Several of our readers have asked us about finding the best podcast hosting service.
Podcast hosting is different than website hosting because it offers specific tools built to optimize the subscriber experience (we will explain more about this later in the article).
Choosing a reliable podcasting hosting platform is crucial for your podcast because it will help you grow your audience faster while making it easier to manage your podcast files.
In this article, we will compare the best podcast hosting companies that you can use. Many of them are free, and some charge a small fee because they offer better support and tools.
What Is Podcast Hosting?
Podcast hosting is a specialized service that offers to store and deliver media files associated with a podcast.
Just like you need a website hosting service to store all your website files, podcast hosting offers the same service but for your podcast’s media files.
Now, you may be wondering whether you could just use your website hosting to store your podcast files as well.
You can do that, but that wouldn’t be good for your website or your listeners.
Why Do You Need Podcast Hosting?
You see, podcast episodes are large files. Delivering them from the same server as your website will take a lot of server resources. This will make your website slower, and it could even crash during high load.
If several users start downloading at the same time, then most shared hosting services will simply block the processes that are taking up server resources. This means users will not be able to download your podcast.
And that’s precisely why you need a podcast hosting service.
These companies specialize in storing and delivering large media files. They are made specifically for podcasters and have specialized tools to handle this use case.
You also get support from folks who are specialists in the industry. This makes a huge difference in the long run.
That being said, let’s take a look at the best podcast hosting services that you can use. There are many companies offering these services. However, we will be reviewing the ones that are the easiest to use, offer great tools and support, and have flexibility in file sizes.
1. PodBean
PodBean is the best podcast hosting service provider on the market. They offer unlimited podcast hosting plans with unmetered bandwidth.
The hosting service includes beautiful design tools to host your website with customizable themes. You can also easily embed the PodBean podcast player directly into your WordPress posts and pages.
Aside from that, they also have podcast promotion tools that automatically submit your episodes to all top podcast directories, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This allows your audience to use their preferred tools to listen to and download podcasts.
PodBean also offers an advertising marketplace that provides opportunities for podcasters to monetize their content. They also have a huge community of podcasters already using PodBean as their podcasting platform.
Pros:
- Unlimited audio and video hosting
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Schedule podcast publishing
- Easily distribute podcasts to popular platforms
- View real-time statistics of podcast performance
- Live streaming, live calls, and instant messages
Cons:
- The free version only allows 5 hours of storage
- Email marketing integration is limited to Mailchimp
Why We Recommend PodBean: It is one the best podcast hosting services that offers unlimited video and audio hosting at affordable prices. We recommend PodBean because it offers powerful features for promotion, tracking performance, monetization, and boosting engagement.
Pricing: Free plan with limited storage. Paid plans start from $9/month with unlimited storage.
2. Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is one of the easiest-to-use podcasting hosting providers for beginners. They have been in the business since 2009 and have built a strong community of podcasters, which includes some of the top podcasters around.
If you are just getting started, then you will find it to be incredibly easy to use. Just upload your media file, and Buzzsprout automatically takes care of the rest.
They will also automatically submit your episodes to all the top podcast directories, which ensures that your podcast is available on all devices and apps.
Their embeddable podcast player looks great and works well on all screen sizes. It shows the cover art, social sharing buttons, forward and backward skip controls, and more.
They also offer a free WordPress plugin that makes embeds even easier. If you don’t want to make a website, then Buzzsprout can make one for you. You can customize its design and use your own custom domain name.
Pros:
- Super easy to use
- Supports all top podcast directories
- Detailed reports and stats for podcast performance
- Dedicated WordPress plugin to embed podcasts
Cons:
- Paid plans have bandwidth and upload limits
Why We Recommend Buzzsprout: After testing different podcast hosting services, Buzzsprout is the most beginner friendly and easy to use. Simply upload your media file, and the platform will take care of the rest.
Pricing: Limited free plan hosts each episode for 90 days, up to 2 hours each month. Paid plans start at $12/month for 3 hours of upload each month.
3. Blubrry
Blubrry offers flexible podcast hosting plans for new and experienced podcasters alike.
It offers a popular WordPress podcasting plugin called PowerPress that makes it super easy to manage a podcast directly from your WordPress website.
Using Blubrry with PowerPress makes it easy to upload your podcast episodes directly to your podcast hosting provider. It also allows you to easily submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts (previously iTunes) and Google Podcasts.
This makes your podcasts easily discoverable on Google Home, Assistant, and Google Podcast app on Android devices.
