Most buyers ask two questions. What does it cost, and can I see examples? Both matter. Neither protects you. I rebuilt this guide around a scorecard, and as a full-service podcast production agency, we expect to be asked all ten.
The questions come from Lindsay Krasinski’s experience with business shows. I added checks you can run yourself, a way to score the answers, and sources for the claims that can be checked.
These are the questions to ask a podcast agency. Take the scorecard to your next call. Use it with any b2b podcast agency on your list.
Why vetting a podcast agency is different
With a web developer, you can change vendors and still own the site. A podcast works differently. The RSS feed is the spine of the show, and it holds your subscribers and episode history. If the agency controls it, leaving can mean starting over.
Lindsay Krasinski, our Podcast Strategy Consultant, built the original version of this list after working with 100 or more business shows. Her view is that most buyers ask two questions, what it costs and whether they can see examples, and both are the wrong place to start.
I reorganized her ten questions into three groups. I call the groups the Three Locks: ownership, accountability and proof. If one lock is open, the other two do not protect you.
- Ownership lock: questions 1, 8 and 10. Do you own the feed, the exit and the assets?
- Accountability lock: questions 2, 4 and 5. Do you know who does the work, on what schedule, and whether strategy is included?
- Proof lock: questions 3, 6, 7 and 9. Can the agency show recent work, real measurement, video skill and relevant experience?
Use the table below as a one-page scorecard. Print it, take it to the call, and write the answers down.
The scorecard
| # | Question | A good answer | A red flag |
| 1 | Who owns the RSS feed? | You own it from day one, in writing | Wording like manage on your behalf, with no ownership clause |
| 2 | Who works on my show? | Named people for strategy, audio, video and production | A pool of editors with no names |
| 3 | Can I hear three shows launched in the last 12 months? | Three recent links, ready on the call | Hesitation, stale shows, nothing in your field |
| 4 | What does onboarding look like week by week? | A defined timeline from week one to launch | We customize the process |
| 5 | Is strategy included? | Yes, in the base engagement | Editing priced like an agency |
| 6 | How do you measure success? | Unique listeners, completion, subscribers, pipeline | Only downloads and chart rank |
| 7 | Do you produce video? | A defined workflow and past examples | We can add video |
| 8 | What is the minimum term and exit? | 6 to 12 months, with clear exit terms | Month to month with no structure, or a long lock-in with no review |
| 9 | Have you launched shows like mine? | Evidence from a similar field or stage | Great content works everywhere |
| 10 | Who owns the creative assets? | You do, with every deliverable in writing | Vague terms, or fees to reuse assets you paid for |
The ownership lock (questions 1, 8 and 10)
1. Who owns the RSS feed?
The feed holds every subscriber, rating and episode. Lindsay’s rule is that the client owns it from day one and keeps it if the relationship ends. She calls fuzzy language on this point a trap.
Here is what you can check yourself. Apple’s guide to changing hosting providers says the old host should set up a 301 redirect from the old feed to the new one. It also says episode GUIDs must stay unchanged. A changed GUID can cause duplicate episodes or sudden analytics changes. Ask the agency whether they can follow those steps for you. Then ask for the same answer in writing. A promise made on a call is easy to forget, and a line in the contract is not. Also ask who holds the hosting login today, who pays the hosting bill, and whether you get an admin seat on day one. Real answers take one minute. Write down who answered, because the person who sells the work is not always the person who runs it, and you want the second person’s name on file. Vague answers tell you what you need to know about the rest of the engagement.
8. What is the minimum commitment, and what are the exit terms?
Lindsay sees 6 to 12 months as a fair minimum, because growth compounds slowly. Month to month often signals low confidence. A multi-year lock-in with no review is just as risky.
Ask four exit questions. What happens if I leave at month 7? What notice do you need? What do I owe? Do the feed, cover art and episode archive come with me?
Add a fifth: can I export my listener history? Spotify’s own switching guide says analytics do not transfer between hosts, so history is not always portable. Ask the agency how it protects yours.
10. Who owns the creative assets if I leave?
Intro music, cover art, edited episodes, show notes and audiograms should be yours. Lindsay’s test is simple: you can leave with every deliverable and hand it to the next team without rebuilding anything.
Ask for the terms in writing. Be wary of any suggestion that you must buy or license again what your budget already paid for.
The accountability lock (questions 2, 4 and 5)
2. Who specifically works on my show?
A good answer names people and roles: a launch strategist, an audio editor, a video editor and a producer. The producer should not do everything.
A pool of unnamed editors is a warning. Shows made by different people each week can sound inconsistent, and you will not know who to call. Our guide to what a podcast producer does explains why one owner for the whole system matters.
4. What does onboarding look like, week by week?
Ask for a walkthrough: week one, when strategy is locked, when creative assets are due, when recording starts and what launch week involves. A team with a real process can say it without looking anything up.
Lindsay’s view is that flexibility here usually means no process and no accountability for dates.
5. Is strategy included, or a separate service?
Audio and video editing is a skill many freelancers offer for less. The extra value of an agency is strategy: audience positioning, show concept, content planning and a growth plan tied to a business result.
