Today we tackle the hype around soundcloud.com as a podcasting solution and compare it to some of the other top podcast media solutions that have been around. I apply my criteria, and see who makes it, and share my opinion on why some of them still make me nervous.

Note: For the record, you can get a free month at blubrry.com or Libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree you will see that even though using those codes benefits me financially, those companies don't always finish on top. Here is a print version of this article with a few more screenshots.

If you'd like to see more screenshots here is a PDF of this article.

The Opening Players

Amazon S3
Buzzsprout.com
Podomatic.com
Libsyn.com
Blubrry.com
Podbean.com
Spreaker.com
Soundcloud.com

My Criteria

1. Don't mess with my file. What I upload is what I want people to download.
2. Give me the ability to have an unlimited back catalog (unlimited storage)
3. Don't limit my audience size (unlimited bandwidth)
4. Don't control my feed, and make it easy to leave if I choose to do so. I need to be able to put in an iTunes redirect script.
5. Give me support.
6. Charge me for your service so you can stay in business
7. Give me stats so I can see what's working. It would be nice if they were accurate.

Honorable mention: If I use your RSS feed, I need to be able to insert a redirect if I decide to leave your service.

This kills the following:

Amazon S3. No stats, and your start cheap, but get really expensive if I get popular. (my last bill was over $40).
Podmatic – Limited bandwidth, limited storage, and no way to leave (you hijack my feed)
Buzzsprout.com – You change my file, and I have to ask to leave.
Spreaker.com – You mess with my ID3 tags, and there is no way to leave.

That leaves:
Soundcloud.com
Libsyn.com
Blubrry.com
Podbean.com

UPDATE: The file does not change when you download the file from SoundCloud. However, the file they put into the RSS feed has been renamed. PLUS, if you are a podcaster you have to go to your RSS feed, look at the code (have fun with that) and dig out the mp3 file to put into the Powerpress player on your site (I know, why not just use their player). But in three years, the best solution you have is to dig through the feed?

UPDATE 2: Soundcloud changes the URL of all the files to some podcasters leaving all of their episodes non-playable. They also lost 29 million dollars last year. 

UPDATE 3: After losing 29 million dollars the previous year, Soundcloud lost an additional $4 million the year after that. 

Pricing

I tried to get the hosts to line up in a fashion that we could compare apples to apples. It's not easy. For the most part, I chose the price point closest to $20.  Here is what I found.

Soundcloud is the cheapest coming in at .0021 per meg (that's almost free)
Podbean comes in at .03 per meg of storage  (300 megs per month)
Libsyn.com comes in at .05 per meg (400 megs per month)
Blubrry.com comes in at .08 per meg (250 Megs per month)

Note: If you want stats that provide details of where your downloads are coming from (countries) you need to have the $79 a month plan for 1.5 gigabytes of storage (which is overkill in 99% of the cases). With this in mind, I am taking Podbean out of most of this discussion.

For me, I typically recommend the Libsyn.com account for $20. You get more than enough space and the ability to get a smartphone app. You also get deluxe stats.

Player

1. Soundcloud wins this one hands down. Reason? It's just cool. Does everything but play in a new window.

UPDATE: This is no longer the case both Libsyn and Blubrry have updated their plays when you compare Soundclou VS Libsyn, their player has just as much (if not more) functionality, and it's got a great look.

2. Blubrry Powerpress plugin provides the ability to stream, play in new window, or download.
3. Libsyn's player can do the same as the Powerpress player with some tweaking

My choice: I use the Blubrry powerpress plugin to put a player on my site (you can use this even if you're not using Blubrry for hosting). Why not Soundcloud? Because soundcloud stats are not integrated with Libsyn or blubrry like Stitcher stats (hello Soundcloud if you're going to be in this space you better meet your neighbors). This means using soundcloud and another host will require you to check your stats in more than one place. At this point I'm getting negligible plays from the soundcloud website.

My favorite player for putting in a sidebar is the one from the Blubrry network (free).

