Automattic has acquired Pocket Casts, a popular podcast listening, search, and discovery app for Android and iOS. Australian co-founders Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson are staying on to continue leading Pocket Casts as a part of the acquisition.
The app allows users to keep all of their podcast subscriptions together in one place and sync between platforms. Previously a commercial-only app, Pocket Casts has been free since it switched to the freemium model in September 2019. Its creators have been monetizing the app through its Pocket Cast Plus tier, which gives users access to desktop apps, cloud storage, watch playback, and themes and icons for $9.99/year.
In May 2018, Pocket Casts was acquired by public media organizations NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago, and This American Life. BBC Studios also held a small ownership stake in the platform prior to Automattic’s acquisition.
Despite being widely regarded as one of the best podcasting apps available, NPR’s financial statements and auditor’s report from 2020 shows a net loss of more than $800K. The board governing the company met in December 2020 and agreed to sell Pocket Casts.
No financial details of the acquisition were disclosed but Automattic may have gotten a bargain on Pocket Casts if its other owners were also losing money. After acquiring Tumblr and Day One, Automattic is starting to gain a reputation for buying up apps that people love to use and giving them a fighting chance at financial stability and longevity. The company has also demonstrated a growing interest in podcasting-related technologies with its recent investment in Castos and partnership with Spotify’s Anchor podcast creation platform.
Acquisition announcements often include assurances of no changes for current customers but Automattic’s post made no promises and did not share many details regarding its plans for Pocket Casts. Integration with WordPress.com may be on the horizon but it’s currently in the exploration stage.
“As part of Automattic, Pocket Casts will continue to provide you with the features needed to enjoy your favorite podcasts (or find something new),” Automattic’s Head of Apps Eli Budelli said. “We will explore building deep integrations with WordPress.com and Pocket Casts, making it easier to distribute and listen to podcasts. We’re thrilled that we can continue to give our users a multitude of ways to tell and engage with stories that matter.”
Castos, a WordPress-powered podcast hosting provider, announced a $756K pre-seed fundraising round today from Automattic, Joost de Valk, founder of Yoast SEO, and other individuals. The company raised money from all the investors in this round via a SAFE note, which founder and CEO Craig Hewitt said is a fairly standard investment vehicle for companies at Castos’ stage of growth.
“On both the individual and corporate investor side I think the investors see the vision that we have for what the Private Podcasting market can mean for Castos and want to help us achieve that potential,” Hewitt said.
Private Podcasting is a growing trend where creators and organizations broadcast to supporters in a more intimate format that isn’t open to the public. Hewitt likens them to membership sites, except in audio format. It is often used by people who are running membership sites, courses, or online communities as a way to stay connected with members.
“The other application is companies wanting a way to connect with their employees in audio format,” Hewitt said. “Podcasting is perfect for that because it’s mobile-first, on-demand, and can be consumed asynchronously. We call it the Step Away Experience. Companies that are adopting Private Podcasting internally are giving their team members a way to consume their internal content without being tied to their computer on a Zoom call or glued to Slack.”
Castos is developing a mobile app specifically targeted at the private podcasting market. Hewitt’s team is aiming to have the app become a place where people can listen to all of the private podcasts for which they have a subscription. Listeners would simply use the app instead of going through the process of manually subscribing to all their private podcasts via RSS feed. New episodes will appear automatically in the app for subscribers.
“For our corporate clients, the ability to white label our app with their own branding/style is a big win,” Hewitt said. “It’s also a much more secure way to distribute private podcast content. There’s no RSS feed to share around, no files to download (our app is streaming only to offer more security to those files).”
The pandemic ramped up unprecedented interest in podcasting when lockdowns were in place across the globe. Even with vaccines more readily available now, Hewitt said Castos is still witnessing strong growth in the podcasting industry.
“There are all the new podcasters in the market now since so many launched podcasts during the pandemic, but now that people are traveling again and commuting to work we’re seeing listenership going up quite a bit,” he said. “This is a trend we expect to continue into the future.”
In the past 10 months, Castos has grown to serve nearly 3,500 customers and the team has grown from seven employees to 13. The company’s Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin is used on more than 30,000 WordPress sites. Castos is actively hiring for several roles right now, thanks to the new round of fundraising.
“All of the funds will go towards growing our team,” Hewitt said. “This will be pretty evenly split between product (designers and developers) and Sales and Marketing roles – more people, more energy, more great minds working on ways that we can better serve our customers.”