If strategy is not included, you are paying agency rates for an editor. For a sense of what the full scope covers, see what a B2B podcast agency does.
The proof lock (questions 3, 6, 7 and 9)
3. Can I listen to three shows you launched in the last 12 months?
Old portfolios say little about current skill. Listen to the intro, the pacing and the structure. Does it sound built on a plan, or poured into a template?
Three links on the spot is a good sign. A promise to follow up is not.
6. How do you measure success beyond downloads?
Lindsay calls raw download counts inflated and inconsistent across platforms. A better answer names unique listeners, completion rates, subscriber growth and a business measure such as leads or sales conversations.
Our director of growth, Cassie Wells, adds a point on timing in her pipeline guide: report every 90 days and say plainly what cannot yet be measured. See her method for tying episodes to pipeline.
7. Do you produce video, or just audio?
Video now shapes where people find shows. Edison Research’s 2025 findings, published by SSRS, report that 36% of Gen Z weekly podcast listeners use YouTube most often for podcasts, just ahead of Spotify at 35%. That is one age group, not all listeners, so read it as a trend, not a rule.
The test is the workflow. Ask who edits video, what the output looks like and where you can see examples. We Can Add Video With No Examples is the answer to avoid.
9. Have you launched shows in my field or at my stage?
A tech startup show and a consumer brand show differ in audience, structure, distribution and metrics. You do not need an exact match. You need proof the agency understands your space and can explain what it learned from a close one.
Which kind of podcast agency do you need?
Before you score anyone, check the type. A Sweet Fish Media guide sorts agencies into five types: production, booking, creative, advertising and full-service. Each does a different job.
- Production: records, edits and publishes your show.
- Booking: finds guests, or places your people as guests on other shows.
- Creative: shapes the concept, the brand and the sound.
- Advertising: buys or sells ads on podcasts.
- Full-service: strategy and production together.
A podcast production agency fits when you already have a plan. A full service podcast agency fits when you need the plan too. A full-service b2b podcast agency adds buyer research and pipeline reporting.
Some firms call themselves a podcast marketing agency. Ask whether that means promotion only, or production and strategy as well. The name alone does not tell you.
Three top guides I read this week, from Quill, Sweet Fish and One Stone, do not compare agency types to freelancers or in-house teams. Here is my short version. A freelancer is cheaper and fits a clear plan. An agency fits when you need strategy and a team. In-house fits when you have staff time for a year.
How podcast agencies charge, and what to compare
Price is the question buyers lead with, so compare the model before the number. The same three guides name wide price swings but do not explain how agencies charge. I see three models.
- Per episode: you pay for each edited episode. It is simple, but strategy is usually extra.
- Monthly retainer: one fee covers a set scope. It suits a show you plan to run for a year or more.
- Project or package: a fixed fee for a launch or a season. Ask what happens after it ends.
Our own range is $2,100 to $6,500 a month, depending on scope. Whatever the model, ask what the fee includes, what costs extra and what happens if you stop.
Put those answers next to question 5 and question 8 on the scorecard. A low price with strategy missing and a long lock-in costs more than it looks.
How to score the answers
Here is the rule I use. It is my own, not an industry standard. Count the red flags in the scorecard.
- Zero or one red flag: a strong candidate. Ask for references and move on to price.
- Two or three red flags: ask a follow-up in writing and judge the reply.
- Four or more, or any red flag in the ownership lock: keep looking.
Podcast agency red flags in the ownership lock weigh more than the others. You can fix a vague onboarding plan. You cannot easily fix a feed you do not own.
One more signal comes from how the agency reacts. A good agency welcomes these questions because it has clean answers. Even a top podcast production agency should pass all ten. Defensive replies and we will get back to you are answers too.
Ask us the same questions. An honest agency should answer all ten, and you should compare the answers with the scorecard.
Before you call anyone
Answer three questions yourself first. What is the show for? Who must hear it? What result will your leaders accept in 12 months? Agencies cannot answer these for you, and a vague brief gets vague proposals.
Set your budget and timeline too. Our cost breakdown for B2B podcasts shows the tiers, and our post on ROI timing explains why month-two returns are not realistic.
If you are comparing named providers, our list of the top B2B podcast production agencies gives you a starting set to run through the scorecard.
If you want to run the scorecard with us
A full-service podcast production agency should be able to answer all ten questions on the first call. Our podcast management and podcast launch services cover the accountability lock in detail.
If you want to test us, book a call and bring this page.
Conclusion
A podcast agency is a long relationship, so judge it on more than price. Ownership, accountability and proof are the three locks.
Take the scorecard to the call, score the answers, and weigh ownership flags most. That is how to choose a podcast agency without guessing. Ask every agency the same ten questions, including us.
Strategy-first. Production second. Growth always.
Sources
- Apple Podcasts for Creators, Changing hosting providers (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- Sweet Fish Media, Podcast Agencies: 5 Types, How to Choose (checked Oct 13, 2026)
- Spotify for Creators, Switching your show’s hosting (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- SSRS, Top 10 Findings of 2025 from Edison Research (Dec 12, 2025) (checked Oct 12, 2026)
