Turning your idea into a plan

Podcast pitch | Concept development | Series & episode outlines | Budget | Production schedule | Assigning a producer

All good podcasts start with an idea. From there, we’ll work with you to decide which type of podcast (e.g. chat, documentary) best suits your idea, and to define the host, number of episodes, length, release schedule, intended listeners, interviewees and more. We'll get to work on series and episode outlines, a budget and production schedule. Finally, we’ll bring on board one of our freelance producers to work closely with you on the series development.

Recording and editing

Interviews | Host & field recordings | Script writing | Audio edits | Group feedback rounds | Fact checking & editorial discussions

The next step is the fun part – hitting record! We’ll record interviews (either in the Impact studio, on location or remotely via our virtual studio), your host’s narration and any field recordings. There will be rounds of paper drafts and audio drafts to work through, including feedback from our Supervising Producer, Executive Producer and the rest of our team. We’ll conduct fact checking where necessary. And we’ll refine the focus of your podcast through ongoing editorial discussions. This step can take some time – but it's all to make sure your podcast is a quality production.

Making it sing

Sound design | Music scoring | Mixing & mastering

This is the step where we bring your podcast to life for the listener. At Impact Studios we know the power of the audio medium to create an immersive experience for the listener. Sound design can include creating audio “scenes”, archival material, sound effects and other audio elements. We’ll add music to enhance mood and tone, including a theme track. And we’ll bring on board a sound engineer to mix and master the final episodes, so they sound great in speakers and headphones.

Finding your listeners

Podcast tile | Show notes | Transcripts | Hosting & Feed management | Promotion & marketing strategies | Media partners

This step is sometimes overlooked but it’s a key part of making a podcast. After all that work crafting your podcast, it’s important to reach your listeners! We’ll find someone to design your podcast tile (or cover art) that appears in podcast directories. We can also make you some audiograms – short video snippets to share on social media. We’ll manage your podcast feed and share it within our Impact Studios channel. We can also help you write your show notes – the episode descriptions and additional information listeners can read while listening to your podcast. We’ll help you think of ways to promote and market, or partner with other media organisations. Podcasts are still primarily shared by word of mouth, so tapping into your own networks is still the best promotion strategy!

Measuring & reporting

Data collection & metric analysis | Developing an engagement-impact report

We evaluate impact in a variety of ways – podcasting is a long-form medium targeted at niche audiences so we don’t just measure in “clicks” or “likes”! Instead, we measure:

Downloads, reach, listener experience, tracking communities of listeners, syndication and partnerships, licensing and sponsorship, curriculum embedding, policy development, knowledge communities, events, reviews & awards, interdisciplinary connections, and creating a model of good practice for other podcasts.