Podcast production in Ireland costs from around €50 to €500 or more per episode, depending on whether you record and edit it yourself, hire a freelancer, or book a studio. The range is that wide because “production” covers two separate jobs: recording the episode, and editing it into a finished show.
This guide breaks down what each part costs, how the routes compare, and how VAT works for Irish businesses.
Why Podcast Production Costs Range So Widely
The price ranges because two different jobs share one label. Recording is getting clean audio, and often video, of people talking. Editing is turning that raw footage into a finished episode with clips for social.
You can do each yourself, hand it to a freelancer, or book a studio, and every combination lands at a different number. A solo host recording at home in free software spends almost nothing per episode. A business booking a crewed video studio and full editing spends more, and gets a very different result.
A few things move the cost more than anything else:
- Audio or video. Audio-only is cheaper to record and edit. Video needs cameras, lighting and heavier editing.
- How many people. More guests means more microphones, and for video, more cameras and angles.
- Episode length. Editing is usually priced by the length of the recording, so a two-hour session costs more to finish than a thirty-minute one.
- How much finishing. A straight clean-up is cheaper than a show with music, tight cuts, show notes and a set of social clips.
- One-off or ongoing. A single episode costs more per unit than a regular booking, where the setup is already worked out.
Recording: Home Setup vs Studio Session
You can record at home or book a studio, and the two cost in opposite ways. A home setup is a large upfront spend and then very little per episode. A studio is nothing upfront and a fixed fee each time you record.
A basic home setup starts at a few hundred euro for a decent USB microphone, headphones and a stand. A proper one, with an interface, better mics, acoustic treatment and a camera for video, runs into the low thousands before you record a single episode.
The cost most people miss with the home route is time. Learning the software, setting up, fixing audio problems and re-recording takes hours that a studio removes. Many of the common podcast recording mistakes that ruin a home episode simply do not happen in a room already set up for it.
A studio session flips the maths. You pay per hour, the room and gear are ready, and someone else handles the technical side while you talk.
Here is how the two compare:
| Home Setup | Studio Session | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | A few hundred to low thousands of euro | None |
| Cost per episode | Very low once gear is bought | A fixed hourly fee |
| Setup and time | Yours to learn and manage | Handled for you |
| Best for | Hobby shows, testing an idea | Consistent quality, business shows |
The home route suits a hobby show or someone testing whether they will stick with it. Once a podcast is consistent or business-critical, a studio usually costs less than it looks, because it removes the gear spend and the time drain at once.
Editing: What Finishing a Podcast Actually Costs
Editing is the second cost line, and it is usually priced per episode by the length of the recording. A longer session creates more material to work through, so it costs more to finish.
Editing covers cleaning up the audio, balancing levels, adding music and intros, cutting the dead air, and often producing short clips for social. The more of that you want, the higher the price.
Across freelancers and agencies, per-episode editing commonly runs from around €50 for a simple audio clean-up to several hundred euro for a video episode with clips and show notes.
In-house podcast editing at SG Studios starts from €75 + VAT for audio and from €200 + VAT for a multicam video episode, with the final price set by episode length. Finished content is delivered within 7 business days.
What a Podcast Session Costs at SG Studios
A podcast session at SG Studios in Dublin starts from €90 per hour + VAT for audio and from €250 per hour + VAT for a multicam video podcast. Minimum booking is one hour on either.
An audio session uses a sound-treated booth with professional microphones and boom arms, with no episode limit in the session and raw WAV files delivered. It suits interviews and audio-only shows where the sound is the whole product.
A multicam video podcast uses three cameras with a producer on site, and up to four people can join at no extra charge per person. You leave the same day with a Live Cut File, so there is usable footage before any editing starts. You can see the full session pricing before you book, and the six studio sets each suit a different kind of show.
That is where the value shows up against a home setup: no gear to buy, no setup to learn, and a finished file the same day. One client, Hafsa, made the point after a shoot: “The video quality from our last shoot has completely changed how we look on LinkedIn. Worth every cent.”
How to Keep Podcast Production Costs Down
The fastest way to cut the cost of a podcast is to batch your recording and match the format to the show. Setup is the slow part, so recording several episodes in one sitting spreads that cost across all of them.
A few things lower the bill without lowering quality:
- Batch your episodes. Record a month or a quarter of episodes in one session rather than booking each time.
- Record audio-only if that is your show. Skip the cameras and heavier editing if the audience only listens.
- Come prepared. A running order or bullet script turns a slow session into a fast one, and studio time is charged by the hour.
- Order only the clips you will use. Extra social cuts that sit in a folder are money spent for nothing.
For a regular show, a monthly membership can lower the per-session cost further. SG Studios runs monthly options from €129 + VAT for two audio sessions a month, arranged directly with the team rather than booked online.
VAT on Podcast Production in Ireland
Podcast production is charged at Ireland’s standard VAT rate of 23%, because it is a professional service. If your business is registered for VAT, you can usually reclaim that 23%, so the real cost to you is the price before VAT.
This is why studios quote with “+ VAT” rather than a VAT-inclusive figure. A €1,000 booking is €1,230 including VAT, and a VAT-registered business reclaims the €230 through its VAT return, leaving a real cost of €1,000.
The standard rate is set by Revenue, which places professional services in the 23% band. Citizens Information explains how VAT works and when a business can claim it back.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does It Cost to Produce a Podcast in Ireland?
Producing a podcast in Ireland usually costs between around €50 and €500 or more per episode. The figure depends on whether you record and edit it yourself, hire a freelancer, or book a studio, and on whether it is audio-only or video with social clips.
Is It Cheaper to Record a Podcast at Home or in a Studio?
Recording at home is cheaper per episode once you have bought the gear, but the upfront cost runs from a few hundred to a few thousand euro, plus the time to learn it. A studio costs nothing upfront and a fixed hourly fee, which is often cheaper overall for a consistent show.
How Much Does Podcast Editing Cost?
Podcast editing is usually priced per episode by the length of the recording. A simple audio clean-up starts from around €50 to €75, while a video episode with tight cuts, show notes and social clips runs to several hundred euro.
How Much Does a Podcast Session Cost at SG Studios?
SG Studios in Dublin charges from €90 per hour + VAT for an audio session and from €250 per hour + VAT for a multicam video podcast, with a one-hour minimum booking. Editing is separate, from €75 + VAT, and up to four people can join a multicam session at no extra charge.
Getting the Cost Right
Podcast production has no single price, because it is really two jobs, recording and editing, done any of several ways. Decide first whether you need audio or video, then whether to record at home or in a studio, and the budget follows from there.
For most people, a studio session plus editing covers more of the work than they expect, for less than a full outsourced production.
If you want to see the setup before you commit, book a free studio tour and have a look around first.
