Podcasts have been a great way for people to share their thoughts and become stars with much influence for about ten years. No matter what kind of news, sports, or entertainment you’re interested in, a podcast is one of the best ways to share your thoughts with the world.
Still, you can’t just wake up one day and start a popular podcast. You’ll need to put in a lot of time and effort.
Choosing a place to host your podcast may be the most crucial. These sites give podcasters a place to put their audio episodes online.
After automating the RSS feed, a podcast hosting service would distribute the new episodes to various podcast aggregators like Spotify, Google, and Apple. For this reason, it’s crucial to find a hosting service that excels at both of these areas. This is easier to say than do since there are so many radio hosts.
Best Podcast Hosting Sites
#1) Buzzsprout
It is best for automatically optimizing podcasts and is easy to use.
Buzzsprout is the best option by a long shot because it is so easy to use. Because it keeps things simple without sacrificing performance, it’s an excellent choice for people who want to start their show but need help knowing where to start.
Buzzsprout will surely win you because the app is so easy to use. Share your podcast here, and Buzzsprout will take care of the rest. Depending on your publishing schedule, Buzzsprout will send every podcast episode you upload to the most famous directories.
Users can add chapter markers to their shows, one of its primary functions. This allows fans to skip back and forth between different show parts.
The platform’s advanced podcast data are the cherry on this delicious cake. You will get information about how often each episode has been downloaded, who is listening, and where your podcast is most popular.
Features:
- Get podcasts mentioned in all the best directories, like Spotify, Google, Apple, and others.
- Statistics for advanced podcasts.
- When a podcast episode is uploaded, it is automatically optimized.
- You can add or take away pre- and post-roll segments with dynamic material.
- In Buzzsprout, you can type up your shows.
Pros:
- One Plan is free.
- The plans are also very inexpensive.
- It is straightforward to use perfect for newbies.
- Supports an unlimited number of team players.
Cons:
- Some of the data analysis can be hard to understand.
Verdict: Buzzsprout is a site for hosting podcasts that is easy to use, comes with many free learning materials, and has excellent customer service. Because of this and the fact that it has a lot of features, the platform is one of the best ones being used to show podcasts right now.
Price:
- The monthly upload limit for the free plan is 2 hours. The duration of each episode is 90 days.
- Three hours of monthly upload time, unlimited storage space: $12/month.
- For $18 a month, you get unlimited storage space, six hours of monthly upload time.
- To upload 12 hours per month with unlimited hosting, you can pay $24 per month.
Website: Buzzsprout
#2) PodBean
Best for promoting and making money from Podcasts.
PodBean provides a full podcasting solution, including tools to create, market, and monetize podcasts. As a result, it could have over 600,000 readers worldwide.
PodBean gives podcasters tools like live-streaming and recording, which work well together to let you make podcasts your way. This tool has no limits on how much you can download or record. You also get a free website for your show that you can change to fit your brand’s style.
It’s easy to get shows on sites like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. Also, if you’ve connected your social networks to the platform, PodBean will automatically share all episodes you post to them. This makes it easy to spread the word about your podcast and get more people to listen.
Features:
- Schedule your podcast posts so that they come out at a handy time.
- You can make beautiful audio cover art from various fonts, images, and templates.
- Please find out how many people have downloaded it, who they are, etc.
- You can find sponsors for your podcasts by putting them on PodBean’s advertising marketplace.
- PodBean’s live streaming app lets you chat and connect with your audience in real-time.
Pros:
- The advertising industry makes it easy to make money.
- The ability to change things is exciting.
- The no-cost Plan.
- There are apps for both iOS and Android.
Cons:
- Some things need to be added to the way cover art is made.
Verdict: PodBean is for podcasters who want to use podcasts to make a living. It does this by giving you easy-to-use tools for making money and many choices for branding.
Website: PodBean
Price:
- Free Plan: 5 hours of storage space with 100 GB monthly bandwidth
- $9/month: Unlimited storage space and bandwidth
- $29/month: unlimited storage space and bandwidth
- $99/month: unlimited storage space and bandwidth.
#3) Captivate
The best for an entire graphic dashboard.
Captivate – Sites for Hosting Podcasts
Captivate has an easy-to-use dashboard that you can use to do anything from start a show to look at how well each episode did. You can make as many podcasts as you want and share and store as much as you want. Regarding features, you can add call-to-action prompts to your show.
Captivate also has powerful analytical tools that are easy to use. Podcasters will get industry-standard statistics that make it easy and quick to study how well a show is doing.
Features:
- Podcasting in private.
- Website, social media, and music player that can be embedded.
- Links that can be changed in any way.
- Help with transcription.
