What's a Podcast Media Host and Do I Need One?
What is a podcast media host? Great question. A media host gets your podcast out into the world. When you upload and publish a new episode, you’re doing this through your media host, and they push out your content to podcast directories, like Apple Podcasts.
That’s right, Apple Podcasts is only a directory, you don’t upload your shows there. Once the directories refresh with your new episode, your favorite podcast listening app will pull that new content and deliver it to your subscribers. This all happens via RSS feed. Have you ever subscribed to someone’s blog? It works the same way. You’re creating a syndicated show that people subscribe to.
If you have a website, you may have the option to use that site to host your podcast, but I would not do that. You’ll likely run into bandwidth problems. Plus, website hosts are not podcast experts.
Why you need a media host dedicated to podcasts
If you have a website for your podcast, and you should, you may have the option to use your website to host your podcast. I would not do that. You could run into bandwidth problems that will slow down your site and cause download issues for listeners, and with nearly 1 million podcasts out there, you don’t want to give people any reason to walk away from your show. Plus, website hosts are not podcast experts.
A good podcast media host offers things like
Support from people who understand podcasting and can help you with questions and tech challenges;
Stats about your show;
Premium content options, like an app for your show;
A podcast player for your website;
A basic website; and
They’ll make it easy to leave if you want to take your show elsewhere.
Not all podcast media hosts offer all those things. I have several podcasts and use both Buzzsprout and Libsyn for hosting. You only need one, I’m just experimenting as a podcast consultant.
I started out with Libsyn, the classic big dog of the industry, and have been happy with their hosting. A year or so ago, I met the team from Buzzsprout, and their customer support is incredible. Very friendly and always looking to innovate to help podcasters’ lives easier. They offer everyone on their paid plans advanced stats, and their website is clean and easy to use to set up your show.
some special offers for you
Libsyn
Get up to two months of free podcast media hosting with Libsyn if you sign up using my code POSTCARD.
Buzzsprout
Try out Buzzsprout and receive a $20 Amazon gift card when you join..
Free versus paid podcast hosting
There are some free hosts out there, like Anchor, but I think paying for hosting with an experienced host company is absolutely worth it because of the support they offer.
Also, we should pay for the things we value so these companies can stick around and keep serving us in the future. I’ve heard several stories of free media hosts going out of business because they weren’t making any money. I worry about this less now with Anchor since Spotify acquired them for millions, so who knows what will happen there. Anchor is a good starter option to play around.
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