Best Podcast Hosting Websites 2022

(Ad) Podcasts are a popular medium to share our thoughts with people around the world. New ones are popping up every day on a variety of subjects – ― from comedy to true crime to health and fitness. With access to the right resources and tools, anyone can launch a podcast.

Every piece of equipment you use to record, produce, and distribute a podcast will have an impact on its quality. That’s why it’s important to choose a dedicated podcast hosting service and podcast recording software carefully. Such platforms can help you turn a good podcast into a great one.

However, finding a podcast hosting service that suits your workflow can be overwhelming. So we’ve highlighted the best podcast hosting platforms that will render great sound, even if you didn’t spend a lot on microphones, headphones, or voice recorders.

Buzzsprout is a cloud-based podcast hosting provider that helps professionals create and publish podcasts across major podcast directories, like Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. Users can easily upload audio files onto the podcast hosting platform and schedule episode release dates. There’s even an option to transcribe audio files and include timestamps in podcasts.

Buzzsprout enables organizations and businesses to embed a podcast player on their website, which helps to promote and monetize the show. Subscribers can then easily listen to and share podcast episodes on their social media platforms.

There are also key performance tools that track episodes according to geographical regions and monitor the total number of episode downloads.

Pros

• User-friendly podcast hosting site
• Free plan available, along with affordable upgrades
• Excellent customer support

Cons

• Limited podcast analytics
• Pricing model based on hours per month
• Podcast episodes cannot be uploaded to YouTube

Pricing

Premium plans are available, ranging from $12 to $18 per month. The free plan permits you to upload two hours of content that’s hosted for 90 days. You can always choose to upgrade your plan based on how many hours of content you need uploaded per month, for example:

• $12 per month: 3-hour uploads, hosted indefinitely, with unlimited storage
• $18 per month: includes features above, plus 6-hour uploads each month
• $24 per month: includes features above, plus 12-hour uploads each month

How to Start Using Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout makes it easy to create, launch, and grow a podcast ― whether you’re new to podcasting or migrating from another hosting platform.

To set up your podcast in Buzzsprout, you will need to complete a few simple steps. First, go to Podcast Settings and provide your podcast information, including the podcast title and description. This information will help you appear in search engine queries, like Google and Bing.

Next, upload your podcast artwork into the dedicated field. Buzzsprout gives you the option to select artwork you already created or click the Canva button to create the cover art directly within the internal dashboard.

After this step is complete, you will pick a podcast category and subcategory to narrow your niche and upload your first episode! You can drag and drop your file into the website and schedule a time for it to go live. Individual episodes have their own metadata and can even have customized episode artwork.

Finally, you will write the podcast show notes, also known as the episode description. Well-written notes will help with SEO efforts and overall accessibility for your audience.

Buzzsprout Key Features

Buzzsprout provides you with everything you need to host, promote, and track a podcast. This makes it one of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Here are some of Buzzsprout’s main features:

Magic Mastering™

Magic Mastering uses innovative technology to automatically optimize audio files and match music-heavy productions to industry standards. This provides users with easy uploads, automatic optimizations, and a simple way to publish professional-sounding podcasts.

Buzzsprout also works with various file types, bitrates, and ID3 tags. The podcast hosting site will optimize your episodes automatically and publish them immediately, or you can schedule the day and time you want the episode to go live.

Dynamic Content Tool

The dynamic content tool allows users to add and remove pre-roll and post-roll segments from episodes. You can also send a message to listeners, regardless of which podcast episode they are listening to.

Seamless Website Integrations

Buzzsprout offers a stunning podcast player that is easily added to your website with just a snippet of code. The player includes controls that allow listeners to skip forward or backward or increase to 2x speed. Fans can also quickly share the podcast via social media (Facebook and Twitter). Finally, users can customize the player to match the look and feel of their brand.

Buzzsprout also works with leading podcast and marketing tools to optimize all areas of the user experience. This includes Chartable, Podtrac, Hindenburg, and Alitu. Users can easily integrate these applications into Buzzsprout’s podcast hosting platform.

Listed in All of the Top Podcast Directories

All podcasts on Buzzsprout have the potential to reach millions of listeners when listed across the major podcast directories. This includes Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Alexa, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Castbox, and Podchaser.

