39 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms of 2024 [Free and Paid]

In this article you'll find the 39 best podcast hosting platforms on the market, fully ranked and reviewed plus recommendations to find out which one is best suited to your needs.

But first, here are our editor's top 10 podcast hosting platforms of 2023:

What Are the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms?

Podcasts have gained tremendously in popularity over the past decade or so. Ten years ago, only 25% of people in North America knew what a podcast was, right now this number is over 75%.

Now, given the growing popularity of the podcasting world, podcast hosting sites have become crowded with many new entrants offering amazing deals.

However, before you jump in, keep in mind that if these outfits ever go out of business (and many do because their business models are just not sustainable) so will your podcast and all of your hard work.

So make sure to choose a podcast hosting platform that's been around for a while and that best fits your needs.

Here are the best podcasting hosting services I recommend for quality, popularity, longevity, flexibility and monetization options:

1. Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout is the best podcast hosting service for beginners, because they're easy to use and have a generous free plan.

Over 100,000 podcasters use this podcast hosting service worldwide.

Their free plan allows unlimited team members to join your account and offers up to 2 hours of content for 90 days.

Their analytics dashboard is very well laid out and easy to read. In fact, the entire platform is super-easy to use and has a minimal learning curve.

Their best feature for beginners is a step-by-step guide that makes the entire setup process a breeze, all the way from uploading your episodes to distributing them to all the popular sites.

They also offer an easy to use migration tool to transfer all your files from any competing service to Buzzsprout.

On the monetization front, they’ve created an innovative affiliate marketplace where they can connect you with brands to earn commissions from their affiliate programs (so far they have a limited number of brands in their program, but it’s growing day by day).

Example of Podcast Publishing Screen

Example of Podcast Analytics

Buzzsprout's Main Benefits

• Simple to understand analytics
• Handy step-by-step setup guide (a godsend for beginners!)
• Great podcast migration tool
• Transcription service (additional fee)
• Excellent customer service
• Ability to embed a player on any page or post on your site
• Social media sharing buttons
• Wide distribution channels
• Affiliate marketplace for podcast monetization
  

Now Some Drawbacks...

• The free plan takes your content down after 90 days, so it's not really free forever
  
• If you exceed the maximum number of upload hours per month in the top tier, it can get pricey since there are no more tiers to upgrade to and you'll have to pay extra for each additional hour
  

Latest Improvements

• Added YouTube-style monetization, where you can opt in to display ads on your podcast using a revenue-sharing model
  
• Introduced Buzzsprout Ads to offer paid promotions across the 100,000+ shows on the platform
  

Pricing

Buzzsprout offers a free plan and three paid plans:

• Free Plan: Upload up to 2 hours per month for episodes that can be hosted for a maximum of 90 days
  
• Paid Tier 1: $12/month for 3 hours of uploads per month (no time cap on hosting)
  
• Paid Tier 2: $18/month for 6 hours of uploads per month (no time cap on hosting)
  
• Paid Tier 3: $24/month for 12 hours of uploads per month (no time cap on hosting)
  

Finally, here's my take...

I selected Buzzsprout as my top pick because of their excellent customer service coupled with their brilliant step-by-step setup guide.

As a podcaster you want to maximize your time creating content and minimize your time dealing with technical issues. Buzzsprout is the clear category winner here.

2. Libsyn

Libsyn (Liberated Syndication) is one of the largest and best podcast hosting services on the market.

It was founded in Pittsburgh, PA in 2004 and has grown since to host over 80,000 podcasts worldwide with over 6 billion downloads per year, including some of the most downloaded shows in history.

Podcasters can use Libsyn to host their audio and video files, create episode transcripts, generate an episode RSS feed, and track listener analytics.

Libsyn also offers a variety of monetization options including hand picked ad slots, ad stitching and geo targeting with a 50/50 share of ad revenue.

Libsyn's Global Podcast Analytics Example

Libsyn Features that Stand Out

• Reliable and easy to use interface
  
• Customize podcast episode settings based on distribution platform (e.g. different titles for Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)
• Publish to each distribution platform at the time of day of your choosing
  
• Customize your podcast Libsyn podcast website page with your own domain name
  
• Multiple monetization features including sponsorships, life-ads, stitched ads and geo-targeted ads
  
• Rich analytics with data export feature to CSV
  
• Mobile-friendly player
  

Now Some Drawbacks...

• No free trial, although you can cancel any time
  
• The entry-level plan has an extra monthly charge for advanced analytics
  

Latest Improvements

• Added support for Apple Podcasts Delegated Delivery
• Expanded podcast marketing opportunities with social scheduling
  
• Podcast 2.0 Namespace Locked tag support
  

Pricing

Libsyn has 6 plans:

• $5 (audio only): 3 hours of new uploads per month with 162 MB of monthly storage
  
• $15 (audio only): 6 hours of new uploads per month with 324 MB of monthly storage
  
• $20 (audio only): 10 hours of new uploads per month with 540 MB of monthly storage
  
• $40 (audio/video): 14 hours of new uploads per month with 800 MB of monthly storage
  
• $75 (audio/video): 27 hours of new uploads per month with 1,500 MB of monthly storage
  
• $150 (audio/video): 55 hours of new uploads per month with 3,000 MB of monthly storage
  

Finally, here's my take...

Libsyn is one of the most widely used podcast platforms, trusted by over 80,000 podcasters. In terms of hosting features and ease of use, they are quite comparable to their top competitors.

But where they really shine is in their monetization capabilities.

You can either generate income from your podcast through their Patreon-style listener contribution platform Libsyn Glow, from ad revenue share through their large network of advertisers in their AdvertiseCast marketplace, or from both.

3. Spreaker

Spreaker is a one-stop hosting platform for podcast creation, recording, hosting, distribution and monetization.

It makes podcasting easy and fun and it has a ton of features that make it a great tool for new podcasters.

You can use Spreaker to record or upload your podcasts, edit them with ease, add show notes and episode transcripts, generate customizable RSS feeds for your podcast and distribute episodes on all major podcast listening platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and many more.

Plus, Spreaker offers powerful analytics so you can track all relevant metrics to analyze how your podcast is performing out in the wild.

View of Spreaker's Studio

Spreaker Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive user interface, perfect for beginners
  
• WordPress integration via Spreaker Shortcode plugin
• Straightforward monetization tools
  
• Unlimited bandwidth for all plans (including free plan)
  
• Easy integration into top podcast directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Amazon, Castbox, Deezer and Podcast Addict
  
• Ad revenue-sharing program
  
• Flexible monetization options
  

Now Some Drawbacks...

• Very limited data and statistics on the entry level plan

Latest Improvements

• Improved statistics loading performance to allow long-term data visualization
• Reinforced security on account logout
  
• New ad exchange statistics dashboard allows you to check the number of impressions and revenue generated by programmatic ads
  

Pricing

Spreaker has a free plan plus four paid plans:

• Free Speech: Up to 10 episodes with 6 months of statistics
  
• On-Air Talent: $8/month provides 100 hours of storage and 6 months of statistics
  
• Broadcaster: $20/month provides 500 hours of storage and 12 months of statistics
  
• Anchorman: $50/month provides 1,500 hours of storage and 12 months of statistics
  
• Publisher: $120/month gives you unlimited storage and 24 months of statistics
  

Finally, here's my take...

What makes Spreaker unique is their turn-key approach to podcasting, which is great if you're looking for a simplified solution.

