Podcast Studio or Your Own Office? What Recording a Podcast Costs in Dubai (2026)

Short answer: renting a podcast studio in Dubai costs roughly AED 150 to 500 an hour, depending on whether video and an operator are included, and a studio session with editing usually lands between AED 700 and 1,500. Recording at your own home or office with a crew costs more per visit (at CEMA, from AED 3,000 for a half day), but one visit covers several episodes, on your own set, with no travel for you or your guests. A studio is the better choice for a quick one-off; on-location wins when you’re building a regular show.

What Dubai podcast studios charge

These are prices the studios or the press have published. They change, most exclude 5% VAT, and some are promotional, so confirm before you book.

What the hourly price doesn’t include

• Editing. The cheapest rates give you raw files. A multi-camera edit, colour and a sound mix are usually extra, or left to you.
• Short clips. Most shows now grow through vertical clips on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. They are rarely part of a studio rate.
• Your time. You and every guest travel to the studio, and senior guests often say no for that reason alone.
• Your own look. A rented set looks like every other show recorded there that week.
• Overruns. The clock runs by the hour. A guest who arrives late costs you money.

What a crew at your office costs

On-location recording is priced by the visit, because the cost is the crew and the equipment for the day, not the hour. At CEMA, podcast production at your home or office looks like this:

The real comparison: cost per finished episode

Comparing an hourly studio rate with a half-day crew visit is misleading. Compare what a finished episode costs you instead.

• One episode, once. A studio session with editing at AED 700 to 1,500 is the cheaper route. A half day on location with one edited episode starts from AED 4,000. If you only need one recording, book a studio.
• A weekly show. Four studio sessions a month come to roughly AED 2,800 to 6,000, plus four trips for you and your guests, and usually no clips. A monthly on-location package is AED 11,000 for four edited episodes and 16 clips, recorded in a single day at your office. It costs more, and it buys back your time, your own set, and the clips that grow the show.
• Raw footage only. If your own team edits, a full day on location (up to four episodes) from AED 5,000 works out at AED 1,250 an episode.

When a studio is the better choice

• You’re testing an idea and want one or two episodes before you commit.
• Your office or home is noisy, or you don’t want it on camera.
• Your budget is under AED 2,000 an episode and you’re happy to edit yourself.

When recording at your place is the better choice

• Your guests are executives, doctors or clients who won’t travel across Dubai for a recording.
• You want the show to look like your brand, not like a rented room.
• You’d rather record a month of episodes in one morning than block four separate days.
• You want edited episodes and clips delivered, not a folder of raw files.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a podcast studio cost per hour in Dubai?

Published rates run from about AED 150 an hour for a self-service room to around AED 450 to 500 an hour for audio and video with an operator. Editing is usually extra.

Is it cheaper to record a podcast at my office?

For a single episode, no: a studio is cheaper. For a regular show it can be better value, because one crew visit records several episodes, and the price includes editing and clips. At CEMA a monthly show of 4 edited episodes and 16 clips starts from AED 11,000.

What equipment comes with an on-location podcast recording?

CEMA brings 2 to 3 cameras, studio lighting, a mixer and microphones for 2 to 4 people, with a videographer and an assistant to run it all.

How many episodes can I record in one day?

A half day is enough for 1 to 2 episodes and a full day for up to 4, which covers a month of weekly episodes.

Planning a show? See podcast production at your home or office, or read our video podcast setup checklist.

Sources: Rove Hotels podcast studio rates · Digital Nexa: podcast studio costs in Dubai · Dubai Podcast Studio rates (Khaleej Times) · Poddster pricing (AGBI) · Pod24 by twofour54