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Are you seeking out the best podcast hosting UK picks in 2022? If so, then you are in the right place!
As a podcaster and marketer myself, I did thorough research and tested several podcast hosting sites before making this list. So, you can expect rock-solid information regarding the subject matter.
To help you make you an informed decision, below, you will find everything you need to know regarding podcast hosting platforms including the details of their top features, pricing, customer support, and more. So, letās get going!
Top 7 Best Podcast Hosting UK Picks Of 2022
1. BuzzSprout
The first spot in my list of best podcast hosting UK picks goes to BuzzSprout. Established in 2009, it is one of the oldest and leading platforms for hosting podcasts.
From hosting to promoting and tracking your podcast- BuzzSprout has all the tools you will ever need to become a professional podcaster.
And the best part is, you can use the platform free for 90-days before even paying a single penny!
To get started with using BuzzSprout, all I needed to do was upload my podcasts to their servers and they automatically took care of the file types, bitrates, and ID3 tags. I was also able to chapter markers inside my podcast files.
Also, with BuzzSprout, there is a dedicated plugin player to embed on websites which is great for cross-promoting content.
As for getting listed on all the podcast directories, getting listed was dead simple and only took a few minutes to propagate on all the major platforms.
Moreover, I was able to monitor the performance of my episodes through advanced podcast statisticsĀ
Currently, BuzzSprout has 3 packages that all include advanced stats, podcast websites, unlimited storage, and unlimited team members.
You can start with BuzzSprout for as low as Ā£9.15/month and get 3 hours of upload time. Furthermore, BuzzSprout offers two add-ons including āmagic masteringā starting with an additional Ā£4.5/month to optimize your audio files and also adding transcriptions at Ā£0.20/minute.
Overall, BuzzSprout is the one-stop-shop for creators and is my number one pick for the best podcast host for those in the UK!
2. PodBean
Founded in 2006, PodBean was one of the first-ever dedicated podcast hosting platforms. Currently, the platform has more than 500,000 active users and is a close second on our list.
At a quick glance, PodBean provides some great benefits including publishing tools, unlimited hosting, free podcast websites, analytics dashboard, 24/7 customer support, and many more, making it one of the best podcast hosting UK platforms.
Starting with PodBean is fairly simple, straight away I was able to upload my podcast episodes within a few minutes.
Moreover, you can use their dedicated mobile app for this and even schedule your podcasts for publishing at a later time. The best part is, PodBean also offers a unique āLive streaming featureā for users who want to host live audio shows.
A user-friendly dashboard is also there to help upload your podcasts to all the major directories and you can use advanced analytics to get useful stats regarding your top-performing episodes.
Automatic social media sharing and email integration were great welcomed features and I was able to even monetize my podcasts using their monetization options.
In terms of cost, PodBean offers 4 simple pricing plans. You can get started for free with the platform that comes with 5 hours of storage space and a bandwidth of 100GB/month.
However, for unlimited storage and bandwidth, you can opt for the paid plans including; āUnlimited audioā at Ā£6.8/month, āUnlimited plusā at Ā£22/month, and āBusiness planā at Ā£75/month.
The flat-pricing plans and great features of PodBean are certainly worth looking at. I was extremely satisfied with the hosting platform and will definitely recommend this to anyone considering a career in podcasting.
3. Transistor
Transistor is a podcast hosting platform founded by Jon Buda and Justin Jackson in 2018. Despite being fairly new in the industry, it has made quite an impression among podcasters and currently has more than 10,000 paying customers.
The platform hosts some of the most popular podcasts including Indie Hackers, IBM, Basecamp, and provides its users with everything they need to start and grow your podcast.
The best part is, you can even use their free trial of 14-days to test the features before paying.
For testing purposes, I was able to generate a branded website with a custom domain name and embed their custom podcast player with ease.
Furthermore, Transistor does not cap the storage limit and I was able to store multiple episodes of my podcasts hassle-free.
Coming to the promoting and marketing side, Transistor is one of a kind.
You can submit your podcasts on all major directories and use their advanced analytics dashboard to keep track of the progress of the episodes as it provides some really useful stats including the number of downloads, subscribers, listener trends, and much more.
As for the pricing, transistor offers 3 packages and the pricing is based on the number of downloads a podcast gets.
The Starter Package costs Ā£14.35/month and supports 15,000 monthly downloads, Professional package costs Ā£37/month supporting up to 75,000 monthly downloads while the Business package costs Ā£74.70/month and supports up to 200,000 monthly downloads.
Due to its affordable pricing and the fact that you can always upgrade your package based on your listeners, Transistor is one of the best podcasting hosting UK platforms. Highly recommended!Ā
4. Simplecast
Next up on my list is Simplecast which is a great podcast hosting platform that offers plenty of amazing features. The platform was introduced in 2013 and currently hosts some big names including Facebook, Shopify, TechCrunch, and Medium.
