Podcasts are one of the fastest-growing media forms in the world today. Since 2020, businesses have begun investing heavily in podcast creation and vodcasts (video podcasts) as part of their marketing strategies.
With predictions claiming there will be 424 million podcast listeners worldwide by the end of 2022, it’s clear to see why some businesses are looking at designing their own podcast studios.
Recent reports even show that 38% of podcast listeners report purchasing products or services that are promoted through podcasts. When you also consider that 62% of the population has listened to podcasts, it’s hard to ignore the potential for business growth.
In this Ultimate Guide to Professional Podcast Studios we will cover everything you need to know about designing and building a professional studio for your business or brand.
We have covered this topic in depth over the last few months, so if you want any more information about any of these points, take a look at our catalogue of articles which explain everything in more depth.
Know what you’re looking for? Check out each of the blogs that explain the topic in more detail below!
1. Why Should I Use A Professional Podcast Studio Design Consultant
2. Why You Shouldn’t Outsource Your Corporate Podcast Studio
3. How To Choose The Right Commercial Podcast Studio Design & Build Partners
4. How Much Does It Cost To Design And Build A Podcast Studio?
5. How A Professional Podcast Studio Designer Chooses A Room
6. Professional Podcast Studio Set Up Vs DIY Podcast Studio Set Up
7. Transforming Your Workspace: Create a Professional Podcast Studio in Your Office
8. 5 Common Mistakes In Podcast Studio Design
Why Should I Use A Professional Podcast Studio Design Consultant?
Partnering with a professional podcast studio design and build team is the best way to create a high-design, elegant recording space for your business’s podcasts.
Working with a dedicated technical consultant will ensure you’re assisted from the early planning stages, through to the final installation and tech setup.
Your business’ podcast studio will be a key way to build your brand’s authority. By offering more ways for your customers to interact with your business, you can easily become the go-to experts in your field.
To properly reflect your brand and business, your professional podcast space should be high-design, becoming the perfect backdrop for you, your guests and your business – this becomes even more necessary if you’re looking into turning your podcasts into a video format.
Why You Shouldn’t Outsource Your Corporate Podcast Studio
When looking for a space to record your companies podcast episodes, there are several different avenues to look into. Two of the main options available are In-House studios or Outsourcing. Whilst both are capable of helping your business or brand develop quality podcast content, they do fundamentally pose different challenges.
The Cost
If you’re a CMO or Head of Marketing, you’re likely all too familiar with the challenge of chasing marketing budget. Return on investment is everything and proving that your marketing strategies are a worthwhile investment means demonstrating the potential ROI clearly, whilst keeping costs low.
If you’re looking to outsource your podcast studio space for a professional podcast, it’s likely that you’ll be recording a notable number of episodes. This might be fine if you’re just trialling a new podcast, but in the long term, the costs of hiring a podcast recording space can far outweigh the cost of designing your own in-house space.
On the other hand, investing in your own corporate podcast studio, not only allows for bespoke set-ups, and more professional recordings, but also circumvents the ongoing costs of hiring a space.
Quality
To be clear, outsourcing your podcast studio hire doesn’t mean you will be using poor-quality setups or technology. It will clearly be to a higher standard than a do-it-yourself podcast studio.
However, investing in a professional podcast studio build for your business will always guarantee the highest quality end product. By working with a professional podcast studio designer, your space will be engineered to deliver the perfect audio and aesthetic set-up for your business.
But how do you find and choose the right podcast studio designers to develop your vision?
How To Choose The Right Commercial Podcast Studio Design & Build Partners
When specifying a commercial podcast studio, the process can be split into two key parts: the design stage and the build stage.
Whilst it is possible to have two independent parties work on each stage, it is always advised to seek out a complete design and build package. By hiring two separate companies, there is a wide range of complications that can arise including lack of communication, delays, technical issues and higher costs.
