It would be great if you could record an episode and immediately publish it to your podcast host. Sadly, there’s a tedious step in between: editing.
If you don’t enjoy editing your podcast audio, you aren’t alone. Many podcasters prefer to focus on creating content, so they use podcast editing services to handle the technical details. Let someone else add your ID3 tags and bumpers, adjust your levels, and remove that unavoidable sneeze.
The right podcast editing service could be a big boost to your workflow, leaving you more time to promote your podcast and connect with your listeners. But which is right for you? There are so many, and they each offer different levels of service at different price points.
In this post, we cover the best podcast editing services. Use this guide to find the service that fits your needs and budget.
How Much Does It Cost To Edit A Podcast?
Before we dive into our recommendations, it’s important that you understand the different types of podcast editing and their cost.
“Editing” can mean a lot of things, so there’s no easy answer to this question. If you poke around the web, you’ll see that there’s a huge range of podcast editing services.
Do you need an editor who will plan your content and oversee production and distribution? Or do you just need someone to remove the distracting background noises from your audio? These two extremes – and everything in between – fall under “editing.”
The price of editing, therefore, depends on what you want the editor to do.
On the cheap end, an editor may simply adjust your levels and add bumpers, whereas a more expensive editor will remove every unrelated sound, add or remove pauses for pacing, and slice in other audio files (sound effects, songs, news clips, etc.).
Naturally, you’ll pay a lot more if they want the editor involved in the planning or distribution processes. But the result of that is you’ll have a better podcast in the end.
Generally speaking, podcast editing falls into three categories:
1. Full production editing
Full production editing is when you hire a consultant or expert to work with you through the entire content creation process. They participate in planning, scheduling, finding the right guests, writing your questions or monologue, and editing the final audio file.
In some cases, full production editors even play a role in marketing your podcast. They help you create marketing assets like your podcast website, show notes, transcriptions, and social media content. They are totally invested in the ongoing success of the show.
Working with a more full service production studio will result in a better show for your audience to enjoy and a more impactful asset for your brand.
Estimated cost: $1,000 to $4,000 per month.
2. Technical editing
Technical editors handle only the post-production pieces. They edit the audio file and fashion show notes and transcriptions. They may play a role in distributing the show. But they do not participate in the creation process. That’s all handled by the podcaster.
Estimated cost: $100-$250 per episode.
3. Setup and launch
You will also come across services that help you launch your show. These services will educate you on starting a podcast from scratch, configure your RSS feed, create cover art, submit your show to podcast directories, etc. They may even help you plan your content. Basically, they usher you right up to the point where you record your first episode.
Estimated cost: $200-$500 one-time fee.
Get Paid for All Your Episodes with a Single Click
Castos lets you monetize all of your episodes – even the old ones – with a press of a button. We handle everything for you. That means no more chasing sponsors, negotiating deals, recording ad segments, or editing ads into episodes.
How do Castos Ads work?
Our platform will dynamically stitch short, brand-appropriate ads to the beginning and end of each episode. It’s all automatic. Your entire catalog will serve ads and earn money 24/7. There is ZERO technical setup needed from you.
Your episodes will only become one minute longer, but your smile will get a little wider as each listen adds more money to your monthly payout.
Get paid for every episode, no matter how old
Traditional sponsorship deals only apply to new episodes, but Castos Ads works with your entire library. Adding these ads to your show does not affect your rankings, ratings, or reviews on any of the podcasting directors and listening apps.
Ads are never stale or irrelevant
With dynamic ads, the ad content itself is always relevant. We never serve stale ads or ads for companies/products that don’t exist.
Great for new shows with small audiences
Most sponsors don’t want to talk to you until you have tens of thousands of listeners. That’s their loss! We will monetize your podcast even if you’ve literally just started. And we’ll keep paying you more as your audience grows.
Serve your own ads too
As your audience grows, sponsors will start to notice you. Using Castos Ads doesn’t prohibit you from including your own ads as well. Feel free to negotiate your own sponsorship deals and include them in your episodes. The sponsorship will give you a nice one-time cash bonus while Castos Ads will continue to pay you indefinitely.
Pause at any time, no questions asked
If you decide Castos Ads aren’t for you, simply pause the ads at any time in your dashboard. No questions asked. Ads will immediately cease on all episodes in your Castos account.
(But honestly, we don’t think you’ll want to pause. Everyone likes free money landing in their bank account without any effort!)
Start Making Money with Your Podcast
Flip the switch now and start making money from your show. You get that mic upgrade you’ve been eyeing or finally invest in an editor. Or treat yourself to a spa day. It’s your cash!
Turn on Castos Ads
Zero setup. Turn on and off any time.