Advanced Podcast Analytics

Users can track progress with Buzzsprout’s advanced podcast statistics. Key stats include total downloads over time, which apps people are using to listen to the podcast, and where listeners are listening to the podcast.

Transistor is another cloud-based podcast hosting service helping creatives, brands, and professionals record and upload podcasts. The platform is compatible with top podcast directories, including Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other platforms. Transistor also offers third-party integrations with applications like Drip, ConvertKit, and Mailchimp.

The podcast hosting site has several features, like an RSS feed, file storage, a customizable website, and an embeddable audio player. Users can create multiple podcast themes and formats under a single hosting account. And if you have any questions or concerns, customer support is available via online chat.

Transistor also offers an advanced analytics module, where podcast creators can view download numbers for published episodes, subscriber counts, listener trends, and audience breakdowns. Podcast administrators can edit show settings, modify team members, and streamline episodes.

Pricing

Transistor offers various plans that differ based on the number of downloads per month. This allows you to upgrade your subscription as your audience grows and the podcast starts to scale.

• Starter Plan for $19/month: 10,000 downloads per month, unlimited podcasts and episodes, and up to 2 users
• Professional Plan for $49/month: Everything in the starter plan, plus 50,000 downloads per month and up to 5 users
• Business Plan for $99/month: All features in previous plans, with 150,000 downloads per month and up to 10 users

How to Start Using Transistor

It’s easy to set up a new or existing podcast show with Transistor. Since this podcast hosting site does not offer a free plan, you will have to register for a premium plan immediately. Luckily, you can cancel within 14 days for a full refund if you are unhappy with the service.

To start using Transistor, simply go to their website and sign up for an account. You’ll need to provide some basic information, like your name, email address, and credit/debit card number. They also accept prepaid debit cards.

After creating an account and choosing your plan, you will gain access to the main dashboard. Click on the button “Configure a new podcast” to get started.

You will be redirected to a separate window to fill in some specifics about your podcast, like its title, description, and category. Other necessary details include author name, copyright info, keywords, website URL, spoken language, publishing time zone, show owner, and owner email.

Once these details are provided, you’re ready to publish your first episode with Transistor.

Transistor Key Features

Launch Multiple Public and Private Podcasts

Transistor gives you the ability to create as many public and private podcasts as you want for only one membership fee. This is ideal for users who plan to set up podcasts for both business and personal interests.

Further, many people choose to have a private podcast that’s only available for internal team members of a company. Transistor helps you keep a company podcast private by allowing you to remove subscribers as you please. If someone leaves the organization, for example, you can easily remove their name from the subscriber list.

Several User Logins

Transistor permits multiple user logins on one account. These logins can have different permission levels as well, including admins or members.

Embedded Players

Transistor provides extremely responsive and reliable embedded players. The podcast player includes three buttons, which will only appear when the user has their mouse over the player. Button options include subscribe, share, and more info (provides the show notes in the podcast player window).

There is also a multi-episode player available. This type of podcast player helps you showcase certain episodes. For instance, you can highlight standout episodes or special montages and trailers.

Easy Application Integrations

Transistor works with several of the top newsletter and mailing list sites to help you keep in touch with listeners. This includes Mailchimp, HubSpot, ConvertKit, and more.

You can even connect to Spotify and Twitter accounts and automatically sync episodes to YouTube. Overall, this hosting platform saves you plenty of extra steps with these direct application integrations.

Advanced Statistics and RSS Feeds

You can access reliable podcast analytics directly with Transistor. This includes the number of downloads over time, a world map of listeners, average downloads, and trend graphs.

Transistor also provides information on listens by device and breakdowns per episode. This will help you see how the podcast is performing across different platforms, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Users can even get an estimated subscriber count. Podcast distributors only provide RSS feed links, making it difficult to track exact numbers. Transistor aims to provide estimates based on downloads within 24 hours for the last three episodes.

