What is a Podcast Hosting Platform?
Author: Janae Strickland-Nunn
As you look to begin your podcasting journey, I'm sure you have questions about what you need to get started. So lets discuss Podcast Hosting Platforms. Think of this as a surface level review of some of the most common platforms and do know that there are SEVERAL not listed.
So let's dive in. I'm sure you're thinking what is a podcast host? Well A podcast host simplifies and automates both the RSS feed and file hosting and delivers to your subscribers. In simpler terms its how you get your episodes from your computer or phone to Apple, Spotify etc; but a good host does more than just that. A good host will provide useful and valuable reports, to tell you about your listeners, provide avenues for marketing, and much more.
Do you need one?
Unless you are a programming wiz and can make your own RSS feed then you really do. This is how your show gets to the millions of listeners ears. You could record, then convert to a shareable file, then post it individually to different social media sites but why not just let someone do that for you? So the absolute answer is YES!!!
Which hosting platform should I use?
It all depends on what you’re looking for and your budget. Here are 5 popular podcast hosting platforms and what they have to offer: to give you an idea of what's out there.
Libsyn (Liberated Syndicate)
Is one of the oldest podcast hosting platforms, it was established in 2004. Some of the features are you can monetize quickly, it provides analytics, the top paid plan offers a max storage of 1500MB storage a month. Plans start at $5/ month.
Buzzsprouts
Has a free plan that offers two free hours of upload time, hosted episodes for up to 90 days, complete podcasting dashboard. It is great to start a podcast. The plans range from free to $24 per month.
Soundcloud
SoundCloud is a popular hosting platform. Podcasters can gain access to embedded players. With the free plan you can store up to 3 hours of audio a month and have basic analytic reporting. With SoundCloud Pro you can get unlimited access to all features. The plans run from free to $16 per month.
Podmatic
Podmatic is a one stop shop for podcasters. You can develop advertising and crowdsourcing through Patreon and Advertisecast. It allows your podcast to be played directly on Facebook and Twitter. The plans range from free to $60+ per month.
Anchor/Spotify
Anchor is totally free! It gives you 100% unlimited free hosting. You get one click podcast distribution to major podcast listening sites. They make it easy to monetize no matter your number of listeners. An amazing feature they have is that it allows you to record with multiple people through the phone app. Did I mention it was 100% free?
Picking the right hosting platform all depends on your needs and your funds; hence, make sure you do your research to find the one that fits.