In addition to hosting your podcast, Spreaker has an online studio to record and edit your episodes, a wide distribution network as well as great monetization capabilities.

4. Podbean

Best Podcast Hosting Site for Newbies (from $5/mth)

With over 250,000 podcasts hosted since its inception in 2006, PodBean is recognized as one of the most user-friendly, feature-rich and dependable podcast hosting platforms.

PodBean has proven with its longevity and popularity that they're here to stay.

Their podcast user interface is simple yet powerful, which makes it ideal for beginners.

They offer excellent analytics to help you understand your listeners better and improve your marketing (paid plans only).

PodBean's plans are very affordable and even include a Patreon-like feature to help you monetize your podcasts through member contributions.

On the money side of things, once you get to a significant amount of podcast listeners, they will connect you with their network of advertisers via their dedicated sponsorship marketplace.

PodBean Features that Stand Out

• Ease of use, short learning curve
• Detailed analytics
• Unlimited audio hosting (with Premium plan)
• Automatic uploading of your podcast to YouTube
• Automatic posting to Facebook and Twitter
• Podcast app (iOS and Android)
• Great monetization options (Affiliate sponsoring and Patreon-like feature)
• Ability to deliver premium content
• Podcast distribution through popular sites like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc.

Pricing

PodBean has a free plan and three paid plans:

• Basic: Free plan with 5 hours of storage space and 100GB of bandwidth per month
  
• Unlimited Audio: $9/month with unlimited bandwidth and storage space
  
• Unlimited Plus: $29/month with unlimited bandwidth and storage space plus ability to host video podcasts
  
• Business: $99/month with same features from Unlimited Plus plan plus unlimited podcast channels at no additional cost

5. RedCircle

Best Podcast Hosting Site for Large Audiences (from $12/mth)

RedCircle is a reliable podcast hosting service that focuses primarily on monetization.

If you already have a sizeable audience on your podcast and want to increase your revenue generation potential, RedCircle offers powerful monetization tools including an ad platform, cross-promotions, subscriptions and listener donations.

RedCircle Features that Stand Out

• All-in-one hosting platform to distribute, measure and host podcasts
  
• Powerful monetization features, including ads, cross-promotion subscriptions and donations
  
• Distribute to all major players, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify
  
• Powerful built-in analytics
  
• Live support
  

Pricing

RedCircle has a free plan plus three paid plans:

• Core Plan: Free. Includes a single podcast, a single user and 72-hour response for customer support (some feature restrictions apply as well)
  
• Growth Plan: $12/month (or $9/month when billed annually) allows unlimited shows, a single user and 48-hour response for customer support
  
• Pro Plan: $35/month (or $30/month when billed annually) allows unlimited shows, 5 team member seats and 24-hour response for customer support
  
• Enterprise Plan: By quotation only. Allows unlimited shows, unlimited team member seats and a dedicated customer support rep
  

RedCircle offers a 7-day free trial.

6. Captivate

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Analytics (from $17/mth)

Captivate.fm is a very successful podcast hosting platform that provides tools for creating, publishing, and distributing podcasts with new creators in mind.

They offer a simple drag-and-drop interface for creating episodes that are intuitive and don't require any of the complex jargon that many beginners find confusing and intimidating.

Their distribution network reaches into all the big players like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, plus dozens of other popular podcast directories.

Captivate.fm also offers detailed analytics so new podcasters can track listener engagement and measure the success of their shows.

And they have a support team with international reach who can help you with onboarding, initial setup and other aspects of launching a successful podcast.

Captivate Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive interface perfect for beginners
  
• Main area of focus is marketing and growth
• Sync podcast and website with a simple podcasting WordPress plugin
  
• One button to submit podcast to all services
  
• Full analytics suite available for all plans
  
• Host unlimited shows with all plans
  
• Create private podcasting for members only
  

Pricing

Captivate has three plans:

• Personal Plan: $17/month (paid annually) includes 12,000 downloads/month with unlimited shows and storage
  
• Professional Plan: $44/month (paid annually) includes 60,000 downloads/month with unlimited shows and storage
  
• Business Plan: $90/month (paid annually) includes 150,000 downloads/month with unlimited shows and storage
  

7. Castos

Best Podcast Host for Private Podcasting (from $19/mth)

Castos is a podcast hosting service that makes it easy for you to create, distribute, and monetize your podcasts.

With Castos, you can easily upload your audio files, create podcast episodes, add show notes and transcripts, and then publish your podcast to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many other popular directories.

Castos also offers a variety of powerful features for monetizing your podcasts.

You can use Castos to produce episodes for free public consumption or premium private podcasts for paid subscription members.

Castos Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited bandwidth and storage
  
• Manage your RSS feeds, upload content and view podcast analytics directly from WordPress
• Embed podcast episodes to any WordPress page
  
• Wide distribution, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and many more
  
• Customizable audio player
  
• Podcast transcript generator
  
• Auto publish podcast episodes to YouTube
  

Pricing

Castos has four plans:

• Starter Plan: $19/month (or $190/year) includes up to 20,000 downloads per month and up to 100 private subscribers
• Growth Plan: $49/month (or $490/year) includes up to 75,000 downloads per month and up to 250 private subscribers
  
• Pro Plan: $99/month (or $990/year) includes up to 200,000 downloads per month and up to 500 private subscribers
• Castos Premium Plan: $499/month (or $4,990/year) includes everything in the Pro plan plus custom contracts & invoices, single sign-on (SSO), increased limits, and a dedicated account manager
  

8. RSS.com

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Affordability (from $12.99/mth)

RSS.com is a podcast hosting platform that offers a free onboarding option where you can experience the entire feature set, including your exclusive podcast RSS feed, first episode, cover art uploading, sharing your show on social networks and joining successful podcast directories 100% free.

Their paid plans include unlimited bandwidth, storage and episodes, advanced analytics, monetization via sponsorships and a free podcast website for your show.

If you're looking for a popular, reliable and affordable podcast hosting service, then RSS.com is definitely worth checking out.

RSS.com Features that Stand Out

• Easy to use interface
• Unlimited downloads and episodes
  
• Flexible monetization options,
• Dynamic ad insertions, sponsorships and donate buttons
  
• Automatic distribution to all top podcast directories including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
  
• Cross-platform analytics
  
• Custom embed players
  
• Free podcast website with automatic episode transcription
  

Pricing

RSS has three plans:

• Student & NGO: from $4.99/month with special discounts for students, educators and non-governmental organizations
  
• All-in-One Podcasting: $12.99/month (or $8.25/month when billed annually) allows unlimited audio and episodes — the first episode is free
  
• Podcast Networks: (by quotation only) is custom tailored to meet the needs of media companies with 10,000 downloads/day or more
  

Find out More About RSS.com Here.

9. Fusebox.fm

Best Podcast Platform for Self Hosting ($19/mth)

If you’re looking for a budget option, I’m going to take you down a different route than hosted platforms.

Instead I'll suggest Fusebox.fm, a great player that allows you to host your own podcast on your WordPress site.

While this is not something I recommend for podcasts with a reasonably large audience due to storage and bandwidth server costs, this is a perfectly good approach for most beginners.

You can always switch to a hosted service when your podcast audience grows.

When it comes to self-hosted podcasts, you can't beat the value in Fusebox.fm.

You can set up this player so that your visitors can listen to an episode in the background while they browse your site.

You can also embed a single track player on any page where there’s relevant content.

Fusebox.fm also loads really fast, is mobile responsive and is designed to play on all types of devices.

