This theory applies to more than just journeys: the Peak-End Theory can help you structure your podcast calls to action so that your audience remembers them. 

Many podcasters don’t know what to do with a CTA, so they imitate the ubiquitous litany of “don’t forget to like and subscribe.” But when you construct a podcast call to action intentionally, situated in the right place in your episodes, they’ll make a lasting impression on your audience.

First, let’s start with the basics.

What is a Podcast Call to Action (CTA)?

Exactly what it says on the tin. A call to action is when you ask your audience to do something. For example:

• share the podcast episode with a friend,
• review the show on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser
• leave a comment on Spotify or YouTube
• Follow a link in the show notes to visit the podcast’s website, crowdfunding page, or social media content
• send you a message or answer a question
• And so much more!

If it feels like your audience isn’t getting in touch or your growth is stagnant, your podcast’s CTA is one area where you can make a change. 

Types of Podcast CTA

Over time, your podcast will need to do different things. Some of your podcast’s goals don’t change, and some do. As a result, you’ll need to have different kinds of podcast calls to action and treat them differently.

Primary Podcast CTA

These are the constants that drive your podcast’s goals. If your podcast were a car, this would be its fuel. These CTAs are straightforward and easily repeated. You want your audience to:

• share your show with a friend
• return for the next episode
• check out your podcast website for more information
• contact you with questions, ideas, or feedback
• review your show on their listening app of choice
• follow or subscribe on their listening app of choice

Primary podcast CTAs are practical actions that prompt audience engagement and growth on any podcast-listening app. Ultimately, you want them to return for more and bring a friend.

Primary podcast CTAs are a constant throughout your podcasting career.  Guy Raz probably says them out loud in his sleep. Seriously, treat these CTAs like water droplets on stone. Over time, they make a big difference. 

Secondary Podcast CTA

As time passes, your podcast goals will evolve. You may want your audience to take a survey, raise money for a charity, or buy some merch. Those goals are finite, and they’ll vary.

The secondary podcast CTA doesn’t benefit from long-term repetition like the primary one. You may only repeat this for three or four episodes. So, you have to dazzle with this one a bit more.

Script the bullet points of your secondary podcast CTA. If you want, you can record it as a separate audio file. Then, insert it in the editing stage, or if your media hosting service allows for dynamic content insertion, you can use it there. Of course, you can read it as you record your episode. Make sure your CTA mentions deadlines or any other relevant dates. If someone shows up to a live event you mentioned in an episode five years ago, that’s not good PR. 

Your secondary podcast CTA needs more repetition in the short term than the primary CTA. Mention your secondary CTA:

• Briefly in the intro
• With more detail at the mid-point or peak
• Briefly in the outro (perhaps with a callback to something memorable in the CTA you used at the peak). 

Bonus Podcast CTA

If there’s something extra, such as bonus content only available via a crowdfunding campaign, this is usually something you share after you’ve given the audience a lot of value. Your most loyal fans will take extra steps to obtain it, such as visiting a separate website via a link in your show notes or paying a fee.

How to Craft an Effective Podcast Call To Action

This isn’t a recipe, but these principles will make it easy to create an effective podcast call to action that your audience can act on quickly.

1. Keep Your Podcast CTA Short.

You’ve already redirected their attention away from the content they came for. Don’t be an obstacle to your episode’s ideas; Instead, craft your CTA to complement the rest of the episode briefly. 

2. Create a Sense of Urgency.

Deadlines and limits provide focus. Don’t just say, “We’re giving away stickers to anyone who takes our survey,” say, “The first ten people to take our survey get a free sticker.” This makes the audience more likely to respond quickly.

3. Describe the Benefits Right Away.

Make the benefit clear immediately, so they don’t even have to ask, “What’s in it for me?” Instead of saying, “Buy our t-shirts and support the show,” start with “I can’t believe how soft and comfortable the new t-shirts in our merch store are! You can find out for yourself by clicking the link in the show notes…”

4. Clarity and Simplicity Are Your Friends.

If you make the request too complex, the audience won’t do it. 