Pros

• Supported across various podcast platforms, like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.
• Advanced analytics to track progress and audience metrics
• Unlimited episodes available for every subscription

Cons

• Customer support only accessible through live chat
• No free podcast hosting plan is available
• No option to create video podcasts

PodBean is one of the best podcast hosting services for starting and promoting a podcast. This podcast hosting platform provides innovative management solutions under one unified portal. Podcast creators and organizations can easily publish, manage, and distribute audio and video podcasts, marketing campaigns, and live audio files.

PodBean supports major podcast directories and various online channels, such as Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Businesses can design personalized websites with custom themes and domains, respond to comments, and track followers. Podcasters can embed podcast links into blogs/websites and share posts on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Other host management features include data import/export, customer engagement, reports, and more. PodBean also integrates email marketing tools with Mailchimp. This means users can create email campaigns to share new releases and engage with subscribers.

Pricing

PodBean offers a free plan, along with monthly plans that are priced modestly. Serious podcasters looking to get their show off the ground should consider the Unlimited Plus Plan for $29 per month. It provides unlimited storage for video and audio files. Compare other plans below:

• Basic Free Plan: 5 hours and 100 GB of storage per month.
• Unlimited Audio for $9/month: Unlimited bandwidth and storage, advanced designs and themes, and ad marketplace
• Unlimited Plus for $29/month: All features mentioned above, plus Patron program and dynamic ad insertion
• Business for $99/month: All features mentioned above, along with multiple domains, private podcasts, advanced analytics, and live chat support

How to Start Using PodBean

Setting up a PodBean account is quick and easy. The first thing to do is set the podcast title, logo, and description. You will also need to provide a brief description of your podcast.

Next, you will select a podcast site theme. You can choose between various options and customize the layout, header image, colors, and more.

To publish an audio or video podcast episode, simply go to the “Episodes List” page and click the “New Episode” button. Pick the file to upload for your podcast episode. Edit the episode title, description, and artwork as needed. Then, click “Publish” to release the episode via PodBean or schedule/save a draft.

PodBean Key Features

Free Podcast Website

PodBean is one of the best free podcast hosting platforms. Every podcast hosting account comes with a free podcast website. These are mobile and browser responsive templates built and optimized for podcasts. Templates include beautiful designs and robust features that are easily customizable based on your brand.

Multiple Monetization Tools

PodBean offers extensive monetization tools to help podcasts make money, sell premium content, connect to ads, and get listener support. For example, users can list their podcast in the PodBean advertising marketplace for free. This tool can be used to connect with potential advertisers and run and manage ads.

Podcasters can also implement Patron, which is an easy way to gain support with recurring monthly donations from fans. PodBean allows you to publish patron-only episodes and set up different levels of donations/rewards.

Live Streaming and Audio Live shows

PodBean helps podcasters engage with audiences in various ways, including audio live shows. While live streaming, listeners can send you instant messages or call into the show in real time. Further, hosts can invite remote guests to call in from anywhere in the world and participate in the live stream.

PodBean App

PodBean has a podcast studio app (with over one million active users) that allows podcast hosts to record remotely without compromising on the quality of the sound. The app offers exclusive music integration, where users can choose background music, add sound effects, and easily find intro/outro beats from the music library.

Additionally, you can save hours of editing work with the app’s magic editor and post-production tools. It’s easy to replay recordings, remove unwanted content, merge sound, and publish/export.

Comprehensive Statistics

PodBean helps you track how your podcast performs with key insights and data. This includes download numbers per episode, audience trends, listener geographics, user retention data, and more.

Moreover, PodBean will automatically summarize download data and present the top 10 episodes according to various date ranges. This can help to identify which episodes have the most listeners and understand patterns within the audience.

Pros

• Easy-to-use podcast hosting platform
• Fast downloads with little to no downtime
• Ability to host video podcasts as well

Cons

• Only publishes to Spotify with a paid account
• Limited security features
• No uptime guarantee

Fusebox, previously known as Smart Podcast Player, is a simple podcasting WordPress plug-in that lets you showcase your episodes on your blog/website. It was created and developed by fellow podcaster Pat Flynn. Fusebox is completely customizable and can be used in different modes, such as Full Player, Smart Track Player, and Sticky Player.

This is one of the best podcast hosting platforms, with built-in email tools and integrations that allow listeners to download/share specific episodes. You can easily display podcast episodes on a WordPress site or other blog.

