Raising $100k To Start A Podcast

How much does it cost to start a podcast?

If you’re doing a monologue, talking about your life’s work, you could probably start a podcast for next to nothing. You can even get a free hosting account from a podcast hosting company like RSS.com (they sponsored my latest project, more on that later!) to get you up and running.

Grab your phone, sit yourself in a closet and hit record on the voice memo app — it could be that easy.

For my personal podcasts, which are largely in the entrepreneur or b2b category, I’ve spent thousands on software & hardware over the years. Mics, soundboards, cameras, editing apps, hosting, lighting — it can add up really quick.

Truth of the matter is, if I were starting a solo podcast from scratch my first year might cost me around $600 with everything I need to get started. Microphone, Descript subscription, and a podcast hosting account.

I’m the host, producer, editor and marketer. I don’t need sound design or voice acting. Nor do I need fresh artwork for every episode or custom music. I don’t have a production team. I’m not spending anything on marketing or promotion.

But Now I’m faced with a new challenge: As Executive Producer on Our Beloved Medium which will require more people, more resources, more time — I’ll need a lot more than $600 — I’m thinking over $100,000 dollars.

Is $100,000 the bare minimum for a professionally produced audio documentary?

My friend Stuart and I are in the early days of building out the costs for Our Beloved Medium.

We worked together at a previous company, we’ve designed shows, quoted audio projects, and delivered quality work to clients in a professional setting. We have a sense of what a great podcast should cost, but the forecast is a always little cloudy when it’s yours.

Back of the napkin math on costs we’re assuming and why we set the $100,000 goal:

• Research & writing
• Editing & production
• Sound design (including original scores)
• Voice acting
• Marketing & promotion
• Is there any left over for us?

While the $100k goal might sound really high compared to the production of a solo show, we know this is the bare minimum we need to produce this 6-part documentary.

We’ll adjust as we continue to work on this project, which we’ve set to launch in Summer 2025. If we raise enough money, we’ll invest more in areas like sound design and voice acting. If we’re not reaching our goal, we’ll scale back on areas like original music or script depth.

Editing time, production time, paying voice actors, hard costs like a marketing budget — $100,000 is just the start, and might barely get this bird flying, but we’re excited for the challenge!

Raising $100,000 for Our Beloved Medium

We started with a Buy Me a Coffee page, which allows donors & sponsors to help support the pre-production of the show.

Donors can get access or services directly from Stuart and I. You can purchase us a digital coffee and donate for as little as $5 or you can “hire” us to help you with your podcast with Podcast PowerUp donation.

Brands can help sponsor an episode by purchasing directly on the page for $2,500. RSS.com, a fantastic hosting company, was the first to dive in and support our work.

Now the real work begins.

As Executive Producer, I’m hitting the streets chatting with colleagues and brands in the industry to help us with this initiative. We like to think of Our Beloved Medium as a love letter to radio and how it has impacted us over the course of history — eventually delivering us into podcasting.

Sponsoring OBM has strong brand synergy with businesses in podcasting and radio. We’re grabbing some of the most impactful moments in history that shaped radio as a storytelling medium, packaged in a professionally produced 6-part audio documentary. If you or your brand want to align with this type of storytelling, I’d love to chat with you about it.

We will need a major sponsor to help push us towards our goal of fully funding the project, and I’ll be sharing in that journey here on this newsletter. Thanks for your continued support, contact me with any questions or media inquiries.