When Joe Rogan moved his podcast to Austin in 2020, he validated what locals already knew: Austin is the best city in America for podcasting. This is your guide to the scene — cue the tape.
No state income tax (huge for independent creators). Lower cost of living than LA/NYC. A creative culture that supports weird ideas. Tech infrastructure. A music scene that understands audio. And after Joe Rogan, Spotify, and dozens of major podcasters moved here — the ecosystem is real.
When JRE moved to Austin in 2020, it brought attention, talent, and infrastructure. Rogan built a massive studio. Other podcasters followed. Comedy clubs expanded (Comedy Mothership). The gravity shifted from LA to Austin for independent media.
500+ active podcasts produced in Austin. Multiple dedicated podcast studios. Spotify has Austin offices. iHeartMedia is headquartered here. The Podcast Movement conference has been in Austin/Texas. Per capita, Austin produces more podcasts than any city except LA and NYC.
The biggest podcast in the world, produced in Austin since 2020. Long-form conversations with scientists, comedians, fighters, politicians. Love him or not, he put Austin podcasting on the map.
Daily show about media production, live streaming, and creative tech. Founded by Alex Lindsay in 2020. 5,000+ member community. The companion site is afterhours.party.
True stories from the dark side of the internet. Hacking, cybercrime, privacy. Produced in Austin. One of the most popular tech podcasts in the world. Beautifully produced.
Daily Texas news from Austin's NPR station. The most trusted news source in Austin media. Professional journalism in podcast form.
iHeartMedia, headquartered in San Antonio/Austin. One of the longest-running and most downloaded podcasts ever. Conversational, educational, endlessly binge-worthy.
Kill Tony (moved to Austin with Rogan), Good Ol' Boys (Texas comedy), and dozens of local comedy podcasts recording at Comedy Mothership, Vulcan Gas Company, Cap City, and Creek & the Cave.
Starter: Audio-Technica ATR2100x ($80). Standard: Shure SM7B ($400, the Joe Rogan mic). Budget USB: Rode PodMic USB ($100). Premium: Electro-Voice RE20 ($450). The SM7B + Cloudlifter combo is the Austin podcaster's default setup.
Free: Audacity, GarageBand (Mac). Standard: Descript ($24/mo, edit audio like text), Riverside.fm (remote recording). Pro: Adobe Audition, Logic Pro. AI-powered: Descript's AI removes filler words and generates transcripts automatically.
Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 ($170), Rode RODECaster Pro II ($600, all-in-one). Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x ($150). Boom arm: Rode PSA1+ ($130). Acoustic treatment: foam panels ($30-100).
Hosting: Buzzsprout (easy), Libsyn (veteran), Spotify for Podcasters (free), Transistor (multiple shows). Distribution: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Amazon Music. Submit RSS feed once, appear everywhere.
Austin has multiple podcast studios available for rent. Fully equipped rooms with pro mics, soundproofing, cameras for video podcasts, and engineering support. Rates: $50-200/hour depending on equipment and crew. Search "podcast studio rental Austin" for current options.
Several Austin coworking spaces now include podcast rooms. WeWork, Industrious, and local spaces have sound-treated rooms. Book by the hour. Great for podcasters who don't want a permanent studio.
A closet, some acoustic foam, a good mic, and a laptop. That's all you need to start. Many of Austin's best podcasts started in bedrooms and garages. The content matters more than the studio. Start simple, upgrade as you grow.
Founded in 1939. Owned by the Lyndon B. Johnson family. The station that helped fund a president. Now talk radio. A piece of Austin and American history.
Austin's NPR stations. KUT for news, KUTX for music. KUTX is one of the best music discovery radio stations in America. Both stream online. Essential Austin listening.
Community radio since 1995. Volunteer-run. 60+ shows covering every genre and topic. The most Austin thing on the radio dial. Real community media.