What podcast production costs in the UAE — and what you should get for it

Short answer: a produced, published podcast feature in the UAE — studio session, full episode, bilingual adaptation, YouTube publication and a set of short clips — costs between AED 7,500 and AED 35,000+ per episode at BiSSMiXi's September 2026 rates, exclusive of VAT. The price is driven by what happens around the episode: the number of clips, storytelling direction, priority visibility and whether a Founder Story Film is included.

A feature is a production, not a slot

Being a guest on a produced podcast is not the same as being handed a microphone. A proper feature runs through pre-production (a briefing call, research, a question set built around your story, scheduling and preparation), a studio recording with a production team, post-production (edit, chapters, name plates, subtitles and bilingual adaptation, sound and colour finish), publication (YouTube, an announcement, story coverage) and a clip rollout across Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Every one of those steps is labour, and the price reflects them.

The three tiers, compared

How to judge a quote

• Is the episode bilingual? In the UAE, subtitles and on-screen text in the second language should be standard, with equal weight, not an add-on.
• How many clips, on which platforms? The clips are where most of the audience meets the episode. Count them.
• Do you approve the cut? A guest should review the edit before anything is published.
• Is sponsored content disclosed? If a sponsor is integrated, the segment should be marked as such.
• Who selects the guests? A podcast that takes anyone who pays is worth less to be on than one that selects against a standard. Ask what the standard is.
• Is the studio included? Session, cameras, audio and the production team should be inside the price.

Where the value is

A long-form conversation gives a founder or specialist what a promotional post cannot: time to explain, credibility that comes from being asked good questions, and a permanent, searchable episode that keeps working after the clips are gone. That is why the price is set per episode and not per minute, and why the difference between tiers is direction, visibility and rollout rather than recording time.