Podcast hosting allows you to host your files and RSS feeds for your podcast. Podcast Hosting companies upload your files, inform the hosting platform about the details of the show, and generate your feed. When a user subscribes to your podcast, podcast hosts send the audio files and videos to the platform directly. A podcast is a chain of audio files that are grouped into one file. They require a big space to be stored, and a personal website doesn’t have that big storage to keep all that files. Podcast hosting sites give you that space to store your files so that your subscribers could easily download them. In other words, podcast hosting is a simple setup, a web server that allows file downloads, mp3 files, also RSS feeds, that describe your audio files. The best platforms do much more than that.There are several podcast hosting sites, and here are the 10 top picks with their particularities:
1. Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout is the best podcast hosting site for several reasons. They have been hosting since 2009 and have around 100,000 podcasters. It provides unlimited storage, 250 GB per month, which is enough from 20 000 to 40 000 downloads. It allows you to download 2 hours of hosting for 90 days for free.
Key Features:
1) It allows you to fix a podcast right on your website, and you can present either episodes or a full playlist.
2) It provides a super useful analytic dashboard that is very easy to use. It shows the statistics of how many listeners have received each episode for the last 90 days. It shows the countries where your listeners are, which will make you understand your audience better.
3) It provides a super audio quality, as you can upgrade to 128k stereo optimization.
4) Another plus is the podcast transcription service.
5) It is made very easy for you to schedule your podcast.
6) Another privilege of this podcast hosting site is that you can add episode chapter makers.
2. Spreaker
Another top-rated podcast hosting site is Spreaker. It is a universal platform for both, who is just starting, and producers, who are developing the podcasts. It provides a possibility to make your podcasting path a comfortable and profitable one.This podcast hosting platform connects podcast creators, listeners, and advertisers in one place and helps a lot to any type of content creator to put into circulation the entire podcast catalog.You can have 5 hours of audio storage, with 10 episodes for a free trial.
Key Features
1) It has a content management system that allows all types of podcasters to distribute new episodes automatically to the major listening platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, etc.
2) Schedule and manage several podcasts under the same account.
3) Set your monetization (with the help of ad insertion) at the show level and the episode.
4) Teamwork privileges, where you can add co-hosters.
5) Analytic system certified by the IAB.
3. Transistor
Transistor is a professional, high-quality podcast hosting platform, which hosts such popular podcasts as Cards Against Humanity, Drift, and Honeybadger. This podcast hosting platform is known for its peculiar analytics and everything at hand to develop and grow your podcast audience. Their analytics provides deep stats like the number of subscribers, downloads over a certain time and average downloads, etc. It has a simple migration tool that will help you to transfer your feeds in case if you are using other podcast hosting platforms like Libsyn or Anchor.
Key Features
1) Run unlimited shows
2) Arrange multiple users for the same account.
3) Create branded website under your personal domain name
4) Share your podcast with larger networks
5) Use advanced statistics and reporting.
4. PodBean
PodBean is the easiest podcast hosting tool. They have been hosting for already 10 years, have 540,000 podcasters, more than 9,800,000 episodes, and + 8.0 Billion downloads.
Key Features:
1) Free plan for 5 hours of storage.
2) Unlimited storage for the $9/month plan.
3) Effective ad installation.
4) Patreon program as a reward for recurring revenues.
5) Auto-uploads to YouTube.
6) Auto-posting to social media like Facebook and Twitter
7) Mobile app.
5. Simplecast
Simplecast is an industry-leading podcast hosting tool. It provides all the necessary tools to manage, share and grow your podcast. It is cooperating with famous brands like Facebook, Nika, Kickstarter, and HBO.
6. Captivate
Captivate is a newborn podcast hosting platform that is audience growth-oriented. It is created by Rebel Media, which also manages the Podcast Websites. In addition to the main features, they are using built-in calls to action and an automatic podcast website. They are working instantly on the analytics software, cooperating with IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau).
7. Castos
In case if you are searching for a podcast hosting platform for WordPress, Castos is your best choice. It acts like a plugin for WordPress. When you go to Castos Website, install WordPress Plugin, and as soon as you are ready to host your episodes, you add them inside the WordPress podcast section. Upload the audio file, type the correct description, and the podcast is ready to go live. After you add the podcast to your directories, you will have the URL and can share it with the preferred publisher.
8. Podcastics
Podcastics is one of the best and easy-to-use podcast hosting platforms, with a modern UX, detailed analytics, and smart features. It is very flexible and has a very intuitive dashboard. It lets you import your existing podcast from the Apple podcast or any RSS feed. You can also create teams with a flexible dashboard.
Their main features are a live stream capability, analytics (including sources, days, hours, locations), episode editing tools, innovative features like smart links, surveys, QR codes, and heat maps.
9. Fusebox
Fusebox is a great podcast hosting tool created by a well-known podcaster Pat Flynn.
Fusebox has one of the best toolboxes with useful features, such as email capture (the only podcast hosting tool to offer this) and other first-class features. It has a transcript plugin with SEO-friendly live text that adds podcast transcripts automatically to your website.
10. Podcast Websites
In case if you are a website builder, Podcast Websites is the best choice. The main features of this podcast hosting platform are- the easy workflow that gives access to the website hosting, statistics, daily back-ups, and 24/7 hour support. It provides digital marketing support to you as its member, to promote your podcast in the right way. You can use a website builder with different themes.