Top 11 Podcast Editing Services and Production Services
Now that you understand the different kinds of podcasting editing services, let’s go over the top providers.
1. Castos Productions
Castos Productions focuses on B2B podcasts, working with corporate customers to help them create a fresh new, and cost effective, marketing channel for their brand.
Castos Productions not only takes the hard work of post production off of your hands, leaving you free to grow your show and connect with your audience, but is also one of the few full-service production services in this list.
This podcast editing service is staffed by a team of seasoned audio engineers, talented show note writers, and producers to take care of every episode. They even have a team of in-house producers for those looking for more creative guidance in order to make a better podcast.
There are two main levels of service within Castos Productions, The Assistant and The Executive Producer. Which you choose will depend on your budget, the goals of your show, your experience in creating content like a podcast, and just how involved you want to be in the process.
Furthermore, with Castos, you gain access to their Launch Service.
For a one-time fee, our team creates an eye-catching cover image, coordinates you on show design and promotional strategy, produces the first few episodes for your show, and takes care of all of the distribution setup for your podcast to podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and many more.
2. Resonate Recordings
Resonate Recordings is another podcast editing service and production platform. Their team of audio professionals provides podcast production services for albums, feature films, broadcast television, audiobooks, and some of the top podcasts.
They offer a number of services to help you launch and market your podcast.
- Launch ($199+) – Everything needed to launch a professional and successful podcast.
- Production ($59+) – Audio engineers meet all of your post-production needs.
- Enterprise (varies) – A turnkey solution to organizations of all sizes. This includes everything from pre-production to distribution.
- Video ($199+) – Video creation for your episodes.
- Marketing ($25+) – Marketing assets, such as show notes, transcriptions, audiograms, and social cards.
- Producer ($200+) – An experienced and professional podcast producer will help with planning, offer feedback, content strategy, and even episode creation.
Which package is right for you depends on your needs and how often you publish. To get an idea of how much any of these services will cost for your show, schedule a call with their team.
3. We Edit Podcasts
We Edit Podcasts started with the mission to help podcasters get their time back so they can focus on creating high-quality content without the expense. Today, they offer a number of podcast support services to help new podcasters get started. Plans start at $349/month.
Each package comes with a list of features that include up to 60 minutes of editing per episode, multi-tracking syncing, adding intros and outros, noise reduction, volume matching, ID3 meta tags, and podcast hosting through Buzzsprout. Pricier packages include show notes and transcriptions. They also offer launch services and custom plans upon request.
4. Podigy
According to Podigy, their podcasts “have been downloaded millions of times across the globe.” They edit popular shows such Science, Naked Beauty, and Plant Proof. They are so confident in their audio editing skills that they’re willing to be your first advertiser by giving you 20% off if you let them advertise on your show. Pretty good deal, honestly.
How do they edit your episode? First they reduce noise levels across all tracks and apply custom processing to each speaker. Then they remove filler words and dead air. Finally, they mix in your intro, outro, and ads. The final file is ready for upload.
Pricing starts at $549/month for editing, but only goes up to $699/month if you want show notes, SEO optimization, and episode automatically added to your host. They don’t do contracts, but there’s a 15% discount for paying for three months in advance.
If you want to dabble with audio editing yourself, their editing guide is extremely comprehensive.
5. Lower Street
Lower Street is different from the other podcast editing services on this list. They want to help with your strategy, content and promotion as well. “Creating an incredible show requires thought, flexibility, and collaboration,” they say, “with a podcast production company that cares about much more than just audio.”
They will help you:
- Build a podcast that supports your business goals.
- Plan themes and guide content.
- Create an “unmistakable sonic identity”
- Draft interview questions
- Write narration scripts
- Connect with local talent
- Add music and sound design
- Create promo pieces
- Write valuable show notes
- Launch your show and publish episodes
- Promote your show
“That’s a lot of work,” you’re thinking. “Must be expensive.” That’s hard to say. Lower Street creates a custom plan for every customer based on your needs, so you’ll need to contact them to get a quote.
6. Podcast Engineers
Podcast Engineers have a simple value proposition: “Anyone can be heard!” Their service is simple: You send them your raw audio recording and they send back fully edited and mastered with emphasis on the listener’s experience. Files come back in 3-5 days.
They start with a standard process of profiling the voice of a host and making sure we set it to today’s broadcasting standards. Then they edit your podcast in their Digital Audio Workstation, adding your intros, outros, and various segments, fixing mistakes, shrinking long pauses, and slicing out those “umms” and “ahhs.”
They edit every episode they receive to the same high quality standards. Pricing tiers are based on the number of episodes you submit each month and their length. Plans cost from $199 for four 30-minute episodes to $499 for eight 90-minute episodes. They will also customize a plan if you have unique needs.