Blubrry also offers monetization options, podcast statistics, social sharing features, and more.
Pros:
- Offers a dedicated WordPress podcast plugin
- Create a free WordPress site for your podcast
- Limit podcast access to authenticated users
- Podcast analytics reports
Cons:
- There is no free plan
- Limits on storage on premium plans
Why We Recommend Blubrry: We recommend Blubrry because of the WordPress plugin (PowerPress) it offers. The plugin makes it very easy to manage your podcast directly from your WordPress website.
Pricing: Starting from $12 per month with 125 MB of storage each month.
4. Transistor
Transistor is a powerful yet easy-to-use podcast hosting service for professionals and beginners. They offer unlimited podcast hosting plans, which means they don’t charge you for hours of upload as some other hosts do.
They make it incredibly easy to simply upload your podcast media files and publish them. They also offer podcast analytics so you can see how each episode performs.
Their embed code allows you to easily add each episode to your WordPress posts and pages. If you don’t have a website, then they can quickly create one for you.
One thing to watch out for is that their plans limit the number of downloads. This means you need to upgrade your plan as your podcast grows.
Pros:
- Unlimited podcast storage and bandwidth
- Unlimited team members and collaborators
- Get dynamic ads for promotion
- Automatically post to YouTube
- Get a built-in podcast website
- Advanced analytics for podcast performance
Cons:
- No free plan
- The premium plans are slightly expensive
Why We Recommend Transistor: What makes Transistor a great podcast hosting platform is that it has no limits. Plus, you get a lot of features like a built-in podcast website, dynamic ads, integrations, and more.
Pricing: Starting from $19 per month for up to 20,000 downloads each month.
5. Fusebox (Formerly Smart Podcast Player)
Fusebox offers the best media player for podcast websites. They also provide a simple and reliable podcast hosting solution with unlimited episode uploads.
Regardless of which podcast hosting service you choose, you will need a media player to properly embed and display podcasts on your website.
Fusebox allows you to display a beautiful media player on your website. You can show it on individual episode pages for your podcast or on your homepage. Users can browse the episodes, use on-screen controls, share the podcasts, and more.
The player looks beautiful on all devices and screen sizes. You can also customize its colors to match your website and make it sticky on top or bottom.
Apart from helping you find new listeners, Fusebox also helps you grow your email list and increase return visitors to your website. This tool is used by every top podcaster in the world, and it was created by Pat Flynn’s team.
With Fusebox hosting, you get essential analytics to track the performance of your podcast. Plus, it offers hassle-free migration from other platforms.
Pros:
- Beautiful media player
- Unlimited episode uploads
- Essential analytics to track performance
- Create and edit transcripts
- Simple migration to Fusebox
Cons:
- No built-in WordPress website for the podcast
- Doesn’t offer a free version
- Limited integration options
Why We Recommend Fusebox: We recommend Fusebox because of the media player it offers. Along with podcast hosting, you will get a stunning web player that offers lots of features.
Pricing: Starting from $7.50 per month (billed annually)
6. Libsyn
Libsyn is another reliable podcast hosting service provider. They offer an easy-to-use platform that puts your brand at the center and helps you promote your podcast across different platforms, apps, and devices.
Libsyn started in 2004, which makes it one of the very first podcast hosting service providers. The platform was created by podcasters for other podcasters and has a large community of users, including some of the most influential creators.
They offer three podcast hosting plans with different monthly storage limits but with unlimited bandwidth.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use podcast hosting platform
- Publish your podcast to popular platforms
- Monetize podcasts with ads and donations
- Podcast analytics and reports
Cons:
- No free trial or free version
- Advanced stats cost extra money
- Limits on storage and uploads
Why We Recommend Libsyn: What makes Libsyn so great is that it lets you create a podcast in no time. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface along with other features for publishing and promoting the podcast.
Pricing: Starting from $5 per month with 3 hours of new uploads per month and 162 MB monthly storage.
7. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a popular music and podcast hosting platform. The good thing is that you can embed any podcast episode from SoundCloud by simply placing the URL anywhere in your WordPress posts and pages.
SoundCloud is free for up to 3 hours of uploads. Their free plan is a good starting point for beginners who want to test the waters first.
Their paid plans come with more storage, bandwidth, advanced statistics, monetization, and distribution options. SoundCloud is easy to use, but it is not the most flexible or customizable podcast hosting plan.