Fusefox.fm Features that Stand Out

• Highly customizable player that can match the brand of your website
• Podcast transcript plugin (extra cost)
• Email capture form for subscribers
• “Sticky” player allows visitors to browse your site while listening to a podcast
• Shortcode allows a single track player to be added to any page or post
• Connect to popular social media networks through handy social sharing buttons
• Users can download podcasts directly from the player
• Mobile responsive
• Email support and extensive documentation
• 60-day money back guarantee
  

Pricing

Fusebox has a free plan and a paid plan:

• Fusebox Free: Up to 10,000 monthly views and up to 3 free shows
  
• Fusebox Pro: $19/month (or $15.83/month when billed annually) allows up to 100,000 monthly views with an unlimited number of pro players on one account (pay-per-show)
  

Find out More About Fusebox.com Here.

10. Blubrry

Best Podcast Host With Free WordPress Website (from $12/mth)

Blubrry is a reliable podcast hosting service that enables content creators to upload, publish, and monetize audio and video podcasts.

It only offers paid plans (the first month is free) with unlimited downloads, a free WordPress site, a custom embedded player, free site migration and phone tech support — a rarity in the space.

Blubrry offers distribution to all podcast networks and directories, including the following channels: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart, RSS, Stitcher, Pandora and Deezer.

Blubrry Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited bandwidth
  
• Professional-grade podcast analytics
  
• Podcast distribution to all mayor platforms
  
• Free WordPress site
• Managed web hosts
  
• Monetization opportunities
  
• Free migration from other podcast hosts, including phone and email support
  

Pricing

Blubbry has a free plan and a paid plan:

• Standard Plan: $12/month (or $10/month when billed annually) includes 125 MB of monthly storage
  
• Advanced Plan: $20/month (or $17/month when billed annually) includes 400 MB of monthly storage, advanced statistics and use of a custom domain
  

Find out More About Blubbry Here.

11. bCast

Best Podcast Host Site for Businesses (from $15/mth)

bCast is a podcast hosting service that caters primarily to businesses that want to use podcasting as a vehicle to increase engagement with their prospects and grow their revenue.

Some of their business-centric features include audio-based call to action insertions for lead acquisition, auto transcriptions to turn podcasts into blog posts and custom domain support for SEO.

With bCast, you can distribute your episodes directly in all the major podcast listening directories optimized for search terms relevant to your niche so you can benefit from their search features.

bCast Features that Stand Out

• Allows audio inserts with call to action for lead conversion
  
• Auto transcription
  
• One-click submission to Apple, Google, Spotify, Castbox, Overcast, and many more
  
• Allows you to display your podcast website on a custom domain
  
• Automated guest notifications via email
  
• YouTube publishing
  
• Private podcasting for membership sites
  

Pricing

bCast has a free plan and three paid plans:

• Free Plan: Limit of one podcast with up to 1,000 downloads per month, up to 2 hrs of audio per month and a maximum of three months of hosted content
• Starter Plan: $15/month (or $144/year) includes one podcast with up to 10,000 downloads per month, unlimited audio storage and unlimited hosted content
  
• Growth Plan: $35/month (or $336/year) includes three podcasts with a total of up to 50,000 downloads per month, unlimited audio storage and unlimited hosted content
• Legendary Plan: $75/month (or $720/year) includes unlimited podcasts and downloads per month, unlimited audio storage and unlimited hosted content
  

Find out More About bCast Here.

12. Audioboom

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Remote Collaboration (from $9.99/mth)

Audioboom is a great podcast hosting platform if you're collaborating remotely with contributors and co-hosts.

And if your podcast gets more than 10,000 plays per episode you'll be able to monetize them via sponsorships and dynamically inserted ads from a large stable of advertisers.

They've also partnered with Apple Podcasts, CastBox, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeart, Player FM, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn so your podcast audience can listen to you on their favorite platforms.

Audioboom Features that Stand Out

• User friendly setup and navigation
  
• Automated distribution with Apple, Google, Deezer, CastBox, iHeart, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn
• Embeddable player
  
• Advanced analytics
  
• Dynamic ad insertion and geo-targeted ads
  

Pricing

Audioboom has three plans:

• Standard Plan: $9.99/month (or $99/year) includes unlimited episodes and up to 15,000 downloads per month
  
• Plus Plan: $19.99/month (or $199/year) includes unlimited episodes and up to 50,000 downloads per month
  
• Podcast Pros Plan: (by quotation only) includes unlimited episodes downloads
  

Find out More About Audioboom Here.

13. Podcastics

Best Podcast Hosting Service With CDN (from $4/mth)

Podcastics, an easy to use hosting service for new podcasters. is a great hosting platform for beginners because it provides you with a super low-cost entry level plan if you're willing to host you audio files on your own server.

Paid plans add full hosting with unlimited episodes and storage plus access to a content delivery network that can deliver your audio files with lightning speed from up to 70 data centers around the world.

Podcastics Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited episodes
• Heat map for active and quiet hours
  
• Rich editor
  
• Complete statistics
  
• Automated description snippets to manage all textual content from a central hub
  
• Supports live streaming
  
• Content delivery network
  

Pricing

Podcastics has three plans:

• Premium Plan: $4/month, if you're hosting your episodes on your own server
  
• Pro Plan: $8/month, if want your podcast to be hosted on Podcastics' servers
  
• Max Plan: $39/month, if you want global hosting of your podcast via 94 data centers worldwide
  

First month is free on all plans.

Find out More About Podcastics Here.

14. Anchor

Best Podcast Site for Unlimited Hosting (free)

Anchor, owned by Spotify,  is a free podcast hosting platform that lets you upload, host, and share your podcasts for free.

They offer a suite of built-in uploading, recording, and podcast editing tools so you can easily create and publish your podcast episodes.

They also offer some great features, including unlimited hosting, distribution to all major podcast listening apps, a solid analytics package and monetization features such as subscriptions, ads and listener support.

Anchor Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited hosting
• Custom cover art creator
  
• Supports distribution to all major podcast listening players, including Apple, Google, Spotify, etc.
  
• Advanced analytics with detailed, IAB 2.0-certified metrics to measure audiences
  
• Supports podcast subscriptions for recurring monetization
  
• Allows listener support by monthly donation
  

Pricing

Free.

Find out More About Anchor Here.

15. Podserve

Best Podcast Host with All-in-One Plan ($19/mth)

Podserve is an easy to use no-nonsense podcast hosting platform that offers a straight-forward all-in-one plan that's quite generous.

This plan includes unlimited shows and storage with no time limits and no annual commitments.

On top, you get a 14-day free trial to kick the tires, which includes integration with all major podcast listening directories.

Podserve Features that Stand Out

• Create unlimited shows with unlimited storage
• No time limits per episode
  
• Seamless integration with major podcast directories, like Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and many more
  
• Podcast promotion with Podserve.fm
  

Pricing

$19/month with a 14-day free trial includes unlimited podcasts and storage.

Find out More About Podserve Here.

16. Zencast

Best Podcast Hosting Platform with One-Click Distribution (from $14/mth)

Zencast is another podcast hosting platform with unlimited storage and download limits that enables you to upload, publish, and share your podcasts with the world.

It's easy to use, offers a wide range of features and tools, and provides you with everything you need to get your podcasts online and accessible to listeners.

They include one-click distribution, a free website, a smart podcast player that looks great on any website, and podcast hosting with no annoying ads inserted around your content.

