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Research Outline

Prepared for Richard M. | Delivered February 2, 2020

Podcast Hosting Platforms

Goals

To look at 3-5 hosting platforms that are best for a podcast, and for each to know the name, a description of it, and why it is considered a good platform. An ideal response would not include Blubrry, but would compare it to what else is on the market.

Early Findings

  • For the purposes of the research, Blubrry was looked at, as it is currently being used and comparisons for this platform was desired.

Spreaker

  •  Spreaker has a very popular podcasting app. It’s available on iOS and Android, and allows listening to a huge directory of podcasts from around the world. There is also Spreaker Studio, their desktop and mobile software that allows recording, editing, and managing podcasts.
  •   Spreaker also works behind the scenes, by allowing hosting a podcast with them directly. This allows a podcast to reach their huge audience of app listeners, and it allows live broadcasting. Publishing to Spotify, TuneIN, Stitcher and iHeartRadio, amongst others is possible, all starting at $0 per month.
  •  They have four pricing models. One: Free Speech: Free plan lets you upload up to 5 hours of audio. Live podcasts can be up to 15 mins long. No monetization. Two: On-Air talent: $7 per month. Upload a maximum of 100 hours of audio. Live podcasts can be 45 mins long. Start monetizing and get customizable RSS feeds. Basic stats. Three: Broadcaster: $18 per month for a maximum of 500 hours of audio storage. 3 hours of live podcasting. Advanced statistics Four: Anchorman: $45 per month for 1,500 hours of audio max. 5 hours of live podcasting and full statistics.
  •  Pros of using the service are: One: Find an audience through their popular app . Two: Live broadcasting!. Three: Chat with listeners. Four: Full integration with the Spreaker Studio.
  •  Cons of using the service are: Statistics are tiered depending on the plan.

Castos

  •  Castos calls themselves the “seriously simple host”. That comes from them running the “Seriously Simple Podcasting WordPress plugin”. If WordPress is being used, installation of one of their fantastic plugins can be used to turn a site into a complete podcasting solution.
  • Castos is an ideal solution for users who already know and love WordPress. The stats are useful, it’s easy to publish from a dashboard, and uploading unlimited episodes is allowed. The prices appear to be higher and the video options don’t really seem worth it at first glance.
  •  They have three monthly and yearly pricing models. One: Audio Podcasting: $19 per month. Unlimited episodes and storage, one-click import of previous episodes from elsewhere, in-depth stats. Two: Audio with Republishing: $34 per month. Same as above, with the extra ability to republish podcasts to Youtube as videos. Three: Video Podcasting: $49 per month. Same as audio podcasting, but it allows hosting of video podcasts.
  •  Pros of using the service are: One: Can separate hosting and plugin. Two: Good analytics. Three: Unlimited episodes and storage with all plans. Four: Can add all metadata in another language. Five: Option to republish podcasts to YouTube.
  •  Cons of using the service are: One: Need a WordPress site. Two: Requires WordPress technical knowledge.

Libsyn

  •  Libsyn is a very well-known name as a podcast host platform. The Joe Rogan Experience is hosted there. WTF with Marc Maron is hosted there. Bill Burr’s podcast is there. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History, and the McElroy brothers are there.
  • In terms of features, Libsyn were the first to partner with Spotify, and a podcast can be pushed to a variety of other places, including iHeartRadio, Youtube, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress, amongst others.
  • A page on Libsyn (mypodcast.libsyn.com) is given to every user. The top tier also comes with a podcast app, and working with their list of vetted advertisers is allowed if around 5000 downloads per episode within 30 days is hit as a metric.
  •  They have five pricing models. One: Libsyn Classic 50: $5 per month. Allows adding up to 50 MB of audio monthly. Allows creation of a RSS feed, podcast page, HTML5 player and network app listing. Basic statistics cost $2 extra per month. Two: Libsyn Classic 250: $15 a month to add 250 MB of data monthly. Same as above, except basic stats are included. Three: Libsyn Advanced 400: $20 per month for 400 MB of extra data storage per month. The custom app or an extra 200Mb costs $10 more per month. Advanced statistics are included in the price. Four: Libsyn Advanced 800: $40 a month for 800 MB of extra data per month. Same as above with the extra option of transcoding audio files. Five: Libsyn Advanced 1500: $75 / month for all the bells and whistles and near-unlimited data hosting.
  •  Pros of using the service are: One: Easy to switch plan. Two: Promote through multiple platforms. Three: Reliable reputation.
  •  Cons of using the service are: One: Dated website. Two: No free plan.

Summary Of Our Early Findings Relevant To The Goals

  • Our initial hour of research found 3 competitors to Blubrry and provided the name, a description of it, and why it is considered a good platform. Additionally, although it was not required, we provided the pricing structure, as we felt that would provide value.
  • Please select one or more of the options provided in the proposed scoping section below.