Looking for the best podcast hosting platform for your new show?
You’re in the right place.
Podcasts can play an important role in the best public relations campaigns and should be at the heart of your PR plan.
But getting the technical side of things right can be tricky.
And that starts with choosing a quality podcast hosting platform for your show.
This is our rundown of the best podcast hosting platforms in 2022.
1. ZenCast
If you’re ready to record your first show then ZenCast comes highly recommended for podcast newcomers.
A super easy to use podcast hosting platform to use, ZenCast helps you get to grips with the software and launch your show onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify in no time at all.
A brilliant feature of the site is the ‘Resources’ section, where you can find step by step guides to uploading your first show.
It also includes insights into keywords and artwork that will really help your show stand out in the podcast listings.
Alongside this, you can direct your questions to real people via live chat, and get set up within minutes of entering the site.
ZenCast’s real time analytics help you build off your most popular content.
If you know how your audience is listening, and what they like listening to, you’re armed with powerful data.
This data can inform all your show planning and help you grow your show’s listeners the smart way. And of course quickly.
The essential podcast features are included in every plan and there are no hidden catches like adverts or upload limits to restrict use of the site to pricer packages.
With packages starting from $12 a month, ZenCast is a serious competitor for the best podcast hosting platform.
Best For: New podcasters who want to upload their first episode to Apple or Spotify.
2. Castos
Castos is certainly one of the more personable podcast hosting platforms.
Entering the site, you are welcomed to the online community and invited to explore their user-centred plans at your own pace.
It seems like a really small detail, but provides such a different user experience.
Aside from the generic features of podcast hosting platforms, Castos stands out with its tailor-made ‘Seriously Simple Podcasting’ plugin for WordPress, which users seem to love.
It’s a simple but highly efficient way to create and manage podcasts all from the WordPress dashboard.
What is most striking about Castos as a podcast hosting platform is that it’s more than just a host site.
It really is a community with a support network on hand to optimize your podcast hosting experience, especially during the daunting times like set up or file migration.
There’s also a dedicated blog space that has up-to-date advice and tricks for pretty much any type of podcasting you can imagine, whatever your target audience.
Castos offers competitive rates, with the same monthly pricing structure as Captivate, but even better!
You can upload unlimited episodes for an unlimited number of podcasts, and receive in-depth listener analytics, all for just $19 a month on the ‘starter’ package.
Best for: Podcasting community and excellent value for money for all stages of podcaster.
3. Alitu
Alitu have gone out of their way to make podcasting as simple as possible on their podcast hosting platform.
They distinguish between automated actions, that can be done easily and with just a click of a button, and ones that Alitu will support you with which can be a little more tricky.
Upload clips from your library to the custom episode builder, and edit your podcast within just a few minutes. It’s that easy!
Personal touches like show audio branding software speed up the editing process, as Alitu does it for you.
There’s also a cache of sound FX and jingles so you can customize your show, and have some fun playing around with sounds.
Support also plays a big role on the Alitu site.
Best for: From helpful videos and How-to’s, to a dedicated support page that displays topics and articles on creating episodes and workflow demo’s, Alitu is there to help you make the best podcast possible.
4. Captivate
Captivate is one of our favourite podcast platforms for 2022.
The dashboard is so easy to use and everything you need is accessed in just one click.
For someone new to podcasting this is essential to stop you getting bogged down with the technology.
Captivate offers some great technology including advanced analytics and a free import of your show from another podcast hosting platform.
You also get your own podcast website which can use your brand colours or design from scratch.
Better yet they’ve just announced that they have achieved IAB Certified status as a podcast analytics provider.
There are also some impressive marketing communications features that allow you to monetize.
This includes a podcast sponsorship kit PDF which will help you get those all-important sponsors for your show. The PDF lets you show download numbers and highlight recent episodes.
The payment plans are based on downloads and start at $19 a month for anything up to 12,000 downloads.
There’s no completely free option here, but each plan comes with a 7-day free trial.
Best for: Hosting multiple shows and advanced insights and analytics.
5. Podbean
Podbean is specifically designed for businesses, organisations and educational institutions to host a podcast.