Simplecast is an all-rounded platform and assists its users in publishing, distributing, sharing, and monitoring their podcasts. And if you are a beginner, you can use their free trial of 14-days before opting for any paid plan.
Coming to the features, all the paid plans of Simplecast includes a custom domain and an embed podcast player for your website.
Once done with the creation of your podcasts, you can easily submit them to all the major listening directories including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.Ā
You can even use their social sharing buttons to promote your episodes and grow your website and there is also an option of advanced analytics to see how your episodes are performing.
You can start podcasting with Simplecast for as low as Ā£11.33/month using the Basic plan that supports up to 20,000 downloads monthly. Other packages include Essential plan that costs Ā£26.45/month and Growth plan that costs Ā£64.23/month.
One little setback for me is that they only provide email support. Regardless of that, I found Simplecast an extremely great Podcast hosting platform. It is a good fit for all marketers looking to scale.
5. Audioboom
Audioboom is a London-based hosting platform well known mostly for its business to business services.
In addition to the standard podcast hosting services, the platform is very unique in the sense that it matches up and coming podcasters with advertisers.
As soon as you hit 10,000 plays per episode, you can find sponsors for your podcast and make decent money.
Getting started with the platform is fairly simple. After signing up, you can start uploading your episodes on their servers or import those from an existing podcast.
There is also an option of adding an embed player to your website or social media accounts.
Publishing the episodes with Audioboom is a breeze thanks to the one-click process and you can get detailed insights of your listeners through the advanced analytics section.
Furthermore, you can also invite guests to your podcast and run your show with a co-host.
Since Audioboom is mostly targeting businesses, their pricing also reflects that. It only has two packages for individual podcasters. The Standard plan costs Ā£7.46/month and supports up to 10,000 plays per month while the Plus plan supports up to 25,000 plays per month.
To sum up, Audioboom is well-suited for medium to large-sized businesses and marketers who want advanced tools and monetizing options at their disposal. Ā
6. Castos
Next up on our list is a premium podcast hosting provider called Castos. Founded by Craig Hewitt, Castos has a clientele of more than 10 thousand customers and is certainly among the best podcast hosting UK platforms.
From unlimited storage to social sharing tools and a dedicated WordPress plugin, Castos has all the tools you need to grow your podcast. The best part is, the platform also offers a free trial of 14-days so that users can test the features.
Thanks to a dedicated WordPress plugin called āSeriously simple podcastingā, setting up a WordPress website is fairly simple.
Simply install the plugin, follow the basic instructions and your customized podcasting website will be ready within no time.
Also with Castos, you can submit your podcasts to all major directories in 3 simple steps and then monitor the progress of your episodes through advanced analytics.
Furthermore, Castos also provides automated YouTube integration and on-demand podcast editing services.
Currently, Castos offers 3 different packages to the users and the prices are based on the number of private subscribers. The plans include Starter at Ā£14.34/month, Growth at Ā£37/month, and Pro at Ā£74.7/month. Users can also opt for automated transcriptions at Ā£.075/minute.
Overall, I was extremely satisfied with this platform and wouldnāt hesitate to recommend this to beginners looking to start their own podcasts.
7. Spreaker
Launched in 2010, Spreaker is the last podcast hosting provider in my lineup. With thousands of podcasters and millions of monthly listeners, the platform is well known for top-notch services.
Thanks to its established audience, podcasters can connect with advertisers and monetize their episodes- so itās much more than just a hosting platform. In addition to this, the platform also has a dedicated Android and iOS app so that users can manage their channels on the go.
With Spreaker, creating episodes for my podcast was really easy. I used their desktop app for this purpose and then scheduled my episodes for publishing at a later date making this process easy.
Furthermore, Spreaker also provides a live broadcast feature in all its paid plans so you can also test it.
Moreover, the One-click distribution feature was really great and I only had to just click once to submit my podcasts to major directories. There is also a feature called podcast analytics using which you can get detailed insights into your listeners.
You can start podcasting for free with Spreaker and test the features yourself. Although youāll only get 5 hours of audio storage space.
For more storage space, you can choose between a Broadcaster plan that costs Ā£15.1/month and provides 500 hours of audio storage, or Anchorman plan that costs Ā£37.7/month and provides 1500 hours of audio storage.
Spreaker is a great podcasting hosting platform and is certainly an option worth exploring for every podcaster looking for monetization options and top-notch features. Ā
How I Found The Best Podcast Hosting Providers
As a full-time marketer and an author- most of my time is spent on testing different service providers and tools so that I can help my fellow marketers and increase my business of course.
For creating this list, I tested various podcast hosting providers and read all about them on the internet so that I can eventually come up with my picks of the best Podcast hosting UK providers.
With that being said, here are the 5 most important things that I considered while making this list.
1. Domain set up and Embed podcast player
The first thing I look for in a podcast hosting provider is whether or not they offer a custom domain set up. This is crucial since you need to have a dedicated website for your podcast if you want your listeners to take you seriously.
