Orcast → Podcast editing cost
What podcast editing really costs — and how to pay less
There are three ways to pay for podcast editing: with money (hire an editor), with time (do it yourself), or with neither, mostly (automate the mechanical part). Here's the honest math for all three.
The three ways to pay
Per episode, commonly — audio-only cleanup at the low end, multicam video at the high end. Agencies run $1,000+ per month. And it's per episode, forever.
Per episode: a common rule of thumb is 2–4 hours per recorded hour for basic work, 4–8 for advanced — and multicam video is the expensive end. Multiply by your hourly worth.
Orcast computes the sync and the multicam cut for you. Free to start; full-length episodes and export are on the Pro plan.
The weekly-show math
Say your show ships four episodes a month. At a middle-of-the-road $150 per episode, an editor costs $600 a month — $7,200 a year, every year the show runs. Editing yourself at four hours per episode costs 16 hours a month — two full working days that don't go into making the show better.
Automation doesn't make either number zero: you'll still review the cut and polish what matters. It makes the recurring, mechanical part — sync, switching, staying on the speaker — cost minutes instead.
When a human editor is still worth every dollar
An honest page says this plainly: if your show depends on sound design, tight story editing, ad integrations or heavy visual polish, a good editor earns the fee — software doesn't replace taste. What software should replace is the mechanical layer underneath. That's why Orcast exports a layered timeline for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve: build the multicam cut in minutes, hand it to a human for the creative pass, and stop paying professional rates for clip-dragging.
Comparing the tool options themselves? Start with podcast editing software — or see what the automatic approach does for a multi-camera video podcast.
Podcast editing cost FAQ
How much does it cost to have a podcast edited?
Freelance podcast editors commonly charge $75–$500 per episode depending on length and scope; basic audio-only cleanup sits at the low end, multicam video editing at the high end. Full-service agencies typically run $1,000+ per month.
How long does it take to edit a podcast yourself?
A common rule of thumb is 2–4 hours of editing per recorded hour for basic work, and 4–8 hours for advanced editing — tight cuts, multiple cameras, mixing. Multicam video sits at the expensive end of that range.
Is podcast editing software cheaper than a service?
Over any real number of episodes, yes — a service charges per episode forever, while software is a subscription. The catch used to be your time: cheap software still meant hours of manual work. Automatic editing removes that catch for the multicam layer.
Can software fully replace a human editor?
For the mechanical layer — sync, camera switching, staying on the speaker — yes, that's exactly what Orcast automates. For sound design, story editing and heavy polish, a human editor still earns their fee. Many shows combine both: Orcast builds the cut, the editor refines it from an exported timeline.
What does Orcast cost?
Free to download, and the first 5 minutes of any edit are free — enough to see your own footage cut automatically. Editing and exporting full-length episodes is part of the Pro plan; see the pricing page for current plans.
Run the math on your own episode
Download Orcast, drop in a real recording, and see what the first 5 minutes of the cut look like — free.
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