Zencast Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited downloads
• Unlimited episodes
  
• No time limits
  
• Embeddable, customizable podcast player
  
• Wide distribution to all major podcast listening players plus social media sites like Facebook and Twitter
  
• Automatic transcriptions
  
• Private podcasting for members only
  

Pricing

Zencast has four plans:

• Hobby Plan: $14/month (or $12/month when billed annually) includes unlimited episodes and downloads
• Professional Plan: $39/month (or $35/month when billed annually) includes unlimited episodes and downloads, custom domain names and private podcasts
  
• Plus Plan: $99/month (or $89/month when billed annually) includes everything in the professional plan plus it allows you to create unlimited podcasts
• Enterprise Plan: (by quotation only) includes everything in the plus plan as well as payment by invoice, advanced reporting, custom contracts and enterprise services
  

Find out More About Zencast Here.

17. Resonate

Best Podcast Hosting Provider with Video Production (from $25/mth)

Resonate is a multi-function podcast hosting platform that, in addition to offering some of the best podcast hosting providers

It also offers audio and video production, podcast marketing tools and podcast launch services.

Resonate gives you either one-click distribution or time-based scheduling, a podcast micro site for your episodes, an embedded player for your site and a powerful insights easy to use dashboard to track your analytics.

Resonate Features that Stand Out

• Simplified user experience: single system handles both production and distribution
• Flexible distribution: one click posting or scheduling
  
• Audience insights dashboard
  
• Embeddable customizable podcast player
  
• Customizable podcast micro sites
  
• Supports private podcasts
  

Pricing

Resonate has three plans:

• Basic Plan: $25/month includes unlimited episodes and downloads
• Premium Plan: $49/month includes everything in the Basic plan plus a podcast microsite and dynamic ad insertion
  
• Professional Plan: (by quotation only) includes everything in the Premium plan plus live support, private hosting and a private Slack channel with the Resonate team
  

Find out More About Resonate Here.

18. PodcastGIANT

Best Host for Podcast Website Customization ($49/mth)

PodcastGIANT takes a slightly different approach when it comes to podcast hosting.

With most podcast hosting companies, you'll need to spend time creating and branding your posting site ahead of launch, learn the technicalities about setting up hosting and feeds, and learning about page design.

PodcastGIANT, on the other hand, will take your chosen custom theme, your instructions and your content and develop the entire website for you for a single monthly price.

PodcastGIANT Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited hosting
• No time limits
  
• Blazing fast server speeds
  
• Daily backups
  

Pricing

$49/month.

Find out More About PodcastGIANT.

19. Pinecast

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Premium Content ($10/mth)

Pinecast is a full service podcast posting platform that allows you to do a free forever trial for a maximum of two podcasts with their own podcast feed.

You also get unlimited episode uploads, basic analytics and listener support in their free tier.

With their paid plan, you can publish premium content for your subscribers, and have all contributions automatically deposited to your bank account on a weekly basis.

Pinecast Features that Stand Out

• Supports premium content for paid subscribers
• Unlimited storage (paid plans only)
  
• IAB-compliant analytics
  
• Embeddable podcast player
  
• WordPress plugin created posts for every episode
  
• Supports listener donations
  

Pricing

Pinecast has a free podcast plan and a paid plan:

• Free Plan: Includes two free podcasts with up to 10 episodes
  
• Starter Plan: $10/month (or $110 per year) includes unlimited shows, unlimited episodes, embed player, a podcast website with your custom domain and premium analytics
  

Find out More About Pinecast Here.

20. Backtracks

Best Podcast Hosting Service for Advertising (from $99/mth)

Backtracks is a podcast hosting provider that claims to have the world's most powerful podcast analytics and advertising platform.

Since their focus is on monetization, analytics and optimization, their packages are not really priced for hobby podcasters but for those who already have a captive audience and want to extract more revenue from it.

Backtracks Features that Stand Out

• Can customize audio player to match your brand
• AI-driven Advanced analytics
  
• Monetization via targeted advertising
  

Pricing

Backtracks has four plans:

• Publisher Plan: $99/month (or $89/month when billed annually) includes up to 3 podcasts, unlimited audio and unlimited bandwidth
• Publisher Plus Plan: $199/month (or $149/month when billed annually) includes up to 5 podcasts, unlimited audio, unlimited bandwidth and standard support
  
• Publisher Premium Plan: $299/month (or $249/month when billed annually) includes up to 10 podcasts, unlimited audio, unlimited bandwidth and premium support
• Enterprise Plan: (by quotation only) includes unlimited shows, unlimited audio, unlimited bandwidth and 24/7 enterprise support
  

Find out More About Backtracks Here.

21. Whooshkaa

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Large Podcasting Channels (by quotation only)

This highly reliable podcast hosting platform focuses primarily on businesses.

In addition to public podcasting, Whooshkaa allows businesses with large teams to develop internal podcast channels for employee engagement and training as well as podcasting channels for educational institutions.

Whooshkaa Features that Stand Out

• Wide distribution to listening platforms
• AI-powered automatic podcast transcription
  
• Automated video creation
  
• Customizable web players
• Integrated social sharing
  
• IAB Certified podcast analytics
  
• Monetization throu8gh dynamic ad insertion
  

Pricing

By quotation only: for publishers with large teams and multiple podcasts averaging more than 20,000 downloads per episode.

Find out More About Whooshkaa Here.

22. FeedPress

Best Podcast Hosting Platform for Managing Multiple Feeds (from €9.60/mth)

FeedPress is a podcast hosting service that's ideal for podcasters with multiple feeds and a large audience who want to be able to manage and track all their feeds from a single account.

For example, you can see from a central dashboard where your listeners are located at any given time and view historical data within 30, 60, 90 days and all-time so you can assess the penetration of your podcast over time.

FeedPress Features that Stand Out

• Easy to user, intuitive for beginners
  
• Single account for all feeds
• Simplified feed management
  
• Advanced tracking
  
• Embedded audio player
• Valet migration
  

Pricing

Starting from €9.60/month with unlimited shows, unlimited bandwidth and storage. They offer a 30-day free trial.

Find out More About FeedPress Here.

23. Sqadcast

Best Remote Recording Studio (from $20/mth)

Squadcast is not a podcast hosting service per se, but is included on this list because it offers a premium full-featured remote podcast recording suite with all the bells and whistles of a professional for-hire studio for a lot less.

If you need to create studio-quality recordings without the rental fees this is a great alternative.

For example, it allows you to add automatic leveling, EQ and background noise reduction on the cloud so you can master your audio files from anywhere.

Sqadcast Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive, easy to learn
  
• Green room for podcast guests before they go live
  
• Crystal clear audio quality through locally recorded files
• Auto-save and auto backups
  
• High reliability (no dropped connections, delays, audio drift, lost audio files, etc.)
• Progressive upload prevents audio quality loss if connection is severed
  

Pricing

Sqadcast has four plans:

• Indie Plan: $20/month includes one podcast with 5 hours of audio recording and 2 team members
• Pro Plan: $40/month (or $400/year) includes up to 3 podcasts with 12 hours of video recording and 5 team members
  
• Studio Plan: $80/month (or $800/year) includes up to 10 podcasts with 25 hours of video recording and 10 team members
• Enterprise Plan: (by quotation only) includes unlimited shows, unlimited hours of video recording and unlimited team members
  

Find out More About Sqadcast Here.

24. Fireside

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Analytics (from $9/mth)

Fireside is a podcast hosting service that offers lighting fast file hosting while allowing you to use your own custom domain so that your site gets the SEO benefit.

