Every podcast and recording studio will have slightly different processes and approach to how they do things. So we’ve outlined everything you might need to know about what to expect on the day, and how to be as prepared as possible so there is a smooth and efficient workflow.
Booking a session
Booking a session couldn’t be easier using our online booking form. Simply choose whether you want an audio only session, an audio and video session, or the episode package. You can then choose how much time you need, which starts from 1 hour, and increases in 30 minute increments up to 3 hours, and then in one hour increments up to 8 hours.
When making your booking, make sure you factor in some setup time before you get started, and some time to transfer all your files at the end of the session. For example, for a 40 minute podcast episode, 1 hour would be recommended. If you wanted to record 3 x 20 minute podcast episodes, realistically you’ll likely need 1.5 hours for time before, after and in between episodes.
Once you’ve chosen your session time, you’ll be offered some relevant optional services. This includes the option to have the files emailed to you (these are uploaded to Google Drive), and for video services, you can opt to increase the quality of your video from full HD to 4K in BRAW (Blackmagic raw) for the very best quality.
Next you can use the date picker to select a date and time slot. Once selected, you need to fill in a few details including a customer intake form where we ask a few questions to prepare for your session in advance of your arrival. You can provide us with any specific requirements you might have, and even upload branding assets for us to add to the TV display. As soon as you’re happy, you can make a payment by Stripe or PayPal to confirm your time.
Note: If you need a last minute or out of hours booking that isn’t showing as available on the form, contact us and we might be able to accommodate you.
What you need to bring with you
If you’re not getting your files sent via email, then you’ll need some form of portable hard drive or laptop for transferring your files at the end of the session before you leave. We provide all the equipment you’ll need for your session, but some people choose to bring their own cameras, props and other things that they may want use during their session.
Other than that, everything else is up to you. Some people bring notepads for making notes during their podcasts while speaking to guests, others bring laptops and tablets. It’s entirely up to you.
How to get here
We’re based on the top high street in Knutsford town centre called Princess Street. You can find us just behind a cafe called Detaljer, opposite another cafe called Cafe Nero (there are a lot of cafes in Knutsford!). If you arrive by train, we’re a short walk from the train station (0.4 miles / 9 minute walk).
If you arrive by car, there a number of free and paid parking spaces available in Knutsford. We would recommend using one of the paid car parks. These include:
- Princess Street Car Park
- Tatton Street Car Park
- King Steet Car Park
Depending on how long you’re staying, there is some on street car parking that is free for up to 2 hours.
When you arrive
When you arrive, we would recommend that you message us on WhatsApp and we’ll come down and meet you at the entrance to the building or the nearest location. Although we have an intercom system, we have purposely disabled this so as not to risk potentially interfering with a live recording.
We would ask you to arrive as close as possible to the start time of your session, but we will be ready for you up to 10 minutes before. If you arrive earlier than this, we would recommend you wait in either Detaljer or Cafe Nero, and enjoy a coffee and/or some cake.
The recording process
Once we’re in the studio, we can set up the space exactly how you need it. So we can customise branding, LED light colours, camera positions and much more. Once happy, we’ll perform a quick sound check to customise the levels to your voice, and then we’ll be ready to start.
Before we press record, we’ll talk through exactly how you want to work. Some people like to just do one long continuous take, others like to stop and start and have multiple takes. We can accommodate however you want to work, but we’ll make sure we’re all clear on this before we begin.
Once the session has finished, all the audio and/or video files will be ready for transfer. Although we use very fast SSD drives, video files can be very large – particularly the 4K BRAW files – so this can take time to transfer, and can require a lot of hard drive space!
Supporting services
Some people choose to edit all the audio and video files themselves, and don’t require any supporting services from us – so as soon as you have your files, it’s over to you.
If you would like us to edit the audio/video and create i.e. short form videos from your content, we can absolutely do that for you. At some point after booking, we will provide you with some optional services and related costs. We also have a huge amount of experience in video marketing and publishing to platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, so we can discuss this with you too.
Let’s get started!
Hopefully this provides you with some useful insights, and if you’ve booked a session or you’re thinking about booking, you have a really good idea about what to expect and how to be prepared on the day.
We can’t wait to see you there!
