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There are two ways to pay for podcast production at Ottora Studio, and the right one depends entirely on how often you actually record — not on how often you intend to.
- Hourly: QAR 260/hr for the room, lighting and microphones. One-hour minimum, no contract.
- Add-ons: camera QAR 300/hr each (two owned in house), operator QAR 300/hr, editing QAR 500/episode.
- A fully produced two-hour episode — second camera, operator, edited — is about QAR 2,220. Self-produced, the same slot is QAR 520.
- Monthly packages are built, not picked. Five answers on a form and a price comes back. No bronze/silver/gold.
- Pay hourly if you record irregularly. Take a package if you record on a schedule and want the slot held.
The hourly rate
QAR 260 an hour for a podcast session in Abu Hamour. That covers the room, the lighting and the microphones.
Everything else is optional and priced by the hour of the booking:
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Additional camera | QAR 300 per hour, each |
| Camera operator | QAR 300 per hour |
| Episode editing | QAR 500 per episode |
Two cameras are owned in house, so two is what can be guaranteed for one session. More can be arranged, agreed and quoted before you book — never assumed.
What a produced episode is actually made of
The number people find surprising is how little of a produced episode's cost is the room.
Worth reading that chart twice before deciding you cannot afford to record. The entry point is QAR 520, not QAR 2,220, and the gap between them is entirely made of things you can add later.
The monthly package
A package is not a tier. There is no bronze, silver and gold here, because a three-tier menu never fits an actual show — somebody always needs four sessions and no editing, or one session and four edits.
Instead the price is built from five answers:
- How many sessions a month?
- How long is each one?
- Do you want an operator?
- How many cameras?
- How many episodes get edited?
You answer those on a short form and a price comes back. It takes about three minutes and does not require a phone call to find out the number, which is the part most studios get wrong.
Worked example — a weekly show. Four sessions a month, two hours each, one operator, one extra camera, all four episodes edited:
| Line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Room, 8 hours | QAR 2,080 |
| Operator, 8 hours | QAR 2,400 |
| One extra camera, 8 hours | QAR 2,400 |
| Editing, 4 episodes | QAR 2,000 |
| Total per month | QAR 8,880 |
Worked example — a fortnightly show, self-edited. Two sessions, two hours each, one extra camera, no operator, no editing:
| Line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Room, 4 hours | QAR 1,040 |
| One extra camera, 4 hours | QAR 1,200 |
| Total per month | QAR 2,240 |
Worked example — the same weekly show, batched. Four episodes recorded in one six-hour session instead of four two-hour ones, one operator, one extra camera, all four edited. The six-hour booking takes 25% off the combined hourly rate:
| Line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Room + camera + operator, 6 hrs at QAR 860/hr | QAR 5,160 |
| Less 25% volume discount | − QAR 1,290 |
| Editing, 4 episodes | QAR 2,000 |
| Total per month | QAR 5,870 |
Same four episodes, same production values, QAR 3,010 a month less — because the discount applies to the combined rate and because you set up once instead of four times.
Which one you should pick
Pay hourly if you record irregularly, you are still testing the format, or your show is seasonal. There is a one-hour minimum and no membership, so hourly costs you nothing when you do not record.
Take a package if you record on a schedule and you want the slot held. The commercial advantage is real but it is not the main one — the main one is that a standing booking is the single strongest predictor of whether a podcast survives its first year. Shows that record "when we get a chance" stop, almost without exception, somewhere between episode four and episode eight.
Batch, either way
Whichever you choose, do not record one episode at a time.
Book three or four hours, record four episodes back to back, change your shirt between each so the audience reads them as different days. Put the two you are most nervous about in the middle. Take fifteen minutes off after every second one.
Four episodes in one three-hour session costs less than four separate one-hour sessions and — more to the point — it actually happens, because it is one calendar entry instead of four.
The part nobody budgets for
Editing.
Recording is fun and takes two hours. Editing is four hours of listening to yourself say "um", and it lands on a Thursday night when you would rather do anything else. Episode three is where most people quit, and they quit at the edit, not at the microphone.
If there are already unedited episodes sitting in a folder on your laptop, the decision is made — the bottleneck is the edit, and no amount of better equipment moves it.
Frequently asked
How much does a podcast cost in Doha?
A two-hour recording session is QAR 520 for the room. With a second camera, an operator and editing, a fully produced episode is about QAR 2,220. A self-produced one is QAR 520.
Do you offer podcast packages in Doha?
Yes, and they are built rather than picked from tiers. Five questions on the enquiry form — sessions per month, hours each, operator, cameras, episodes edited — and a price comes back.
Is there a minimum commitment?
No. Hourly bookings have a one-hour minimum and no contract. Monthly packages run month to month.
How many cameras can I have?
Two are guaranteed, because two are owned in house. More can be arranged and are agreed and priced before you book.
Do the volume discounts apply to packages?
They apply per booking. A six-hour batch session takes 25% off the combined rate, which is why batching a monthly show is materially cheaper than four separate sessions.
Do you edit in Arabic?
Editing is priced per episode regardless of language. Discuss the specifics on the enquiry form.
How do I get the files?
Bring an SSD and take them with you, or have them uploaded to Google Drive or WeTransfer.
When can I record?
Saturday to Thursday, 10:00 to 23:00. Fridays are closed. Evening slots are the most requested, so book those a week or two out.
Related reading:Podcast studios in Qatar: how to choose one · Where to record a podcast in Doha · Starting a podcast in Qatar
Prices for a package come back from the podcast enquiry form. Hourly slots are on the booking calendar.