Are you a creator looking to break into the exciting and varied new world of podcasts? You’re not alone! Podcasts are one of the most popular forms of media that the internet has brought us. They’re easier to create and produce than videos, but more entertaining and engaging than many people find traditional text-blogging. All a podcaster needs to get started is a microphone and an idea. But once you’ve come up with your concept and recorded yourself talking into your microphone a bit, you’re going to be faced with a much harder issue: how to get your podcast out to the public. That’s when you have to start thinking about podcast hosting – and names like Podbean and Blubrry start to come up.
There are dozens of platforms out there that podcasters can choose to host their creations. But which one is the right one for you? Which one will be the best for getting your ideas out to an audience that will actually appreciate them? In this article, we’re going to look at two of the most popular podcast-hosting platforms, the budget-friendly Podbean and the podcaster-created Blubrry, and try to help you decide which host is the right choice for your podcast.
There are so many platforms because, at its core, the technology for storing and distributing podcasts is fairly simple. First, a podcast platform stores the actual audio file of the podcast, and creates a link for it. Then, these links are distributed through RSS feeds. The purpose of RSS feeds is to update people on the podcasts they follow. RSS is a standardized way of expressing lists of updates in computer code, and they can be read from any device and through lots of different apps, like your phone’s native Podcast app, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. These apps are aggregators, and they basically check the RSS feeds for updates and then automatically open the audio files for no-fuss listening.
This means that all podcast hosting platforms have to do two things: first, they have to store the audio files and generate links for them, and second, they have to generate an RSS feed. Easy! But most platforms don’t stop there: to stay competitive in the podcast-hosting markets, podcast platforms are offering tons of additional features intended to help their users reach their audience as conveniently as possible.
In this article, we’re going to look at two popular podcast hosting platforms: Podbean and Blubrry. In this Podbean and Blubrry podcast host review, we’ll review the best (and worst) features of each platform, go through their price plans, and give some ideas for why you might want to pick one or the other. By the end of this article, you’ll have an idea of which platform is right for you!
Let’s start with Podbean. Podbean is a budget-friendly, user-friendly platform geared towards creators who want maximum flexibility with their podcast.
When it comes to prices, Podbean is hard to beat. Podbean’s paid hosting plans (they do offer a limited free podcast hosting plan) start at $9 per month, which gives you unlimited storage space and bandwidth for your audio every month, as well as basic statistics about your listeners, Apple Podcasts support, an RSS feed generator (of course!) and the tools to build a podcast website. The next level, for $29/month “unlimited plus” plan, you can also use that unlimited storage to upload video podcasts. The higher-priced plans give you increasingly diverse options for distributing and monetizing your podcasts, like access to a network page, the ability to manage multiple podcasts from the same account, and access to a patron program where listeners can support your podcast directly.
From its slick landing page to its website-building tools, Podbean puts the focus on keeping things simple from the customer’s perspective. The flexibility of the pricing plans and unlimited storage goes along with tools that don’t require too much technical expertise for the podcaster to handle. Podbean tries to keep things as hassle-free for the customer as possible, including 24/7 support staff helping podcasters troubleshoot (business plans have live support chat).
Another differentiator — albeit one many podcast hosts are replicating — are several ways for podcasters to monetize their show including their ads marketplace, livestream gifting, patron donations, and dynamic ad insertions.
Overall, Podbean’s greatest feature is the incredibly low price for unlimited storage. If your idea for a podcast involves a lot of content – like daily uploads, or weekly uploads of an hour or more – or if you just don’t want to have to worry about how much space you have left, then Podbean’s unlimited storage plans are unbeatable. Additionally, if you want all the bells and whistles of your own site, but don’t feel comfortable with all the technical coding elements, Podbeans gives you the tools to make this easy. However, if you don’t have those high-content plans that would make the unlimited storage worth it, or if you’re a more technically-minded person who wants more customizability and wants to be certain that customer service will help them every time, it might be worth looking somewhere else.
Blubrry was created mainly by podcasters, for podcasters, and its website outlines a business philosophy that emphasizes the importance of the creator having total control over their own show. “Blubrry believes we should provide you great tools and not interfere,” the website states, and the tools available to Blubrry users reflect that. The website includes tons of information aimed at informing and educating potential podcasters, including a link on the home page to a Podcasting Manual that gives tons of tips and tricks for using the platform, as well as more in-depth advice about how to succeed as a podcaster. This manual is completely free, and even if you end up choosing a different podcast host, you’re sure to find some useful information in it if you’re a beginning podcaster. The website also includes lots of information about monetization options, if you want to make money off your podcast as efficiently and ethically as possible. Detailed statistics are available to users at every level, as the Blubrry philosophy also states that “Blubrry believes in providing you accurate statistics.” While they don’t have the tools for creating your own native website, they do have a tool called PowerPress that will help you integrate your podcast seamlessly into any WordPress website.
But just like buying any other product from creator-driven, American-owned companies, what you might like about the ethics and philosophy does come at a price. One downside of Blubrry is the cost. The lowest tier already costs $12 per month, for only 100 MB of storage. If really you want the unlimited storage that Podbean offers for only $9/month, you’re going to have to inquire about the “professional package,” which has no fixed price listed on the website – but you can bet it’s going to be more than the $80/month of the highest-tier “extra large” package. If you’re interested in uploading video, the $20/month “medium” plan is slightly cheaper than Podbean’s $29/month “unlimited plus” plan, but still has only 250 MB of storage, compared to Podbean’s unlimited option.
Blubrry is rapidly becoming one of the highest-rated podcast hosting services, with many creators loving its ethics and tools, and finding they don’t miss the bells and whistles of Podbean and other hosts. And if you’re worried about customer support, chew on this – Blubrry is the only podcast hosting service in the world to provide customer service over the phone.
Overall, in the great Podbean vs Blubrry debate, you’re going to have to decide what’s most important to you as a creator: a better value for a large amount of storage, or a supportive, creator-driven platform. There’s not a right or wrong answer here – both are valid perspectives! If you’re an independent type with a big, ambitious podcasting plan, Podbean might be more your speed. If you’re interested in learning more about the art of podcasting and supporting other podcasters, but your idea for your own show is a touch more modest, Blubrry might be for you.
Whether you eventually choose to host your podcast on Podbean or Blubrry, know that you’re entering one of the most exciting creative fields of the twenty-first century. Good luck, and happy podcasting!
The Discover Pods writing staff is dedicated to seeking out the most interesting, entertaining, and informative podcasts out there. If you're interested in contributing, don't be shy. Reach out. We don't bite.
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