Google announced an expansion of listener engagement metrics today for those using its Podcast Manager. Previously, audience insights included data about the types of devices listeners are using, where listeners tune in and drop off during a given episode, total number of listens, and listening duration, but the service lacked analytics regarding how visitors were discovering the podcast.
Google is remedying that today by expanding the dashboard to show impressions, clicks, top-discovered episodes, and search terms that brought listeners to the podcast. This information can help podcasters understand how their content is getting discovered so they can better tailor their episodes to attract more new listeners.
The podcasting industry has seen remarkable growth over the past five years, which previously led experts to project that marketers will spend over $1 billion in advertising by 2021. After the pandemic hit, podcast listening took a downturn in the U.S. but at the same time, podcast creators have found more time to create new shows and episodes. Businesses are turning to the medium to supplement traditional marketing methods that no longer have the same impact now that consumer spending habits heavily favor online products.
Along with the new metrics available inside Google Podcasts Manager, the company also published a guide to optimizing podcasts for Google Search. It highlights four important items for making sure a podcast can be found:
Detailed show and episode metadata
Ensure the podcast’s webpage and RSS data match
Include cover art
Ensure Googlebot can access your audio files
A detailed breakdown of your audience’s listening habits isn’t worth much if you’re having trouble getting your podcast discovered. Any podcasting plugin for WordPress should handle these basic optimization recommendations, but if you are still having trouble being found via Google, you can dig deeper into the podcast setup guide for more detailed recommendations.
Several of our readers have asked us about finding the best podcast hosting service.
Podcast hosting is different than website hosting because it offers specific tools built to optimize the subscriber experience (we will explain more about this later in the article).
Choosing a reliable podcasting hosting platform is crucial for your podcast because it will help you grow your audience faster while making it easier to manage your podcast files.
In this article, we will compare the best podcast hosting companies that you can use. Many of them are free, and some charge a small fee because they offer better support and tools.
What Is Podcast Hosting?
Podcast hosting is a specialized service that offers to store and deliver media files associated with a podcast.
Just like you need a website hosting service to store all your website files, podcast hosting offers the same service but for your podcast’s media files.
Now, you may be wondering whether you could just use your website hosting to store your podcast files as well.
You can do that, but that wouldn’t be good for your website or your listeners.
Why Do You Need Podcast Hosting?
You see, podcast episodes are large files. Delivering them from the same server as your website will take a lot of server resources. This will make your website slower, and it could even crash during high load.
If several users start downloading at the same time, then most shared hosting services will simply block the processes that are taking up server resources. This means users will not be able to download your podcast.
And that’s precisely why you need a podcast hosting service.
These companies specialize in storing and delivering large media files. They are made specifically for podcasters and have specialized tools to handle this use case.
You also get support from folks who are specialists in the industry. This makes a huge difference in the long run.
That being said, let’s take a look at the best podcast hosting services that you can use. There are many companies offering these services. However, we will be reviewing the ones that are the easiest to use, offer great tools and support, and have flexibility in file sizes.
PodBean is the best podcast hosting service provider on the market. They offer unlimited podcast hosting plans with unmetered bandwidth.
The hosting service includes beautiful design tools to host your website with customizable themes. You can also easily embed the PodBean podcast player directly into your WordPress posts and pages.
Aside from that, they also have podcast promotion tools that automatically submit your episodes to all top podcast directories, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This allows your audience to use their preferred tools to listen to and download podcasts.
PodBean also offers an advertising marketplace that provides opportunities for podcasters to monetize their content. They also have a huge community of podcasters already using PodBean as their podcasting platform.
Why We Recommend PodBean: It is one the best podcast hosting services that offers unlimited video and audio hosting at affordable prices. We recommend PodBean because it offers powerful features for promotion, tracking performance, monetization, and boosting engagement.
Pricing: Free plan with limited storage. Paid plans start from $9/month with unlimited storage.
Buzzsprout is one of the easiest-to-use podcasting hosting providers for beginners. They have been in the business since 2009 and have built a strong community of podcasters, which includes some of the top podcasters around.
If you are just getting started, then you will find it to be incredibly easy to use. Just upload your media file, and Buzzsprout automatically takes care of the rest.
They will also automatically submit your episodes to all the top podcast directories, which ensures that your podcast is available on all devices and apps.
Their embeddable podcast player looks great and works well on all screen sizes. It shows the cover art, social sharing buttons, forward and backward skip controls, and more.
They also offer a free WordPress plugin that makes embeds even easier. If you don’t want to make a website, then Buzzsprout can make one for you. You can customize its design and use your own custom domain name.
