The hidden cost of doing it yourself

A new client recently came to us with a range of reasons for needing support. But one stood out to me immediately: they needed their time back.

Like many capable, intelligent people, they had decided to edit their own podcast. On paper, it made sense. In reality, editing a 30‑minute episode was taking most of a working day. The process was frustrating and the finished result still didn’t sound how it should. By the end, they hadn’t just lost hours, they’d lost momentum.

This is a common story.

The hidden cost of doing it yourself

Podcasting looks deceptively simple. Record a conversation, tidy it up, upload it. But for most people, the number of moving parts involved even in just the post production side is completely new:

• Learning unfamiliar software
• Understanding audio quality and how to improve it after recording
• Removing distractions and mistakes without breaking the flow
• Achieving a consistent, professional sound
• Preparing files correctly for distribution

We completely understand why people want to have a go themselves. There’s a creative satisfaction in doing it all, and the perceived cost saving is appealing.

But for thought leaders, business teams and busy people, there’s a more important calculation to make.

Time is your most valuable asset

Your time is finite and in almost every case, it can be used far more effectively than wrestling with editing software and audio problems.

If you’re a founder, executive, or expert in your field, your value isn’t in learning how to seamlessly trim dialogue or clean up background noise. It’s in:

• Developing ideas worth sharing
• Having meaningful conversations with the right guests
• Using your podcast to build credibility, relationships and trust
• Leading your business and inspiring your team

When production becomes a bottleneck, podcasts stall. Episode releases get delayed. Quality becomes inconsistent. The enthusiasm that got the show started begins to fade.

Experience changes everything

I’ve been editing audio professionally for over 20 years. What takes a beginner most of the day takes me a fraction of that time - not because it’s rushed, but because it’s refined. Practice makes perfect as my parents said when I was at school.

Thousands of hours of experience mean I know how to edit seamlessly, improve the clarity and presence of your audio, remove artifacts and distractions and create a polished, broadcast-quality finish that meets listener expectations on every platform.

The result isn’t just better sound. It’s a smoother process, faster turnaround, and another pair of ears across your content to help identify the best bits that can be used to promote the episode.

Focus on what only you can do

The clients who see the best results from podcasting aren’t the ones trying to do everything themselves. They’re the ones who focus their time where it matters most.

They spend their energy on:

• Choosing compelling topics
• Booking the right guests
• Using their podcast as a strategic networking tool

And they leave the rest to us:

• Diary management and technical prep
• Recording support
• Editing and mixing
• Uploads, show notes and delivery

Get your time back

If your podcast is taking more from you than it’s giving back, it’s time to rethink the approach.If you’d like to save time, improve quality, and finally enjoy the process, book a discovery call. We’ll show you how much time you could reclaim and how much more effective your podcast could be with professional support.

Ready for more? Check out Ben's article about the one thing you can do to get people listening longer to your podcast.