Episode Rate Check
How to use it
Per-episode pricing is the classic trap: a flat fee looks fine until the edit ratio turns one hour of raw audio into four or six hours of real work. This calculator prices episodes from real hours. Start with the minimum hourly bar you will work for (50 default, editable). Enter the raw audio length in minutes, then pick an edit type: Light cleanup fills a 2x edit ratio, Standard 4x, Heavy 6x, or type your own ratio as edit minutes per raw minute. Add your included revision rounds and minutes per round, because free revisions are the second leak. Check the add-ons you bundle: show notes (+30 min), transcription pass (+45 min), audiogram (+40 min), plus the rush toggle for under-48-hour turnarounds (+25% price). Results show a line-item hour breakdown, total real hours per episode, and a recommended price: hours times your bar, rounded up to the nearest $5. The gut-check box takes what you would have quoted and shows what it really pays per hour against your bar, with PRICED RIGHT, CLOSE BUT LEAKING, or UNDERPRICED verdicts. A monthly income goal converts into episodes needed and the edit hours that means. No signup; everything runs on your phone.
Worked example
Example only, not typical pricing. A 60-minute episode on the Standard preset: 4x edit ratio, one 30-minute revision round, and show notes on. Edit time is 60 x 4 / 60 = 4.0 hours, revisions are 30 / 60 = 0.5, add-ons are 30 / 60 = 0.5, for 5.0 real hours. At a $50 per hour bar, the recommended price is 5 x 50 = $250. A gut quote of $100 pays $100 / 5 = $20.00 per hour, which is under 70% of the bar, so the verdict is UNDERPRICED. A $3,000 monthly goal needs 3,000 / 250 = 12 episodes, which is 12 x 5 = 60 real edit hours per month.
FAQs
**Q** What edit ratio should I use?
Light interviews on one microphone usually land near 2x, standard multi-mic conversational shows near 4x, and heavy edits with ums removed and story restructuring near 6x. Track your hours on three episodes and replace the preset with your real number.
**Q** How do I handle clients who want unlimited revisions?
Price the rounds you include and say so in the agreement. Rounds beyond the included count get an hourly add-on. The revision fields exist so that free revision time stops being free.
**Q** Should I charge more for rush turnarounds?
Yes, and the +25% toggle prices it automatically. Rush work displaces other clients and forces longer sessions, so it should pay a premium rather than come free.
**Q** Does the recommended price cover my taxes?
No. The bar you set is pre-tax, so build self-employment tax, insurance, and software into it before relying on the number. This is general information, not tax advice.
**Q** Why quote per episode instead of per hour?
Clients buy episodes, not hours. The calculator converts your hourly bar into a per-episode quote so you can talk in the client's unit without losing money on the edit ratio.