Wonder

Factors to Consider: Podcast Hosting Sites

Delivered February 4, 2020. Contributor: Dagmawit W.

Goals

To obtain a list of 4-5 things to keep in mind when choosing a podcast hosting site.

Early Findings

Choosing a Podcast Hosting SiteIn order to determine which site to choose, one must first address the following:
Determine the amount of storage needed for the podcast.
The amount of audio storage and content that will be uploaded monthly.
Determine if there is need for a site to align each episode to a blog post. 
Determine if there is need for video podcasts and the format.
The analytics that would be relevant to view.
The ease in adding advertisements and sponsorship into an episode.
 The financial investment that one would be willing to spend on hosting services.
Factors to Consider Episode RestrictionsSome podcasts are free but for a limited upload amount. Once this limit has been reached, users may opt to get into a paid plan.
Most podcast sites are structured as a subscription service. It is important to determine if there is a limit in the length of each episode.
Others may be unlimited for a small monthly fee.
It is highly recommended that one chooses a service that offers unlimited bandwidth. This is essential in ensuring that one is not inconvenienced along the way.
Free vs. Paid Podcasts Hosting Sites When choosing to go with a free podcast site, it is of paramount importance that one reads through the terms and conditions, especially as pertains to the ownership of the podcast content. Most sites offer a variety plans based on the features.
Podcasting AnalyticsIt is important to ensure that the site chosen is compliant with the IAB guidelines. These standards are critical in improving the accuracy of the statistics and encouraging a transparent culture with sponsors and advertisers. 
When choosing a podcast hosting site, it is important to select those that comply with industry regulations as a high priority. 
File AlterationsSome hosting sites alter the files after they have been uploaded. These alterations may include adding some metadata, converting file types from WAV to .mp3, and tagging artwork. 

Proposed next steps:

You need to be the project owner to select a next step.

Our initial research was able to provide insights into the factors to consider when choosing a podcast hosting site. We recommend continued research in addressing 3-5 factors to consider when selecting a podcast hosting site. For each factor, we will provide 2-3 supporting insights.

Additionally, we will provide 2-3 case studies of Podcasters and the mistakes they made. This will address things that they wished they knew before or the mistakes they made in the past and how they have rectified the mistakes. We will also provide the eventual impact of this change.