By partnering with an all-in-one podcast design and build consultant, you are assisted through one single source, ensuring that there is a golden thread that links every part of the process together seamlessly.
To keep things simple and efficient, whilst keeping costs low, seek out a studio designer that can deliver consultation, design, manufacture and installation in one synchronous service.
Look For A Background In Sonics
When choosing a studio design and build company, it’s critical that you look for experts with a background in audio-related fields, such as music production, podcasts or radio. Expertise in sound engineering and sonics will go a long way to creating a professional leading podcast studio for your business.
Processes such as acoustic treatment and soundproofing, are by their nature very technical and should only be carried out by trained acousticians to avoid future audio issues or extra costs.
Remember, despite how much you spend on quality equipment, it’ll only ever be as good as the room you house it in.
Design-Led Podcast Studio Design and Build
With a growing trend of video-format podcasting, the look and feel of your studio will be key to establishing your business’s brand identity and the tone of your podcast episodes.
By seeking out design-led podcast studio consultants, your final studio will not only astonish through its audio content but impress visually too.
When budgeting for your podcast studio it’s crucial that you allow for all of these elements in your costings. Sonics and visuals go hand-in-hand in this ever-growing market and competition is fierce.
How Much Does It Cost To Design And Build A Podcast Studio?
Like anything, the desired quality of the final product will be the biggest factor in determining cost. On a sliding scale of ‘cost-effective to premium’, key design choices and specifications will considerably affect the final price of a design and build project.
More often than not, cutting corners or buying cheap only ends up in needing to buy twice (or in this case, the cost of post-editing a badly recorded podcast series will soon add up to more than the build cost). Understanding the difference between a cheaper price and good value is essential here.
There are four main areas which will determine the final cost of your professional podcast studio. The main factors that will affect podcasts studio cost are:
- The Base Build
- The Size Of Your Studio
- The Branding
- Equipment Costs
Let’s break down each of these a little more below:
The Base Build
It’s very rare to find an isolated room that doesn’t at least need partial construction in order to isolate it.
The need for adding an isolated ceiling and floor can drastically increase the costs, however these elements are essential to create a soundproof booth that is fit for purpose.
At this early stage, the layout of the room will be considered and adjustments may need to be made, for example to lower the ceiling to improve audio quality.
The Size Of Your Studio
Businesses looking at investing in an in-house podcast studio will have varying sizes of available space.
You might be refurbishing a 15m2 disused storage room, which will require a clever ergonomic layout to ensure everything fits comfortably. This could mean designing with verticality in mind, to save space or specifying products that are compact or hidden.
Alternatively, you might be working with a space that’s 150m2 allowing you to think bigger, earlier.
No matter the size of your space, scalability should always be considered. As your podcast grows and your ROI increases, you’ll likely want your podcast studio to grow with your business’s needs.
Branding
With the growing trend of video podcasts the need for a space that looks the part is higher than ever. Next-level design features such as lighting, furniture and brand-identity will keep viewers engaged and connected to your company’s brand.
Working alongside a professional design and build company will ensure your studio can be stylised in line with your particular branding and messaging.
Equipment Costs
To design and build a commercial level podcast studio, cutting corners on A/V equipment is not an option. In order to produce top-tier podcast content that establishes your company brand and stands out from the crowded market, it’s crucial you invest in the right interfacing and audio equipment.
For more information on this take a look at our blog where we cover the costs in full.
How A Professional Podcast Studio Designer Chooses A Room
Determining the size of your proposed space is the most important consideration to make before planning your professional podcast studio.
Whilst there are many innovations which can make podcast studios more compact, for a practical studio there is a minimum size needed to house the base build-up.
Knowing where to build a professional podcast studio will require expertise, as some rooms won’t be suited to their location or the structure of the wider building.
Here are some key questions to consider:
- How Much Space Do I Need For A Podcast Studio?
- Where Can I Build A Professional Podcast Studio?
- Can My Building Support A Podcast Studio?
- How Big Should My Podcast Studio Be?
