A podcast can cost anything from almost nothing to several hundred euros per episode. The difference comes not from the idea itself but from three decisions: where you record, who edits and whether you do video. Below, we break the cost down into its parts and give some budget examples.
What goes into the cost
- Recording. At home, that means your own equipment and time. In a studio, it is the rental, equipment included.
- Editing. Cutting out repetitions, cleaning up the sound, adding an intro and outro and, for video, cutting together the footage from several cameras.
- Short videos. Reels, Shorts and TikTok videos from the same recording, which bring in new viewers.
- Cover art and episode images. The show cover is made once, and a YouTube thumbnail is made for every episode.
- Distribution. The audio version needs a platform that creates an RSS feed for Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and the video goes up on YouTube.
Budget examples
| Option | Price per episode | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Audio podcast at home | Your own equipment and time | An audio recording you edit yourself |
| Video podcast in the studio, with editing | €400 + VAT | 2.5 hours of filming with an operator, up to 5 cameras, an edited episode and one Reel |
| The same, plus three short videos | From €520 + VAT | The Full Podcast package plus three extra Reels, from €40 each |
Studio prices are from our price list. We have collected the official prices of other Vilnius studios in a comparison.
What a season costs
Think in seasons, not episodes. Four episodes a month in the studio with editing cost €1,600 + VAT per month, and two episodes cost €800 + VAT. So before you start, it is worth settling on a pace you can keep up for at least six months.
Where you can save, and where you should not
- You can record several episodes in one day. For example, four episodes in eight hours cost €600 for the studio and 4 × €100 for editing, €1,000 + VAT in total. Short videos are then charged separately, though.
- You can skip buying decorations: the studio already has furniture and decor.
- Do not save on sound: viewers will forgive a poor picture, but not poor sound.
- Do not save at the expense of consistency: one expensive episode with no follow-up does less than ten simpler ones.
What not to forget
VAT. Studios often list their prices excluding VAT, so when you compare, make sure you are comparing like with like.
Time. Preparing topics, arranging guests and publishing an episode take at least as long as the recording itself. We covered how to plan it all from the start in our guide on how to start a podcast.