All the options, side by side
| Option | Typical cost | Turnaround | Your time each week | Who picks the moments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI clipping tool | $15 to $99 a month | Minutes per draft | Hours: run it, fix it, title it, export it | An algorithm |
| PromptPlay | $1,000 to $3,000 a month (20 to 90 clips) | 72 hours, 48 on Scale | About 1 hour of review | A human editor |
| Freelance editor | $50 to $150 per clip | Depends on the person | Hours: hire, brief, review, chase | You, or the editor with your brief |
| Video agency | $3,000 to $7,000 a month | Three to seven days a batch | Meetings and briefs | The agency |
| In-house editor | $3,000+ a month plus software | Depends on workload | Managing an employee | Your editor |
AI tool range covers common plans such as OpusClip ($15 to $29 a month, read 23 October 2026). Other figures are typical market ranges.
The hidden cost is your time
AI tools look cheapest, until you count the hours. Someone still has to review every suggestion, fix captions, reframe and write titles. Doing that every week is a part-time job.
Freelancers look flexible, until you manage them. Hiring, briefing, reviewing and replacing editors is a full-time job of its own.
Video agencies are built for brand films, not volume. They do good work, slowly, at a price set for campaigns rather than weekly clips.
A podcast clipping service sits in the middle: agency-level hands-off, close to freelancer pricing per clip, and your time drops to reviewing what arrives.
How to choose a podcast clipping agency
- Ask who picks the moments. A person who reads the episode, or an algorithm with a person checking it.
- Ask for a free sample from your own episode. Not their best showcase. Yours.
- Check turnaround in writing. Clips that arrive a week late miss the episode's moment.
- Check who owns the clips. They should stay yours if you leave.
- Check the contract. Month to month means they have to keep earning it.
PromptPlay answers all five the same way: a human editor, a free first clip from your latest episode, 72 hours (48 on Scale), every clip yours, month to month.
PromptPlay plans
Starter
- 20 finished clips a month
- Sized for Shorts, Reels and TikTok
- Captions and your branding
- 72 hour turnaround
- Titles and descriptions
Growth (most popular)
- 50 finished clips a month
- Audio-only episodes covered
- Back catalogue clipped too
- 72 hour turnaround
- Titles and descriptions
Scale
- 90 finished clips a month
- Multiple shows on one plan
- Custom motion graphics
- 48 hour priority turnaround
- Titles and descriptions
Month to month, no contract. Your first clip is free. Every clip stays yours, even if you stop.