Practice by writing, as briefly as possible, a sentence or two that includes: 

• the benefit to the audience, 
• what you want them to do,
• How to do it, and
• Why they should follow your call to action.

For example: “You can enter to win a $50 gift card when you take our five-question survey. Just click the link in the show notes, answer a few questions, and you can shape the future of this podcast.” 

What if your podcast call to action isn’t quite that simple? Read on, my friend. 

5. Put Additional Information or Resources in the Show Notes.

You can also link the show notes to an external blog post. Particularly if your CTA is a multi-step process, such as a giveaway, contest, or survey, pointing to a blog post saves space in your show notes and time in your episode. Plus, you can use a short link with tracking data to measure the impact of your podcast CTA. Shortlinks can be created using a tool like PrettyLinks, making them much easier and more memorable to read out on air, too!

6. Ask Questions to Engage Listeners.

They’ll instinctively fill in the blank, which makes them invest more fully in your podcast call to action. 

Which of the following statements matters to you more?

• “Here’s your chance to shape the future of this podcast,” or
• “Do you want to decide what happens in the next episode?”

Did you notice I asked you a question right at the beginning of that list? You’re welcome.

Where to Position Your Calls to Action

Again, peak-end theory helps you choose where to place your call to action. Think about CTA positioning in the same way marketers approach ad placement. Typically, you have:

• Pre-Roll: Before the main topic
• Mid-Roll: During the main topic
• Post-Roll: After the main topic

Including a CTA at the beginning of the episode ensures everyone will hear it, but this means you’re asking for something without first offering any value. This might deter new listeners checking out your show for the first time, or they may skip your intro. When you put it after the intro, the audience has more to care about before you ask for a favor. 

If you put it at the very end, then there’s minimal interruption to the episode, and your most engaged listeners will hear it. But the majority may have stopped listening by then. Some podcasters include a short, humorous moment at the very end to encourage people to listen all the way through the credits and a final CTA. 

Putting it in the middle of the episode, during the main topic, is a way to ensure everyone hears it at a time when they are most engaged. However, you’ll need some nuance to weave it in and make it a relevant part of the topic, rather than an interruption. 

Once, I heard a podcast host mention he’d written a book years before and how the audience could buy it, in mid-interview. He mentioned the thinnest possible thread of relevance to connect the guest’s ideas with his call to action. I hit stop and unsubscribed immediately. Don’t be that podcaster.

Sharpen Your Podcast CTAs

Think of your podcast call to action as an invitation, and use the same creativity you’d put into the rest of your episode. Give the audience what’s good about the call right away. Keep it simple so they can take action with minimal effort. When you position your calls to action at the beginning, peak, and end of your episode, you strike a balance between giving value and asking for support. 

Treat your CTAs like you’re giving something of yourself. This way, your audience will be more likely to explore your content instead of being distracted and jumping to something else. Pick one CTA tip I’ve mentioned, and try it in your next episode. Then, reflect on the difference it makes.

Now that you feel more confident and assured about your CTAs, how about giving your podcast intro script a once-over? These two factors can be powerful when combined and can go a long way toward keeping listeners engaged, driving action, and staying tuned.

Or, if you’d like us to review your Calls to Action and give clear, honest feedback, the Four Minute Feedback tool in The Podcraft Academy is made for that.

Podcast events are perfect for learning and networking. As the industry grows, podcast events can range from a day of webinars to a multi-day conference taking over huge convention centers and hotels.

Whether you think of yourself as an introvert, an extrovert, a hobbyist doing it for love, or an entrepreneur building a brand, there’s always something you can learn with an open mind. On top of that, nothing beats getting together in person with folks who share your passion and enthusiasm for podcasting.

As event coordinators update their events, we’ll update this page. Pack your headphones; here’s The Podcast Host’s Guide to Podcast Events in 2025-2026.

Run a podcasting event and don’t see it mentioned here? Please give us a shout so we can include it.

November 2025 Podcast Events

2025’s not over yet! Check out these more intimate conferences and events in autumn and the start of winter.

