My daughter is five. Birthdays and Christmases seem to come around in an almost staccato fashion.
It’s remarkably easy to buy presents for a five-year-old. They like loads of stuff. And most parents just have an instinct for the sort of things that’ll put a smile on their wee faces.
Buying for other adults is a different matter. Even when you’re pals with “the whisky guy” or your sister-in-law “loves music”, a quarter bottle of Bells and a Cheeky Girls CD might not hit the mark. At least, not always.
But those hypothetical relationships are a walk in the park compared to buying a gift for “the podcaster”.
Fear not, however. This guide has you covered, with podcast gift suggestions for varying situations and budgets.
And you don’t need to know your 32-bit floating from your mix-minus to pick the perfect present. You just need to know if the podcast pal in your life would like to start one, has already started one, or is more of a fan than a creator.
If you can at least answer that question, then here are our recommendations.
Heads up: I’ve included prices here as a rough guide, but obviously, these can fluctuate. You might also find some as Black Friday or holiday deals, depending on when you’re shopping.
In this article...
Podcast gifts for aspiring creators
Buying a gift for someone who’s openly declared their intention to start a podcast? Here are five ideas.
An ‘On-Air’ sign
The super low-cost and low-risk option. There are a plethora of these available on Etsy/Amazon for about £15/$20.
A book – Out on the Wire
One of my favourite books about “the craft” – Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel reveals “the storytelling secrets of the new masters of radio”. And because it’s done in a comic book style, it’s accessible even to folks who aren’t big readers.
- Out on the Wire ($12/£15)
A microphone
This one might require a wee bit of fishing to find out if they already own one, or how they plan to record. If you’re confident enough, get them a Samson Q2U for their computer, or the Rode Wireless Micro if they’re going to use their phone.
- Samson Q2U ($100/£100)
- Rode Wireless Micro ($85/£80)
Gift a podcast hosting subscription
Every podcast needs a podcast hosting account. This is the place where creators upload their episodes, and they’re automatically distributed to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and beyond.
A Captivate subscription is so much more than a publishing platform, though. We don’t just want new podcasters to launch; we want to help them grow and make money. Live Growth Labs sessions and weekly Office Hours provide community support and expert advice, while tools like the Monetisation Suite (subscriptions, tips, ads), Feed Drops (cross-promotion), and an auto-generated Sponsor Kit help turn shows into sustainable businesses.
Podcast coaching or 1-on-1 help
There’s a wealth of how-to-podcast content online these days, and figuring out what and who to trust takes time and effort. A great way to cut through that noise is to hire a podcast coach. Some 1-on-1 time with an experienced podcast consultant would make an incredible gift for any aspiring or early-stage podcaster.
Prices here will be much more bespoke, but you’d likely be talking at least three figures. This is probably less of a present for an ex-colleague’s 33rd birthday, and more the sort of thing you’d get a loved one for a big milestone or occasion.
There are a ton of great people out there offering podcast consultancy, but here are six that immediately spring to mind for me:
Podcast gifts for established creators
If the podcaster you’re buying for is already publishing episodes, it might be a faux pas to present them with a gift-wrapped Blue Snowball. Here are some ideas that won’t get thrown back at you.
A book – The Audience is Listening
Tom Webster is one of my favourite podcast writers. His work is thoughtful and often challenges popular assumptions or digs deeper than typical “podcast promotion strategies” pieces. The Audience is Listening is built on the principle that “it isn’t just about grabbing attention; it’s about sustaining it.”, and I’d consider it essential reading for any podcaster who feels that their show isn’t reaching its full potential.
- The Audience is Listening ($20/£16)
An ad in a listening app
This is the Gold Standard of podcast gifts – you’re literally buying them more downloads. When you pay to advertise in a podcast app, 100% of the people who see that ad are podcast listeners who’re actively browsing for a show to put on.
While it’s the sort of gift the recipient will thank you for for years, it’ll also likely be a big investment. On average, you’re probably talking about $300 for a campaign. This isn’t a casual stocking filler.
My top three podcast apps to run paid ads on are…
A squishy
Props to my colleague Elsie for the heads-up on this one. She told me she’s always had a habit of fidgeting with pen lids, rings, and whatever else comes to hand during a podcast recording. I must admit, I’ve recorded many an interview with compulsive pen-clickers, desk-tappers, and knee-drummers over the years. And it’s no big deal – so long as the noise doesn’t make it into the episode.
Well, apparently, “squishies” are the solution. As Elsie told me, “a squishie is QUIET; it doesn’t make noise, and you can still fidget!” Her favourites are the Gump Ball and the NeeDoh Nice Cube. What a time to be alive!
Doc Popps
Elsie was on a roll with inexpensive podcast gifts with funny names, and she also wanted to point me toward Doc Rock’s Doc Popps (try saying that after a few beers). Most mics come with covers, but these brightly coloured pop filters will certainly liven up any studio, look great on video, and they claim to help improve audio quality, too. If a podcaster is recording on camera with two totally different mics, this is a great way to make everything uniform.
