Baird Media — the podcast people. Production and training, Pretoria, South Africa.
Baird Media is a podcast production house based in Pretoria, South Africa. We help people start podcasts through our training arm, Podmaster Academy, and we produce podcasts — including bespoke shows and scripted audio drama — for brands, entrepreneurs, and creators. Ethan and Hendrik Baird bring over 50 years of combined experience across the arts, media, and creative industries, from stage to studio, page to podcast.
Pretoria, South Africa. We work with clients locally across South Africa and internationally.
Both. We produce audio and video podcasts. Editing is included in every production and is never an upsell. What changes between projects is the output format, not the level of craft.
An audio drama podcast is scripted, performed, fully produced storytelling in podcast form. We produced Stripped, South Africa's first audio drama podcast, adapted from Thomas Budge's autobiography. Audio drama is a genre few producers in the region do well, and it is central to who we are.
Every production is quoted bespoke, because a solo interview show and a scripted multi-voice drama are not the same job. The fastest way to get an accurate figure is a free 15-minute call. Email podcast@baird.media.
Most podcast producers hand you a microphone and hope for the best. We do the opposite. We're storytellers first, producers second — we care about the story before the gear.
Both. You can book a single consultation to pressure-test an idea, or bring us in to produce your whole show.
A media strategist, producer, actor, and published author, and co-founder of Baird Media. He is a PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria researching the political economy of podcast monetisation among South African podcasters, and the author of Become a Podmaster and The Podmaster's Voice.
An award-winning radio producer and sound engineer, and co-founder and technical lead at Baird Media.
Less than most people think. A single good microphone, a quiet room, and headphones will get you started. Content and clarity of voice matter far more than expensive gear — invest in a decent microphone before anything else. Podmaster Academy helps you match equipment to your budget and format rather than overspending.
Start with the intersection of what you know, what you care about enough to sustain, and what a specific audience actually wants. Niche down: a clearly defined ideal listener makes every later decision easier. A show for everyone is a show for no one.
Format should follow your content and your strengths. Interview shows suit people with a strong network and curiosity. Solo shows suit clear subject-matter experts. Narrative and scripted formats suit stories that benefit from structure and production. We help you match the format to your message rather than defaulting to the easiest one.
As long as it needs to be and no longer. Length should serve the content and the listening context, not a fixed rule. Respect your listener's time: cut anything that doesn't earn its place.
Consistency matters more than frequency. A schedule you can sustain — weekly, fortnightly, or a defined limited series — beats an ambitious cadence you abandon. We help you plan a realistic release rhythm before launch.
Editing is where a recording becomes a show. It removes friction, tightens pacing, balances audio, and protects the listener's attention. The difference between an amateur and a professional podcast is usually made after the recording, not during it — which is why editing is non-negotiable in every Baird Media production.
Growth comes from a clear listener, consistent quality, and deliberate distribution — not luck. That means defining your ideal listener, publishing to all major platforms, and repurposing episodes into other content so a single series works harder over time.
Yes. A series can be repurposed into articles, social content, and long-form work. We work across page to podcast, and our sister imprint Baird Media Publishing extends that into books — so a single body of work can live in more than one format.
Yes. Podmaster Academy is our training arm, offering structured guidance for new and developing podcasters. Hendrik Baird is also the author of Become a Podmaster, a complete guide to starting and running a podcast.
Email podcast@baird.media to reach us or book a free 15-minute consultation.