Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Cost per episode
$129.75
Editing/production labor cost
$120.00
Hosting cost per episode
$3.75
Amortized gear cost per episode
$6.00
Total monthly production cost
$519.00
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How to use this
- 1Enter editing/production hours per episode.
- 2Enter your (or editor's) hourly rate ($).
- 3Enter monthly hosting cost ($).
- 4Enter episodes per month.
- 5Enter total gear investment ($).
- 6Enter expected episodes over gear's life.
- 7Read your cost per episode on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Podcasters routinely underestimate cost because gear is a one-time purchase that doesn't feel like a per-episode expense — but amortized over its useful life, it is. This calculator adds recording/editing labor time at your target hourly rate, hosting platform fees divided across your monthly episode count, and gear cost spread over an expected number of episodes, to show the real all-in cost of putting out a single episode.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Editing/production hours per episode: 4
- Your (or editor's) hourly rate: 30 $
- Monthly hosting cost: 15 $
- Episodes per month: 4
- Total gear investment: 1200 $
- Expected episodes over gear's life: 200
Results
- Cost per episode: $129.75
- Editing/production labor cost: $120.00
- Hosting cost per episode: $3.75
- Amortized gear cost per episode: $6.00
- Total monthly production cost: $519.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Editing/production hours per episode
- The editing/production hours per episode used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load.
- Your (or editor's) hourly rate ($)
- The your (or editor's) hourly rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 30 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly hosting cost ($)
- The monthly hosting cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Episodes per month
- The episodes per month used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load.
- Total gear investment ($)
- The total gear investment used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Expected episodes over gear's life
- The expected episodes over gear's life used in the calculation. Starts at 200 so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Cost per episode
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Editing/production labor cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Hosting cost per episode
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Amortized gear cost per episode
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total monthly production cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Should I count my own editing time as a real cost?
Yes, at minimum as an opportunity cost — if you'd otherwise spend those hours on paid freelance work or another income stream, that's real money forgone. It also tells you clearly when hiring an editor at a similar hourly rate starts making financial sense as your show scales.
What's a reasonable gear lifespan to assume?
Interfaces, mics, and headphones commonly last 3–7 years with regular use; if you publish weekly, that's roughly 150–350 episodes. Software and subscriptions should be counted separately as ongoing monthly costs rather than amortized gear.
How do most podcasts cover this cost before getting sponsors?
Early on, mostly out of pocket or through Patreon/listener support, since most shows need 5,000+ downloads per episode before CPM sponsorships cover production cost. Many successful podcasters treat the first 6–12 months as a loss-leader investment in audience building.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Podcast Production Cost Per Episode Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/podcast-episode-production-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/podcast-episode-production-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Podcast Production Cost Per Episode Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Podcast Production Cost Per Episode Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/podcast-episode-production-cost) (2026).