A ticket to a conference
There’s a bit of logistical common sense to this one (unless you’re prepared to chuck in flights and hotels), but booking a ticket to an event or conference can make for a great podcast gift.
Of the three “famous” ones, two are on the East Coast US, and one is in London. But no matter where your gift recipient is in the world, there’s likely a podcast event happening near them at some point. And if it turns out to be free (as many are), that’s when you could think about booking them a train or hotel instead.
Studio time
Does the podcaster you’re buying for record in a house filled with kids, pets, and loud music? Are they always talking about trying a video version of their show, but would need to paint a wall or rearrange a room? In situations like this, booking them some time in a podcast studio could make for a much-needed podcast gift.
Again, this totally depends on where they live. But most cities or big towns have recording studios for hire. They don’t even need to be marketed as podcast studios – venues set up for recording music would almost certainly be willing to accommodate spoken-word content, too.
A quick Google search will show you what’s available in the area. Prices could range from $50-$300 an hour, with the higher-end prices potentially including editing and post-production services!
Better podcasting gear
I’ll be honest, here be dragons. But, if you have the detective skills, you can find out what they use, how and why they use it, then take a wee gamble on getting them something better.
There are so many moving parts to this one, so I’ll offer a few examples. If the podcaster you want to find a gift for is…
- Recording into the built-in mic on their laptop
- Get them a Samson Q2U mic
- Recording into the built-in mic on their phone
- Get them a Rode Wireless Micro or BOYA Mini
- Sharing a mic with guests or co-hosts
- Get them a Rode Wireless Micro, or a Focusrite Vocaster 2 and two Samson Q2Us
- Recording into a mic on a desk stand
- Get them a boom arm
- Recording without headphones on
- Get them a pair of Audio-Technica M20Xs
If you want to skip the research and just buy them the podcasting equivalent of a racecar, opt for something like the Rode Rodecaster II or Mackie DLZ Creator. You’ll probably be spending too much, it’ll probably be complete overkill for their needs, but they’ll certainly be wowed by it.
Gifts for podcast lovers
If you’re buying a gift for someone who’s more of a fan than a creator, then here are some top-tier options.
Noise-cancelling earbuds
If you’ve been on public transport recently, you’ll have noticed that listening through headphones has become quite a niche pursuit. Why not help the podcaster in your life rediscover this charming old technology with a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds? They’ll likely appreciate it, and so will their fellow passengers!
A Patreon subscription to their favourite show
Many podcasts run a Patreon, and Patreon lets you gift a subscription. If the podcast lover you know is always talking about a favourite show, a few innocently curious questions can help you figure out whether they’re already supporting the creator financially. Most podcast Patreons have a $5/£5 tier, so you could be talking about $60 for a year’s access.
Merch from their favourite podcast
Likewise, if your recipient can’t stop talking about a show they like, see whether it has any merch for sale. Even small indie podcasts often sell t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and fridge magnets through print-on-demand services like Teespring and Teepublic. This is likely the most affordable gift option for podcast lovers.
Time with their favourite creator
If there’s a show your podcast gift recipient loves dearly, ask the creator how much it would cost to book an hour of their time on Zoom. You might be surprised at how little this would cost (most podcasters love meeting their fans), and how well it goes down when you give it to them.
This could be a Patreon (other membership platforms are available) offering, but unless their favourite creator is someone like Joe Rogan, they’ll probably be reachable via their website or socials.
A player or recorder for podcast fans and their kids
At the beginning, I mentioned that kids are easy to buy for. One podcast-adjacent present that’s been worth its weight in gold for my daughter has been the Yoto Player. Yoto is a screen-free audio player for kids. You can buy packs of audio story cards, and they have all sorts of licenses and IPs, from Disney to Julia Donaldson. They also have a range of educational and bedtime content, and you can find approved podcasts on the player, too.
Yoto offers blank cards so you can make your own stories. If you think a parent and child could have fun with this, consider gifting the MicroSpeak Plus recorder, too. It’s the easiest and most accessible voice recorder I’ve ever used, and my daughter is forever recording songs and stream-of-consciousness monologues with it. I always save them, and I know I’ll treasure them when she’s grown up.
- Yoto Player 3rd Gen ($110/£90)
- Yoto Mini ($80/£65)
- MicroSpeak Plus Voice Recorder ($70/£60)
Podcast Gifts for Podcasters & Podcast Lovers
There you are, then. Whether you’re looking for a holiday gift guide or a birthday, anniversary, or special milestone present, hopefully this has given you plenty of ideas. I know not all of these can be gift-wrapped, so you might need to get creative with printing out screenshots. Maybe that could be the topic of my next article…
And if you’re buying for someone who’s serious about starting a podcast, I’ll leave the final word for a year’s subscription to Captivate podcast hosting. It’s the one-stop shop where they can upload all their episodes and push them out to places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube with a click.
Captivate isn’t simply a publishing platform, though. We want to help our podcasters grow and succeed. That’s why we support them with monetisation and promotion tools, plus regular Growth Labs and Office Hours sessions. You can gift a year of Captivate to the aspiring creator in your life for just over $200, and they’ll surely thank you for it!