Stats

Blubrry and Libsyn stats are very similar with a slight edge to Blubrry for being more user-friendly. Libsyn actually gives you more information (cities). Soundcloud can give you some of this information but not the platform (iphone, windows, etc) that Blubrry.com and Libsyn.com

1. Blubrry.com – great content, pretty, and easy to understand and exportable. Blubrry.com offers free stats that show downloads and a few other items.
2. Libsyn.com – very similar to blubrry.com (each shows some items the other does not) and exportable. If you're not using the $20 a month plan you get a download numbers only stats.
3. Soundcloud – Basic stats with some geographic location.
4. Podean.com – as mentioned earlier their stats are pitiful (download only, and can only be viewed one episode at a time) unless you ‘re using the $79/month.

Unique Capabilities

Soudcloud

Soundcloud's player is one of the coolest things on the planet. It makes your content easy to share, it works everywhere you can add a button to the player (for purchasing something, Apple, etc). The one thing it doesn't do is offer the ability to play in a new window.

Blubrry.com

Blubrry's key is ease of publishing. Once your audio file is done, you can enter your show notes (blog post) and when you upload the file it will take the title of your post and add it to the mp3 file in the ID3 tags. It will also “tag” the other fields in your file.

You do all of this from within the blubrry interface.

Blubrry.com has a distribution on the following:

  • Roku TV Box
  • Boxee TV Box
  • GoogleTV
  • Android
  • LookeeTV
  • Samsung SmartTV
  • And More!

Get a free month at blubrry using the promocode sopfree

Libsyn.com

Libsyn has a quick publish feature where you can enter your ID3 tags, and upload the file using an FTP software to a specific folder. The information from within your media file is then used to create an episode post on Libsyn.com This posting can then be replicated on your WordPress site, Facebook page, tumblr.com, blogger.com, Linkedincom, youtube.com

If you have $20 a month plan or higher, you can get a smartphone app for your podcast for free. You can charge people for this, or you can spend a little money to get an Apple developer's license and give it away for free (you do need to pay an $10 a month to libsyn as they will provide the customer support for the app).

Libsyn also offers the ability to sell your back catalog. Top podcasters Marc Maron, Adam Corolla and others use this tool which you can find here.

Libsyn stats have a cool feature that allow you to double click on a day and see what files were downloaded. This is interesting as you will see your latest episodes and you will also see you back catalog being downloaded.

Get a free month at Libsyn using the promocode sopfree

Podbean

For $79 a month, you can manage your mailing list through podbean (or you can use a tool like Awber designed to handle mailing lists).

You can get a free month at podbean using the coupon code sopfree

Frequently Asked Podcast Questions on Soundcloud

Can I have more than one podcast on Soundcloud? Kind of. I have all my old outdated (out if print if you will) shows on there as a test. There is only one RSS feed. If you are using your own website and rss feed you could use them as “just a media host.”

What's the limitation of their free account? You can only upload a certain amount of files. When I first played with them, I would have to delete a file to upload a new one.

Fishy Things About Podbean and SoundCloud

While Libsyn and Blubrry have representatives in all of the podcasting communities. They are at our conventions. We know them by name. Todd, Mike, Angelo, Rob, Elsie, Krystal. Podbean and Soundcloud have no presence that I've seen. They have their websites and pretty much that's it.

Pobean does not list their address on their website. If you want it its:

501 Silverside Road, Suite 105 , Wilmington , DE , 19809 , United States
Phone: +1 514 969 1917

UPDATE: When you search for their address in Google it comes up a “virtual office.” HMMMMMM

Why would you not list your address unless you don't want to be found?

Soundcloud has been around since 2008

5 million official SoundCloud apps have been downloaded. In 20012 they celebrated 10 million sound creators.

according to crunch base they've receive 123 million. In 2014 they received 60 million. Yet their podcasting tools are in beta, and you have to request to be in it.

Why is this still in beta after three years (it launched in January of 2011)?

