Beth Worthy
5/31/2022
Research shows that by the end of 2025, at least 144 million Americans will be listening to podcasts every month. Starting a podcast today can help you build an audience online as well as increase your brand awareness.
However, to achieve this, you need the best podcast hosting services.
A good podcast hosting site is basically one that offers enough space for you to store large media files. It also makes your podcasts easily accessible to listeners. Currently, there are numerous podcast-hosting services.
Therefore, to ensure you deliver value to your listeners, you should conduct adequate research before picking a service. Below are some of the main factors to consider when choosing the right site, as well as 12 of the best podcast hosting sites in 2022.
In general, the main purpose of a podcast hosting site is to provide space to store large media files that your website may not accommodate.
However, some sites offer more than just storage space, and that's why you need to consider other factors. Keeping this in mind, consider the following factors when choosing a podcast hosting service.
The podcast hosting site you choose should be compatible with your website. This will make it easier for you to share your content with your audience without reposting.
In other words, compatibility enables you to incorporate your website into the hosting site and make it easier for your listeners to access.
Your audience should be able to access your podcasts and their transcripts. Podcast transcripts are especially useful for listeners with hearing disabilities and may also contribute to an improved search engine ranking.
You should consider a hosting site that also provides Transcription services, preferably at no extra cost.
See Also: How Can You Get a Transcript of a Podcast on Spotify?
Budget is important when it comes to choosing a podcast hosting service. Take note that the hosting company will charge you depending on the storage space and bandwidth required for your media files and their transmission, respectively.
Fortunately, you can also access free hosting services on some sites, only that their features may be limited.
A good hosting site has a user interface that is easy to understand and navigate. Therefore, look at the general user-friendliness as you don't want your audience to struggle to access your content.
You likely want to know what kind of people listened to your podcast or read its transcript. This way, you will be able to understand your audience better and produce more suitable content.
Therefore, choose a hosting site that has an analytics reporting feature.
This hosting service lets you transfer your podcast from elsewhere without altering your ratings. It allows easy optimization of your audio quality to suit different platforms.
It also helps you to grow your audience by sharing snippets of your podcasts to various online platforms.
If you have a team, Podigee’s $13/month and $29/month plans allow you to create accounts for each member, promoting easy management of shows.
This is an all-inclusive podcast hosting site that offers all the excellent features needed for the immense growth of your audience.
It provides podcast transcription in multiple languages, making your content easily accessible to a wider audience. Acast also creates text videos concerning your shows and shares them on social media for marketing purposes.
You can access amazing features without paying a dime, although the paid plans have much more to offer.
If you want to handle multiple shows using one account, Transistor is a suitable site. It also performs analytics reporting, enabling you to read your audience's behavior. You can access a Transistor plan at anywhere from $19/month to $99/month.
See Also: 5 Ways to Turn Your Podcast into a Revenue Generating eBook
This platform is suitable for independent podcasters who don't have a large audience yet. It helps you grow your following by connecting you with collaborators.
Its call-to-action feature shares your podcast link with your email list or following. It also provides analytics reporting and can be accessible at just $17 to $90 per month.
Castos has a feature that allows you to restrict access to specific audience members. Another feature lets you create an online course for your audience. If you need a transcript of your podcast, you can access audio transcription services on the site.
Castos is also user-friendly, allowing you to post podcasts through your business website. The cheapest Castos plan costs $190 per year, although you can access more sophisticated features with other plans.
This site allows you to incorporate your website and modify templates to suit your brand. It also has a feature that will enable your audience to contribute money for certain projects.
Although this podcast hosting service is available at no cost, you can access more sophisticated features at anywhere from $9 every month.
Fireside has a feature that lets you follow live analytics for your podcasts. Additionally, it allows you to customize your built-in website using your preferred colors, images, and links.
Also, this site guarantees content security since it is SSL-secured. Fireside has different packages, and you can access premium services at just $9 to $49 per month.
This is another excellent podcast hosting site that provides unlimited space to store large media files. It is user-friendly, allowing easy publishing of new episodes for your audience. You can also access private hosting services, although you may have to pay more.
To access Resonate premiums hosting services, you will have to choose suitable plans ranging from $25 to $49 per month.
See Also: 9 Podcast Ideas for Beginners in 2022
This site offers enough storage space to store unlimited podcasts and share them with your listeners. It also has a feature that allows you to communicate with your listeners through the site.
Through the analytics reporting feature available on this site, you will be able to learn your audience’s analytics, such as their location, when they tuned in, and the gadgets they’re using.
If you’re looking to post podcasts on the go, then Podomatic lets you do that by providing mobility. It features a mobile app through which you can record and post podcasts from anywhere.
You can also monetize your podcast through crowdfunding and selling products. From just $2.49/month, you can access lots of storage and bandwidth for your podcasts.
This site works best for businesses. Depending on the plan you have, Blubrry allows you to get a free website, publish content easily, run marketing campaigns, and transfer content from other sites. You can get a suitable plan at anywhere from $12 to over $100 per month.
This site customizes your content for high ranking on search engines, which helps promote your site. It offers free and paid plans, both of which offer amazing features.
The free version, for example, allows unlimited uploads, although listeners will only access the ten most recent podcasts. However, $10/month will give you access to many more features to better your experience.
See Also: 10 Key Advantages that Podcasts Have Over Blogging
The key to growing your podcast audience largely depends on the podcast hosting services you use and the value & features you provide to your listeners.
Adding transcripts to your podcast episodes is a must to improve SERP visibility and to make it accessible for hearing-impaired audiences.
GMR Transcription Services, Inc. is a reputable company that offers top-notch podcast transcription services. Popular podcasters such as John Dumas and Tim Ferriss are frequent users of our audio transcription services.
With 99% accuracy and 100% US-based Human transcriptionists, we have mastered transcribing podcasts and even meetings with multiple speakers.
Contact us today, and let us transcribe your podcast.