Pros:
- IAB Analytics Certified.
- You can upload and store podcasts without limits.
- Support all of the most popular audio apps.
- Help for customers all over the world.
Cons:
- There are a few ways to change things.
- There is no plan for free.
Verdict: Captivate is a great tool for private podcasting, just like iTunes. It costs more, but its high price is more than made up for by endless storage, great transcription support, and an easy-to-use dashboard.
Price:
- $17 per month for a personal plan.
- $44 per month for a professional plan.
- $90 per month for the business plan.
Website: Captivate
#4) Transistor
Best for advanced, all-around data.
Two things stood out the most while using Transistor. It can do a lot of different kinds of analysis and run private podcasts. Because of this, the site is perfect for people who want to keep members who only listen to their material. It can also be used by companies that want to share secure information with their shareholders or workers.
Regarding statistics, you get a detailed look at who listens to you. Trends, the number of downloads per episode, and the number of subscribers are all graphically. The platform also pulls valuable data from all the apps that list your podcast episodes. This gives you a better idea of how well your podcast is doing generally.
Features:
- A website that is built in and can be changed to fit your podcast’s style.
- Make several shows under the same roof.
- Include podcasts on your social media outlets, blogs, and website.
- Graphs and charts with a lot of information about podcasts.
Pros:
- Excellent ability to analyze.
- People who want to share information safely can use private talks.
- You can host as many shows as you want.
- Easy to handle podcasts.
Cons:
- The need for a free plan stands out a lot.
- Several shows will affect your downloads.
Verdict: I put this platform on my list because it had great analytics and the ability to run private podcasts, which were both things that interested me. Aside from that, you also have a site for hosting podcasts that works well and has many features.
Price:
- $15.83 per month for Starter Plan
- $40.83/month for Professional Plan
- $82.50/month for an annual contract
Website: Transistor
#5) Castos
Best for making as many shows as you want.
No matter what Plan you choose, Castos will let you make and share as many podcast episodes as you want. There is no limit to how much you can store here. You can start as many shows as you want, try different styles, and make longer episodes.
Castos is also great when it comes to making money. It lets you get donations from your fans directly, which helps you make more money. Castos makes it easy to share shows on multiple apps and pulls data from these platforms to help you figure out how well your podcast is doing.
Features:
- Get a website that fits in well with your show.
- Automatic recording of podcasts.
- Checking out podcasts.
- YouTube is posting again.
Pros:
- You can host as many podcasts as you want.
- Details about the people who listen.
- Put movies on YouTube again.
- Experts can give you advice.
Cons:
- Compared to other top podcasting sites, it is a bit more expensive.
Verdict: If you’re ready to pay the high price for Castos, you’ll get a tremendous podcasting platform. You can host infinite episodes, get helpful analytics, and talk to experts about improving your podcast. Because of this, the site is worth the price of entry.
Price:
- $19/month for the Starter plan
- $49/month for the Growth Plan
- $99/month for the Pro Plan.
Website: Castos
#6) Resonate
Best for publishing podcasts with just one click.
Resonate is one of the best sites for hosting podcasts because it lets you send your show to multiple listening apps with just one click. All you have to do is upload the show and choose when it will come out. Resonate will handle the rest.
You can also monitor the health of your podcast in real-time using a graphical dashboard that details its performance across multiple metrics. You will also receive a video player for use on your website, social media profiles, and blogs.
Features:
- Get online with a Podcast microsite that is made for you instantly.
- A podcast player that is easy to install and works well with the site and pages.
- With the insights dashboard, you can look at specific stats.
- Add audio ads and handle them.
Price:
- $25/month for basic podcast hosting
- $49/month for premium podcast hosting.
Website: Resonate
#7) Libsyn
Best for both new and experienced podcasters who want to use video or music.
Since 2004, Libsyn has been around. It is so high on the list because it is an old service that can still compete with many radio sites of today. The site is excellent for people new to podcasting and those who have been doing it for a long time and already have a large audience.
Our platform is great because it offers endless bandwidth and excellent customer service. With Libsyn, getting your podcasts on major streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Podcasts is straightforward. You also get IAB V2.0-certified audience insights and statistics. It also has an attractive screen.
You can easily upload podcasts, broadcast them, listen to them, and set up times to do these things.
Features:
- Standardized analytical data for the advertising industry.
- You can host and share music, video, and PDF files.
- The RSS feed works with all of the big platforms for streaming podcasts.
- Apps for iOS and Android are made to match the brand picture of your podcast.
- Access to a variety of tools for making money.
Pros:
- There is no limit on capacity or reach.
- Customer service can be counted on.
- Made-to-order HTML5 music player.
