Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The idea to create a podcast is often the first step. It’s exciting and surely it’s a lot of fun to create content with your mates or experts in a field. And it’s true….it is a lot of fun. But, it’s also a lot of hard work and people often underestimate just how much it takes to get your podcast launched. It starts off as trial and error and the skills often take years to perfect.
Now, the first thing to consider is whether you have the budget to be investing in a production team to shape and craft your podcast to make it sound amazing. This is a team of people with years of experience, excellent networks, and a plethora of award-winning podcasts under their belts who can make it for you.
If you can find the budget, it can ensure that you don’t lose steam before it gets off the ground and you get ‘podcaster fatigue’.
As of July 2023, there are 4,122,797 valid podcasts and over 67 million episodes. But the number of active podcasts (podcasts that published a new episode in the last 90 days) is much lower than that. It’s around 500,000. So, the majority of podcasters aren’t posting new episodes. They’ve given up or retired their show.
If you don’t want to end up in this position – and want to create a sustainable, successful show – then a production company will certainly steer you in the right direction.
What is a podcast production company?
These are the people who make your podcast a reality. They will use their skills and expertise to help you develop an idea for your show and an overall strategy. They will be responsible for creating the product, from finding guests, to editing content, to publishing episodes. Often, they will also help with the launch and marketing of your show too.
If your budget is small, you can always look on websites like Fiver to find a freelance producer who can support you for basic audio editing. For a more ‘full service’ production offering, take a look at our suggestions below……
Are all podcast production companies the same?
Not at all! Although many will share similarities, podcast production companies can really differ when it comes to their individual services. Some may lean more into the marketing and advertising side of podcasting. Some may specialise in branded content or documentaries or multilingual content. Some only do interview formats and others only the comedy genre. The list goes on.
What should I be looking for in a podcast production company?
With so much choice out there it’s worth doing some research and finding a production company that specialises in an area relevant to you. It’s also important that they understand you or your brand – and what you want your podcast to achieve.
Recommendations
The following production companies have made some of the best podcasts published in recent times and will make you a podcast that far exceeds what you first imagined for your show.
1. Auddy
Now, we have to shine a light on our very own talented production team in our partner business. We’re really proud of all the content they’ve produced over the years, ranging from true crime podcasts with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, to quirky comedies. Auddy’s team has also created branded podcasts for BT, Fenwick, Selfridges, Mr Porter, Soho House and many more.
Our team is also building an impressive collection of podcasts focused on the environment and sustainability. They worked with Greenpeace on their documentary Unburnable, and more recently with The Global Goals on An Idiot’s Guide to Saving the World. And we’d be remiss to mention the hefty collection of awards they’ve won over the years – a result of their dedicated work.
We always try to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, in our productions, and in the stories we tell. And so, our team takes extreme pride and care in finding little-told stories and sharing them in a way that respects and celebrates the people involved.
2. Vespucci
Vespucci is creating some very exciting podcasts at the moment, under the leadership of their talented Head of Podcasts Thomas Curry. We love the Bad Money, Big Business podcast they released last year.
Not only does Vespucci have an exciting range of podcasts, from Hemingway’s Picasso to Killer Book Club, but they also have an audio magazine called Paperless which features episodes like Joy Boy – the story of Gosnell Duncan and the silicone dildo, narrated by Steve Buscemi.
3. Audio Always
Audio Always is based in Manchester and they are the creators of one of our favourite audio projects.
The world of audio is not made up purely of podcasts and radio. Baking with Yoto is a great example of using audio to create an interactive experience. Audio Always created five audio recipe cards for kids. You insert a card into a little toy which then talks you through how to make that recipe.
We’re excited to see what else Audio Always does – and to see how audio projects evolve with technology!
4. Novel
Novel are storytellers at heart, who specialise in investigative and narrative documentary pieces. Our partners at Auddy worked with them on the true crime series Smoke Screen (in partnership with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism) which follows Belinda Walter, a lawyer-turned-spy caught up in the dirty underbelly of South Africa’s tobacco trade.
Novel have a gift for turning complicated, tangled plots into truly gripping stories. Ones that hook you from the start and keep you coming back for more.
5. Crowd Network
Crowd Network hit the scene in 2020 and have approached podcasting production with a very innovative structure for their partners…….specialising in sports, stories and people. They get to write their own narrative and build a wider platform beyond the podcast. Focusing on building communities and revenue share for each partner they have. From Katie Price to Joe Marler and Geraint Thomas, they have a real sense of community for everyone they work with.
6. Grape
Grape is founded by Rachel Barton and it is the go-to for music entertainment. Grape creates radio shows, podcasts, visuals, and incredible event radio. Grape makes the hugely successful Who We Be Talks_, Spotify’s Secret Genius, and many music programmes for the BBC.
7. Quill Podcasting
Although more B2B focused, Quill are great US/Canada focused production team who work with companies to develop branded podcasts for them. Many of Quill’s clients’ shows are award-winning and have been featured in publications including Forbes, Inc, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur. Their focus is producing high-quality audio and strategic podcast marketing tactics to boost your company’s podcast ROI.
8. Studio Ochenta
Studio Ochenta is a multilingual podcast company that was founded by Lory Martinez in 2019. In an effort to make great stories accessible to all, Studio Ochenta releases original stories in multiple languages.
The company has expanded from 3 languages to producing in over 20 languages for audiences all around the world! Their true crime series, Caper, is a family-friendly series that travels the world in search of the boldest (and least known) heists. It’s a wonderful example of podcasts acting as an opportunity to learn about different cultures and areas of the world. It’s available in English, Spanish, German and Italian.