Unlike other podcast hosting platforms and plug-ins, Fusebox offers premium features that do more than simply showcase different episodes. Users can access social sharing buttons, timestamps, email capture, and more. There are also several listener-friendly features, like speed control, fast forward, and rewind buttons.

Pricing

Fusebox is a premium plug-in for a WordPress site, with two types of subscriptions available.

The monthly plan costs $12 per month and the annual plan costs $97 for the year, or $8.09 per month. Both subscription models offer the same features. There is no free plan offered at this time.

How to Start Using Fusebox

Navigating the Fusebox dashboard is quite simple. There are a few tools and things to know before adding the plug-in to your WordPress website. At the moment, Fusebox is not compatible with Squarespace, Wix, or any other non-WordPress platforms.

To get started, you will need to access your WordPress admin panel and back up your WordPress site. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of backing up your site when making any major changes, like installing a third-party plug-in. Most WordPress websites can be set to automate backups.

Then, you’ll download the player and transcript tools and install the Fusebox plug-in. To do so, you will need to know your RSS feed and individual episode URLs.

Fusebox Key Features

Email Capture Tool

Fusebox offers a podcast player that includes a built-in button encouraging listeners to subscribe to the newsletter. You can even embed a customized sign-up form without using a third-party plug-in. Fusebox works with all major email marketing services, including AWeber, Mailchimp, etc. This feature will help you convert website traffic visitors into leads, ultimately expanding your mailing database.

Customizable Front End

Fusebox provides a completely customizable front end, enabling you to design the entire look and feel of the player. You can pick a color scheme that corresponds with your brand, add images, select between light and dark mode, and personalize the description with text and URLs.

Fusebox Podcast Player and Full Player

Fusebox offers a plug-in that allows you to use the audio player in different modes. For example, Fusebox Podcast Player can display all your episodes in one dedicated place. This option shows the episode title and description on the left side and a full list of episodes on the right side.

Users can also opt for the single-track player to highlight new episodes on key website pages. This option is ideal for those with numerous episodes who prefer to focus listener attention on new releases rather than the entire library of episodes.

Subscription, Download, and Social Sharing Buttons

All podcast player modes include subscription buttons that enable listeners to subscribe to your podcast across other platforms, like SoundCloud, iTunes, and more.

Both the Full Player and Fusebox Podcast Player also have a download button, enabling listeners to download an episode directly on their devices. This enhances the listening experience and gives your audience the chance to listen to episodes whenever they want.

Likewise, the Full Player includes social sharing buttons that let your audience share an episode on their social media accounts.

Speed Control and Forward/Backward Features

The speed control button allows your audience to listen to an episode at a faster or slower speed. Similarly, the forward/backward buttons help listeners go back to hear something again or jump to a certain section.

Built-In Mobile Player

Fusebox provides a mobile-responsive player that automatically adjusts dimensions to fit different screens, like mobile devices, tablets, and desktop computers. The player should load equally fast no matter what type of device is being used.

Pros

• Customizable front end
• Mobile-friendly platform
• Responsive customer support team

Cons

• Non-WordPress site services are not always compatible
• No live chat available
• No ticketing system

Castos is a podcast hosting platform and advanced analytics software that helps you manage your video and audio files. It can be used as a plug-in for a WordPress website or as an independent podcasting software. Castos is one of the best podcast hosting platforms because it provides a variety of features that enable users to have full control over their podcast files.

Castos offers a simple importing system, which makes it easy to transfer and import existing audio files. This is ideal for a growth-oriented podcast host who is using a different podcast hosting platform and looking to switch. There is a single button that begins the process of importing multiple podcast episodes onto the Castos platform.

For podcast networks with a YouTube channel, users can apply the automatic republication feature. Every time a podcast episode is uploaded to the podcast hosting platform, it will immediately link to the YouTube account as well. This will help to improve reach across audiences.

Pricing

Castos customers can choose between three different plans, including:

• Audio Podcasting for $19 per month: unlimited storage, unlimited episodes, but no automated republication to YouTube
• Audio Podcasting (with Republishing) for $34 per month: same as above, with automated republication to YouTube included
• Video Podcasting for $49 per month: same as above, but allows for video podcasts as well

While each plan has different features, all packages include unlimited storage and unlimited episodes.