 Summary

So is Soundcloud a legitimate podcast solution? They do pass all of my criteria, so with that, I could say yes. I am still a little nervous about a system that's been in development for THREE YEARS and has not come out of beta. I think their interfaceS (remember they are in the middle up upgrading their interface) makes their system unfriendly, and their stats are not on par with the two companies I recommend which are Blubrry.com and Libsyn.com

I am using them as an additional distribution point to see if I get any traction over there. In reality, like any other platform, you get out of it what you put into it.

Shout Outs!

Thanks to Neil, “You were wrong Dave” Smith of undercountryradio.com for sharing his pain.

Check out the UK Podcasters event if you're in the UK

Join the School of Podcasting today and avoid the pains of podcasting, or take a live coaching class

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About the Author
Owner of the School of Podcasting. Also produces the "Ask the Podcast Coach." He is also the author of the book "More Podcast Money" and is a regular speaker at podcasting and media conventions.
77 comments on “Is Soundcloud A Legitimate Option for Podcasting? 8 Podcast Media Hosting Companies Compared
  1. Nice overview, Dave!

    The one thing that has me thinking is the Soundcloud offering. I’m _almost_ interested in using them _just_ for media hosting, but I’ve also had some SC problems with some of my clients. Like invalid media URLs and worse.

  2. Mark says:

    Dave

    Of all the things you said, one bit had me scratching my head a little. The comments on not being able to play the Soundcloud audio in a new window. Tabbed browsing has been around for some years now. Don’t want to leave the page playing the audio, just open a new tab.

    As for everything else. I totally agree. I went down the Archive.org then BuzzSprout route when setting up – I very quickly realised my error and moved over to Libsyn.

    For me using SoundCloud would be like asking a car electrician to rewire your house (having purchased a house where the previous owner did just that, I know what a disaster it can be).

    Cheers

    Mark

  3. Shawn says:

    I agree with you when it comes to SoundCloud. They need to get their podcasting service out of beta and they need to get into the community, already.

    On a somewhat related note, I heard Tom Merritt say today during an interview on the Mac Power Users podcast that he hosts the audio files for his new daily tech news show on archive.org. Kinda surprised by that, especially considering the highly successful Patreon campaign he’s had for that podcast. His explanation for this was something like, “Everything ends up on archive.org eventually anyway, so I may as well just put the files there first.” I hope all of the dedicated fans who chipped in to help his campaign appreciate the slow download speeds. And I wonder if Merritt is donating any of those funds to archive.org to help with their bandwidth costs…

  4. Terry McKenna says:

    Hi Dave,

    Have you heard the latest episode of “Smart Passive Income” (where Pat interviews Tim Ferris)? Pat mentioned that he uses Soundcloud for his “Ask Pat” podcast, because the episodes are only around five minutes. He likes that you can embed the player and play it directly from a social media platform.

    I was thinking about doing the same type of thing. What do you think? Would I have to launch an entirely new podcast with a new website and RSS feed?

  5. Terry,
    If its a new podcast you can create a new site (or not). If you switch media hosts, you don’t need to change a thing, but you take out the old media link (say to blubrry) and replace it with the link of the new media host.

  6. Tom Sabella says:

    I have been thinking about using soundcloud. This has been very helpful. I use libsyn they r great. Any time I have a question Rob is on it.

  7. Terry McKenna says:

    Thanks Dave,

    My thought was to keep blubrry for my regular episodes, and use Soundcloud for short bits. I am thinking/hoping I can do something on Soundcloud without even using the RSS feed. After all, if I were to put a song up using Soundcloud I wouldn’t need to do it using an RSS…right?

    I suppose using it this way would mean that my “shorts” would not go to iTunes, etc., but I might just be able to publish them via social media.

    Thanks again Dave…love the show and I love that you are a fellow Clevelander! West Side m/

  8. They changed things since I first published this and now you have to dig into your RSS to find the mp3 (not exactly convienient).

  9. If you want it to go to iTunes you would need to get the direct link, and getting that is not easy, and in theory you need to be using their podcast service (or there are some sites that help you dig out the mp3).

  10. Terry McKenna says:

    Maybe blubrry will develop a player like Soundcloud’s. That would solve everything for me.