You can import your podcast episodes from anywhere with one click, and then take advantage of their professional-grade podcast analytics and tracking tools to assess your performance and optimize.

Fireside Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive user experience
  
• Advanced analytics
• One-step free imports
  
• Free website and blog
  
• Embeddable custom player
  

Pricing

Fireside has three plans:

• Starter Plan: $9/month includes one podcast with 5 episodes per month
• Standard Plan: $19/month includes unlimited shows and storage
  
• Professional Plan: $49/month includes unlimited shows and storage, advanced download metrics and priority support
  

They offer a 14-day free trial.

Find out More About Fireside Here.

25. Podcasts.com

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Episode Management (from $14/mth)

Podcasts.com is a hosting provided with a free forever plan with up to 20GB of bandwidth per month, which is ideal for hobby podcasters.

It's super easy to learn and use, allowing you to upload and publish a podcast episode with just two clicks and no technical training required.

Podcasts.com Features that Stand Out

• Embeddable podcast player
• Free starter WordPress website
  
• Mobile optimized
  
• Advanced podcast statistics
  
• Automatic subscriber notification
  

Pricing

Podcasts.com has a free plan and two paid plans:

• Free Plan: includes one podcast with a monthly storage limit of 200 MB and 20 GB of bandwidth per month
• Professional Plan: $14/month (or $99/year) includes one podcast with unlimited storage and 250 GB of bandwidth per month
  
• Business Plan: $28/month (or $199/year) includes 3 podcasts with unlimited storage and 500 GB of bandwidth per month
  

Find out More About Podcasts.com Here.

26. Sounder

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Player Customization ($12.99/mth)

Sounder is another podcast hosting platform with a free forever plan, provided that you host a single podcast with no more than 5,000 streams per month.

Paid plans include unlimited shows with up to 50,000 streams per month (and unlimited streams with a custom quote.)

They also include ad-free podcasting, customizable player, advanced analytics and custom domains.

Sounder Features that Stand Out

• Automated distribution to major podcast listening platforms
• Powerful audio visualizations to host video podcasts
  
• Transcription technology
  
• Seamless collaboration from a single workplace
  
• Customizable player themes
• Customizable podcast webpage
  

Pricing

Sounder has two plans:

• Sounder Plus: $12.99/month (or $10.39/month when billed annually) for growth-oriented podcasters and podcast networks, including programmatic DAI monetization, automatic YouTube distribution and in-depth analytics
• Sounder Pro: (by quotation only) for growth-oriented podcasters and podcast networks with more than 50K streams per month, includes everything in the sounder plus plan with unlimited streams and dedicated support
  

Find out More About Sounder Here.

27. Megaphone

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Publishers and Advertisers ($99/mth)

Megaphone is a podcast hosting platform that caters to businesses that want to scale their podcasting channels through a turn-key solution that includes publishing, monetization and analytics.

For example, you can create drafts, schedule and publish your content across all major podcast listening apps and smart speakers.

You can also monetize your content with dynamic ad insertion and geo-targeting.

And you can monitor your growth in real time so you can make data-driven decisions to improve your podcast performance.

Megaphone Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive podcast publishing workflow
  
• Monetization through dynamic ad insertions
• Forecasting tools
  
• Best in class IABv2-compliant data analytics
  

Pricing

Megaphone has two plans:

• Professional: $99/month, including detailed reporting & analytics, monetization tools via the Spotify Audience Network and live chat support (4am-9pm Mon-Fri ET)
• Enterprise: (by quotation only), includes everything in the Professional plan plus comprehensive monetization tools and 24/7 support
  

Find out More About Megaphone Here.

28. Podigee

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Teams (from $19/mth)

Podigee is a podcast hosting platform that while offering a package for hobbyists, is really designed for businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions.

Although they offer unlimited audio storage in their entry-level plan, they only offer limited audio encoding (just 4 hours/month) with basic analytics and no monetization.

Podigee Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited storage
  
• Unlimited bandwidth
  
• Free WordPress plugin allows you to integrate embedded podcast players into your site
• Monetization through listener contributions
  
• Professional analytics with CSV export and reports
  

Pricing

Podigee has three plans:

• Basic Plan: $19/month (or $12/month when paid annually), including one podcast, unlimited storage and 4 hours of audio encoding per month
• Advanced: $35/month (or $25/month when paid annually), including two podcasts, unlimited storage and 6 hours of audio encoding per month
  
• Business: $85/month (or $65/month when paid annually), including three podcasts, unlimited storage, one private podcast with up to 100 listeners and 20 hours of audio encoding per month
  

Find out More About Podigee Here.

29. SimplePodcastPress

Best Podcast Player WordPress Plugin (from $67/mth)

SimplePodcastPress is not a hosting service but rather a podcast player plugin for WordPress.

If you're hosting your podcast on your site, SimplePodcastPress provides you with a player that's optimized for conversions, including calls to action, full customization, high speed and email-capture capabilities.

This player is ideal for audiences that aren't technically savvy and may struggle to find your episodes on mainstream listening apps, allowing them to play your episodes on your own site through a professional looking player.

SimplePodcastPress Features that Stand Out

• WordPress plugin based podcasting solution
  
• Easy to configure and operate
  
• Can manage multiple podcast channels from a single site
• Supports audio and video podcasting
  

Pricing

SimplePodcastPress has three plans:

• Single License Plan: $67/month, including one podcast website and one year of standard support
• Professional License Plan: $97/month, including up to 3 podcast websites and one year of premium support
  
• Multi License Plan: $147/month, including up to 10 podcast websites and one year of premium support
  

Find out More About SimplePodcastPress Here.

30. Firstory

Best Podcasting Hosting Platform for Audience Building (from $15/mth)

Firstory is a podcast hosting solution that focuses on building the podcaster-audience relationship through features that include sharing, commenting and even collecting voice messages directly from your fans.

It offers an excellent free-forever plan with unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth but without customization, onboarding and 24/hour support.

Firstory Features that Stand Out

• Host unlimited podcasts
• Supports private podcasts for paid members only
  
• Embeddable podcast player
  
• Advanced analytics
  
• Free WordPress website (built-in)
  
• Live customer support
  

Pricing

Firstory has a free podcast plan and two paid plans:

• Free Plan: Unlimited storage and bandwidth
• Pro Plan: $15/month billed annually, including unlimited storage and bandwidth and no Firstory branding
  
• Enterprise Plan: $159/month billed annually, including unlimited storage and bandwidth, no Firstory branding and 24-hour support
  

Find out More About Firstory Here.

31. Simplecast

Best Podcasting Hosting Platform for Large Brands (from $15/mth)

Simplecast is a podcast hosting and analytics platform for beginners and advanced podcasters alike, offering plans with unlimited storage and unlimited uploads and downloads ranging from 20,000 to 120,000 per month.

At its core Simplecast is a podcast technology company, so it offers a reliable streaming infrastructure used not only by indie podcasters but also by large brands like Nike, Facebook and Kickstarter.

Simplecast Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited storage and unlimited uploads
• Simple wide distribution to most popular podcast listening platforms
  
• Manage multiple podcasts from a single account
  
• Customizable show website with your domain
  
• Comprehensive analytics
  

Pricing

Simplecast has three plans:

• Basic Plan: $15/month, including 2 member seats, unlimited storage and unlimited uploads as well as 20K downloads per month
• Essential Plan: $35/month, including 4 member seats, unlimited storage and uploads as well as 50K downloads per month
  
• Growth Plan: $85/month, including 9 member seats, unlimited storage and uploads as well as 120K downloads per month
  

Find out More About Simplecast Here.

