Recording and editing is important, but it is just a part of the creation process as far as podcasting is concerned. Once your audio file is ready, you want to share it with the world. But it cannot be done in a heartbeat: you must find the best hosting solution first.
As a listener, you may have never wondered how you could access a podcast in three clicks from your smartphone. Well, this is a question you must be able to answer once a podcaster. Podcasts do not appear out of the blue on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addicts and Google Podcasts, you know.
All these platforms rely on an RSS feed, which is like the lifeline of your podcast. Any time a new episode is published, it appears automatically on the listening software to which the RSS feed was sent. But how does a simple audio file turn into an RSS feed? Well, it is simple: it is made by a host; not only will it make room for your files on the web, but it will also provide you with this precious feed.
When it comes to hosts, there are two options:
- Free of charge or cheap solutions: if you are clever enough, you will save money but will not enjoy quality extra services.
- Charged solutions (such as Podcastics😞 they are both simple and comfortable. After all, managing a podcast is very time-consuming and exhausting, so you don’t want to be in charge of hosting as well!
FREE (OR CHEAP) HOSTING: A DO-IT-YOURSELF SOLUTION
No need to be a podcaster to know that there are many options to host your files (be they audio or not). Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. The list goes on, services are legion, and they all share one common feature: you can drop and share your files with the world from the cloud.
You can also use Archive.org, which is a bit different; it is an online library that hosts your files for free if you agree to make them available for all users. Finally, you can use a web server for just a few euros. For instance, you can subscribe to OVH for $1.99 to $11.99 including all taxes per month. Be careful though, all subscriptions are not the same; the $1.99 pack only gives you a 1Go disk space, so it will be full after a few episodes only. You should play safe and pay at least $3.99 per month; you will have 100Go available.
All these solutions are mainly made for podcasters with IT skills. Once your files are hosted, you have to create your RSS feed by yourself: either you do it manually if you know your stuff in program writing, or you use a feed creation software. Of course, once you are done with these obstacles, note that you will not have access to the services offered by specialised hosts, i.e. statistics, audio players, social media features, etc.
This is why Podcastics have designed an unrivalled subscription: the Premium pack. You stay in charge of hosting (you can do it for free, with Archive.org for example) but can use all Podcastics services, such as podcast import and management, RSS feed creation, a website with social media features, cool audio players, detailed statistics, etc. And all this for just $4 per month (while the Pro pack costs $8 per month and includes hosting).
SPECIALISED HOSTING: CHARGED BUT COMFORTABLE
When it comes to hosting, budding podcasters often think of SoundCloud first, which is funny, because it is mainly made for musical content makers. Hence its platform being quite inappropriate for podcasting services.
Indeed, there are many companies specialised in podcast hosting online, such as Acast, Libsyn, Blubrry and… Podcastics of course. All these platforms provide you with various services that are more complete than SoundCloud’s, plus their fees are quite similar.
On Podcastics, the Pro pack, which includes podcast hosting, costs $8 per month. It features the import and management of your episodes, as well as a customisable website, audio players designed to be shared on social media, accurate stats, social media features that will help you bond with your audience, etc.
But Podcastics is more than that. It is about simplicity and comfort. You may not realise it yet, but being a podcaster is very time consuming and tiring. So, if you want to enjoy your new life as a podcaster, focus on what counts and let us take care of the rest.
Just like Buzz Lightyear, Podcastics takes you to infinity and beyond! It may seem taboo, but sometimes, podcasts stop. When that day comes, it raises hosting-related questions: should you unsubscribe and deprive your audience of your episodes, or should you keep your subscription and pay high charges for something you do not need? To solve the problem, Podcastics has invented a brand new Archive pack. For only $5 per month (an active podcast costs $8), you can keep all your episodes online and use our features (website, audio players, stats, etc.); if you ever feel like recording new episodes again, you can switch back to the Pro pack in two clicks. What else?
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