  11. Terry, please email me your thoughts on a new player, cio [at] rawvoice dot com. We can’t simply copy the SoundCloud player, but if you can give me suggestions what elements you like we can try to come up with something.

  12. Terry McKenna says:

    Thanks Angelo,

    I am pondering this a little more and will email you in the next day or two.

  13. Terry,
    look forward to it.

    Dave

  14. Ean says:

    Here is and easy way to get your soundcloud mp3 link. http://youtu.be/FN0nhKXgvGM

  15. Ean,
    Thanks very interesting. Still would not use soundcloud as my MAIN host. So weird that they don’t make this easier.

  16. Thanks, Dave. I feel vindicated as you confirmed my research. We are switching from a dreadful service and with a video cast and two audio casts on the way, we need a bigger boat and rolling storage. The enterprise guys just don’t understand the podcast world.
    You rock! Keep up the fine work!
    Cecilie Korst
    The Trailer Talks (among other things)

  17. Camari says:

    Dave,

    Thanks for sharing with me. This was very insightful.

  18. Chris says:

    Hey Dave this is the first podcast I’ve listened to from you and it was a ton of great help. I was considering the idea of moving my podcast from Libsyn to SoundCloud but after hearing this episode I have reconsidered my options and and I’m sticking with Libsyn. Thanks for the help in making this decision.

  19. Uli says:

    Hi, Dave…
    coming across this post, and thought I’d ask a few questions that are on my mind.

    [1] If somebody has their own wordpress website and uses Powerpress or Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin, why would I need media hosting at libsyn, Blubrry or soundcloud? I already have an itunes compliant RSS feed then…

    [2] Getting my feed into iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn and Instacast looks easy enough… just need to add my RSS feed details. What about getting my feed into soundcloud? Would I manually upload my episodes to get them listed?

    [3] What’s the best way to get my RSS feed broadly listed in RELEVANT podcast platforms/directories?

  20. Libsyn and Blubrry offer unlimited bandwidth on MEDIA. HOstgator, Dreamhost, etc all say unlimited bandwidth, but it is a total crap shoot if they ask you to leave when you get popular. Soundcloud is not a directory. If you want your stuff on SOundcloud you upload it one file at a time (have fun with that) and in my travels, they represent 3% of my audience. To get into directories, get some sort of short keys system and submit it to them. I would say iTUnes, Stitcher, Tunin. The rest are up for grabs. Then make great content that makes your audience talk about it.

  21. Uli says:

    Dave,
    thanks for the answer. For people that are on android devices and want to listen to podcasts, what are their preferred apps? I’ve seen Pocket Casts, BeyondPod, Podcast Addict, Doggcatcher and Player FM.

    I am asking, because when I search each player’s podcast directory, my podcast isn’t showing up (yet). So having a list of the most preferred podcast apps for android would help me identify which podcast directories my feed needs to be added to.

  22. Augustina says:

    It’s difficult to find well-informed people about this subject,
    however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

  23. David says:

    Thanks for this review. I’m really stuck on deciding what media host to use. I’m launching a podcast next week and I wish there was a plan at $10 a month with unlimited bandwidth and 100 mb of uploads. Your post is leaning more towards Libsyn after reading everything.

  24. I use Libsyn for most of my shows. I love getting more space, and the ability to click publish and have it go in so many directions (facebook, tumblr, twitter). Dave

  25. Greg Dudzinski says:

    Hi Dave, you’ve helped me out before and very much appreciated! I was just pondering this question as well and for what I need Libsyn is crazy expensive! I do 2, 2 hour live talk shows per week on relationships and sexual issues. I currently use spreaker, though moving over to krykey.com Though wanted to be able to have listeners listen live (which will be through keykey.com (run a total station at 320K 24/7 for $30 per month) add phone app and that’s another $10 per month… cheap and great quality.. Any ways, I was just asking this question so listeners downloading my recorded shows, etc…….soundcloud seems like to best way to go and cost effective.. Though am leery of the difficulty as you said for RSS feeds, etc… I’ll just be using it as a media storage outlet wit htheir tracking too and their player is cool as you noted!

