There are more than two million podcasts available for people all over the world, and these channels are available in more than 100 languages. The number of people who enjoy these channels is in the hundreds of millions, and in the United States alone, it has been recorded that last year, more than 70 percent of the population enjoyed this pastime activity.
The ad revenue that comes from this is expected to get to two billion dollars this year, and this means that there is a lot of money and chance for profits in this practice. If you want to try out your luck and start recording them, you’ve come to the right place. Keep on reading to find out what equipment do you need for building a podcast studio.
Are you a beginner or a professional?
The first thing we need to discuss is your plans for the future and your current knowledge. Do you want to make this your full-time job and pursue your dream by investing your time and money, or is it a hobby that you want to see where it leads you? On the same note, have you ever recorded a podcast before, or is this something new that you want to explore?
Depending on your answers, you may want to start by setting a budget. As you will see further down in this article, there are a lot of things that you will need, and some may be unnecessary for beginners, while others are going to be crucial for professionals.
The investment that you will need to make to create your studio may start from less than a thousand dollars, and t may also end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars. The major difference is going to come from the devices and platforms that you are going to use, and the good thing is that you can choose how much you are willing to spend.
Some of the instruments you can get used or second hand, and you don’t have to invest in the best of the best if you are unsure if you want to pursue this as a professional dream. Nowadays, there are a lot of gadgets that will not cost you more than a couple of bucks, and that are going to serve the same purpose as those that cost a couple of hundreds. Note that the quality of the sound will never be the same when you compare cheap instruments with high-quality one, but both of them are going to help you start your dream. So, you should think about what you want to get, how much you are willing to invest, which things you are okay to purchase used, and which ones you want to put more money into.
Consider renting a fully equipped studio
Know that there are a lot of things that you are going to need if you want to have the perfect, high-quality podcast studio. You may need to invest thousands of dollars for the equipment, and in case your project fails, you may end up losing a lot of money, and not knowing what to do with the gadgets that were left. Even though you could sell them, you are still going to lose part of your investment.
Because of this, it might be better for you to just rent a studio, and as you can see on Poddster, this practice is preferred by both new podcasters, as well as experienced and successful ones.
When you opt for renting, you don’t have to worry about the instruments or the investment, and you can just book the place for the number of hours you need it, record your audios or videos, and then just leave the studio. You can do this for as long as you want, and later on, you can decide if you want to invest in your own tools and gadgets, or if you want to just continue renting instead of buying.
List of things you will need to invest into
Now that you know more about your options, let’s see which are the things that you would actually need. If you choose to build your own studio, then you need to start with finding the right place and insulating it properly. Note that you would need a space where you will be uninterrupted and where the sound will not get distorted.
Once you have that settled, you need to think about every piece of equipment that you need to get. You should start with a good laptop since more often than not, everything will be recorded and edited on this device before you release it for the public. Some options are better than others, but this fully depends on your current budget and capabilities.
You will also need to think about the right recording and editing software, and know that there are a lot of platforms that can help you with this. Note that some are going to have a lot more editing functions and are going to make your job a lot easier, while others may be a bit simpler for your needs, but they are still going to get the task done.
You will also need to get a good microphone, and even though you may think that you can get one that will cost you just a dozen of dollars, it is best if you get something better, more expensive, and an item that will provide crystal-clear sound.
You also may want to get a pop filter, shock mount, as well as mic stand, but these things, but these items are not crucial. Don’t forget to invest in a good headset that will help you listen to what you are recording. On the same note, you may want to get an amplifier and a mixer. Storage devices are a must, so make sure you have several ones that will be able to support your needs.
These are the most crucial things that you will need to get for your studio, and in addition to all these, you can get some other items that are not going to affect the quality of your work but are going to make your life easier. Start slow, see what you need for a basic studio, and depending on your passions as well as your success, you may want to invest in bigger and better instruments. In case you want to avoid all of these expenses, you can just rent a studio and record everything there.
