How Do I Choose A Podcast Hosting Platform?

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How do I pick a podcast hosting platform?

Dear Annie,​
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I have 6 episodes of a 20 episode series podcast I want to release but unsure which platform is best (and most cost effective) to use. There's so many. I'd like to drop the files to one application and have it pushed to all of the other podcast platforms where people go to listen. What is your recommendation? Also, as for a strategy, do you recommend I finish all 20 and drop them at once or drop 5 or 6, then one a week?

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Sincerely,

Puzzled by Platforms

Have a question? Ask Annie here.

The Best Podcast Hosting Platform For You

Hi Puzzled,

You’re asking a few different questions here, so I’m going to try to break it down into some simple steps.
First, you’re looking for a podcast hosting platform. This is the platform where you’ll upload your actual audio or video files, and it’s the tool that will generate your RSS feed, which you’ll need to later get the podcast up on the podcast players, like Apple Podcasts or Spotify (more on that below).
When it comes to choosing a podcast hosting platform, the truth is that there’s no real wrong choice. I personally have worked with a range of platforms, such as Libsyn, Captivate, Transistor, Simplecast, Libsyn (and Libsyn Pro), Blubrry, and Podbean. I’m even old enough to have used a hodgepodge combo of Wordpress, Feedburner, and Blubrry (thankfully there are way simpler options now, so you won’t have to worry about that).

The more important thing when picking a hosting platform is what’s best for you. They all do the same core thing, but have different strengths and weaknesses. However, switching between hosting platforms can be a real pain (I’ve been the person responsible for managing this migration several times and wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy), so I would recommend sticking to whatever decision you end up making for as long as possible.

Here’s a few things that might influence your decision:

• Are you budget-conscious? Hosting platforms range in cost from $0 per month, to over $100 per month for enterprise accounts. Most sit around $15-$20 per month. If you’re an independent podcaster just starting out, Spotify for Creators is a free option with unlimited storage and uploads (but limited analytics). You could also check out RSS.com or Podbean for more affordable options.​

• Do you need certified analytics? Not all hosting platforms are IAB-certified, so if you need certifiable analytics, you could check your platform is certified, like Captivate or Libsyn.

• Are you looking to monetize with ads? Choosing a platform with a built-in advertising marketplace could help with this. Spotify for Creators and Acast are two of the biggest.

• Are you running multiple shows? Some platforms give you the ability to manage multiple shows in one account, such as Transistor or Simplecast.

• Is your podcast video-first? If you want to upload video episodes to Apple Podcasts, you’ll need to work with a hosting platform that supports Apple’s HLS video, like Art19, Acast, Transistor, or Captivate.

• Is your podcast going to have a subscriber-only tier? If you’re looking to monetize through a subscription or you want a private podcast feed, you might consider working with a hosting platform that specializes in this tech. SupportingCast or Supercast could be good options here.

A lot of this also really comes down to preference. For example, you might decide you just really like the overall UI of Simplecast. If you’re one individual running dynamic ad campaigns across a network of shows, Libsyn Pro might be your preference. If you need really hands-on and quick support, I’ve had a great experience from Transistor and Libsyn.

These hosting platforms will generate your RSS feed, which is how your podcast will be “pushed to all of the other podcast platforms where people go to listen.” But you’ll still need to manually submit this feed to Apple Podcasts Connect and Spotify for Creators. Most other apps pull from Apple automatically, and once the feed has been picked up by the podcast apps, each new episode will be automatically distributed across all the apps every time you upload it to your hosting platform. (You’ll still need to manually upload episodes to YouTube, but that’s a whole other conversation.)

Should you drop multiple episodes at once?

Now let’s talk about the second half of your question around when to drop your episodes. ​There are a couple of reasons why some podcasts choose to drop all their episodes at once.

First, they may be trying to encourage binge listening of a serialized narrative show. It’s pretty common to see a drop off in engagement towards the end of a season, so I see the strategy in having all episodes available so listeners can keep up the momentum and don’t forget about the show. But I’m not sure there’s a lot of evidence that the bulk drop completely solves this issue. Audiences may download all the episodes if they’re all available in their feeds, but there’s no guarantee they actually listen to them all. I think that fade out is still pretty inevitable as listeners approach the end of the season, especially if the content isn't propulsive enough to give people a reason to stick around.

The second reason why podcasters may drop a bunch of episodes at launch time is because it can help with moving up the charts. Most podcast charts (namely Apple Podcasts) reward growth rate, not just total downloads. This is because they’re really only useful as a tool for discovery if they’re dynamic, and if they only showed the most downloaded shows, they’d remain pretty static week after week. This means if you go from 0 downloads to 100 downloads in one day, you’re more likely to move up the charts than if you go from 500 to 600 downloads in one day. Having more episodes available on that first day means getting more downloads on that first day, which means a better chance of moving up the charts. This leads to more organic discovery, so it’s just good for growth generally.

That being said, I really do think there’s an advantage to giving yourself a nice long runway for releasing episodes, rather than dropping all of them at once. I would lean towards releasing a handful of episodes on launch day (two, maybe three if you want), then continuing weekly. This gives you the opportunity to become a habit for listeners, it gives you time to test what marketing is working, and it gives you recurring reasons to promote the show, instead of one massively high-pressure launch day.​

I remember how hard it was to parse through all of the advice online when it came to figuring out distribution of my very first podcast, so I know all of this can feel overwhelming. But you have a lot of great options. Just focus on your own individual needs and let that guide your decisions, rather than worrying about the “best” option.
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Good luck,

Annie