    Thoughts?

    Thank you again everyone!
    Greg

  26. Greg,
    Who needs 320K? The more K’s you add the more bandwidth? There are those people who watch every megabyte so they don’t go over their limit. Sounds like you’re spending $40 a month. For $20 a month you can go on Spreaker. Or go mixlr for live streaming ($10ish a month) and spend the other $30 on Libsyn and get your own app on iOs, Android, and Windows. You’re paying for a feature (320K) that’s not a feature (IMHO).

  27. Greg Dudzinski says:

    Hi Dave! Thanks for you follow up! I have been with spreaker since last June/July, they are good quality, though their customer service is poor and slow. Sound quality is good and I do have my own app through spreaker ($100 per year each for Android and Apple apps) Though spreaker has a very nice app as well. The sound quality with the 320k is incredible, though as you said is that needed? Perhaps not, though nice.. I do a 2 hr live show, twice a week with spreaker using SAM Broadcasting, works great, though it’s $50 per month, not $20 as you stated for what I need.
    Libsyn would be like $80 per month at least for the hours I need, unless I misread something because the storage limitations of 1500mb, 800 at $50 per month was not enough with 4 hrs per week, 4 or 5 weeks. The Krykey is 24/7 for only $30. I did read your insights into soundcloud as well… Thanks so much!

  28. Brother MAK says:

    Hey All, a good friend of mine and I are gearing up to start a podcast and Dave’s show and SPI have been great for info. Thanks Dave for what you’ve put out here (“I feel like I know you man!”)

    Paying the website host is pretty darn cheap and one time (for the year) and the microphone is reasonable – so that’s fine. Up front costs really seem to exist with the site, microphone and media hosting with the latter being the (I think?) most costly. As such, $20 a month isn’t much, but I’m not sure we’re prepared for a monthly cost at this point. I don’t disagree with the ‘get what you pay for’ thing. if there’s a reasonably sound free option at the get-go….I think that’s the route we want to take.

    I haven’t really heard anything DEFINITIVE here regarding SoundCloud. What I understand is:

    Their software is in beta…BUT they’ve been around a long time…then again so has the beta…
    Getting your direct link isn’t easy….BUT someone has posted a workaround that appears to work fine.
    There’s a limit to the number of files / episodes you can have up there requiring you to remove the old before you can load new ones. – How big of a barrier is this? What’s the limit?

    Can anyone say….’don’t do it’ or ‘considering the info posted, you’re ok to start with this’?

    I appreciate any feedback.

  29. Its not horrible, but why choose a company that requires a “work around.” Libsyn.com is awesome, solid, and a great platform that continues to grow .

  30. Eduardo Campos says:

    Is this post outdated about the beta version of soundcloud for podcasting? It is now july 2015 and I signed up recently to host a podcast and the process seemed very straight forward to me. Nothing about being on a list or anything like that.
    Can anybody comment on that?

  31. Yes. I need to update. They came out of beta after 3 years (finally).

  32. Dave says:

    Since this was posted a year ago, Soundcloud now allows everyone to use the podcast feature and podbean has added some features. I wonder how this list would change.

  33. Tanner says:

    For someone who really isn’t worried about tracking my hits on my podcast, would podbean be the best option for the price?

  34. Camilla says:

    Hi,
    Thanks for the great overview! I’m a beginner and hope you can help me with a question.

    Our podcast uses Podomatic at the moment but are looking to change, probably to Libsyn.com. You write that Podomatic gives you no way to leave – what do you mean by that? Does that mean that I have to create a whole new podcast show on Libsyn and that I won’t be able just to change the rss-feed on iTunes?

    Kind regards,
    Camilla

  35. Since April 2015, Soundcloud are no longer in Beta, and has a free option and two other options with prices. 99Euros a year for unlimited and stats seems like a good price to me. What is your assesment of them now ? I am currenlty using them for a work podcast, but I am wondering is that the best thing to do.

