Adina Harnagea, journalist and co-founder of the studio.