- Where Do I Keep My Podcast Equipment?
- How Important Are Lighting & Windows For A Podcast Studio?
We take a look at each of these questions and answer them in this article.
Professional Podcast Studio Set Up Vs DIY Podcast Studio Set Up
Professional (or commercial) podcast studios, such as Facebook’s new studio, offer companies and brands an unparalleled level of quality, efficiency and design. The potential of a professional set up is near limitless, allowing for bespoke design that serves your needs and promotes your brand.
Whilst there some great packages out there for DIY acoustic treatment, they are unable to compete with a properly designed room that has been fine tuned for the size and capacity of the soundstage.
Some of the main benefits of a professional podcast studio are:
- Premium sound quality
- High-quality acoustics and soundproofing
- High-end equipment and technology
- A recording space custom-built for your needs
- Bespoke design to promote your brand
- Brand credibility for potential advertisers
- Complete flexibility
Whilst there are obvious benefits to both professional and budget podcast studios, they are not equally suited to an individual’s needs. For businesses and brands looking to invest in podcasting, a professional podcast studio set up will always be required.
Transforming Your Workspace: Create a Professional Podcast Studio in Your Office
You might be wondering what is involved in transforming your businesses workspace into a professional podcast studio? Here are the main steps we take at Sound Zero to deliver a professional studio design and build project.
Initial Point Of Contact
Whether it is a full scale design and build, a project management role involving the drafting and oversight of the project or simply providing a product specification which allows agencies to carry out the project utilising suggested pre-existing product ranges – the first step is to discuss the vision and scope.
Site Visit
Depending on the project, the next step will usually be for your podcast design and build consultant to carry out a site visit. During this visit there is the opportunity to survey the space and get a feel for the project, making note of any restrictions or problem areas that could arise during the building process.
Drafting/Proposal Stage
We take great pride in putting together a comprehensive document that outlines everything from the vision for the project to the estimated budget and timescale.
This level of detail helps you to visualize the project fully and makes it easier to make decisions as the project develops.
Project Phases & Procurement
The procurement stage is where the necessary materials and components for the build are secured, benefitting from the careful planning and preparation laid out in the prior project stages.
Following this, the project build can be started and the bulk of the project is underway. This includes the implementation of the physical elements of the build on-site, including deliveries and the core build.
Core Build Inspection
After the base build of the studio has been completed, including any structural changes which may be required such as compensating for extra weight, it will need to be inspected and signed off.
Final Inspection
Here, your consultant will offer a walkthrough of the space, offering guidelines on the operation and maintenance of your office podcast studio and give you more insight into the work carried out.
We cover each of these steps in more detail in this article, check it out to discover more about how a design and build project works.
5 Common Mistakes In Professional Podcast Studio Design
To round things off here are five of the most common mistakes we see businesses and brands make during their specification of a podcast studio design and build.
- Not Allowing Enough Space In Podcast Studio Design
- Not Properly Insulating Your Podcast Studio Space
- Bad Acoustic Design In Professional Podcast Studios
- Having An Over-Reliance On Post Production
- Not Thinking About Video Format Podcasts (VODcasts)
For more information on how to avoid these mistakes and what they mean for the quality of your studio, check out our dedicated article here.
Conclusion
The points covered in this ultimate guide to Designing & Building Professional Podcast Studios should give you a greater insight into the benefits of a professional recording studio and how a professional design and build team can help you accomplish your vision.
For more information on any of these points, take a look at our catalogue of blogs on podcast studios here. Or why not download our new guide here.
Sound Zero offers a complete design and build consultancy process for podcast and music production studios.
From conception to completion, you are supported by your Sound Zero technical consultant to bring your creative vision to life through a 5-step process including consultation, site visit, 3D modelling, manufacture and installation.
If you’re looking to design and build an in-house professional podcast studio for your business, do not hesitate to get in touch!
Or alternatively, give us a call on 020 3984 2000.
