The first question to answer when you book a podcast studio in LA isn't price. It's whether you need video. Most dedicated podcast studios on the Westside now sell multi-camera video sets, and that's where most of the price difference comes from. Audio-only shows can spend much less, while video shows pay for cameras, lighting and someone to switch them.
How we compiled it. Prices and features come from each studio's own website, checked on September 23, 2026. Where a studio doesn't publish something, the table says so.
Disclosure. This guide is published by Paradise Recording, a Santa Monica studio that records audio podcasts. We're in the table and we've labeled ourselves. We don't rank anyone.
Westside podcast studios at a glance
| Studio | Where | Posted price | Operator or engineer | Video | Files |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Podcast | Santa Monica (two sets), plus West Hollywood | From $150/hr audio, $250/hr video | Operator on every booking | Yes, Sony FX30 4K cameras | ISO audio and 4K video within 48 hours |
| Brookie Podcast Studio | Santa Monica | $80/hr self-run; $120/hr with an engineer; 1-hr minimum | Optional | Yes, three cameras | Raw audio, raw video and an edited episode within 24 hours |
| Santa Monica Music Center | Culver City podcast studio | $85/hr audio only; $125/hr with engineer; $175/hr with 4K three-camera; $225/hr with 4K and engineer | Optional | Yes, three-camera 4K | Not listed |
| Venice Podcast Studio | Del Rey (4166 Kenyon Ave) | Session bundles from $230 per one-hour video session | Engineer-supported | Yes, Sony 4K, two sets | Not listed |
| Third Wheel Podcast Studio | West LA (6080 Center Dr) | $85/hr audio; $155/hr single camera; $200–$290/hr for 2–4 cameras | In-studio engineer | Yes, up to 4 cameras and an LED wall | Not listed |
| Melrose Podcasts | Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood | From $150/hr | Audio/video engineer on every session | Yes | Raw files in about 8 hours |
| Clearmountain's Berkeley Street Studios | Santa Monica (Studio G) | By inquiry | By inquiry | Full A/V setup | By inquiry |
| Paradise Recording (ours) | 1505 4th St, Santa Monica | $95/hr with an operator (2-hr minimum); $225 two-hour Episode Block; $800 for four episodes | Included | Audio only | Episode Block: edit-ready files the same day |
Prices and features as listed on each studio's website, September 23, 2026.
The studios, one by one
Operation Podcast
The most complete video operation on the Westside. It has two sets in Santa Monica and more in West Hollywood, each built for one to four people with Shure SM7B mics, RodeCaster gear and Sony FX30 4K cameras. Every booking comes with an operator. You get ISO audio, a stereo mix and ISO 4K video within 48 hours, and editing is available. Audio starts at $150 an hour and video at $250, with bundles for recurring shows.
Brookie Podcast Studio
A Santa Monica studio with four microphones and three cameras. It's $80 an hour if you run it yourself and $120 an hour with an engineer, with a one-hour minimum. You get raw audio, raw video and an edited episode within 24 hours. It had the lowest posted price with cameras of the studios we checked.
Santa Monica Music Center
Its podcast studios are at the Culver City location. Audio-only recording is $85 an hour, or $125 with an engineer. A 4K three-camera setup is $175 an hour, or $225 with an engineer. It also offers mixing and mastering.
Venice Podcast Studio
A video podcast studio on Kenyon Avenue in Del Rey with two sets, Sony 4K cameras and an engineer supporting every session. It sells session bundles starting at $230 per one-hour session, plus fully produced packages for business owners.
Third Wheel Podcast Studio
Third Wheel's West LA studio is at 6080 Center Drive and open daily from 9 am to 10 pm. Audio recording with an in-studio engineer is $85 an hour, single-camera video is $155, and 2–4 cameras run $200–$290. The studio has an 11-foot LED wall for backdrops and can livestream.
Melrose Podcasts
A West Hollywood studio on Sunset Boulevard with two sets and an audio/video engineer on every session. Prices start at $150 an hour, and raw files are usually ready in about eight hours. You can book a free 15-minute tour.
Paradise Recording (our studio)
We record audio podcasts. There are no cameras, and we'd rather tell you that here than have you find out at the door. The Rainforest Room seats a host and two guests at up to three mics, with Shure SM7Bs or a Manley Reference Gold running through API preamps. An operator sets levels and room tone before you sit down and runs the session. The Episode Block is $225 for two hours and comes with edit-ready files the same day. The Four-Pack is $800 and holds the same slot every week. Hourly is $95 with a 2-hour minimum. You can also book a standard two-hour studio session online for $160, which includes the engineer and the whole studio. Podcast studio details · every rate.
Audio only or video?
- Audio-only shows get the best value from a treated room and a good operator. On the Westside, that's Third Wheel's audio rate, Santa Monica Music Center's audio rooms, or Paradise.
- Video shows should compare on camera count, who switches the cameras, and how fast you get the video files. Operation Podcast delivers within 48 hours, Brookie within 24, and Melrose's raw files usually take about 8 hours.
- Remote guests. Ask whether the studio can record a remote guest on Riverside, Cleanfeed or Source-Connect while you're in the room. A double-ender, where the guest records locally, still gives the cleanest result.
What makes a room podcast-ready
Acoustic treatment matters more than the microphone. A treated room with broadband absorption at the first reflection points and a low noise floor will beat a bare room with an expensive mic. After that comes the chain: a broadcast dynamic like the SM7B or a good large-diaphragm condenser, a clean preamp, and someone watching levels so the host can concentrate on the conversation. Book a room built for voices rather than a large live room, and ask what's included before you compare prices. Some studios bill the engineer separately.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a podcast studio cost in Santa Monica?
Posted Westside prices run from $80 an hour for a self-run room at Brookie to $250 an hour for video at Operation Podcast.
Paradise charges $95 an hour with an operator for audio-only podcasts, or $225 for a two-hour Episode Block with same-day files.
Which Westside podcast studios offer video?
Operation Podcast, Brookie, Santa Monica Music Center's Culver City studio, Venice Podcast Studio, Third Wheel and Melrose all advertise multi-camera video. Paradise Recording records audio only.
Do podcast studios include an engineer?
Operation Podcast, Melrose and Third Wheel include one on every booking. Brookie and Santa Monica Music Center price the engineer as an option. Paradise includes an operator on every podcast session.
How fast will I get my podcast files?
As listed on their websites: Melrose's raw files in about 8 hours, Brookie's within 24 hours, and Operation Podcast's within 48 hours. Paradise's Episode Block includes edit-ready files the same day.
How many people can record at Paradise?
Up to three at the mics: a host and two guests. The lounge next door holds anyone waiting to go on.