The art and practice of podcasting has grown leaps and bounds in the past few years.

“In 2015, 50% of people in the United States knew what a podcast was,” Brennon Poynor, director of digital marketing for Speak Studios, said Wednesday. "Now in 2021, over 80% of Americans know what a podcast is. It is the fastest-growing media currently. And there’s not many services for it."

That may be the case elsewhere. Now that Speak Studios has established itself in the Inland Northwest, locals have more access to the podcasting world than ever before.

“There’s recording studios where people can do music, and people can go to those places and do podcasts as well, but we’re talking about spending $500 per session for a podcast, and there isn’t really an approachable solution to podcasting in Spokane or Coeur d’Alene," Poynor said.

Co-founders Roberto Rodriguez, CEO, and Brandon Foote have found this need, which Speak Studios is working to fill.

"They decided to create a space for people to come and record their podcasts," Poynor said. “Anyone can come into our space and create a podcast at no cost to them. That’s where the mission really took hold. We can really get more and more creators into our space if we allow them to use our space for free."

A podcast is audio content that is easily accessible on most devices. They involve in-depth conversations, experts conducting deep dives into topics or really anything a podcaster finds worthy of discussing.

Speak Studios first opened in Spokane in August 2020 and has expanded to include a site in Boise. In December, Speak opened another site in the basement of the Wiggett building at 330 E. Lakeside Ave. in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Speak is also looking to open studios elsewhere in the Northwest and eventually across the country.

When finished, the Coeur d'Alene site will feature four recording studios with state-of-the-art equipment, a board room and a reception area.

Speak already has a diverse roster of "creators," or podcast-making clients, who discuss topics ranging from mental health, music and marketing to dating in a small town, 1990s nostalgia and financial success. Creators in Coeur d'Alene include "The Rooster's Nest," "Life with Mrs. P," "Fireline Radio" and "Dadvocacy: Content for Empowering Good Dads."

“These long-format, more nuanced conversations, they actually help people understand each other and give people a voice rather than 140 characters in a tweet or a Facebook post," Speak creative director Steve Dobbs said. "We want to give people a place where they can come and be an expert at what they're talking about or share their passion."

Speak's services are free and paid for through advertising, which is bought by sponsors and read by creators to be added to the shows.

“There’s never any fees, there's never any sign-up stuff, it's always going to be completely free,” Dobbs said. "Obviously, our model works off of ad revenue."

Paid deluxe and premium memberships are available for those who prefer their shows sans ads, but for those just interested in getting started in podcasting, all they have to do is set up a tour and work with the team to establish and meet their creative goals. Podcasts are then uploaded to major streaming services, such as Spotify, Apple iTunes, Google Play, iHeartRadio and the Speak Studios platform, which is nearing launch.

"If anyone has ever been interested in podcasting, or if you have a voice and you're passionate about something, you should look into podcasting, and you should partner with Speak to do so," Dobbs said.

Visit www.speakstudios.com to book a tour and view details about how to become a creator with Speak Studios.