Pros:
Super easy to use
Supports all top podcast directories
Detailed reports and stats for podcast performance
Dedicated WordPress plugin to embed podcasts
Cons:
Paid plans have bandwidth and upload limits
Why We Recommend Buzzsprout: After testing different podcast hosting services, Buzzsprout is the most beginner friendly and easy to use. Simply upload your media file, and the platform will take care of the rest.
Pricing: Limited free plan hosts each episode for 90 days, up to 2 hours each month. Paid plans start at $12/month for 3 hours of upload each month.
Blubrry offers flexible podcast hosting plans for new and experienced podcasters alike.
It offers a popular WordPress podcasting plugin called PowerPress that makes it super easy to manage a podcast directly from your WordPress website.
Using Blubrry with PowerPress makes it easy to upload your podcast episodes directly to your podcast hosting provider. It also allows you to easily submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts (previously iTunes) and Google Podcasts.
This makes your podcasts easily discoverable on Google Home, Assistant, and Google Podcast app on Android devices.
Blubrry also offers monetization options, podcast statistics, social sharing features, and more.
Why We Recommend Blubrry: We recommend Blubrry because of the WordPress plugin (PowerPress) it offers. The plugin makes it very easy to manage your podcast directly from your WordPress website.
Pricing: Starting from $12 per month with 125 MB of storage each month.
Transistor is a powerful yet easy-to-use podcast hosting service for professionals and beginners. They offer unlimited podcast hosting plans, which means they don’t charge you for hours of upload as some other hosts do.
They make it incredibly easy to simply upload your podcast media files and publish them. They also offer podcast analytics so you can see how each episode performs.
Their embed code allows you to easily add each episode to your WordPress posts and pages. If you don’t have a website, then they can quickly create one for you.
One thing to watch out for is that their plans limit the number of downloads. This means you need to upgrade your plan as your podcast grows.
Pros:
Unlimited podcast storage and bandwidth
Unlimited team members and collaborators
Get dynamic ads for promotion
Automatically post to YouTube
Get a built-in podcast website
Advanced analytics for podcast performance
Cons:
No free plan
The premium plans are slightly expensive
Why We Recommend Transistor: What makes Transistor a great podcast hosting platform is that it has no limits. Plus, you get a lot of features like a built-in podcast website, dynamic ads, integrations, and more.
Pricing: Starting from $19 per month for up to 20,000 downloads each month.
Fusebox offers the best media player for podcast websites. They also provide a simple and reliable podcast hosting solution with unlimited episode uploads.
Regardless of which podcast hosting service you choose, you will need a media player to properly embed and display podcasts on your website.
Fusebox allows you to display a beautiful media player on your website. You can show it on individual episode pages for your podcast or on your homepage. Users can browse the episodes, use on-screen controls, share the podcasts, and more.
The player looks beautiful on all devices and screen sizes. You can also customize its colors to match your website and make it sticky on top or bottom.
Apart from helping you find new listeners, Fusebox also helps you grow your email list and increase return visitors to your website. This tool is used by every top podcaster in the world, and it was created by Pat Flynn’s team.
With Fusebox hosting, you get essential analytics to track the performance of your podcast. Plus, it offers hassle-free migration from other platforms.
Why We Recommend Fusebox: We recommend Fusebox because of the media player it offers. Along with podcast hosting, you will get a stunning web player that offers lots of features.
Pricing: Starting from $7.50 per month (billed annually)
Libsyn is another reliable podcast hosting service provider. They offer an easy-to-use platform that puts your brand at the center and helps you promote your podcast across different platforms, apps, and devices.
Libsyn started in 2004, which makes it one of the very first podcast hosting service providers. The platform was created by podcasters for other podcasters and has a large community of users, including some of the most influential creators.
They offer three podcast hosting plans with different monthly storage limits but with unlimited bandwidth.
Why We Recommend Libsyn: What makes Libsyn so great is that it lets you create a podcast in no time. It offers a simple and user-friendly interface along with other features for publishing and promoting the podcast.
Pricing: Starting from $5 per month with 3 hours of new uploads per month and 162 MB monthly storage.
SoundCloud is a popular music and podcast hosting platform. The good thing is that you can embed any podcast episode from SoundCloud by simply placing the URL anywhere in your WordPress posts and pages.
SoundCloud is free for up to 3 hours of uploads. Their free plan is a good starting point for beginners who want to test the waters first.
Their paid plans come with more storage, bandwidth, advanced statistics, monetization, and distribution options. SoundCloud is easy to use, but it is not the most flexible or customizable podcast hosting plan.