How to Start Using Castos

Castos offers a Podcast Launch Service, where their team of professional audio engineers, show note writers, and marketing experts work with you to configure episodes and make sure your podcast is set up for success. This is a paid service, but it may be worth considering if you’re not tech-savvy.

For those who prefer to do everything manually, don’t worry, Castos is an independent software and offers a simple podcasting plug-in process. It’s extremely easy to publish a podcast every week or even multiple episodes per week. The workflow consists of:

1. Create a WordPress post
2. Upload your audio to the WordPress post
3. Publish content

There is no need to log in to the media host or handle embedded code.

Castos Key Features

Custom Website

Castos offers a customizable podcast website included in your membership. All pre-built websites are beautifully designed, mobile responsive, and completely customizable to match branding guidelines.

You can include host profiles, with their photo, bio, and relevant social links, along with a dedicated subscribe page where listeners can subscribe on their favorite podcasting app.

YouTube Republishing

Castos can convert podcast audio files into videos that are automatically published onto your YouTube channel and/or preferred playlist. This feature can help you share content with a bigger audience and improve SEO rankings to increase reach. YouTube republishing comes with all Growth and Pro plans.

Robust Podcast Analytics

The Castos Analytics dashboard includes key stats about your podcast and listeners. You can access your best-performing episodes, view total listens by podcast, and learn which apps and browsers are being used most.

These metrics also extend to sponsors and unique partnerships. You can get downloadable, customizable analytics reports to find new monetization opportunities.

Automatic Podcast Transcriptions

Every episode published on this podcast hosting provider’s site can be automatically transcribed into a word-for-word account of the entire recording. Castos works with industry-leading text-to-voice technology services for accurate and easy transcriptions.

This is a pay-as-you-go feature, which costs $0.10/audio minute. For example, if you publish 120 minutes of audio, the transcription bill for that recording would be an additional $12 on top of your current plan.

Pros

• WordPress site plug-in available
• Every plan offers unlimited bandwidth
• Automatic republication available

Cons

• No free plan available
• Must access podcast directories manually
• Limited independent software if you have your own website

SquadCast is considered the best podcast hosting service by many in the industry. This podcast hosting platform has excellent sound quality, even if you’re using remote recording software. Furthermore, SquadCast is 100% reliable, with no dropped connections, delays, audio drift, or lost audio files.

What sets SquadCast apart from other podcast hosting platforms is the progressive upload feature. Progressive uploads allow you to upload audio files while you’re recording in real time. If your connection is lost, this means that everything previously recorded is automatically saved. Hence, no lost audio files.

SquadCast is extremely easy to use. It only takes two clicks to start a new session. You will simply click “Add Session” and fill in some quick details, like the date and time. Then, you will enter the email addresses of any guests you want to invite to the podcast and click “Save Session.”

Pricing

SquadCast offers multiple plans that are all reasonably priced:

• Dabbler for $9/month: includes a 7-day free trial and 2 hours of audio recordings per month
• Creator for $17/month: includes a 7-day free trial and 5 hours of audio recordings per month
• Pro for $38/month: includes a 7-day free trial and 12 hours of audio recordings per month

How to Start Using SquadCast

To start using SquadCast, you first need to set up your profile and add notification rules. The notification rules determine how you want to be notified and how long after the time of the incident trigger.

Next, you can download the mobile app. It’s compatible with both Apple and Android devices and can be used to acknowledge, reassign, and resolve actions within the dashboard.

After downloading the app, you can begin to create a squad or a group of users who can contribute to a project. For example, you can set a payment squad, front-end squad, back-end squad, etc. These squads are handy when high-urgency projects need attention ASAP.

Finally, you will add the services that are core to your product or business. Services are created with an alert integration, in which certain incidents and tools are triggered. You can also create schedules based on different time zones, configurable rotations, and multiple hand-offs.

SquadCast Key Features

Quality Audio and Video

SquadCast eliminates audio drift and audio sync problems, which are common issues during the editing process. Even with locally recorded audio, everything will sound crystal clear.