32. OmnyStudio

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Enterprise Podcasting (by quotation only)

OmnyStudio is near the bottom of the list because it's primarily an enterprise podcasting solution.

However, their packages begin at $29/month, which is competitive with other hosting platforms.

Although entry-level features include unlimited episodes and unlimited listeners, expect the best features to be reserved for higher-paying enterprise users.

OmnyStudio Features that Stand Out

• Unlimited uploads, episodes and users
  
• Integrations with leading podcast listening services
  
• Automatic live recordings
  
• Managed podcast migration
  
• Easy conversion of recordings to podcasts
  

Pricing

By quotation only.

Find out More About OmniStudio Here.

33. Transistor

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Generous Entry-Level Plans (from $19/mth)

Transistor.fm can host unlimited episodes, manage multiple users per account and even create several podcasts in one account.

They also offer a handy migration feature to move your podcasts from competing podcast hosting sites.

Their analytics dashboard and features are excellent (one of the best among competitors, in fact) and offer wide distribution for your podcast to the most popular sites and mobile apps (e.g. Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Soundcloud, Spotify, etc.).

The best part is that all of their plans, including the entry level one, give you access to all podcast features.

The only difference between plans is the number of members that can access you account for collaborative projects, the number of downloads per month you're allowed and the number of private podcasts and subscribers you’re allowed to host.

Transistor Features that Stand Out

• Advanced podcast analytics
• Unlimited shows
• Multiple users allowed in a single account
• Wide distribution
• Podcast migration tool
• Allows multiple podcasts per account (some competitors force you to open new accounts for multiple podcasts)
• You can easily embed their player on your site
• 14-day free trial
  

Pricing

Transistor has three plans:

• Starter Plan: $19/month (or $190/year), including unlimited podcasts, live customer support, 50 private podcast subscribers, and 20,000 monthly downloads/month
• Professional Plan: $49/month (or $490/year), including unlimited podcasts, live customer support, 500 private podcast subscribers, and 100,000 monthly downloads/month
  
• Business Plan: $99/month (or $990/year), including unlimited podcasts, live customer support, 3,000 private podcast subscribers, and 250,000 monthly downloads/month
  

Find out More About Transistor Here.

34. Podcast Blastoff

Best Podcast Hosting Provider for Custom Podcast Websites (from $29.99/mth)

Podcast Blastoff is a solution that offers training resources for podcasters as well as BlastPod, an all-in-one dedicated podcast hosting service.

BlastPod can host your podcast files and your site while building you a customizable podcast website, all within one account, making your life easier if you don't want to be bothered with technical details.

Podcast Blastoff Features that Stand Out

• Customizable podcast website maker
• Professional website templates
  
• Manage your website, upload your podcast files, and interact with your listeners all from one place
  
• Episode scheduling
  
• Integration with social media
  
• Get listed on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcasts
  

Pricing

Podcast Blastoff has three plans:

• Silver Tier: $29.99/month, including a maximum upload of 250MB per month
• Gold Tier: $44.99/month, including a maximum upload of 500MB per month
  
• Platinum Tier: $59.99/month, including a maximum upload of 800MB per month
  

Find out More About Podcast Blastoff Here.

35. Podomatic

Best Podcast Hosting Service Provider for Mobile Devices (from $2.99/mth)

Podomatic is a podcast hosting platform that allows you to record and publish your episodes on the go from any mobile device and earn revenue from advertising and through partnerships with Patreon and other user contribution services.

They also have a free podcast app for iOS and Android devices so your followers can listen to your podcast with ease and convenience.

You can start with a free podcast hosting plan to test the waters and then upgrade to their pro plan.

Podomatic Features that Stand Out

• Intuitive, well-organized user interface
  
• Wide distribution to all major players, including, Apple, Google, Spotify, Deezer and Amazon
  
• Monetization via Patreon and partnerships with ad companies
  

Pricing

Podomatic has four plans:

• Pro Plan: $2.99/month (or $2.49/month when paid annually) includes 100 GB of bandwidth per month and 2 GB of storage
• Pro Plus Plan: $9.99/month (or $8.32/month when paid annually) includes 200 GB of bandwidth per month and 3 GB of storage
  
• Pro Platinum Plan: $24.99/month (or $20.82/month when paid annually) includes 500 GB of bandwidth per month and 5 GB of storage
• Broadcaster Plan: (by quotation only) includes unlimited storage and bandwidth
  

Find out More About Podomatic Here.

36. Podcast Websites

Best Turn-Key Podcasting Website Builder ($97/mth)

Podcast Websites gives you everything you need to launch a professional podcasting WordPress site in a turn-key fashion.

This includes all the necessary podcasting features, 24/7 support and a unique workflow experience that allows you to focus on creating and growing your podcast without having to worry about any technical aspects.

Podcast Websites Features that Stand Out

• All-in-one WordPress service for podcasters
  
• Simple drag & drop design interface
  
• Unlimited podcast hosting
• Podcast success academy
  
• 24/7 phone support
  

Pricing

Podcast Websites has two plans:

• Popular Plan: $97/month paid monthly, including unlimited website pages, landing pages, blog posts & podcast episodes
• New Plan: $77/month when paid annually, including the same as the Popular plan
  

Find out More About Podcast Websites Here.

37. Squarespace

Best Website Builder with a Built-in Podcast Hosting Site (from $16/mth)

Squarespace is primarily a website builder for bloggers and small businesses, but they also have the capability to host podcasts.

Although not as feature rich as dedicated podcast hosting platforms like the other ones on this list, it's definitely a cost effective option to consider, especially if you also plan to host a blog.

Squarespace Features that Stand Out

• Create and manage podcasts
  
• Publish to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher with the built-in RSS feed
  
• Provides RSS feed analytics to measure traffic from Apple Podcasts
  
• All Squarespace templates support audio blocks for podcasting
  

Pricing

Scales from $16/month (or $12/month when billed annually) to $54/month (or $40/month when billed annually).

Find out More About Squarespace Here.

38. Soundcloud

Best Free Podcast Hosting Platform for Experimentation ($12/mth)

Soundcloud is not the perfect hosting solution for podcasters but it's free for the most part and will certainly work, provided that that your podcasting is at the hobby level.

If you're new at this, you can always start with Soundcloud to get your feet wet, gain experience and then upgrade to a traditional hosting platform for more features and flexibility (like monetization, marketing tools and analytics.)

Soundcloud Features that Stand Out

• Native distribution to all device types through the Soundcloud app
• Podcast distribution via RSS feed to all major podcast listening platforms
  
• Schedule podcast releases (Pro plan)
  
• Social features
  

Pricing

Free podcast hosting with up to 2 hours of monthly uploads or Pro for $12/month when billed annually for unlimited upload hours.

Find out More About Soundcloud Here.

39. Acast

Best Podcast Hosting Service Provider for Ad-Revenue Share (from $25/mth)

Acast is a podcast hosting platform focused on monetization that integrates podcasters and advertisers.

It is placed last on this list simply because in order to take advantage of their monetization solution you'll need to come to the table a sizeable captive audience in order to attract the interest of their advertisers.

If you're a beginner to the world of podcasting, just start up with one of the podcast hosting companies towards to the top of this list, and then revisit Acast once you've developed a solid listenership.

