How to Build a Career as a Podcast Producer

It’s easy to think of podcasts as an informal medium, but even simple podcasts require a level of polish to really find an audience. As for the big ones, their budgets can border on those of TV shows with sets, sound design, and lots of specialist equipment.

And none of that happens without a top notch producer.

So what does it take to go behind the cameras on a podcast? And how do you get hired in this influencer driven industry?

What Does a Podcast Producer Do?

Whether you’re working on a podcast, a play, or a poetry recital, a producer’s job is to wear many hats. On a podcast specifically, those usually include audio mixing and editing as a bare minimum but could also involve booking guests, planning episodes, and managing social media accounts. Put simply, the host does everything you see on camera while the producer does the rest.

Of course, smaller podcasts are usually produced by one or more of the hosts themselves, but for those with even a small budget, a hired producer can make a massive difference. For a professional producer, all their focus goes onto making the podcast as good as it can be, allowing the hosts to really focus on what they do best.

Finding Work

Podcast producing is very much a portfolio driven job. In fact, by far the simplest way to become one is to run your own podcast for a while.

This is less about numbers and more about provable polish. After all, any production in the position to hire you already has the numbers. What they need to see is that you can provide better production value along with a smoother process.

Your portfolio needs to contain examples of everything you do. At bare minimum that should include audio mixing and video editing but every extra skill you can throw on there is a plus.

Can you set up good lighting? Can you edit for different mediums/lengths – preserving the feeling of a conversation while picking out good highlights?

At the same time, don’t be afraid to let a creative voice shine through. Is your podcast funny? Is it about politics? Or religion?

These might sound like controversial topics but most podcasts are inherently opinion pieces. While you’ll be limiting yourself from part of the market, to the right team, you’re proving that you’re the perfect fit.

We’re not saying be controversial for the sake of it. You could equally run a podcast about media or science education. What’s important is that your portfolio shows off more than just your technical skills. A great podcast producing portfolio should have some personality to it. Ultimately, it’s personalities that make a podcast come together.

Lastly, keep in mind that you can’t learn everything at once. Training to become a podcast producer is very much an on-the-job experience. While courses in film and media production are useful, there really is no experience that will prepare you better than simply doing it yourself. 

How Much Does a Podcast Producer Make?

Most podcast producers work on a freelance basis, charging a rate per episode. As such exact numbers can vary wildly. That said, for a profitable podcast, it’s reasonable to charge somewhere in the region of $200-$800 depending on how much is being asked of you. For high end podcasts that can go as high as $2500 per episode.

All of the above figures are ballparks however. In practice, determining how much to charge is all about how many hours you’ll be putting in. If you’re just mixing the audio then you’ll want to negotiate on the lower end. If you’re responsible for managing a crew, a set, and a catering team on top of your usual editing duties, then naturally you’ll need to charge more than that.

Ultimately, as a professional producer for a mid-level podcaster, you should look to be making around $50-80K per year. If you’re offered a salaried position as a beginner, then $30K is reasonable but make sure to use that time to build experience and look for future opportunities.