We upload podcasts for our clients and use an aggregator that features them on major platforms.

Most people access podcasts through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. So, your podcast must be seen in those places. But you can’t just expect people to find them.

You need to push them and create a buzz about your podcast through your email marketing, social media and blogs.

And don’t have dreams of becoming the next global superstar. It is vital to have realistic ambitions.

Your subject could be niche. But attracting a small number of loyal and engaged listeners will build trust and help you stand out from the competition and nurture your customers.

Every podcast we work on is different.

And the answer will at least partly depend on how many you want to make.

But we can give you an idea of timings. The ones we make are around 30-50 minutes long, and recording takes about an hour and a half.

It also tends to take about a couple of hours to set up the podcast equipment.

And there is the professional editing, post-production support and sign-off process. It can take two to three days for the first few episodes. But this can reduce to about a day and a half for episodes in the middle of a series.

But it is the planning of each podcast that takes the most time - and makes us stand out as a podcast production company. We spend time getting to know you and your business.

Once we have done that, we will spend about two to three hours plotting the detail of what you want to capture and considering the questions which create the best conversation for each podcast episode.

If you enjoy the podcast, are seeing a return on your investment, and have enough captivating stories and guests, why not keep the series going?

But there is no reason why a podcast cannot be a one-off. Let’s say you have a specific message to get across. Or you need to update investors and shareholders about performance or your latest sustainability report. It could take the form of a one-off podcast.

A podcast doesn’t have to be for entertainment and marketing purposes.

There are plenty of other podcasts, so you must work hard to attract and grow your audience.

When we launched our podcast - The Media Landscape - the promotional activity centred on our email marketing list.

And we would encourage you to do the same. As a full-service podcast company, if you need help with this, we can provide all the content for your emails, and you can use our email marketing software.

Social media is also crucial. Share information about the podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn – anywhere you think your audience use. Highlight a quote from the latest episode in a post with a link to where people can download it. Or, clip a snippet of the podcast and include that in a post. We can help with this.

Repurposing the content of your podcast can also help you attract new listeners. For example, you could write a blog about one aspect of the conversation. Or turn them into articles you use as downloadable content, which increases your email marketing list. We can also help with this.

And don’t forget your people. Employees are often an organisation’s best advocates and want to see fresh ideas succeed. Build internal excitement around it, and people will share it on their social channels.

This is a question podcast companies are often asked. You need to see a reward for your time, effort and resources.

Downloads are the obvious metric and will give you an idea of the size of your audience.

But you need to tread carefully. A download does not necessarily equal a listen - your content could remain unheard even if it is downloaded. Also, people could download the same podcast to multiple devices.

So, opt for using unique downloads as this refines the numbers and removes multiple downloads from the same user.

Looking at downloads per episode will help you spot fluctuations and identify the content your listeners want.

Like most forms of marketing, having a powerful call to action for your podcasts is a brilliant way of measuring success. Perhaps you can push people to download an eBook or sign up for a newsletter from your podcast? This can give you measurable results.

Subscriptions are another handy measurement. It measures the people subscribing to your podcast and who get notified when a new episode is available. When people subscribe to your podcast, it shows they want to hear more from you, and they don’t want to miss an episode.

If you are using email marketing software to promote your own podcast, open and click rates and the numbers of unsubscribes will indicate the appeal of your content.

Similarly, keep an eye on social mentions. If people like your podcast, they will talk about it on social media. And you will be able to use your social media listening tools to see who is discussing your podcast and what they say about it.

Likes, shares and retweets are helpful measurements, and the comments can give an understanding of what is resonating with your audience.

Many organisations create a dedicated landing page for their podcasts. It enables you to measure hits and engagement on the page and the number of people who go from it and subscribe to the podcast.

But, the most salient factor with these measurements is ensuring you are clear on your ambitions and set realistic goals.

Are you looking to create revenue-generating podcasts? Or are you looking to increase brand awareness through long-form storytelling-based podcasts and interview-based episodes?

If your podcast is about a niche subject in your industry, it could be tricky to attract large numbers of listeners. Your unique downloads may not look that impressive.

But a small number of dedicated listeners could be a real business win and show more buying intent than a more general podcast with a bigger audience.

Two guests is the magic number and gets a good conversation going.

It is particularly true if they offer slightly opposing views – something which helps reveal a healthy organisation, happy to talk issues through.

