How to Choose a Podcast Production Company: A Free Six-Question Guide for Founders and Brands
New York, United States – May 15, 2026 / Hangar Studios /
Hangar Studios, a New York podcast production company founded in 2009, has published a free six-question framework to help founders and brand teams evaluate a podcast production partner before signing a contract. The guide is available on the studio’s website at no cost.
Why the framework exists
According to the Hangar production team, the single most common mistake in early podcasting is hiring decisions made in the wrong order. Founders typically pick a host, sketch an episode list, and order equipment before asking who will actually make the show. By that point, half the choices that determine whether a podcast feels professional have already been made by accident.
The framework is built around the questions a working producer would ask in the founder’s place.
The six questions
The first question is who actually produces the episodes. The framework recommends asking for the name and the resume of the producer assigned to the show, not the founder or sales contact of the production company. The producer in the chair next to the host is the person whose work the founder is buying.
The second question is what the studio is actually built for. A room designed for music sounds different than a room built for spoken word, and both sound different than a converted office. The framework gives founders specific things to ask about room treatment, microphone selection, and whether the space supports video on the same session without compromising audio.
The third question is how experienced the post-production team is. According to Hangar, post-production is where most budget overruns and quality issues originate. The framework prompts founders to ask about loudness targets (most podcasts deliver at minus 16 LUFS), to confirm that mixing happens in a professional digital audio workstation, and to request before-and-after stems from a recent episode.
The fourth question is whether the company can credibly handle video. According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026 report, 57 percent of Americans now both listen to and watch podcasts, and YouTube has become the primary podcast platform for 39 percent of weekly listeners in the United States. A production company described as a podcast studio in 2026 should also be capable of competent video work to meet today’s audience.
The fifth question is what other clients sound like. A five-minute listen on headphones to two or three episodes from the production company’s portfolio gives a clearer answer than any sales conversation.
The sixth question is what is included in the contract versus what gets billed as an upsell. Surprise invoices for items the client assumed were standard are a common cause of friction between founders and production companies. The framework lists what should typically be standard (number of edit revisions, music licensing, distribution prep, social cutdowns, transcripts) and what tends to be billed separately.
A note from the founder
“Most podcast decisions get made in the wrong order,” said Jennifer Chernicky, founder and CEO of Hangar Studios. “Our framework is the conversation we have with every founder who walks in. The goal is to give them clarity before they commit a budget, not to deliver a sales pitch.”
The studio’s track record
The Hangar Studios production team has shipped thousands of episodes for brands including Microsoft, NBC, ABC, Netflix, Fox, JPMorgan Chase, The Knot, Thrive Market, Refinery29, W Magazine, and Viatris. Recent productions include Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Podcast, JPMorgan Chase’s Market Matters, W Magazine’s Five Things with Lynn Hirschberg, Refinery29’s Go Off, Sis, and Viatris’s Listen Well. The studio operates from 417 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and produces remote sessions across six continents.
Availability
Founders and brand teams can read the full framework and book a 30-minute discovery conversation with a producer. Read the producer’s guide for founders and brands at no cost.
About Hangar Studios
Hangar Studios is an award-winning podcast, vodcast, and audiobook production company founded in 2009. The studio has produced more than 600 shows for Fortune 500 brands and independent creators across six continents, reaching over 50 million listeners. Hangar is headquartered at 417 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and is the first podcast production company owned and operated by a woman of color.
Media Contact
Jennifer Chernicky, Founder and CEO
The Hangar Studios
(516) 366-0333
thehangarstudios.com
Contact Information:
Hangar Studios
417 Fifth Ave. 8th Floor
New York, NY 10016
United States
Jennifer Chernicky
+1-516-366-0333
https://thehangarstudios.com
