Money guide · line-item transparency
What is included in a podcast studio session.
"Studio rental" means wildly different things at different studios. Here is our $450 per hour podcast studio session, line by line, plus the questions that expose any quote.
In our studio, $450 per hour includes a dedicated engineer, three broadcast cameras live-switched in 4K, Shure microphones with a separated track per voice, a pre-lit set, and raw files on your drive the same day. Across the market, self-serve rooms at $40 to $150 per hour include the room and the gear only, and full-service studios at $300 to $500 per hour vary on engineer, switching, and delivery. Always ask for the line items.
The line items
Included vs add-on, in our $450/hr podcast studio session.
One flat rate covers the whole podcast studio session and its recording chain. Add-ons are for finishing work and bigger productions, and every one has a published price on our studio pricing page.
| Line item | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated engineer | Included | Runs cameras, audio, lighting, and teleprompter on every session |
| 3 broadcast cameras | Included | Sony A7IV and Sony FX30, 4K, live-switched via RØDECaster Video |
| Broadcast audio | Included | Shure mics and mixer, a separated track per microphone |
| Pre-lit set | Included | Either studio, lit and tested before you arrive |
| Teleprompter | Included | Professional prompter on the Course & Teleprompter set |
| Broadcast room | Included | Live switching next door, broadcast clock and stopwatch |
| Same-day raw files | Included | Raw 4K plus separated audio on your drive before you leave |
| Podcast editing | Add-on | $595/episode: edited episode, 1-minute intro, 3 social clips, color and audio cleanup |
| Course editing | Add-on | $295/hr: edited course, screen recording, motion graphics |
| Extra social clips | Add-on | Beyond the 3 included with episode editing |
| Additional camera angle | Add-on | A fourth angle for larger formats |
| Livestream switching | Add-on | Engineer streams live to YouTube, LinkedIn, or your platform |
| SSD with all raw files | Add-on | Skip bringing a drive, take ours home |
| Full Production | Add-on | From $500/hr: producer, full crew, custom set design |
| Full day, both sets | Add-on | From $1,200: the whole studio for a batch day |
The full gear list, camera by camera, lives on our equipment and tech specs page. If you plan to record a podcast and a course in one visit, Creator Day bundles both sets from $1,200.
The person in the rate
The engineer is the line item that changes everything.
Your engineer, on set
Included, every booking
You talk. Your engineer handles everything else.
Many studios list an engineer as an hourly extra, or leave you alone with the gear entirely. In our studio a real person frames the shots, rides audio levels, runs the teleprompter, and switches the show live from the broadcast room. That single inclusion is why an hour here produces an hour of nearly finished tape, and it is baked into the $450 rate.
It also reshapes the editing bill. Live-switched tape needs far less post work than three unsynced camera files, which is how our podcast editing and post-production package stays a flat $595 per episode.
Buyer's checklist
Six questions to ask any studio.
Quotes for a podcast studio session only compare cleanly when the line items match. Put these to every studio, including ours:
Is an engineer in the room, and in the rate?
The biggest hidden variable. Some studios bill the operator separately at $75 to $150 per hour, or hand you the gear and a manual.
How many cameras, and who switches them?
Live switching during the session saves hours of post. Ask whether multi-cam means switched, or three files you sync yourself.
Is audio separated per person?
A track per microphone makes crosstalk, coughs, and level differences fixable. A single mixed file locks in every mistake.
When do the files arrive, and in what format?
Same day is possible: we hand over raw 4K plus separated audio at wrap. Some studios take days and deliver compressed files only.
What are the minimums and overtime rules?
Ask about booking minimums, how overtime is billed, and whether setup time counts against your hours. Ours: 1-hour minimum, and the set is ready before your hour starts.
What does editing cost, and what does it include?
Get the per-episode price and the deliverables in writing. Market rates and what a real edit involves are in our guide to podcast editing cost.
FAQ
Inclusions, asked plainly.
Anything else: call or text (510) 244-8537, or write to hey@bayhauscreative.com.
What is included in a $450 per hour podcast studio session?+
A dedicated engineer, three broadcast cameras live-switched in 4K, Shure microphones with a separated track per voice, a pre-lit set in either studio, the broadcast room next door, and raw 4K plus separated audio on your drive the same day.
Is the engineer included in the rate?+
Yes. A dedicated engineer runs cameras, audio, lighting, and the teleprompter on every session, at every rate, with zero surcharge.
What counts as an add-on?+
Finishing work and bigger formats: podcast editing at $595 per episode, course editing at $295 per hour, extra social clips, an additional camera angle, livestream switching, an SSD with all raw files, and Full Production from $500 per hour.
What files do I leave with?+
Raw 4K video and separated audio tracks, one per microphone, copied to your drive before you leave. Add an SSD if you prefer to take one of ours.
Do I need to bring anything?+
A drive for your files and your talking points. Your engineer handles cameras, audio, lighting, and the teleprompter, and the set is lit before you arrive.
How do other studios structure pricing?+
Self-serve rooms run $40 to $150 per hour for the room and gear only. Full-service studios run $300 to $500 per hour, and inclusions vary: always ask whether the engineer, live switching, separated tracks, and same-day delivery are in the base rate.
One rate. Everything in it.
Engineer, three cameras, separated audio, same-day files. $450 per hour, 1-hour minimum.
or call/text (510) 244-8537