Having a dedicated website and an embed podcast players acts as a trust signal and shows the audience that you are serious about your podcasts
2. Audience Metrics
A large part of content creation is keeping up with audience engagement and no one can do this manually if they have a large audience. This was the deciding factor for me and I think the best podcast hosting UK platform must have the option of tracking analytics and engagement metrics.
Finding out where your listeners are coming from and which topics they prefer listening to can play an important role in taking your podcast to the next level. This is why I only selected the hosting platforms providing detailed audience insights into the listeners.
3. Upload storage space and number of downloads allowed
Most of the hosting providers only provide limited hours of upload storage. While not a problem initially, this can certainly hurt you if your podcast gets unexpected growth.
Another important thing to mention here is that some of the hosting providers only allow a certain number of downloads per month and once that number is achieved, youāll either have to upgrade your package or pay hefty additional-charges.
Keeping all the above things in mind, I prefer hosts that provide unlimited upload storage and do not cap the number of downloads per episode. This way, I can focus on creating quality content without worrying that I will burn up my allocated resources.
4. Pricing
While not a major deciding factor for me, pricing is a real-concern for some-especially for beginners. This is why I wanted the list of the best podcast hosting UK platforms to be inclusive of all kinds of hosting platforms with different price ranges.
All of the podcasting platforms I selected had varying levels of prices and were affordable for most users out there.
The business and professional packages can be used for high-level podcasting projects if users want to invest in a possible new source of revenue. However, low to mid-range prices can be very convenient for newcomers and hobbyists.
5. Dedicated apps
One last thing I look for in a podcast hosting platform is whether or not they have dedicated apps for the users.
Since I am travelling quite often, having a dedicated app makes things much easier for me. Not only this but having a dedicated app gives you full control over your podcasts and this added benefit is certainly important for me.
What Is Podcast Hosting & Do I Need it?
Podcast Since podcast hosting is a bit technical concept and there is a lot of jargon involved, a lot of people have some misconceptions regarding the whole thing. If you are just starting your podcasting journey, then this part should be helpful for you.
A common misconception:
Most people think that for podcasting, all you need is the equipment to record your episodes and then share it with others through Spotify, iTunes, and other similar apps. Right?
But this is far from the realityā¦.
See Apple iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast, and other similar apps do not actually host your podcasts! These apps only facilitate the listeners to listen to the podcasts.
This is where podcast hosting comes inā¦
Role of Podcast hosting:
Podcast hosting companies act as a bridge between the podcasters and the listener. As a podcaster, you can store all your episodes on the servers of a host and then the hosting companies create a simple RSS feed- information about all your episodes- and share it with the apps like iTunes, Google podcast, etc. so that your subscribers can listen to your podcasts.
In short, if you want to start your podcast, then you need to use the services of a podcast hosting company. Thereās absolutely no other way around!
How To Submit Podcast To All Platforms at once?
Once you have your first podcasting episode ready, itās time to submit it to the directories (like iTunes, Google podcast, Spotify, etc.) and get it in front of your audience.
If you are using a premium podcast host like BuzzSprout, then submitting your podcast to all the directories is a piece of cake.
Hereās how you can submit your podcast using BuzzSprout:
Step 1: Fill in the details of your podcast
Go to your BuzzSprout hosting dashboard, select the option āPodcast settingsā and fill out the information required. This includes setting up a title, description, contact email, selecting the relevant category, and things like that.
Step 2: Select āGet listedā
Go to the directories tab from the BuzzSprout dashboard and just click the option āGet listedā.
Once you do this; a new tab will appear.
Step 3: Click āSubmit to Apple podcastā
On the new tab, simply click the button submit to Apple podcast from the dashboard, and voila- your Podcast is published. (For this you need to set up an Apple ID first)
Step 4: Wait for the approval
Your podcast should be published within the next 4-5 business days and you will get an email about it.
In case, you are not using BuzzSprout, hereās how you can submit your podcast to all platforms:
Step 1: Sign in to iTunes Connect using your Apple ID.
Step 2: Paste the URL of your RSS feed and fill out other relevant information.
Step 3: Click submit and wait for the approval.
Please note: For this example, we have explained how to submit your podcast to Apple Podcast but you can use the same process with little alterations and submit your podcast to other directories as well.
Is podcast hosting worth it?Ā
As mentioned above, you need a hosting provider for starting a podcast and you simply canāt start podcasting without a host- whether free or paid.
Now, coming to the cost part- the cost is nothing as compared to the benefits of opting for a premium hosting provider. With a premium provider like the ones listed above, not only do you get unlimited storage space, but you also get all the tools youāll need to promote and grow your podcast. Ā
So, whether you are a beginner looking to start your podcast or a professional looking to expand, you can pick any one of the above listed best podcast hosting UK providers and you will be one step closer to success!
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