Furthermore, Podcast Engineers offer a few add-on services: show notes, image cards, transcriptions, and podcast websites.
7. Cashflow Podcasting
Cashflow Podcasting is a full-service podcast production service. It’s designed for any podcaster who wants to be completely hands-off once they finish recording an episode.
For example, this service is right for anyone trying to add a podcast to their busy operations. You just want to record and let someone else worry about all the details. That’s why it’s used by popular coaching podcasts, such as Michael Kitces of Financial Advisor Success and Andrew Youderian of eCommercefuel.
Admittedly, this is one of the most expensive podcast editing services, but you get a lot for your money. For $5,999, their Podcast Launch Program will help with all the technical setup and production, including coaching and support, equipment purchasing, website and RSS feed setup, submission to podcast directories, and production and promotion of your first three episodes. They’ll provide you with strategy and content planning, and coach you through your launch.
For $1199/month, Cashflow will edit, brand, add ID3 tags, write show notes, create tweets and featured images, write transcripts, and publish each episode you record.
8. The Podcast Creative
The Podcast Creative is another basic podcast editing service. They integrate your intros, outros, music, and ads, and remove unwanted pauses, noises, and false starts. Then they get to some professional audio engineers, Professional audio engineering including noise reduction, EQ, deverberation, compression, and loudness mastering. Everything is delivered back to you via a convenient shared Dropbox folder.
Like many of the other podcast ending services on this list, they also offer some additional services:
- Show notes (brief summary, topics, key takeaways, resources, and episode quotes).
- Full episode transcript of the episode.
- SEO optimization for all written content.
- Publishing of your episode to your podcast host
- Publishing of your new episode (show notes and audio player) to your website.
Plans are based on the length of your episodes and the additional features you want, starting at $499/month up to $999/month.
9. Freedom Podcasting
Freedom Podcasting is similar to the other podcast editing services on this list. They create stellar audio for both narrative and interview-style shows. They will add tags, upload to your host, write show notes (with quotes, links, and keywords), post to your website, and even create art for each episode.
They also have a launch package that will walk you through the creation of your show. They help you find music, develop intros and outros, and quickly publish your first group of episodes.
What’s unique about this service is their turnaround time. They deliver edited episodes (and all other deliverables) in three days. That’s far quicker than most podcast editing services, making this a great resource for any podcaster who struggles to stick to a schedule and needs vendors who work quickly.
Freedom Podcasting’s prices can vary. They run about $85 to $255 per episode depending on the length and the other services you need.
10. Podcast FastTrack
Like other podcast editing services, Podcast FastTrack has skilled audio engineers who will create flawless episodes for you. “We edit to maximize three things,” they say. “Comprehension, quality, and enjoyment.”
Their podcast editing rates are pretty standard as well. They charge $150/episode for audio editing and $289/episode if you want them to create show notes and handle all the uploading and publishing.
What makes this service unique, however, is the incredible number of additional services they offer. Look at this massive list! You can buy each a la carte.
You may prefer to do a lot of that work on your own, but as your show grows, it might be handy to work with an editing service with a big menu. You’ll notice they offer a lot of services that other podcasting editing services don’t, like custom audiograms, custom intros and outros, email lead magnets, and more. As revenue starts to come in, you may choose to outsource a lot of this work, and it would make sense to buy from a vendor you already work with.
11. ScrubCast
ScrubCast creates high quality audio recordings like the other podcast editing services on this list. They’ll remove background noises, unwanted breaths, and every “umm” and “ahh” while still making you sound organic and real. If you like, they’ll upload your recording to your podcast host at no extra charge.
In terms of podcast editing rates, they charge $120 per episode or $440 per month for four episodes (so you save a little paying monthly). Here’s what you get for that price:
- Complete audio editing
- Audio file mastering
- Mistake removal
- Broadcast compression, limiting, normalizing & EQs
- Add intros and outros
- Add section breaks and ads
- Add ID3 tags
- Upload to podcast host
- Link to related show content
- Production advice and help
- Create artwork for episode
What sets ScrubCast apart from the other podcast editing services on this list is that they will edit your first episode totally free. Here’s what they say about it:
“Once we’ve had a chat about your podcast and setup, we will edit your first episode free of charge. There will be no contracts or commitments, this is in a way a taster to see if you like the way we work (let’s face it, we both want to be happy working together).”
So if you’ve never used an editing service before, this is a great one to try out to see whether or not you want to pay someone to handle editing.
Summary
As you can see, there are plenty of quality podcast editing services to choose from. Each of the services on this list will produce quality audio that you’ll be proud to publish for your listeners. They’ll save you time, stress, and energy so you can focus on creating great content.
Do you know of any superb podcast editing services? Let us know in the comments.
