There are several parts to producing a podcast. You have to plan, record, edit, release, and market your podcast. Several of these aspects can take significant amounts of time to complete. And getting a high-end production company can be a cost that some startup podcast podcasters might not want.
However, wanting to edit a podcast doesn’t mean that it is the right decision. In this article, we look at how long it takes to edit a podcast.
How Long Does It Take to Edit a Podcast?
Editing yourself can be an effective way to save costs, but time is a precious resource you might not want to give up. On average, the best podcast editors take between three and five minutes per minute of audio for a podcast. Therefore, a 30-minute show can take up to 90-150 minutes to edit.
This is a long time, which could disrupt other activities that you do. And this is for experienced podcast editors. If you’re not experienced, then the time can be longer, or you could rush the process and therefore have a podcast that is full of mistakes.
Therefore, while you might be saving costs, the value of the podcast might be lesser, which can reduce podcast revenues from sponsors or even distract audiences lowering retention of listeners.
Also, you won’t be able to do other work when editing the podcast. So 90-150 minutes is lost revenue time. If you look at your hourly rate, what value of earnings are you losing?
Also, when interviewing guests on your podcast, it can make it harder to be time efficient when editing together, and if you use any short clips, like outtakes from interviews or add in sponsored content, then the task can be much harder, especially when you’re cutting between audio or visual streams.
Finally, another problem is that you have to do this regularly. It isn’t a job that is done once and then finished. Every episode will need to be edited. And if you want the best from podcast sponsorship and audience retention, consistency is critical. Ensure you complete your editing on time for release on schedule.
Using a High-End, Professional Podcast Production Company
When you’re looking to get the best from your podcast, quality matters. You want to ensure that what you send to clients is valuable. This doesn’t just include the entertainment and educational value of the content you’re producing, it also means the quality of presentation.
You don’t want, for example, lots of pauses or breaks. Nor do you want to have your podcast with background noise.
When you work with a company like Produce Your Podcast, you will be provided with polished episode editing that removes all undesirables from the content, to showcase the best of you, your brand, and the content. Therefore, you can be more productive and spend time on activities that you’re better at, like servicing clients.
And these aren’t the only benefits of working with a company like Produce Your Podcast. We can help you build an effective end-to-end podcast production system to improve the final product.
The Costs of Editing Your Podcast Episodes
The other factor to consider is the cost of editing your podcast episodes. Not only is there a cost to the time spent on the podcast episodes, you will need to purchase the right software to edit the podcasts. There are some free options, but these often don’t have the range of functionality that other premium options have.
Most editing tools now have a monthly or annual fee, especially most of the premium options on the market. Therefore, costs are ongoing and the overall cost might be higher than expected, especially if you aren’t as consistent as you would like.
In comparison, getting a podcast production company to help you edit the podcast episodes means that the cost of the software is shared between you and other clients, bringing down the costs. Plus, the cost of editing the podcast will likely be lower than the cost of completing the work.
Then there are other benefits for working with a podcast production company. For instance, they can recommend the best recording equipment for your podcast, which makes editing much easier, they can also help you with strategic marketing plans, to help you find new listeners.
One of the best benefits is how they can help you monetize your content. Learning how to secure sponsorship, even when you’re a new show can be one of the best benefits of working with a podcast production company. With their help, you can not only secure the best sponsors for your brand but also get better rates.
FAQs
How long does it take to edit a weekly podcast?
For every minute of audio that you record on your podcast, you should expect to spend about 3 to 5 minutes of editing. This needs to be done weekly, which means for even a short podcast, you might be spending half a day a week editing a weekly podcast.
What are the costs of doing podcast editing yourself?
Consider the costs of the equipment and software for editing the podcast and the time taken to produce the editing at your hourly rate. If your rate is $40 per hour, then for every 12 minutes of audio you have, you’ll spend an hour’s worth of your time editing.
Can a high-end production company offer better benefits?
Not only can a high-end production company offer you a more cost-effective solution, but they can also offer a higher-quality podcast production.
Final Word: How Long Does It Take to Edit a Podcast?
For those looking to save costs, it might be tempting to edit the podcast episodes themselves. However, it can sometimes be one of the least effective ways to save costs, and it might be better to work with a high-end production company to help you edit your podcast episodes.
Produce Your Podcast is a full-service podcast production, editing, and marketing agency specializing in helping brands launch, grow, and monetize successful podcasts that impact their bottom line. With 30+ years of experience in broadcasting and business development brought to every project we work on, our team of experts is a reliable partner to help you achieve your goals with your show.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today and let’s bring your show to life!