Acast Features that Stand Out

• Wide distribution via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Samsung and many others
• Monetization though the Acast ad marketplace
  
• Advanced analytics
  
• Personalized marketing support
  

Pricing

Starts free and then scales from $25/month (or $14.99/month when billed annually) to $40/month (or $29.99/month when billed annually.)

Find out More About Acast Here.

What Is Podcast Hosting?

Podcast hosting services are a type of web hosting site used to store and distribute digital audio files, such as MP3s.

It allows people to upload their podcast episodes to the internet so that they can be heard by listeners around the world.

The best podcast hosting services typically provide users with a web-based interface where they can upload their audio files, create episode descriptions, add show notes, track listener data, and in some cases even edit sound files.

They also offer a wide range of podcasting-specific features, such as transcription services and distribution.

When someone visits your podcast's website portal, they'll be able to listen to any episode that you've uploaded, as well as read show notes, episode transcripts, and other helpful information that you may offer.

Plus, many of the best podcast hosting providers offer powerful tools that make it easy to distribute your episodes across multiple podcast platforms, including Apple, Google, Spotify, and more.

The best podcast hosting platforms charge a monthly fee for their services, but some offer free podcast hosting plans with limited features.

If you're just getting started with podcasting, we recommend choosing a free or low-cost option to see if it's the right fit for you. Once you've grown your audience, you can always upgrade to a more robust paid plan.

How to Start a Podcast

Podcasting is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. They're also a great way to build an audience and grow your business or personal brand.

To start a podcast, you'll need to find a podcast hosting service. A podcast hosting service will provide you with all the tools you need to publish your podcast and track your listenership.

Some of the best podcast hosting services include Buzzsprout, Podbean, and Spreaker.

Once you've selected a podcast hosting service, you'll need to create an account and provide some basic information about your podcast. This includes your podcast name, description, artwork, and more.

Next, you'll need to record your first episode. You can use any type of recording equipment that you're comfortable with, but we recommend high-quality digital recording software, like Audacity or Garageband along with a good microphone, like a Shure SM7B or a Blue Yeti X, so your podcast sounds professionally produced.

Once you've recorded your episode, it's time to upload it to your podcast hosting service. Here, you can add show notes, a transcript, and any other relevant information.

Then, simply hit "publish" and your episode will be live for the world to hear!

What Are the Benefits of Podcast Platforms and Why Do You Need One?

A podcasting platform is an essential tool for any business or individual who wants to share their voice and ideas with the world.

Here are some of the benefits:

1) Reach a large audience: A podcasting platform allows you to share your voice and ideas with a large audience. As more and more people turn to podcasts for information and entertainment, it provides an opportunity for you to reach a new, engaged audience.

2) Build authority and credibility: When you upload your podcasts to a reputable podcast hosting platform, you’re establishing yourself as an expert in your field. This can help you build authority and credibility with potential clients or customers.

3) Grow your business: A podcast platform can be a powerful tool for growing your business. You can use a podcast to promote your products or services, build relationships with potential customers, and generate leads.

4) Save time: A good podcast platform can save you time by allowing you to quickly and easily upload, edit and publish your episodes.

You can also save time by using a podcast hosting platform that provides features like a simple user interface for managing your podcast episodes, and the ability to distribute your episodes to major podcast directories at the push of a button.

5) Make money: Many people use their podcasts as a way to generate revenue. You can sell advertising space on your podcast, earn from listener contributions (similar to Patreon) or offer paid subscriptions for access to exclusive content.

What Features Should I Look for in a Podcast Hosting Platform?

When looking for a podcast hosting platform, you'll want to consider the following features:

• Ease of use. Is the hosting platform easy to use? Can you easily add new episodes, update show notes, etc.?
• Storage capacity and bandwidth. How much storage do you need for your episodes, and how much bandwidth is required to support your audience size?
• Editing tools. What editing tools are available? Can you easily add intro and outro music, trim audio clips, etc.?
• Number of shows/episodes. How many shows/episodes can you host on the platform? Do you need to upgrade to a paid plan if you exceed this number?
• Episode management tools. Look for a platform that provides easy-to-use tools for creating, publishing and managing your episodes
• Statistics and analytics. A good podcast hosting platform will provide detailed stats and analytics so you can track your listener numbers and see how your episodes are performing
• Support for RSS feeds. All good podcasting hosting platforms will provide customizable RSS feeds that can be submitted to podcast directories
• Integration with popular distribution platforms. Many podcasting hosting platforms offer integration with popular distribution platforms, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, making it easy for your listeners to find and access your episodes
• Customer support. Does the podcast host offer customer support in case you have questions or run into problems?

Overall, there's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to choosing a podcast host. The best way to decide is to experiment with a few different podcast hosts and see which one works best for you and your show.

How to Promote Your Podcast

Once you've published your first episode, it's time to start promoting it!

Here are 12 promotion tips to grow your audience:

1. Use social media: Share your episodes on social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, etc., making sure to focus the most on those networks that are visited regularly by members of your target audience.

2. Include a link to your podcast on your website: Make it easy for visitors to your site to find and listen to your latest episode. Some podcast hosting platforms allow you to add YouTube-style embedded players on your web pages and some others allow you to install their players on your WordPress site via plugin.

3. Add a link to your podcast in your email signature: Include a link to your podcast in every email you send, so recipients can easily listen to your latest episode.

4. Send an email notification when you publish a new episode: Let your subscribers know whenever you have a new episode available by sending them an email notification.

5. Submit your podcast to directories: Submit your podcast to popular directories like Apple, Google, Spotify, etc. This will make it easier for people to find and listen to your show.

6. Collaborate with other podcasters: Reach a new audience by appearing as a guest on another podcast or by having another podcaster appear on your show.

7. Create blog posts about your episodes: Write blog posts about each of your episodes and include a link to the audio file so readers can listen directly from your website.

8. Repurpose your content: Turn your podcast episodes into articles, videos or infographics to reach even more people with your content.

9. Run a contest: Host a contest related to your podcast and promote it across all of your social media channels. This is a great way to grow your email list and social media following.

10. Provide transcriptions of your episodes: Many people prefer to read transcripts of podcast episodes instead of listening to them. Provide transcripts on your website or blog to make it easy for readers to consume your content in their preferred format.

11. Leverage guest appearances: If you have guests on your show, promote their appearance across all of your channels to introduce them to your audience.

12. Advertise your podcast: If you have an advertising budget, use paid advertising methods like Google or Facebook Ads to promote your podcast to a wider audience.

By following these tips, you can effectively promote your podcast and get more people listening to your show.

Frequently Asked Podcasting Questions

How Much Does Podcasting Cost?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the cost of podcasting will vary depending on the size and complexity of your show. However, as a general rule of thumb, most podcasters tend to spend around $150-$200 per year on recurring hosting expenses.

Some popular podcast hosting platforms include Libsyn, Buzzsprout, and Podbean. These services typically charge around $5-$15 per month for hosting, and most also offer a free podcast hosting tier albeit with a cap on upload hours per month, number of episodes, available amount of storage, and so on.

In addition to hosting costs, you'll also need to factor in the cost of equipment. While you can get started with your laptop’s built-in microphone and free recording software, you may eventually want to upgrade to more professional-grade equipment.

For example, if you want top quality from the get go you may want to opt for the Shure SM7B mic, but it’ll set you back around $400. Having said that, you could get a Blue Yeti X instead for about $140, which has excellent sound quality at a fraction of the cost.

