Looking for help with your B2B podcast production? You might think you need a podcast editor.
But what you actually need may be a podcast production partner.
Now, you may be wondering, what’s the difference?
Allow us to break it down for you.
Podcast editing is one part of getting an episode ready to publish. Podcast production is the much bigger process that happens around it, from shaping the conversation and cleaning up the recording to creating show notes, transcripts, video, social content, and making sure everything gets published on time.
For a business podcast, that difference can mean the difference between simply producing episodes and building a podcast that actually supports your marketing strategy.
So now, let’s really get into the difference between podcast editing and podcast production, and help you decide which one your business actually needs.
What Is Podcast Editing?
Podcast editing is the process of taking a recorded conversation and turning it into a polished audio or video episode.
Depending on the editor, this can include:
- Removing mistakes and unwanted sections
- Cleaning up background noise
- Balancing audio levels
- Removing distracting pauses
- Tightening the conversation
- Adding intro and outro music
- Mixing and mastering the final audio
- Editing the video recording
The goal is relatively straightforward: make the episode sound and look professional.
Which is what any podcast needs. Poor production quality can distract from even the best conversation.
But audio editing is only one part of what happens between recording an episode and getting it in front of your audience.
What Is Podcast Production?
Podcast production encompasses the entire process of getting your podcast from an idea, or a raw recording, to a finished, published and distributed episode.
That can include audio editing, but it can also include:
- Episode planning
- Guest management
- Audio and video editing
- Content editing
- Show notes
- Transcription
- SEO optimization
- Episode publishing
- YouTube optimization
- Short-form clips
- Social media content
- Content repurposing
- Quality control
- Production scheduling
In other words:
Podcast editing is a task. True podcast production is an entire system.
Podcast Editing vs Podcast Production: The Key Difference
Think about it this way.
If you hire a podcast editor, you’re generally handing someone a recording and asking them to turn it into a finished episode.
If you hire a podcast production partner, you’re handing over responsibility for the process that gets your podcast from recording to published content.
| Podcast Editing | Podcast Production |
|---|---|
| Cleans up the recording | Manages the production workflow |
| Improves audio quality | Handles audio and video |
| Cuts mistakes and pauses | Shapes the content |
| Adds music and branding | Creates show notes and transcripts |
| Delivers a finished file | Publishes and distributes the episode |
| Focuses on the episode | Looks at the podcast as a whole |
Neither is inherently better.
The right choice depends on what your business needs.
When Is Podcast Editing Enough?
There are situations where hiring an editor is exactly the right solution.
If you already have:
- A clear podcast strategy
- Someone managing your production schedule
- A marketing team handling distribution
- Someone writing show notes
- A process for transcripts
- Someone managing YouTube
- A team creating social content
…then you may simply need someone to edit the recordings.
In that case, a good podcast editor can remove a significant amount of work from your team’s plate without taking over the entire production process.
The important thing is knowing exactly what you’re getting when you onboard a “podcast editor”.
When Do You Need Full Podcast Production?
This is where many B2B brands find themselves.
Someone on the marketing team records the interviews. Another team member edits them when they have time. Someone else writes the show notes. The social team creates a clip when they can.
It works. For a while. Until all their other tasks start knocking again. Or, the podcast starts growing. A GREAT problem to have. But a problem nonetheless.
More guests, more episodes, more content, a greater need for marketing and suddenly, what started as “just a podcast” has become an entire content operation.
That’s usually when full production support starts to make sense.
A production partner can take responsibility for the process rather than simply completing one part of it.
What Does a Podcast Production Partner Actually Do?
If you’re considering outsourcing your podcast production, it helps to know exactly what you’re paying for. And on that note, a good production partner should make podcasting easier, not simply give you another supplier to manage.
A good production agency should take more than editing off your plate.
Here are some of the tasks a good production agency should cover:
- Audio editing – Cleaning up the recording, removing mistakes and distractions, balancing levels, and making sure the finished episode sounds polished and professional.
- Content editing – Tightening the conversation, removing unnecessary tangents and repetition, and shaping the episode so the strongest content comes through.
- Video editing – Turning the recorded conversation into a polished video episode, with the appropriate formatting for platforms such as YouTube and LinkedIn.
- Show notes – Creating useful, well-written show notes that give listeners context, highlight key takeaways and support the discoverability of the episode.
- Transcription – Providing an accurate, human-reviewed transcript that can be published alongside the episode and repurposed into additional content.
- Podcast SEO – Optimizing episode titles, descriptions, show notes and podcast pages to help your content get discovered through search.
- Publishing and scheduling – Uploading episodes, managing the publishing workflow and making sure everything is ready to go on schedule.
- Content repurposing – Turning one podcast conversation into additional content, such as short-form video clips, LinkedIn posts, articles, newsletters and other assets.
- Quality control – Checking the finished episode and supporting content before publication so errors, inconsistencies and production issues don’t make it through to your audience.
- Production management – Keeping all of those moving parts organized so your internal team doesn’t have to spend their time chasing files, deadlines, edits and approvals.
The exact list will vary between agencies, so don’t assume that “full production” means the same thing everywhere. Always ask what’s actually included in the package.
Related read: How to Choose a B2B Podcast Production Agency: What to Look For, What to Ask, and What to Avoid
The Real Cost of In-House Podcast Production
It should also be noted that outsourcing isn’t automatically the right answer for every business.
But it’s worth considering the opportunity cost of keeping production in-house.
Ask yourself:
What could your team be doing instead of editing podcasts?
Your marketing manager could be working on campaigns.
Your content team could be creating thought leadership-focused content.
Your executive team could be doing what they actually need to do: sharing expertise, having conversations and building relationships.
The question isn’t simply:
“How much does podcast production cost?”
It’s also:
“What is our team’s time worth?”
How to Choose Between a Podcast Editor and a Production Partner
Before you hire anyone, map out what you actually need.
If you only need someone to turn raw recordings into polished audio, an editor may be the right fit.
If you need someone to manage the entire journey from recording through to distribution and repurposing, you’re looking for a production partner.
When evaluating providers, ask:
- What exactly is included?
- Do you offer content editing as well as audio editing?
- Are video and audio both supported?
- Are transcripts included?
- Are show notes included?
- Do you handle publishing?
- Can you create short-form content?
- What is the standard turnaround?
- Who manages the production workflow?
- Do you understand B2B podcasts?
The cheapest option isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective if your team still has to manage half the process themselves.
The Bottom Line
Podcast editing and podcast production aren’t the same thing.
Editing makes an episode better. Production makes the entire podcast easier to run.
For a small podcast with a simple workflow, an editor may be all you need.
But as your podcast becomes an important part of your marketing strategy, the production process becomes more complex. And that’s where a production partner can make a significant difference.
At We Edit Podcasts, we produce, edit and repurpose B2B video podcasts from end to end. That means your team can focus on the part that actually requires them: creating the expertise and conversations your audience wants to hear.
We handle the production around it.
No contracts. No unnecessary complexity. Just a dedicated in-house team helping turn your podcast into a content and revenue asset.
Because you don’t need another task on your marketing team’s list. You need a podcast production system that works. Schedule a free call with us and let us show you what we can do for you.