Could you have more? Possibly. Many podcasts do. But the more people you have, the harder it will be to keep the conversation on track.

And unless they have distinctive voices, it may be difficult for the listener to follow who is talking.

You may not need two. Our podcast – The Media Landscape – has a presenter who brings in an expert guest for a few minutes of each episode.

Yes, we can do this for you as part of our podcast production services. And we can show you how to do it.

We use an aggregator to do this, ensuring the podcasts we work on can be found on all the main podcast channels.

Tricky one. And different podcast production companies may offer alternative answers.

For us, it will partly depend on the talent and ability of your team member and what role they had in radio.

You must remember there is a team working on the audio production of every radio programme.

There is also a sum you need to work out. Any podcast production company will tell you creating them is time-consuming. Can you afford to take them away from the job you employed them to do, to make your podcast?

Or would it be better to involve a team of people who have worked in radio who can do the heavy-lifting for you?

In summary, they could do it. But it will take longer and cost more than if you paid us to do it.

Perhaps it would be better to embed them into the project team as a podcast producer so we work closely with them and make the best use of their time and skill base.

Every podcast is different, so pricing will vary.

There are several podcast production factors to consider, including how many episodes you want to create, where the recording takes place and whether you need a presenter.

Speak to our account managers about your podcast requirements, and they will provide you with a quote.

Some podcast production companies and podcasters jump straight into recording. But we believe planning and strategy are crucial.

So, before we begin recording, we'll work with you to develop your content and help you find the stories and guests that will bring your audio plans to life.

We will help you structure your podcast and plan your series by identifying the angles and issues to discuss. We can also define your 'audible brand' and sound design and create a conversational tone.

This part of our podcast production can often take the most time.

We want every podcast we produce to reflect your organisation’s voice and personality and get across what you want to portray.

So, we spend time getting to know you and understanding your aspirations and podcast strategy.

We also need to get to know the people who will appear on your podcast and understand how confident they feel in front of a microphone. We are not just a podcast production company - if they need some help, we can use our media training expertise to help them find their voice and communicate with clarity and confidence.

For each episode, we will spend about two to three hours plotting the detail of what you want to capture and considering the questions which create the best conversation.  

With new state-of-the-art podcast production studios at our headquarters in Winnersh and access to recording studios throughout the country, we can help you with all aspects of podcast recording and audio editing.

We can even bring our recording equipment to your offices or record high-quality audio content remotely if needed.

Our audio production experts will use their wizardry to turn raw recordings and audio files into compelling podcast episodes.

Our podcast editing services will improve the audio quality. We'll remove the filler words, long pauses, background noise and false starts.

And we can help you tie your brand identity together through audio logos, theme melodies, and the right music and sound effects.

We have access to session musicians, digital experts and royalty-free music sites to help ensure your podcast grabs attention.

We'll also make your podcast easier to find by ensuring it is available on all the major podcast platforms. And we will write up valuable show notes. Additionally, we can work with you on promoting your podcast ahead of launching your podcast with SEO-optimised marketing assets.

We can even help you with your podcast cover art.

If the podcast content compels and podcast production values are high, it will enhance those other activities, such as going for a run or commuting to work.

Like radio, it is an intimate format. When your customers download your podcast, they will feel you are talking directly to them.

It allows them to believe they know you (or your business) and your personality, which, in turn, develops trust.

And with most content still taking the form of text and video, they stand out and show your organisation to be innovative and distinctive from competitors.

But the quality of the podcast content and its value to your customers is pivotal.

Your target listener will switch off and not return if your podcast suffers poor production values and sound quality. Or does not contain original, authentic material on subjects which matter to them

There are plenty of podcast production companies out there.

But not many - if any - can say all their podcast episodes are created by current working journalists, producers and audio editing experts from radio backgrounds.

They will work with you to devise absorbing and relevant topics that allow you to build your brand subtly.

These teams have years of experience working for BBC Radio 1, 2 and 4 and regional and commercial radio stations.

And they are using all that experience and expertise to help us make captivating podcasts for our clients.

As a podcast production company that prides itself on quality, we would not recommend recording your podcast through Zoom or Teams.

You may not be able to get everyone you need for your podcast in the same place at the same time in a recording studio. But that’s not a problem.

We have the industry knowledge and expertise to ensure you can capture high-quality audio even when you are not in the same room or even country.