This guest post is written by my friend and podcast producer Melanie Scroggins. She and I met when we started RVing back in 2017. Later that year I was a guest on her podcast. She went on to do amazing work in the podcast industry all 100% remotely! Today, she and her partners run Podcast Production School, where they teach others how to start a remote podcast production business from anywhere. Click here for more ideas on how to work remotely from your RV.
Meet Melanie, Podcast Producer, and Instructor
While I’d like to tell you I left my last 9-5 in a super “movie dramatic” kind of way, I left because I was bored out of my mind and craved something that felt intangible at the time – flexibility and creative-freedom.
I struggled, in the beginning, to be okay with that fact, but regardless of my feelings, I made the decision to be a Virtual Podcast Producer and build a successful business that gave me what I’d been searching for.
I want to share my story in hopes that it provides you with a newfound perspective, not only on the beauty of working remotely but how you might be able to niche down into podcast production if it interests you.
This is the story of how I started my own virtual podcast production business.
Building a Podcast Producer Support Business
After living in Oregon in an RV for the better part of a year, my husband and I moved back to our home state of Texas. With minimal help and very little know-how, I began to build a podcast producer support business.
At this point, I’d only just started creating and sharing my own content. But friends, and friends of friends, began reaching out to see how I could help them launch podcasts for their businesses.
I’ll be honest, there were more times than I can count where I believed that I wasn’t going to make it – emotionally or financially. At one point, I ended up at another office job once we’d settled down again (You heard that right… another one. I felt so pathetic).
But, I continued working at my little business. Each day after my 9-5, I’d work on a few client shows. Bit by bit, hour by hour.
After about four months of consistent client work on the side, I gained the courage to quit my office job for good. It was time to expand and take myself and my goals seriously for the first time.
I had a long way to go to build my portfolio and make the kind of extra money I wanted to make, but I was convinced that I had the skills to make a living doing virtual podcast production.
And, about a year later, I was making well over what I was making in my last office job.
When I was offering podcast production services full time (I now teach on the subject), I was typically working on 2-3 shows, which equated to roughly 15 hours a week. I spent another 10 hours or so doing marketing and prospecting for podcast clients, and took home around $2,500 a month.
On a more personal level, my husband and I decided it was time to tackle the rest of my student loan debt. So… we did! We were debt-free and able to save up a six-month emergency fund all from what I was making in my podcast production business.
But we didn’t stop there! After we hit our emergency fund goal, we continued to put away what I made and were able to save enough money for a down payment on a house. Then, we bought our first home!
As a virtual Podcast Producer, I have the flexibility to work or travel whenever I want to – my life and business on my terms, just like I had envisioned. Literally, dreams coming true.
The World of Virtual Podcast Producers
One of the reasons clients prefer to outsource their podcast support work to freelancers or virtual assistants is because they simply don’t have the time, desire, or know-how to work on a podcast, even if they see how valuable it is for their businesses.
Their podcast is just one more item on their very crowded agenda. But that’s great news for the virtual Podcast Producer!
I spent tons of time learning tactics for audio editing, keeping up-to-date with the latest and greatest in basic marketing efforts, and figuring out distribution; all on my own. It was certainly the long way around for my ultimate goal: flexibility and creative freedom.
But when I look back at the skills I had before experimenting with podcast production, I realized that my new skills directly tied into skills I already had.
Do you have a background in marketing? Well, this is one of the most in-demand services out there! Clients need help telling people about their show and continuously promoting it.
What about customer service? Guest management is a huge service clients need to facilitate interviews and keep their shows organized.
I’m telling you, if you’re even remotely interested in providing podcast support, you’re closer than you think. No matter your skillset, there is something you can likely offer as podcast support.
If helping small businesses with their podcasts is something you’ve thought about doing, here are five services you could offer clients as well as what you could potentially earn.
1. Audio Editing
This is a particular skill that many clients don’t know how to do or want to do. They’re busy working on their businesses and simply don’t have the time or skill set.
If you’re interested in learning how to edit audio, YouTube has a ton of awesome videos on audio editing. If you’re worried about the cost of learning this new skill, you can get started today for free – Audacity is a free software program that is great for editors at any level.
What you could potentially earn: $50-125/episode.
2. Project Management
Yes, project management! A podcast project manager (or PM) works in the same capacity as a regular PM, they just work on podcast-specific projects.
Project managers offer an invaluable service to clients by helping them manage production, team members, and content scheduling.
Have a background in project management? Even better!
What you could potentially earn: $30-75/hour.
3. Guest Management
If a client is interested in interviewing people for their podcast, guest management is a critical skill set they need to have (or hire out).
Your job would be to connect with potential guests, be sure they have everything they need for the interview, and touch base with them after the interview.
This role is especially important because you’re guest-facing and representing your client’s business. If you have experience in customer service or administration work, this would be an awesome service for you to offer.
What you could potentially earn: $25-40/hour.
4. Marketing & Promotion
Marketing is such a hot topic in any business landscape but it’s because it is essential to a business’s success. That is also true for the success of a podcast.
Offering this service can make a good podcast an even better podcast. Getting in front of the right people can create unique opportunities for your clients and provide valuable resources to people who are looking for exactly what your client is offering.
If you have a background in marketing, marketing for podcasting is a huge portion of the industry and could provide you with all kinds of potential business!
What you could potentially earn: $50-70/hour.
5. Content Repurposing
When a podcast is published consistently for a substantial period of time (i.e. six months to a year), oftentimes, it’s a good idea to repurpose content, or, reuse and redistribute content that has already been made in different ways.
Have you ever seen an audiogram or sound bite? Those images with a moving, squiggly line, and/or a quote over an image of a person? This is one small example of content repurposing that is used to promote a podcast.
A large enough show has a dedicated team of people constantly utilizing bits and pieces of older podcast episodes to churn out fresh and updated content.
If you have a background in social media or design, you could offer this much-needed service.
What you could potentially earn: $25-40/hour
Other Podcast Producer Services You Could Offer
One of my favorite things about becoming a virtual Podcast Producer is that there are so many variations of the role. And business owners need all of them!
If this sounds interesting or exciting to you, my team and I over at Podcast Production School have created a workbook to help you determine which services might be a good fit for you. Click here to get your free Podcast Producer workbook.
For more information about how to become a virtual Podcast Producer, visit Podcast Production School.
