Top 3 podcast hosting platforms
Why Do You Need a Podcast Hosting Platform?
It provides storage for your podcast’s episodes
It produces an RSS Feed that can be sent to the directories to get your podcast onto those platforms (like Apple Podcasts)
It creates unique HTML embed codes so that your episodes can be added to your website
Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout has been around for a while. Since 2008 actually. But in reality Buzzsprout’s parent company has been around since the 90’s. The brand found a niche helping non-profits build websites, so when these organizations started asking about audio and podcasting they figured it made sense to build Buzzsprout. Buzzsprout is well-known in the industry and has some fun and unique features that already makes them stand out from the background noise in the space. They automatically perform ID3 tagging and will convert any audio file to mp3 as well as resize your podcast artwork to ensure it meets directory standards. They also have WordPress plugins and simplified publishing features to ensure that uploading, editing and pushing out both your written and recorded content is a breeze. In fact, they even help you build a basic, customizable website for your podcast so you have a web presence, or can provide you with attractive embed players to use on your existing site or blog. They also offer a chapter marker function for your episodes to make your audience’s listening stress-free. To get the inside scoop on how Buzzsprout meets the needs of podcasters, I reached out to Alban Brooke, Head of Growth, who came on board with the Buzzsprout team in 2014.
Podbean
PodBean is a go-to solution for podcast hosting. Like a handful of others in the hosting space, they have a long history of helping podcasters get their content out and distributed in an easy, reliable way. Sure, sometimes being around the block a few times has a bad wrap. Sometimes established brands are set in their ways and lose sight of current needs. But don’t let their tenure fool you. PodBean is extremely innovative and in-touch with the needs of podcasters and is always looking for ways to improve and offer more. In fact, PodBean has been years ahead of the trend in many areas and has been offering some of the key features and solutions that newer hosting platforms are building their marketing strategies on.
Looking for a way to perform some basic post-production functions right on your phone before you post? PodBean unrolled this concept a few years ago. Looking to monetize your podcast and get in touch with partners that can make that happen? PodBean has been helping podcasters with this… for a while now. The need for building mobile-friendly platforms was something PodBean was hard at work even before the recent surge mounted.
But they also offer some key things others don’t. For starters, PodBean has its own podcast and offers some promotional opportunities in their app that enables podcasters to get their name out in front of the world and more potential listeners. They also offer private hosting options for podcasters who don’t want the world at large to hear their content. But to learn more about what PodBean is doing to improve the things they are already doing well and to hear about some new initiatives they are rolling out, I reached out to Shannon Martin, Director of Communications, who signed on with the PodBean team in 2014. Here’s what we discussed.
Libsyn
To say that the world of podcasting would not be what it is or where it is today without Libsyn would be an understatement. Seriously. Libsyn has been here from the beginning and has had its hand in nearly everything the podcasting industry has done over the last almost 15 years. They are touted as the world’s largest podcast network and are the preferred hosting platform for a growing number of podcasters worldwide. But let’s take a second to touch on that. They don’t only host the novice and new podcasts, but also the big ones. Like BIG, big ones. Respected and renowned podcastdom favorites like Joe Rogan and Marc Maron host with Libsyn. Libsyn is known for its reliability and how in many ways it sets the bar for all things related to podcast hosting. It’s no wonder then why they were the preferred launch partner when directories Spotify, Google and Pandora were looking to step into the podcasting space. I reached out to Rob Walch, VP of Podcaster Relations, who has been on board with Libsyn since 2007 and knows a thing or two about what keeps the engine running there. Here’s the highlights from our conversation.