The marketing team wants a company podcast, and the only free space is a small meeting room with a glass wall and a hard floor. The first test recording sounds like it was made in a stairwell. A small podcast studio at work does not need building work, but it does need the right table, chairs and soft surfaces.
This guide covers how to furnish a recording room in an office, with seven products and their stated specs. Most of the difference comes from our acoustic wall panels, so plan those early.
A table for two to four hosts
A square or round table lets hosts face each other at an even distance, which keeps conversation natural and microphones in the same positions every episode. The Infinity Square Meeting Table ($258) has a 900mm square top, 755mm high, on a central 60mm diameter column. Its page says the column gives unobstructed legroom, so nobody kicks a table leg mid-sentence.
The column sits on a 540mm diameter disc base plate with adjustable feet for uneven floors. Choose a Natural White or Natural Oak top, with a white or black powder coated base or stainless steel. It carries a 5 year warranty. For more shapes and sizes, browse our meeting tables.
Steady chairs for long recordings
Recording sessions run long, and every shuffle reaches the microphone. Chairs on castors drift away from the table, and a loose swivel or tilt mechanism can move with every gesture. A four-leg chair stays where you put it. The Pixel 4 Leg Chair ($191) has a sturdy steel 4-leg base in a timber look powdercoat, with ribbed stitching on the seat and backrest.
The seat is 440mm high, 450mm wide and 420mm deep, and the chair has a 120 Kg weight rating and a 5 Year Warranty. Seat colours are Almond PU, Amber PU, French Navy PU, Light Grey Fabric and Olive Fabric.
Acoustic panels and screens for a podcast studio
Microphones pick up the room as well as the voice, so a hard room makes every episode sound hollow. Treat the walls behind each host and the walls they face, around mouth height when seated. Bare glass and parallel walls need the most attention. Our comparison of acoustic panels for office walls, ceilings and screens goes further into panel types.
The AcoustiQ 10mm Square Tiles with Peel-n-Stick Backing (Pack of 8) ($537) are 600mm x 600mm and 10mm thick, and the price covers a pack of 8 tiles. One pack covers 2.88sqm of wall or partition. The peel and stick backing removes the need for complex installation tools.
A freestanding screen deals with glass and open sides you cannot cover. The ZIP Acoustic Divider Screen - Single Extension Panel (from $389) is rated NRC 0.85. NRC rates how much sound a surface absorbs, from 0 for none to 1 for nearly all. The panel is 600mm wide, 1650mm high and 28mm thick, in recycled PET with a tackable fabric face.
It zips to other ZIP panels, and it stands alone if you choose the Extension Panel + 'T' Leg option. Colours are Marine, Graphite, Silver and Sand. Place one behind the hosts or across a glass wall to stop sound bouncing straight back.
An acoustic pod for solo recording
Solo episodes, voice-overs and remote interviews often work best in a small enclosed space. The SpacePod - Single User ($18,887) is a single person office pod, and its page compares stepping inside to walking into a professional recording booth. Internal acoustic treatments are designed for clear, echo-free audio on phone and video calls. Layers of sheet metal, birch plywood, recycled acoustic foam and acoustic felt insulate it.
A gas-lift stool and tabletop are included, with internal LED lighting, air ventilation, USB/AC ports and a 240 volt power outlet. Rounded floor and ceiling joinery helps address the build-up of low, bass sounds. It has a laminated glass door and rear wall, comes partly assembled, and carries a 10 year warranty that excludes electrical components. Our acoustic pods and phone booths range has other sizes.
Monitor arms and cable management
Hosts often follow a running sheet or a remote guest on screen. A monitor arm lifts that screen off the table, which leaves room for microphones. The ProFlex Monitor Arms ($163) is a single monitor arm for screens from 17 to 49 inches, rated up to 18kg. It tilts from +45° to -45°, swivels 180° with lock and rotates 360°, with integrated cable management and a top fix clamp.
The arm comes in black or white powdercoated aluminium and carries a 10 year warranty. Loose leads catch feet and chair legs, and a knocked cable can thump through a recording. The Desk To Floor Snake ($50) runs cords from the floor to the underside of the table in 4 segregation channels. It has a weighted foot, measures 1300mm L x 67mm W x 35mm D, and carries a 3 Year warranty.
| Role in the studio | Product | Stated spec to check |
|---|---|---|
| Hosts' table | Infinity Square Meeting Table | 900mm square, central 60mm column |
| Seating | Pixel 4 Leg Chair | Steel 4-leg base, 440mm seat height |
| Wall treatment | AcoustiQ 10mm Square Tiles (Pack of 8) | 2.88sqm per pack, peel and stick |
| Freestanding screen | ZIP Acoustic Divider Screen - Single Extension Panel | NRC 0.85, 600 x 1650 x 28mm |
| Solo recording | SpacePod - Single User | Stool, tabletop, lighting, ventilation and power included |
| Screen for notes | ProFlex Monitor Arms | 17 to 49 inch screens, up to 18kg |
| Cable routing | Desk To Floor Snake | 4 channels, 1300mm long |
Recording at work in Australia
Many Australian offices are open plan, so the podcast studio usually ends up in a small meeting room. Book it for recording blocks, and put a sign on the door so nobody walks in mid-take. In much of Australia the air-conditioning runs for months of the year, and it is often the loudest thing in the room. Test a recording with it running and with it off.
If you lease your office, freestanding screens move with you when the lease ends. Check what your lease says before fixing anything to walls, including stick-on tiles.
Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance, and each product page has a Delivery line naming its metro cities. The SpacePod goes to metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, but not WA. The other six products list metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
Podcast studios — frequently asked questions
What furniture do you need for a podcast studio?
A podcast studio needs a square or round table for the hosts, steady chairs that do not roll, acoustic panels on the walls and a screen or two for glass. Add a monitor arm for notes and a cable snake to keep leads off the floor.
How do you stop echo when recording a podcast?
Cover the hard surfaces nearest the microphones with sound-absorbing material, starting with the walls behind and in front of each host. Freestanding acoustic screens handle glass, and a rug helps with a hard floor.
What does NRC mean on acoustic panels?
NRC rates how much sound a surface absorbs, from 0 for none to 1 for nearly all. The ZIP Acoustic Divider Screen - Single Extension Panel in this guide is rated NRC 0.85.
Can you record a podcast in an office phone booth?
Yes, a single person pod suits solo recording if it is quiet inside and has power for your equipment. The SpacePod - Single User includes a stool, tabletop, lighting, ventilation and power, and its page describes clear, echo-free audio on calls.
Shop the range
Every product in this guide is listed below in the order it appears. Our acoustic wall panels, acoustic pods and meeting tables ranges hold more options for a recording room.
- Infinity Square Meeting Table ($258): a 900mm square table with a central column for two to four hosts
- Pixel 4 Leg Chair ($191): a steady upholstered four-leg chair that stays put through long sessions
- AcoustiQ 10mm Square Tiles with Peel-n-Stick Backing (Pack of 8) ($537): peel and stick wall tiles covering 2.88sqm per pack
- ZIP Acoustic Divider Screen - Single Extension Panel (from $389): an NRC 0.85 screen for glass walls and open sides
- SpacePod - Single User ($18,887): an enclosed single person pod for solo episodes and remote interviews
- ProFlex Monitor Arms ($163): a single monitor arm that frees the table for microphones
- Desk To Floor Snake ($50): a weighted cable spine that keeps studio leads off the floor
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