    Thanks,

    Mark

  36. Mark,
    You get what you pay for. They are being sued, and people are leaving soundcloud in droves See http://davidjackson.org/2015/08/why-soundcloud-makes-me-nervous-and-why-it-should-make-you-nervous/

  37. Dave, any thoughts on revisting this topic? I think Podbean may have changed their plans to include stats on all levels except the lowest one.

  38. Yeah, I need to double check. I think they (podbean) are (for the most part) legit. I know in the early days they had some issues. At one point a podcast I was testing had all their downloads stop. It took a few days for support to get back to me. You can get a free month using the coupon code sopfree at podbean.com

  39. Eric says:

    I don’t understand what you mean by “no way to leave”? Are you talking about: if you want to remove your audio files from the site, you can’t? Please clarify.

  40. Domingo Rogers says:

    Thanks for the overview Dave! I made the decision to go with blubrry, found a promo code on Google+ for one free month which will put a fire underneath me to get as many episodes of our show converted and uploaded.

    BTW I’m finding your site very helpful through this beginning of podcasting / converting all our past episodes to podcasts to expand our audience. Thanks for being a wealth of knowledge!

  41. Wish you woulda asked, I you can get a free month at Libsyn.com, blubrry.com Podbean.com, and spreaker.com using the coupon code sopfree

  42. Meaning you want to redirect your feed. you need the ability to tell iTunes, “Hey iTunes was hosted on company A, but Now my RSS feed is on company B (so redirect the feed, not the media, the media is not what itunes is looking at – it looks at the RSS – which points at the media).

  43. daniel says:

    Hello,
    I came across your post listing the best podcast hosting sites and noticed that BlastPod by Podcast Blastoff was not included. Admittedly, it would have been hard for you to include as it was in production at the time of the writing.
    Blastpod is not just another solution built on wordpress. It was built , from the ground up by podcasters, for podcasters. Every aspect of BlastPod was built with podcasters in mind. Every tool is built to make your podcast website something to be proud of.
    Well, we are live now and offering Easy Podcast Hosting, a Website Builder (no coding required) with themes and templates to match any brand, as well as a podcast management system that makes uploading a podcast to itunes, stitcher, and your own blastpod site as easy as updating your status and a wide range of tools, statistics and widgets to make your podcast website something you will be proud to display
    . we would be greatful if you would like to view the full range of features and give us your opinion and possibly include us in your next review. You can find us at
    http://www.podcastblastoff.com.

  44. Marijo says:

    Such a great article! I found this through a web search.

    I am new to podcasting and fortunately was steered in the direction of Libsyn. Still learning a lot, I will be back to your website often! Thanks for offering this great resource. — Marijo

  45. Pamela Scruggs says:

    Thanks for this! Enlightening! BTW…your last pitch line has a typo…
    “joing” the School of Podcasting? 🙂 🙂

  46. Lucia says:

    What do you mean by “Podomatic hijacks your feed if you try to leave”?

  47. Tina says:

    This is SO HELPFUL! Thank you! One thing I’ve noticed recently is that SoundCloud’s player does not play inside Facebook any longer. We had GREAT results using that option when we published our shows – our numbers more than doubled with that option. Do you know if that will change?

    Also is it worth it to use both – SoundCloud AND Blubrry for instance? Or does that just confuse people?

    Again, thank you this information is super helpful!

  48. Meaning you can’t add the code to alert iTunes that you’ve moved. The only way to enter this code is to purchase a higher package. You have to pay to leave.

  49. robert says:

    hello, thank you for all of your information. I am just beginning to get into the podcast world and came across the blubrry plugin, which i have set up and am quite happy with. question: the player. i have included the clammr player with the blubrry plugin, and it is the one i am happiest with as of right now. however, i cannot get an image or description to show up with it, just the player itself. i tagged the image for the sample file, via itunes, but it does not show on the site. also, unfortunately, the clammr player does not show up in the playlist,as i was informed it would not. it is a pity, makes for a bit of a work around for those who might go to the playlist to listen to podcasts but will not be able to share clips directly from the playlist. I really like the soundcloud player, and yet, the clammr feature i have is not available on soundcloud and i think it is a really good feature. so, is there anyway to spice up the clammr player with description and image? also,maybe this is only an issue because i have not uploaded a podcast to itunes yet. is that what would allow the image and description to display on my site?

