It’s so exciting, right? You’ve developed an amazing podcast and have it written, even recorded and edited. So now what? You’ve got to get it to your audience so they can be captivated and compelled. That’s where podcast hosting comes into play.
A podcast hosting site is a platform that stores both audio and video files to distribute and download to your audience. In other words, it’s how your audience gets your podcast. So now you need to decide on the best podcast hosting platform for your individual needs. They all come with some different features, so let’s check out a few of them to help you decide.
Best Podcast Hostings
1. Disctopia
Disctopia is known as the Curators of Creatives. An Indie Music and Podcast Hosting Platform, Disctopia operates on a non-exclusive basis and the goal is to complement and enhance their creators’ existing digital independent business.
By giving creative users a platform to distribute their content to their fans, followers, and subscribers, Disctopia can help improve the value of the content. They offer independent artists, podcasters, labels, and distributors the flexibility to make decisions that bring the highest value to your endeavors and careers.
Designed by dreamers, powered by fans, Disctopia is a podcast hosting & streaming service dedicated to indie artists, podcasters, and content creators seeking creative freedom and simple merchandising integration. Disctopia offers tons of features and great flexibility so your podcast can really take off. You can choose which of your shows to stream and which to make available to your subscribers. It’s an easy to navigate platform and provides amazing customer service and support. You really can’t go wrong here.
Host your next show on Disctopia!
2. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is the platform for connecting with fans, sharing your sounds, and growing your audience. One thing people love about SoundCloud is that ability to connect. It’s like Instagram for audio. You can connect with your audience which can be huge for your growth as an artist.
There’s also a free version of SoundCloud so if you are just getting started with podcasting and don’t have a lot of hours to upload and share, this could be the perfect start for you. At some point, though, you’ll probably want to upgrade or switch platforms to one where you can manage more content.
3. Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is another one we love, after all, that’s where you can find Bunny Studio podcasts. Buzzsprout is known for its user-friendliness and loves to make podcast hosting easy. Creators can easily promote, publish, and list their podcasts.
Buzzsprout also offers tons of awesome material, like guides, tutorials, and courses to help you make your podcasts even better. Often podcasters forget that it’s important to know the industry of podcasting just as much as the industry of the topic of the podcast. That way you can stay in the mix and even ahead of the game. Buzzsprout can help you here so your podcast can stand out and get noticed. After all, that’s the goal, right?
4. Podbean
Podbean is a great monetizing and hosting platform for your podcast. It’s easy and powerful and can bring it all together to make your podcast successful. Many podcasters are looking for that monetization along with promotion, and Podbean is here for that. From beginner podcasters to the truly professional, this is a platform to grow with.
Not only is this a great platform to store and promote with, but you can also live stream here, which is great for engagement with your audience. You can take calls and see and talk about real-time comments, think how much fun that can be!
Podbean is also a Spotify partner, so it’s easy to get your podcasts from Podbean to Spotify. And that is a fantastic place to grow your audience.
5. Libsyn
The last podcast hosting site we want to touch on is Libsyn. For those that love analytics and statistics, this is the platform for you. Libsyn also offers integrated publishing and tons of extra features to customize your podcast package just how you want it. Libsyn also partners with some of the most popular media companies like Pandora and Spotify.
Libsyn is the combination of Liberated and Syndication and has from the start stayed true to developing a platform where podcasters have the freedom they need to deliver the kind of podcast they want. Whether podcasting is your hobby or your profession, you can find a home for your show here.
Choosing the best platform for you
When it comes to choosing the right platform, you’ll probably be taking a lot of factors into consideration. Many podcasters think about things like the goals of their podcast and the time they spend on podcasting when choosing a platform. Whether you’re doing this for a fun hobby or trying to make a career from it will be a factor in your podcast host, too. If you want something easy, you may go one way, and if you love all the stats and analytics, you may veer to another host.
Some other things to consider are:
- Price – what’s a comfortable price for you to work with? Do you need something free for now or will a monthly subscription price work well?
- Transcription and other services – what are you looking for as far as services? Transcription services are great additions to your podcast; you’ll find tons of uses for them.
- Ease of use- Are you pretty well versed in the technical aspects of this or do you need a platform that makes it super easy? And even if you do know how to work all the magic, you may not want to bother with technicalities, and you just want something easy.
- Support – You’ll want a platform with strong support. You never know what can come up, and it’s nice to know you’ll have someone on your side to help.
You can’t go wrong with these platforms. You just have to decide where your priorities are and what your goals are and choose. But one thing all of these platforms do have in common is letting you be independent and creative while helping your podcast shine.
