Are you looking to dive into the varied yet exciting world of podcasting? In recent years, podcasts have become one of the most common forms of media the evolution of the internet has brought us. It is not only the creators, but businesses of all sizes are also turning into podcasting to easily put their content in front of their audience.
The popularity of podcasts is increasing because they are effective and cost-friendly to set up. All you need to get started is an idea and a microphone. But once you have recorded your audio file, you will need to find a way to get your podcast to your audience.
This is where things will start to get a little bit challenging. The next step from here is looking for a hosting platform that will allow listeners to access your podcast.
Once you have found a suitable hosting, everything will be a breeze from there going forward because a good hosting platform will let you publish, promote and monetize your podcasts under one roof.
There are dozens of hosting services that podcasters can choose, but in this article, we are going to look at Blubrry vs. Podbean – two of the most popular hosting platforms for podcasts.
At the end of the article, we hope to have helped you decide between podcaster-designed Blubrry and cost-effective Podbean.
Podbean is one of the most cost-friendly podcasts-hosting platforms on the market today. It is focused on publishing and monetization and as result; it offers free and premium hosting plans for both individuals and businesses.
It comes with an easy and intuitive interface that includes all the tools you need to publish, manage, syndicate, and track your podcast.
With this hosting site, podcasters can publish and market their podcasts in a clean blog-like environment. Its embed and sharing features allow content creators to integrate their shows into their own blogs, websites, and share on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, YouTube, and Tumblr, to grow their audience.
Additionally, Podbean also has an app that is compatible with Android and iOS. And the app is designed to play audio on Amazon Alexa for quality listening.
The way it is designed, Podbean can be the best option for newbies and new podcasters due to its easy navigation.
Get your show up and running with just a few easy-to-follow steps. Podbean makes everything simple so that you can concentrate on creating the best content.
Podbean has plenty of features that make it one of the top podcast hosting platforms on the market. Here are some of the best Podbean features:
With a 5-hour limit for the free account, paid plans come with unlimited storage. This allows creators at any level to enjoy the independence of content creation.
Podbean is known for its industry-leading podcast analytics so creators can track how their show is performing and get insights into their listeners.
Regardless of the plan you choose, you can view:
Podbean hosting allows podcasters to distribute your content to all the necessary destinations including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean Podcast App among many other directories. This way, you can get your show heard by audiences all over the world.
Some of Podbean’s advanced features include:
A great podcast monetization feature that allows podcasters to sell their content and comes with features such as easy access, customizable, unlimited premium channels, and more.
This feature is for businesses looking to create podcasts for their audience and it includes features mobile marketing and training and unlimited flexible functionality.
Paid plans on Podbean have the option to pay monthly or annually and all plans come with unlimited features such as bandwidth and storage.
The basic free plan comes with limited features and bandwidth and storage.
Blubrry was launched in 2005 and has helped more than 100,000 podcasters since then. This platform was designed for creators and it consists of a podcasting community that enables creators to make revenue, host their video and audio, and get in-depth analytics about the audience.
Given the accurate podcast analytics that comes with every hosting plan, Blubrry statistics are trusted by marketers and advertisers across the world and used by radio and TV shows.
The platform is WordPress compatible, making it easier for creators to upload shows.
Blubrry is an easy-to-use podcast hosting platform, as users just need to upload episodes to WordPress directly. However, the site can be challenging for beginners who operate directly from the platform’s dashboard.
It is the only podcast hosting platform that comes with a free support team by phone calls and schedule video sessions to help with technical and navigation issues.
Created specifically for the podcasting community, Blubrry’s website highlights a business philosophy that focuses on giving the creator freedom to create their own podcast.
The platform claims that it should provide great tools rather than a beautiful interface, and the available features ad tools reflect those sentiments.
Blubrry’s website features tons of information designed to educate and inform potential podcasters and includes a link on to a Podcasting Manual containing tons of tricks and tips for using the platform along with in-depth tips on how to succeed as a podcaster.
Blubrry comes with an array of features that make it one of the best podcast hosting platforms in the world. Some of its features include the following:
Unlike Podbean, Blubrry has a WordPress plugin called PowerPress and includes over 100 features and more than 75,000 active users.
This plugin is supervised and regularly upgraded by the support team and it is easy to install and embed your episodes into your WordPress-powered website.
New and old episodes are displayed on the site in just a few steps namely – create, upload, and publish.
Each Blubrry plan comes with more storage once you upgrade to the next plan. However, the largest storage is 1000MB which comes with the $80 per month plan.
With that said, all plans have unlimited bandwidth.
Blubrry statistics include the following:
You can grow your podcast audience in:
The aim of Blubrry podcast directory is to provide additional distribution for podcasters to distribute their content.
With this in mind, you can distribute your podcast even if iTunes is not obtainable.
The platform encourages podcasters to submit their show to as many directories as possible to maximize their visibility.
Professional Podcast Production: It has features such as edit and upload, easy production, support to enable you to focus on creating the best content.
Blubrry has the following pros:
This platform also has some drawbacks, including:
All plans allow access to top features but the storage limit. So if you want more storage, consider upgrading to the Extra Large plan.
What we liked about Blubrry pricing is the built-in estimator that allows you to establish which plan is ideal for you.
The free podcast statistic plan comes with limited features, but you can upgrade to $5 per month in order to unlock more features including demographics, traffic sources, and more.
Moreover, the platform offers free basic podcast stats plans for independent creators.
If you need more storage to host more shows or build a network, consider purchasing a Pro hosting plan which starts at $100 a month.
Now let’s compare the two podcast hosting platforms and see which one comes out on top.
Both platforms offer a simple user interface, but the PowerPress plugin makes Blubrry a little bit complicated.
Blubrry and Podbean both provide users with multiple support channels, but Blubrry edges Podbean by providing instant phone call support for all package users, whereas Podbean only offers live chat support for Business plan users.
When it comes to WordPress integration, Podbean is designed specifically for non-WordPress podcasters, but it comes with an option to embed content on the WordPress website. On the other hand, Blubrry is designed to work for both non-WordPress and WordPress users with a special plugin for easy and quick integration.
Both Blubrry and Podbean allow audio and video hosting, but Podbean goes a step further with its Live stream sessions.
These two podcast hosting platforms offer versatile monetization options as well as the ability to use single monetization options like Patreon gateway, affiliate marketing, digital products, donations, and more.
Overall, Podbean edges it for starting and growing a podcast. While Blubrry is a simple and ideal option for WordPress users and non-WordPress users, it lags behind against Podbean in almost all other areas.
Undoubtedly, both Blubrry and Podbean have their strengths and weakness, and therefore, whichever you choose you will get lots of benefits and great experience creating content.
But as you may tell from this review, Podbean is an outstanding choice of the two podcast hosting platforms, especially if you are a beginner. The platform’s unlimited storage packages are great, and it means you can do daily uploads without worrying about storage space.