  50. Robert,
    PowerPress does not display an image. The ID3 tags that you entered via iTunes will show up if you download the file and play it with something like Windows Media Player. PowerPress displays the player, as well as a download link, and a play in new window. You can also configure it to have subscription links. This post is more about hosting than players.

  51. sean says:

    Just wanted to take a minute to say thank you for your epic blog post! found exactly what i was looking for and loved it cause i already had selected soundcast 🙂 may you be blessed

  52. Shannon says:

    I am doing some research into podcast hosts and your article was very helpful. So far in my searching podbean seems like the best hosting for a podcast. I contacted them about the statistics and here is the link they provided – http://support.podbean.com/customer/portal/articles/1661444-podbean-%7C-four-key-statistics-to-understand-your-podcast-audience

    They said this was available for the $9 per month option (with unlimited storage).

    Thought this might be new and so I wanted to share. Anyone using podbean and loving it?

  53. John Bohn says:

    I’d love to throw our hat into the ring. My company Podami (http://www.podami.com/) has opened up early access to our podcast hosting platform. Our app is for all those serious about growing their podcast subscriber base with quality analytics. We’re also looking for prime beta users feedback on the application so we can really focus in on top podcasters pain points. We’d love to hear from you if this is something you’re interested in. Goto http://www.podami.com/ to get early access.

  54. Thanks for the analysis, Dave! Full disclosure, I work for Podomatic so just wanted to correct you on your review of us. We fulfill 6 out of your 7 criteria. We don’t have unlimited storage (#2) because of #6 (that’s what we charge for). Also, “hijack” one’s rss feed is a very strong and inaccurate word which does not describe our policy at all. In fact in redirecting one’s RSS feed is the #1 Help Article in our database. I should know as all redirects come my way and we honor everyone’s request to do so.

  55. Sloan,
    You get people to sign up with a free account, but then don’t give them the ability to redirect without upgrading their account. If the idea to test your system for free, and they decide to leave, they should be allowed to leave, and take whatever fans they have acquired, with them. IMHO.

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  57. Philo says:

    LOL, no one would want it to open in a new window anymore. It is not the late 90’s. They do not offer this because the new generation hates that feature. Yes, they would much prefer to have it open in a tab instead of a pop up window. Pop up windows are just hated today when it comes to UI and for good reasons.

  58. Just stumbled upon this list, but I figured I’d toss in my hosting site into the ring. I’m on two podcasts that have been using Pinecast.com since October last year. It’s a new hosting service made specifically for podcasters. There’s free, $5 a month, and $50 a month accounts. The free accounts have no trial time limit on them but they don’t have the full extend of everything offered, meanwhile the $5 account offers a podcast homepage, analytic data, unlimited storage and you can host 3 separate podcasts under one account. The site also allows for feedback directly on the site for your podcast and incorporates a tip jar feature to allow fans to directly support shows they like. The creator of the site recently did a podcast, Podcast Fast Track, talking about it in detail. Full disclosure, I’m actually one of the guys working on the site so I’m a tad bias when I say it’s one of the best hosting sites out there. And since I’m working on it I can say there will be more updates soon that will allow you to record, upload, and edit all through the site. Definitely worth a look at to say the least.

  59. Miguel Henry says:

    I’ve been using soundcloud for years and for the most part I love it.
    My only issues with it.. 1. Stats should be better 2. No uploads from phone anymore

  60. And the fact that they shut down your RSS feed for four days cutting off your audience. -Dave

  61. Mason West says:

    Thanks for publishing this. It’s very useful to me because I want to do a podcast to complement my daily blog and occasional vlog. Yet I know nothing, so the kind of basic orienteering you’re providing is invaluable.

    By the way, I looked up the Podbean address, and, yes, it’s basically a post office box in a business like The UPS Store. A lot of high-profile people on the Internet use these virtual addresses because they want to be able to receive traditional post from their followers, but for reasons of security they don’t want to give away their real address. And who can blame them?