Pros:
Free plan offers up to 3 hours of uploads
Easily embed SoundCloud podcast to WordPress
Share private tracks with collaborators
Supports popular distribution platforms in the pro version
Cons:
Pro version can be expensive for new podcasters
Why We Recommend SoundCloud: We recommend SoundCloud to users who want to embed episodes into their WordPress pages and posts.
Pricing: Free plan with 3 hours of uploads per month. Paid plans start from $99 per year.
Which Is the Best Podcast Hosting Service?
As you can see, many podcast hosting services offer similar plans with all the essential features. However, some put limits on storage space, and some limit downloads.
Considering these factors, we recommend PodBean as the overall best podcast hosting service. Their plans come with unlimited storage and bandwidth with an incredibly easy-to-use platform. They also allow you to easily promote your podcast across different services.
Our second recommendation is Buzzsprout. It is one of the easiest podcast hosting solutions, perfect for beginners to get started.
How to Start a Podcast
Apart from a podcast hosting service, you will also need a website. This will be your podcast’s home on the internet, where you will promote it and help users discover more content.
To make a website, you will need a domain name and a website hosting account.
The domain name will typically cost you $14.99 per year, and website hosting plans start from $7.99 per month, usually paid annually.
Since you are just starting out, you will want to save money whenever you can.
Luckily, our friends at Bluehost are offering WPBeginner users a free domain and a generous discount on hosting.
Next, you will need to set up your podcast. We have created a step-by-step guide to starting a podcast for beginners, it will walk you through the complete setup, including how to record your podcasts.
What Equipment Do You Need for Podcasting?
Many professional podcasters use a variety of equipment to record podcasts. This includes microphones, an audio interface, a mixer, a windscreen, shock mounts, and more.
All of this equipment costs a lot of money.
However, you don’t need all of them just to record a Podcast. The only equipment we recommend buying from the start is a good microphone.
We recommend using Rode Podcaster, which you can plug into your computer using a USB port.
If you can spare a little more money, then you can purchase the Rode Podcaster Kit, which comes with a boom arm and a shock mount.
Alternative:Samson C01UCW is a good entry-level microphone to record podcasts.
Once your podcast grows and you are making money from it, then you can invest in improving your setup. But remember, you can’t improve something if you don’t start it, so just start!
How to Promote Your Podcast
Many of the podcast hosting services mentioned above allow you to automatically submit your podcast to different podcast directories and search engines.
You can also manually submit your podcast as well. Once approved, your podcast and all its episodes will become discoverable on these platforms.
Your podcast is published as an RSS feed. You will need to copy the podcast feed URL provided by your podcast hosting service.
How to Submit Your Podcast to iTunes or Apple Podcasts
iTunes is the world’s largest podcast directory, allowing users to subscribe to podcasts using their iPhones, Apple computers, iPods, and other Apple devices.
First, you will need to sign in to the iTunes Connect website using your Apple ID. If you don’t have one, then you sign up to create one for free.
Once logged in, click on the ‘Podcasts Connect’ button.
On the next screen, you need to enter your podcast feed URL and click on the ‘Validate’ button.
iTunes will now fetch your podcast information.
You can then click the ‘Submit’ button to continue.
iTunes will now review your podcast submission, and you’ll be notified via email once it is approved.
How to Submit Your Podcast to Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts is Google’s alternative to Apple Podcasts and iTunes.
To submit your podcast, you need to visit the Google Play Music website and click on the ‘Start now’ button.
This will take you to the podcast management console, where you need to enter your podcast feed URL.
Next, you will need to verify ownership via email and submit your podcast feed for review.
Once approved, your podcast will be listed on Google Podcasts.
How to Promote Your Podcast on Your Own Website
Having a WordPress website for your podcast gives you a ton of options to promote your podcast.
First, we recommend you follow our WordPress SEO guide to make sure that your podcast website is getting search traffic.
Now, as people start visiting your website, you will notice that most of them just leave without subscribing to your podcast. This is where email marketing comes in.
Many beginner podcasters find a ton of new listeners and subscribers by running a giveaway contest. We recommend using RafflePress, which is the best WordPress giveaway plugin. It allows you to create viral giveaway contests that help you quickly get more visitors to your website.
We hope this article helped you find the best podcast hosting service to launch your podcast. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a professional business email address to reach out to sponsors and a virtual business phone number to go along with your podcast.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
So you’ve been listening to podcasts, and realized how popular they have become. Now, you are toying with the idea of starting a podcast. The problem is that, there is a reluctant voice inside your head asking, “Can I really do this? Where do I start? Would someone even listen to my podcast?” Don’t fret. […]
