How a Freelance Podcast Editor Earns 7000 Monthly

Lucas: So we have talked a lot on this show about side hustles that are basically writing or design. But today I want to get into something that is a bit more technical, a bit more audio. Podcast editing. Luna: Oh, that's a good one. I feel like everyone has a podcast now, so there's gotta be a ton of work out there. Lucas: Exactly. And the person we're looking at today is a former radio producer who now makes about seven thousand dollars a month editing podcasts for twelve different shows. That's her side hustle, on top of a full-time job. Luna: Seven thousand a month is serious money. How does she juggle twelve shows and a day job? Lucas: That's the interesting part. She's built a really efficient workflow. She says each episode takes her about two and a half hours from raw file to finished master. And she charges a hundred fifty dollars per episode. So if you do the math, that's about sixty dollars an hour, which is pretty solid for freelance work. Luna: And she has twelve shows, so does she edit multiple episodes per show per week? Lucas: Most of them are weekly shows, so she's doing roughly twelve episodes a week. That's about thirty hours of editing work on top of her day job, which is a lot, but she says she's got it down to a science. The key is that she's not just cutting out ums and ahs. She's actually shaping the narrative of each episode. Luna: So what does that mean in practice? Like, what's her actual workflow? Lucas: She walks me through it. First pass is always a listen-through where she marks the moments that are worth keeping. She's looking for the story arc, the key insights, the emotional beats. Then she does the actual cutting, which is the technical part. Removing filler words, long pauses, awkward silences, background noise. Luna: And then she adds music, levels everything out, that kind of thing? Lucas: Yeah, she does her mix, she does compression, equalization, and she's got templates for each show so the levels are consistent every time. But the part that really sets her apart is what she calls the narrative polish. She'll rearrange sections if the conversation is going in circles, she'll tighten up rambling answers, and she sometimes even adds a cold open that teases what's coming later in the episode. Luna: That sounds like a skill that takes a while to develop. How did she get started? Lucas: She came from radio, so she had the ear for it. But she didn't have any podcast clients when she started. What she did was she created a portfolio of before and after samples. She took a few awful recordings from local community podcasts and she edited them into something that sounded professional. Then she put those samples online and pitched directly to podcasters who had terrible audio quality. Luna: That's smart. Show them the transformation. That's way more compelling than just saying you're a good editor. Lucas: And it worked. Her first client came from that portfolio, and then it was word of mouth. Within six months she had five shows. Now she's at twelve, and she actually turned down a client last week because she's at capacity. Luna: Turning down work is a good problem to have. But how does she handle the workload without burning out? I mean, thirty hours a week on top of a full-time job is intense. Lucas: She's very strict about her schedule. She edits in blocks of three hours on weekday evenings and then a solid block on Saturday morning. She also batch processes as much as possible. She does all her noise removal using a single preset that she's fine-tuned over time, and she uses templates for music and intros so she's not reinventing the wheel every episode. Luna: What about revisions? I feel like clients can be a nightmare about that. Lucas: That's a real issue. She includes one round of revisions in her base fee, but she's very clear in her contract that any major restructuring after that is billed at fifty dollars an hour. And she says that's cut down on the endless back and forth. The clients who know what they want are great, and the ones who don't... well, they learn pretty quickly. Luna: It's a valuable lesson for any freelancer. Boundaries are part of the product. Lucas: Absolutely. And she's also selective about the kind of shows she works with. She prefers interview-based shows because they need more editing than a solo monologue. And she avoids true crime and politics because those can get heavy and require a lot of fact-checking. She wants shows that are positive and business-focused, which is actually why she fits right in with our network. Luna: Ha, that's true. We're the perfect clients for her. Lucas: So if someone is listening and thinking about getting into podcast editing, what's the first step? She says it's not about buying expensive gear. You can start with free software like Audacity or GarageBand. What matters is training your ear. She suggests editing random YouTube videos, podcast clips, anything you can get your hands on, and then comparing your edit to what the original creator released. Luna: That's a practical way to learn. And then once you have a few samples, you start pitching. Lucas: Right. And she also recommends starting with local businesses or community organizations that might have a podcast that sounds awful. Offer to edit an episode for free or at a big discount, just to get a testimonial. That's how you build credibility. Luna: And then you can raise your rates as you get more confident. She's at a hundred fifty per episode now, which is on the higher end. But she earned it. Lucas: Yeah, and that kind of rate is sustainable because she's delivering real value. A good editor can mean the difference between a podcast that sounds amateur and one that sounds polished and professional. And that can translate into more listeners and even ad revenue for the host. Luna: That's a good point. It's not just about cutting out ums. It's about making the show better. Lucas: And that's why she can charge what she does. She's not just a technician, she's a producer in the truest sense. She's involved in the creative direction of the show, she helps the hosts structure their episodes, she even suggests segment ideas sometimes. Luna: So it's more like a partnership than a transaction. That makes sense. Lucas: Speaking of partnerships, you know what I love about this show? It's that we have these conversations that can genuinely change someone's career trajectory. And a lot of that comes from the listener support we get. If this show has made a difference in your life, buying us a coffee helps keep this ad-free. You can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. A couple of dollars a month genuinely helps us keep making these episodes. Luna: And it's a small way to say thanks and keep the lights on. We really appreciate it. Lucas: So back to the editing craft. One thing she does that I found really smart is she has a client onboarding questionnaire. It asks about the show's tone, the hosts' personalities, whether they want to keep in natural pauses or tighten everything up. That way she knows exactly what she's getting into before she edits a single episode. Luna: That's a great way to avoid misunderstandings. And it makes the whole process smoother for everyone. Lucas: Exactly. And she also has a rule about turnaround time. She promises forty-eight hour turnaround for most episodes, but she has a couple of shows that need same-day edits and she charges a rush fee for those. That's another way to increase your income without adding more clients. Luna: Rush fees are smart. And they're a good way to test how much a client really values your time. Lucas: If you're thinking about getting into this, the barrier to entry is pretty low. You just need to invest time in learning the software and developing your ear. And there's a huge market out there. Podcast ads are still growing, and new shows are launching every day. Many of those hosts need help. Luna: And it's a skill that's only going to become more in demand. I mean, audio content is everywhere now, not just podcasts. Audiobooks, corporate training, even those AI voice assistants. All of that needs editors at some point. Lucas: That's a really good point. So podcast editing could be a gateway to other audio work. She's already had clients ask her to edit their YouTube videos or do sound design for their live streams. So the potential to expand is there. Luna: So if someone wanted to start tomorrow, what's one piece of advice you'd give them from what we've heard today? Lucas: I'd say start with a terrible podcast. Find one that has a good message but bad audio, and offer to make it better. That's exactly how she landed her first client. And then as you get better, raise your rates and be selective about who you work with. Luna: That's solid advice. And maybe start with a free trial edit to get your foot in the door. Lucas: Yeah, that's a great strategy. Once they hear the difference, they'll want to keep you around. So I guess the takeaway is that podcast editing is a viable side hustle if you're willing to put in the time to learn and market yourself. Luna: And it's a skill that's only going to become more in demand. So maybe now is the time to jump in.