    Thanks again!

  62. Beanh8r says:

    Podbean is a terrible, terrible host. They are very unresponsive to questions/problems, usually misread your emails or fail to respond at all, and it seems very likely they are a chinese company, or at the very least their entire line of support staff speaks English as a weak second language. They constantly misunderstood my questions or didn’t respond. Terrible support. I had problems with my feed and other problems which they were never able to address, and I eventually went to Libsyn, which has been amazing since day one. I recommend NO ONE use podbean, it was a terrible experience, and I lost 2 years of stats data when I had to move podcast hosts, and had to pay over $200 to Libsyn to transfer over all of my old files so that they would still be available on my new feed at Libsyn – not Libsyn’s fault – my fault for not starting with them in the first place.

  63. Brian says:

    Hi,

    This article has come in handy several times–thanks!

    I wanted to let you know that Spreaker does allow you to re-direct your RSS feed. I’m going to use them for hosting (as it’s pretty affordable) and this was one of my requirements.

    Cheers,
    Brian

  64. Dave,

    Your articles on podcasting or really clear, well-written and helpful. Thank you. But I must admit, I still don’t understand many things, and I’m launching the premiere of an audio drama in two weeks.

    You only mention Libsyn.com giving the ability to charge for previous podcasts. I am doing audiobooks, a dramatization (every two months or so due to amount of work) and the other weeks just narrated books (mostly public domain), so sound quality is paramount. I would be charging only for the dramatizations. Is there any reason for me to even be doing a podcast, instead of just putting them on my site and going through Audible? Will a podcast get me more exposure, or can I do the same in a different way, avoiding the podcast hosting costs?

    Thanks for any advice,

    Robert

  65. Robert,

    There are a million digital ways to sell files. Gumroad.com, https://selz.com/, as well as many wordpress plugin that turn your site into and ecommerce. There is also https://patreon.com/invite/oojl (PAtreon)

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  67. Levi says:

    Greetings, Just a heads about Podbean. I have an account with them but am now in the process of migrating to a more dependable platform due to their bizarre behaviour lately. They have made changes these past months which could in fact be a breach of contract but I wont go there.

    When I tried to migrate my subscribers from my old website it seems they did away with that facility so even though they were already in the system I had to charge a minimal fee. No problem they agreed but were then refused by Podbean’s pay host Stripe Connect having also done away with Paypal a few months ago.

    The support is a nightmare and only responded when I went to their Facebook page. However even that tactic does not work now. I eventually got someone on the chat facility which is also rarely up and it turns out although they are listed in Delaware USA the guy was in the Philippines and admitted all he could do was pass the message on.

    I understand from reddit some time ago that Podbean was having some teething problems but they should have been sorted a long time ago.

    But when customer support is conspicuous by it’s absence I am beginning to suspect that there are deeper issues with Podbean that is not as user friendly as it claims.

    Meanwhile their Premium Facility simply does not work and they avoiding all contact to resolve the matter which is no good if you depend on some Premium content.

    I would be grateful if anyone can enlighten me as to what is going on with Podbean.

    Meanwhile the hunt for a decent podcast platform continues without much success.

    I looked at Libsyn but they take 50% of Premium. That is not for ad revenue as some think. Its for private content as well which is not on.

    Looking at Blunrry also but wondering if there any more decent ones with Premium content facility apart from the big ones. Cheers

  68. Wayne says:

    How current/ accurate would you say this article is? Looks like it was written about 3 years ago? This is exactly the break down I was looking for, not sure if things have changed?
    Thanks,
    Wayne

  69. I would say it’s still relevant. Soundcloud is in worse shape than when I originally did the article. Prices haven’t changed.

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  71. According to American research, the number of iTunes podcast cover art listeners has grown up to 120% over the past four years. As the audience has continued to grow, it’s time to start a podcast for your business or a brand. Now before rushing into listening, podcast cover art is the only tool that can help you to get featured on iTunes.

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