Finally, don't forget about the time and effort required to produce your podcast. While it's possible to record and edit your show yourself, it's often worth hiring a professional editor to help you create a polished final product. Professional editing services can cost anywhere from $50-$200 per episode.

What Do I Need to Host a Podcast?

First, you'll need some way to record your show. This could be a simple smartphone with an audio recording app, or you could use professional digital audio recording software running on a high-end laptop.

You'll also need some way to host your podcast online. There are many paid and free podcast hosting options available for this purpose, as shown earlier in this article.

Then, you'll need some way to market your show and attract listeners. This could include social media, blogging and advertising.

Finally, you'll need to monetize your audience through an ad revenue-share arrangement, through product sponsorships or via listener donations.

What Is Podcast Storage and Bandwidth?

Podcast hosts store your audio files on their servers and make them available to listeners. The amount of audio storage that they make available to you on your plan will determine how many episodes you can host and archive on your account.

The bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transferred across the platform in a given amount of time and it’s an indication of how many listeners you’ll be able to serve at the same time. Bandwidth size is dependent on your podcast hosting plan.

So, when you're choosing a podcast host, you'll want to look for one with enough audio storage and bandwidth to handle all of your podcast files and accommodate your growth plans.

You'll also want to make sure the podcast host's servers are located in places where the connection to your listeners is fast and reliable.

How Long Should Podcasts Be?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, since the length of an episode can vary depending on your topic and format.

However, as a general rule, most podcasts are anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes long.

While some podcasts can be as long as 2 or 3 hours, those are typically reserved to professional podcasters since it takes a lot of talent and skills to retain an audience’s attention for that long.

But 30-90 minutes will allow your listeners to get through a full episode without getting either bored or overwhelmed, while still providing enough information to be worthwhile.

If you're looking to create a shorter episode, try focusing on one specific topic or story instead of trying to cover multiple topics in one go.

And if you're looking to create a longer episode consider inviting one or more guests that can bring a wealth of knowledge to the table, people who themselves have a large following of devoted listeners.

Whatever approach you take, just make sure your episodes are engaging and informative from start to finish!

How Do I Publish a Podcast?

There are a few ways to go about publishing a podcast.

You could use a hosting service such as Buzzsprout, Spreaker or Podbean. These podcast hosting companies will provide you with the tools necessary to upload and publish your podcast.

Alternatively, you can self-host your podcast using your own WordPress website. This option gives you more control over your content but requires more technical know-how.

Once your podcast is published, you can submit it to directories and popular podcast listening apps like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many others.

You could also use other platforms like YouTube and Facebook to promote your podcast.

What Are Some Podcasting Tips to Get Started?

Here are a few quick tips to help you get started with podcasting:

1. Invest in a good microphone. A decent microphone will make a big difference in the quality of your show. If you're on a tight budget, we recommend the AKG P120 mic. It's affordable and sounds great.

2. Find a quiet place to record. Background noise can be very distracting for listeners, so try to find a quiet room or space to record your show. If you can't avoid background noise completely, we recommend using higher-end audio editing software to remove it digitally.

3. Keep your episodes under 60 minutes if you’re new. Longer episodes can be tough to stay engaged with, so try to keep your episodes under 60 minutes. If you have a lot to say, consider breaking up your content into multiple episodes.

4. Engage with your listeners. Be sure to interact with your listeners by replying to comments and questions (if your format allows it.)

This will help create a more personal connection with your audience and make them more likely to continue listening to your show (pro tip: enlist the help of a friend as a moderator to avoid spam.)

5. Have fun! Podcasting should be fun, so don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun with it and enjoy the process. Your listeners will be able to tell if you're having a good time, and that will make them more likely to enjoy your show.

What Are Podcast Directories?

Podcast hosting directories are websites that allow people to find podcasts on specific topics or by specific podcast hosts.

Podcasters usually submit their podcasts to these directories so that people can find them easily. The directories then list the podcasts with information from your RSS feed such as the title, description, episode count, and category.

The most popular ones are those that carry the largest selections of podcasts from around the world and are easily available on most devices, like Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Other types of directories are less common but can be very useful. These include the directories that list only certain types of podcasts (such as comedy, true crime, sports, etc.)

There are also a few podcast aggregators, which are podcast websites that collect episodes from different podcasts and put them all in one place. This can be really useful if you're looking for something specific and don't know where to start looking.

Can You Make a Living Podcasting?

Yes, you absolutely can make a living podcasting, but this is a process that will take some time, so don’t quit your day job!

There are a number of ways to monetize your podcast, including sponsorships, advertising, and product endorsements.

You can also sell your own products or services, or create a Patreon account to solicit donations from listeners.

The most important factor in podcast monetization is to first build a large and engaged audience.

The more people who listen to your podcast, the more opportunities you have to make money.

So be sure to produce high-quality content that's both informative and entertaining with regularity, and cultivate relationships with industry leaders who can help promote your show by allowing you to interview them.

By following the above tips, many people like Lex Fridman and Pat Flynn have developed successful full-time careers out of podcasting with 6 and 7-figure annual incomes.

But make sure to be patient with yourself, it takes time to get there!

How Often Should You Publish a Podcast

It depends first on the nature of your podcast, and second on your hosting service. Some allow you to publish as often as you like, while others impose restrictions based on your plan. Typically, free podcast hosting platforms or plans have the most limitations and paid plans the least.

That said, it's best to pace yourself and not publish too often. This will help ensure that each episode is of the highest quality and provides value to your listeners.

Too much content too soon can be overwhelming and can cause people to tune out. Instead, focus on publishing quality and consistency.

A good rule of thumb is to publish one episode per week as you get started. This will give you enough time to properly prepare each episode and ensure that it's high quality. If you have more time, you can always publish more frequently, but don't feel like you need to in order to succeed.

One final note — be sure to promote your episodes after you publish them! Just because you published an episode doesn't mean people will automatically find it.

Be sure to submit each episode to podcast directories and then share them on your social media channels.

Can I Host My Podcast on My Own Website?

It depends. While it is possible to host a podcast on your own website, it's not necessarily the best option.

Hosting a podcast on your own website will require you to purchase and set up a podcast host, as well as install and configure a media server.

In addition, you'll need to create and upload episodes to your server, and ensure that your website is able to handle the increased audio storage and bandwidth requirements.

As you grow your audience over time, this setup might become cost-prohibitive since audio files are quite large.

Alternatively, you can use a podcast hosting platform such as Buzzsprout or Podbean. These services provide all of the necessary hosting and media server capabilities for a very reasonable monthly cost, and also offer extensive analytics and distribution options.

Is There Any Downside to Free Podcast Hosting Sites?

Yes. There are several downsides to a free podcast hosting site.

First, these sites often have fairly limited storage, so you may have to delete older episodes in order to make room for new ones.

Second, these sites typically don't offer many features or tools that can help you improve your podcasting experience. For example, they may not offer detailed analytics tracking or the ability to easily embed audio players on your website.

Third, free podcast hosting sites can sometimes be unstable, many have poor bandwidth and may even go offline without warning in the middle of an episode.

Finally, because free podcast hosting sites are often supported by advertising, your podcast may be interrupted by commercials or other ads that you don't control nor benefit from financially.

What to Do Next

Now that you have the lay of the land for the best podcast hosting platforms on the market, take advantage of their free podcast hosting trials and money-back guarantees to check them out.

Then, commit to podcasting, jump in with both feet and start to develop a devoted listenership!