Cons:
- Pay more to use the tools that make money.
Verdict: Libsyn is a podcast hosting site that both beginners and pros will like because it has excellent audio and video quality and customer service.
Price:
- $5 per month for 162 MB storage
- $15 per month for 324 MB storage
- $20 per month for 540 MB storage
- $40 per month for 800 MB storage
Website: Libsyn
#8) SoundCloud
Best for a free site that is easy for beginners to use.
SoundCloud might be one of the best free places to host podcasts. SoundCloud works well for talks just as well as it does for music. You can easily upload your podcast episode to SoundCloud, which gets 175 million new visitors monthly.
You can post up to 3 hours of content to SoundCloud for free monthly. Reporting also provides you with some minor benefits. SoundCloud is a music hosting service with features like embedded players, timed comments, and Twitter cards. Naturally, a paid subscription unlocks the full potential of the website.
Features:
- If you pay, you can send as much as you want.
- It’s easy to plan the release of podcast episodes.
- Several ways to make money.
- Put power in.
Pros:
- It was straightforward to put the show online and share it.
- Free Plan is exciting.
- The paid Plan is not too expensive.
Cons:
It has fewer tools than some of the other sites on this list.
Verdict: SoundCloud is a great place to share music, but it has many features that can help you start a successful podcasting business. It is cheap and gives tempting ways to make money.
Price:
- Free Plan: Send as much as three hours per month
- Pro Unlimited plan: $144 per year
Website: SoundCloud
#9) Anchor
Best for putting out Podcasts and tracking their success.
Anchor – Websites That Host Podcasts
Anchor gives podcasters built-in tools for recording and editing that make it much easier to post, market, and make money from a podcast. The platform lets you host as many podcast episodes as you want for free and helps you reach a bigger audience by making it easy to send your podcast to apps like Spotify in just one step.
You are also serenaded with IAB 2.0-certified data that you can use to learn more about how your podcast is doing. The tools for making money are also exciting, and “Listener Support” is my favorite. With this tool, you can add a small button to your Anchor profile that lets listeners immediately give you money.
Features:
- Simple, one-step spread to apps that listen.
- Get all of your certified data on one dashboard.
- Get demographic information about your viewers.
- Have an email sent to those who have subscribed.
Pros:
- Free hosting with no limits.
- Spotify likes it a lot.
- Create pricing systems for subscriptions that make it easy to make money.
- Record your voice for the ads.
Cons:
- The lack of cost and ownership means you have no say in how the instrument is used.
- Making, distributing, and keeping track of podcasts is a breeze with Anchor. Unlimited storage space, a polished user interface, and simple monetization options are all included at no additional cost.
Price: Free
Website: Anchor
#10) Audioboom
Best for downloading podcasts that you already have via RSS.
Audioboom is another well-liked podcast host because it’s one of the few that makes it simple to import a recently published podcast through RSS. The site provides everything you need to create, manage, and monetize a podcast.
In addition to the functionality one would anticipate from a tool of its class, Audioboom provides a platform for centrally managing several podcasts. Among podcasting networks, radio groups, and casual independent creators, Audioboom is often regarded as a top podcast hosting platform.
Features:
- Apps for listening, like Apple Podcast, Deezer, Google Podcast, etc., are getting out to more people quickly.
- Add podcast players to your blog, website, or social media.
- Get advanced data about how well a podcast is doing.
- Manage who can work on podcasts and ask them to do so.
Pros:
- From a single platform, you can manage several podcast feeds.
- Use simple tools for marketing to boost your income.
- Integrate podcasts into your blog, social media, and websites without trouble.
- With interactive ads, you can reach people in real-time.
Cons:
- Podcasts with more than 10,000 plays per episode can only get Pro plans with more tools.
Verdict: Audioboom shows that podcasts are becoming popular. You won’t have any trouble moving a current podcast catalog to this platform or sending your episodes quickly to apps like Spotify and Deezer that people use to listen to podcasts.
Price:
- Podcasters can sign up for a $9.99 monthly plan or a $99.99 yearly package.
Website: Audioboom
Conclusion
It takes work to start a show that does well. You will also need a good hosting tool to reach your potential audience and profit from your content. As you can see from the extensive list of suggestions we made for you, there are a lot of podcast-hosting sites out there.
No matter what your podcast is about or who listens to it, the list above will help you choose the best podcast hosting tool for your needs.
Using any of the websites mentioned above as a hosting partner will simplify distributing your shows through third-party apps like Google Podcast, Spotify, etc.
The above sites will also give you accurate information about how well your podcast is doing. Buzzsprout or PodBean are two sites we recommend if you want to run a podcast that has all the features you need and doesn’t cost too much.