Choosing a podcast platform is about so much more than just throwing a dart and hoping it lands. ... [+]
Podcasts are modern-day radio talk shows … with a twist. Listeners make all the choices. Unlike a radio talk show, listeners choose what they want to listen to and when. And with three to four million podcasts to choose from worldwide, listening options cast a wide net.
More than half of monthly podcast listeners tune in while doing something else, whether commuting to work, walking the dog, or doing the dishes. Podcast hosts have an opportunity to build a real connection with their listeners. In fact, audiences consider podcast hosts 85% more trustworthy and 89% more authentic than other influencers. And entrepreneurs are tapping into this $4B market.
While a podcast can be incredibly simple to create — it doesn’t mean it will attract listeners. The best way to launch a successful podcast is to put the listener first. Your podcast must take your listeners on a journey they want to experience. And from a technical standpoint, it needs to be incredibly simple and user-friendly — for the listener and the podcaster.
Podcast hosting is where you share and distribute your show using an RSS feed. It’s also where you upload and store media, launch episodes, and optimize content. Podcast hosting is different from podcast distribution. While some podcast hosting platforms allow listeners to stream, download, and subscribe to their favorite shows, most of that is done through podcast distributors. Popular distributors include Spotify, iTunes, and iHeartRadio.
You can host your podcast on your personal website, but most podcasters use a hosting platform. Hosting platforms have the bandwidth for large video and audio files. They also offer many benefits that website hosting does not.
Castbox is one of the fastest-growing hosting platforms … and for good reason. Castbox offers a myriad of benefits for listeners and podcasters. Castbox is devoted to podcasts, so your content never gets muddled with music, audiobooks, or other content. The platform hosts over 259 million volumes of audio content. Castbox allows listeners to tailor their experience, customize their playlists, and use Castbox’s unique “in-audio search” function to locate specific content. And Castbox is free for podcasters and free for listeners.
Here are five considerations for choosing a podcast hosting platform:
Analytics allows you to measure performance and learn audience behavior. Demographic data helps you plan future episodes to deliver the content your audience wants. Tailoring your episodes will drive subscriptions to grow your audience.
At a minimum, the hosting platform you choose should include information on how much your listener base streams or downloads your podcast and how your subscriptions have increased or decreased. More robust analytics will include demographic information, including age, gender, and geographical location. Demographic data helps you connect on a deeper level with your listeners.
The average American attention span is 8.25 seconds. If your podcast takes too long to download or streaming is interrupted by buffering, listeners will tune out. Bandwidth is the term used to measure speed when someone downloads or streams an episode. Use a bandwidth calculator like Podtopia to determine what you need.
Storage is another consideration. Storage refers to the space each file takes up on a server. The more episodes you have, the more storage you need. If you refer to earlier episodes frequently, you will need to find a host that’s affordable for future storage. Some podcasters will host their archived or older episodes on free platforms and use more robust platforms to host their current content. Another option is to find a company that provides free hosting services with unlimited storage that also has the features you need. Castbox is a free online streaming platform with unlimited storage. Castbox also checks the boxes for analytics, RSS feed, monetization, and promotion.
RSS stands for “really simple syndication.” It’s a file with information about your podcast, including title, description, artwork, categories, and episodes. It allows your podcast to be listed — and played — on distribution platforms like Spotify.
Once your RSS feed is live, you are live across all platforms. Some hosting platforms validate your RSS feed automatically and allow you to customize or edit it as needed. Some make it easy to distribute your podcast manually or automatically to different distributors. Even so, Izzy Cao, BD Manager for Castbox, recommends, “After your podcast is distributed, you should check your RSS channel links on all distribution platforms periodically to safeguard against glitches in episode or channel links.”
For many podcasters and would-be podcasters, monetization is the ultimate goal. Many hosting platforms offer ad rolls, sponsorships, paid memberships, and donation buttons. These are all popular ways to monetize your podcast. They’re all different, but most are post-production features. Monetizing your podcast may require a paid hosting fee or a listener-paid channel.
A listener-paid channel is a way for podcasters to charge for premium content. Some hosting platforms allow podcasters to charge one-time, monthly, or annual fees. While charging listeners for content seems like an easy way to monetize your podcast, it can also turn off would-be subscribers. Most podcasts allow listeners to stream, download, and subscribe to episodes for free.
A better way to monetize your podcast is through sponsorships. Sponsors pay you to advertise their products. It’s like a TV commercial … where you’re the “TV.” You might say something like, “This episode is sponsored by [company], the leader in [industry].” In most cases, the sponsor writes the copy for you.
However you decide to monetize, you’ll need to ensure the hosting platform you choose has those features.
Content can be time-consuming to produce, whether it’s a blog post, podcast episode, or series of social media posts. Surveys show that 94% of marketers repurpose their content. Given that 54% of podcast listeners are more likely to consider your products or services if they hear about them in a podcast, repurposing your episodes is a must. Many podcast hosts use artificial intelligence (AI) or other software applications to do this for you. Audio clips can be used on social media to drive listeners to your podcast. Transcriptions can easily be converted to blogs or articles.
Some platforms help your marketing efforts by featuring your podcast on their website or blog.
Castbox allows podcasters to apply to be featured in a banner or Editor’s Pick. Other hosting platforms allow you to add custom call-to-action buttons and autoshare social media posts every time you publish.
Another consideration before choosing a platform host is how you will use your podcast. Podcasts are an excellent way to establish yourself as a thought leader, build trust and authenticity with your audience, and gain traction in other areas of your business, like speaking engagements or book writing. Some hosting platforms provide more opportunities for you to connect with your community and listeners. For example, Castbox includes more room for listeners and podcasters to communicate and share, which opens the door for your listeners to become a powerful part of your network.
Whether you choose a newcomer with more bells and whistles or a barebones podcast host depends on how you will use your podcast. Just remember, as your podcast grows, you’ll likely need more than the basic features offered by most podcast hosting platforms.
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