Although all of the companies that radio stations use to host their websites allow them to upload audio, our podcasts are much more likely to grow a legitimate audience if we use a podcast hosting site that distributes to all the major players. Simply put, if we want podcast listeners, we have to go to where people are getting their podcasts.
After reviewing several of the popular sites, here is my list of the 5 best podcast hosting sites for broadcasters. I put them in no particular order because the one that will work best for any individual podcaster depends on how tech savvy they are and which features are most important to them. All of these distribute to every major podcasting platform (Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.) and offer unlimited storage with paid plans.
Simplecast: (Showtime and Nike) Like the name implies Simplecast is very easy to use with one click publishing. It also boasts advanced analytics, customizable show websites, embeddable web players, and allows multiple podcast managers. This one made my list because their recast feature makes it simple to post podcast trailers or promos to social feeds to help drive traffic. They offer a 14-day free trial and monthly plans that range from $15 to $85 per month.
Buzzsprout: The biggest selling feature of Buzzsprout is how they help you sell with some pretty cool monetization tools in their affiliate marketplace. Their platform also schedules podcasts, comes with an embeddable player and analytics. Plus, there’s a feature that allows us to create chapter marks so listeners can skip right to specific content within the podcasts. Buzzsprouts free trials last a full 90 days, plans start at $12 per month and for 25 cents per minute they will transcribe the podcast. NOTE: If you plan on including live music performances in your podcast you should probably pay the extra $6 per month to add 192k stereo optimization.
Transistor: (Cards Against Humanity) Transistor is a good option if the goal is to upload multiple different podcasts because they allow a single account to do that with no additional charge. They also pack a fair amount of features into their cheaper plans with multiple users, live customer support and advanced analytics. But, that’s because they do include some branding in the players on the lower cost plans. To get rid of the branding step up to the $99 per month business plan. Transistor also offers a 14-day free trial.
Captivate: Their goal is to help podcasters grow their audience through Captivate’s helpful marketing tools and websites with calls to action. Like most of the others they offer unlimited podcasts, multiple team members, custom players and analytics. But, unlike many hosting sites they have 24/7 live support. Monthly plans start at $19.
Podbean: Podbean is one of the original podcast hosting sites and it’s still a great place to get started as a podcaster because of their totally free basic plan. It only comes with 5 hours of storage though so it’s basically like an extended free trial. For someone that’s just planning on doing audio podcasts their $14 per month unlimited audio plan should suffice. It comes with unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, embeddable players and ties in their ads market rev sharing program. The $29 unlimited plus plan supports video and adds their Patron Program and PodAds for additional monetization.
There are multiple other podcast hosting sites but these five stand out to me as the best options for broadcasters that want to get into podcasting. Comment below with other sites that you’ve used and their pros and cons. Also, click here to get a copy of my new "From Broadcast to Podcast" ebook.
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