The Pod - a new mobile podcast studio - launches in the UK

A mobile podcast studio handcrafted from cedar and recycled plastic bottles has just launched in the Midlands, offering creators and brands a premium recording space that can be dropped anywhere. 

The Pod, as it is called, has been built for creators, brands and organisations who are eager for more ambitious and distinctive video content, while having a high-end studio at their fingertips.

Former BBC producer James Peacock, more recently of Folding Pocket and Platform Media, is the person driving the project (no pun intended), after teaming up with local carpenter, designer and entrepreneur, Piers Roberts.

Peacock said: “Our skillsets and experience could not be more different - but sometimes that works well in podcasting. 

“The studio element was my idea - but as with most ideas, they are the cheap part.  

“It all comes down to the execution, and what we have here is beautiful – but it’s also functional.

“Anyone who works in production roles will be familiar with the logistical, practical and technological challenges that are presented by recording on location. 

“There is an insatiable appetite out there for video content, and one of the best ways to get your content to stand out these days is by being on location - but ensuring the right quality can be expensive and there are a lot of variables. 

“Having spent years planning those kinds of jobs, I often wished I could just pick up a studio and drop it somewhere.

“Now we can.

“The Pod is in the sweet spot between realising ambition and stretching what is possible creatively, while providing practical comfort to production teams.” 

Max Media, based just outside Coventry, not far from Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, has used the region’s rich motoring heritage to help inspire this one-of-a-kind space.

It has taken more than two years to build the Airstream-style trailer, which combines boat-building craftsmanship with best-in-class technology.

Peacock added: “Most people know the Midlands has a rich history when it comes to motoring innovation and we were certainly influenced by that from a design perspective. 

“We wanted to launch the company with something different and impactful, and that’s what we have done thanks to some brilliantly creative and practical thinking.

“There’s no shortage of excellent production companies in the UK - but I don’t think anyone else has done something like this, not to this standard and detail. 

“I have wanted one of these for about a decade - but I’ve always made excuses as to why it can’t happen. 

“Piers then shut all those down, and he’s created something unbelievably special. 

“You really have to see it, touch it and sit in it to understand it.

“One guy we met the other day refused to believe it was made of wood – and we couldn’t convince him that it was.”

The Pod is now taking bookings for 2026. 

Its bespoke studio design can accommodate four people and includes top-of-the-range video, lighting and audio equipment, including cleverly rigged Sony FX30s and Earthworks Ethos microphones.

It even has its own home comforts: an internal sound system, its own wifi connectivity, solar power, underfloor heating, TV, coffee machine, and a fridge.

It measures seven metres in length, and 2.3m in width, and weighs just over two tonnes. 

Roberts, of Coventry-based Timeless Composites, added: “I didn’t think I would be spending most of this year building a podcast studio - but James can be persuasive.

“It’s probably the coolest thing I have built professionally, and I’m excited to see where it can go. 

“Media is not my world - but quality craftmanship and clever design are essential to what we do, and that’s what this is all about. 

“This has been built using sustainable materials - a mix of western red cedar, which is an exceptionally durable wood, either side of a core of insulation, which is essentially made from recycled plastic bottles.

“The level of detail in here means there will only ever be one of these – there’s a patent on the design, and there’s no way I’m building another one!” 

Max Media plans to take The Pod around the country to events, exhibitions, and festivals, making it available to brands and creators. 

Team building workshops, media training days, and corporate away days are also on the cards, not to mention their own original podcast and video production. 

Peacock added: “Its versatility is a key thing for us - we are open-minded about what we use it for. 

“We really want to use it to meet people, find stories in unusual places, invite people into it and share it with others because it’s a wonderful space to be in.

“People come alive in here. 

“Everywhere we go people get excited by its potential - for example, there’s a lot of internal pressure from our staff to take it the Tour de France in July, and someone has even contacted us about having it at their wedding in May, which is something that had never crossed our mind.”

For more details of how to book The Pod visit: www.max-media.co.uk