Pros:
- Free plan offers up to 3 hours of uploads
- Easily embed SoundCloud podcast to WordPress
- Share private tracks with collaborators
- Supports popular distribution platforms in the pro version
Cons:
- Pro version can be expensive for new podcasters
Why We Recommend SoundCloud: We recommend SoundCloud to users who want to embed episodes into their WordPress pages and posts.
Pricing: Free plan with 3 hours of uploads per month. Paid plans start from $99 per year.
Which Is the Best Podcast Hosting Service?
As you can see, many podcast hosting services offer similar plans with all the essential features. However, some put limits on storage space, and some limit downloads.
Considering these factors, we recommend PodBean as the overall best podcast hosting service. Their plans come with unlimited storage and bandwidth with an incredibly easy-to-use platform. They also allow you to easily promote your podcast across different services.
Our second recommendation is Buzzsprout. It is one of the easiest podcast hosting solutions, perfect for beginners to get started.
How to Start a Podcast
Apart from a podcast hosting service, you will also need a website. This will be your podcast’s home on the internet, where you will promote it and help users discover more content.
To make a website, you will need a domain name and a website hosting account.
The domain name will typically cost you $14.99 per year, and website hosting plans start from $7.99 per month, usually paid annually.
Since you are just starting out, you will want to save money whenever you can.
Luckily, our friends at Bluehost are offering WPBeginner users a free domain and a generous discount on hosting.
For complete step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to make a website.
Next, you will need to set up your podcast. We have created a step-by-step guide to starting a podcast for beginners, it will walk you through the complete setup, including how to record your podcasts.
What Equipment Do You Need for Podcasting?
Many professional podcasters use a variety of equipment to record podcasts. This includes microphones, an audio interface, a mixer, a windscreen, shock mounts, and more.
All of this equipment costs a lot of money.
However, you don’t need all of them just to record a Podcast. The only equipment we recommend buying from the start is a good microphone.
We recommend using Rode Podcaster, which you can plug into your computer using a USB port.
If you can spare a little more money, then you can purchase the Rode Podcaster Kit, which comes with a boom arm and a shock mount.
Alternative: Samson C01UCW is a good entry-level microphone to record podcasts.
Once your podcast grows and you are making money from it, then you can invest in improving your setup. But remember, you can’t improve something if you don’t start it, so just start!
How to Promote Your Podcast
Many of the podcast hosting services mentioned above allow you to automatically submit your podcast to different podcast directories and search engines.
You can also manually submit your podcast as well. Once approved, your podcast and all its episodes will become discoverable on these platforms.
Your podcast is published as an RSS feed. You will need to copy the podcast feed URL provided by your podcast hosting service.
How to Submit Your Podcast to iTunes or Apple Podcasts
iTunes is the world’s largest podcast directory, allowing users to subscribe to podcasts using their iPhones, Apple computers, iPods, and other Apple devices.
First, you will need to sign in to the iTunes Connect website using your Apple ID. If you don’t have one, then you sign up to create one for free.
Once logged in, click on the ‘Podcasts Connect’ button.
On the next screen, you need to enter your podcast feed URL and click on the ‘Validate’ button.
iTunes will now fetch your podcast information.
You can then click the ‘Submit’ button to continue.
iTunes will now review your podcast submission, and you’ll be notified via email once it is approved.
How to Submit Your Podcast to Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts is Google’s alternative to Apple Podcasts and iTunes.
To submit your podcast, you need to visit the Google Play Music website and click on the ‘Start now’ button.
This will take you to the podcast management console, where you need to enter your podcast feed URL.
Next, you will need to verify ownership via email and submit your podcast feed for review.
Once approved, your podcast will be listed on Google Podcasts.
How to Promote Your Podcast on Your Own Website
Having a WordPress website for your podcast gives you a ton of options to promote your podcast.
First, we recommend you follow our WordPress SEO guide to make sure that your podcast website is getting search traffic.
Now, as people start visiting your website, you will notice that most of them just leave without subscribing to your podcast. This is where email marketing comes in.
You need to start an email newsletter that allows users to subscribe to your podcast via email.
Many beginner podcasters find a ton of new listeners and subscribers by running a giveaway contest. We recommend using RafflePress, which is the best WordPress giveaway plugin. It allows you to create viral giveaway contests that help you quickly get more visitors to your website.
For more tips, see our guide on how to increase website traffic.
We hope this article helped you find the best podcast hosting service to launch your podcast. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a professional business email address to reach out to sponsors and a virtual business phone number to go along with your podcast.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
The post 7 Best Podcast Hosting for 2024 Compared (Many Are Free) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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