So whether you want to broadcast internally to your workforce/student base, or increase your external reach, this podcast hosting platform is a great choice for you.
This state of the art platform boasts easy uploading and publishing tools, stunning templates, custom domains, social and promotional tools, embeddable podcast player, monetization tools and more.
Podbean is excellent at helping you decide which plan to go for based on your needs and budget.
Their pricing plans are clearly broken down into categories and the key components that you would want from a podcast hosting platform.
Podbean is great for beginners – they make the process of ‘publish, distribute, measure and monetize’ very clear.
There’s no difficult technology to learn.
There are more advanced packages if you’re looking for more sophisticated features on monetization and analytics.
Best for: Easy publishing, unlimited hosting and a professional podcast website.
6. Transistor
Transistor’s message is simple: record; upload; distribute.
This streamlined process makes podcasting really easy.
Transistor offers detailed insights into listener trends, such as mapping how and where they listen, so you can use this information in your influencer marketing efforts.
Transistor also has an excellent blog hidden at the bottom of the site, which offers helpful guides on everything ranging from technical podcast hosting tips to industry insights.
Best for: Pricing is competitive, at $49 a month for the ‘Professional’ package, you can expect a comprehensive range of features that allow you to be flexible and support the growth of your show.
7. Blubrry
When entering the site, Blubrry offers the choice of podcast hosting, statistics and the PowerPress Plugin, all which lead to their own mini-sites.
This tailored approach helps to define your search and provide the tools to help you achieve podcast success.
Blubrry offers seamless integration of your website and podcast by using PowerPress, a WordPress plugin feature.
This means you can access all the benefits of podcast hosting from your self-hosted WordPress site.
Podcast plans are comprehensive and range from a standard $12 per month to the by request ‘Professional’ package.
Statistics analysis plans are also available separately. They provide you with readable reports and visual aids to understand your podcast statistics.
Best for: Blubrry take their analysis seriously and are one of the few companies to be IAB Certified Compliant with Podcast Measurement Guidelines.
8. Spreaker
Spreaker is a great tool for new podcasters wanting to dive in because they promise to get your podcast up and running in 10 minutes or less.
Though the site and its features appear a little less refined than others, this is a great option for newbies and seasoned show makers who want to experiment with new online tools.
Plus, you can still distribute and monetize your podcast on all of the most popular platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Stitcher.
Not including the free option, plans start from $6 pcm for basic features including live podcasting and episode scheduling, which is a great deal for those starting out.
You can also find a great selection of shows to listen to, a testament to hosting success with Spreaker and listen online or through the app.
Best for: Free starter plan and live audio streaming.
9.Buzzsprout
It’s easy to see why so many people choose Buzzsprout as their podcast hosting platform.
The major attraction to Buzzsprout is the diversity of features available to hosts – from hosting, to promoting and tracking your show – they have it all.
The beautifully designed interface provides clear visuals of podcast statistics as well as an easy to use process for uploading and organising your shows.
Starting from a monthly payment of just $12, this allows you to upload three hours of audio each month with options for additional features at the best price.
If you can afford to pay more there’s a whole range of technical gems such as the automatic episode optimization, which converts files with minimal fuss.
They also make it super easy to automatically list your show in popular podcast directories such as Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
This means that wherever people are searching, your podcast will appear in just a few clicks.
Best for: If you want to make money from your show you’re in the right place because Buzzsprout have added a new affiliate marketplace.
Which Podcast Hosting Platform Will You Choose?
So there you have it.
Our 8 favourite podcast hosting platforms in 2022.
As you can see they all offer similar types of service at comparable price points but some will appeal to you more than others.
My advice is to take the free trials where you can and play around a bit.
When you podcast regularly, as we do with The Famous Business, you’ll find you repeat the same actions time and again when you’re publishing.
That means you want a podcast hosting platform that feels intuitive to YOU.
And remember don’t keep your podcast in isolation, make sure it’s integrated into your wider public relations campaign.
A decent podcast can be the source of endless free PR.
And if you’re ready to take your PR work to the next level grab our PR Starter Kit.
Our must-have kit has every template, script, strategy and guide you’ll ever need to do PR – all in one place.
Good luck!