Publishers with retained recordings can begin with an archive description. A structured intake helps distinguish existing files, preparation work, and permission questions before discussing a particular buyer project.
Outline the archive
Describe the shows, languages, approximate recording periods, production workflow, and kinds of source files retained. Separate estimates from an actual file inventory. Note whether you hold mixed releases, isolated tracks, video, transcripts, or edit projects. This lets a sourcing conversation focus on the material that exists rather than an assumed ideal recording package.
Map the participants
A podcast can involve hosts, guests, co-producers, musicians, and outside excerpts. Ask which roles and components are represented in the source package. Maintain a review status for unresolved items rather than treating the presence of a general show agreement as a complete answer. The relevant questions depend on the intended use and the actual agreements.
Use stable identifiers
Give the source session a stable key and identify each derivative separately. A cleaned audio export, a video clip, and a caption file can all depend on one recording. Record those relationships in a manifest. Filenames alone are fragile because editors often rename exports and distribution services may replace titles or normalize punctuation.
State the acceptance unit
Specify whether you need source hours, accepted conversational hours, utterances, episodes, or speaker sessions. Add your target languages, recording conditions, and annotation requirements. An approximate archive size is a starting point, not a promise of accepted output. Explain which requirements are essential and which can be adjusted after a representative review.
Include in your inquiry
- Define the project decision: publisher intake.
- Define the project decision: contributor review.
- Define the project decision: archive lineage.
- Define the project decision: podcast quote brief.