Audio Drama Hubfest 2025

• Audio Drama Hubfest 2025
• Date: November 1st, 2025
• Cost: In-Person tickets range from £11.55 to £44.04. Online Access is £22.38.
• Location: The Riverside Club, High Wycombe, UK

If you like the Audio Drama Hub, the Facebook group for audio drama podcasting creatives, you’ll love Audio Drama Hubfest! The focus of the 4th Annual Festival is voice acting: we have some world-class talent across the day, with workshops, live performances, and networking opportunities. If you make audio drama or fiction podcasts, don’t miss this festival of audio joy!

Podfest Pod Tour

The Podfest Experience comes to cities across the US. Join us for an afternoon of authentic networking, talking shop, and fun. If you have a podcast, are thinking about one, or just need some motivation to get out of “podfade” or “podpause,” this meetup is for you! ALL are welcome!

• Indianapolis Podcasters Meetup
• Date: Saturday, November 8th, 2025, 1pm
• Cost: Free, registration required
• Location: HeavenEarth Podcast Studios, Indianapolis, IN, USA

• Fort Myers Podcasters Meetup
• Date: November 12th, 2025, 5pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: Remote Workspace & Reading Lounge, Fort Myers, FL, USA

• South Florida Podcasters Meetup
• Date: November 13th, 2025, 6pm
• Cost: Free
• Location: Born on Purpose, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

January 2026 Podcast Events

PodFest Expo 12th Anniversary

• Podfest Expo 2026
• Date: Jan 15-18, 2026
• Cost: $99-$899
• Location: Renaissance Orlando, Orlando, Florida, USA

The world’s longest-running annual in-person podcasting event returns for an unprecedented 12th consecutive year. 

February 2026 Podcast Events

On Air Fest

• On Air Fest
• Date: Feb 23-26, 2026
• Cost: $224-$599 (Early Bird pricing)
• Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA

Join us for three days, four nights, and six locations, presenting 80+ live performances, panels, podcasts, exhibitions, and multi-sensory experiences. Plus, interactive workshops, tech demos, and breakout sessions will help you level up your skills. Connect with thousands of creators and creative professionals working in audio, video, and new media, all coming together to explore some of our most urgent questions today.

The Podcast Learning Festival

• The Podcast Learning Festival
• Date: 26 February, 2026
• Cost: £99.00-£159.00
• Location: Central London, UK (TBA)

The Podcast Learning Festival is the first time that podcast production and workplace learning are brought together. It aims to challenge traditional workplace learning models by exploring the intersection of learning, sound, and performance. This is the perfect opportunity for learning, HR, and people professionals to engage with industry experts and thought leaders in the podcast and workplace learning space.

PodCamp Toronto

• PodCamp Toronto
• Date: Feb 27- March 1, 2026
• Cost: Free to attend sessions, panels, product demos, and more. $60 for attendance, access to networking events and the Industry Lounge, or $100 for all the aforementioned, plus “Exclusive Swag.”
• Location: George Brown College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Designed to help digital leaders and creators tackle the biggest challenges in media, tech, and digital storytelling. Join us for insights, fresh perspectives, and connections that help shape the future of Canadian digital media—whether you’re an industry leader or an independent creator.

March 2026 Podcasting Events

Radiodays Europe

• Radiodays Europe 2026
• Date: March 22nd-24th, 2026
• Cost: 359 EUR + VAT – 594 EUR + VAT
• Location: Riga, Latvia

Radiodays Europe is the event in the Radio, Podcast, and Audio World, bringing together over 1,500 visitors from 65 countries over three days. The event is organized into sessions, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive sessions, summits, workshops, and networking events.

Podcasthon

• Podcasthon
• Date: March 14th-20th, 2026
• Cost: Free to participate
• Location: Online

Podcasthon is an online nonprofit event that will unite over 1300 hosts worldwide to raise awareness for as many charities as possible. It is supported by many respected voices in the industry, as well as organizations such as Podnews, Acast, and Ausha. 

Podcast Movement at SXSW

• Podcast Movement at SXSW 2026
• Dates: March 12th-18th, 2026
• Cost: TBA; discounts may be available for those who sign up for their mailing list. 
• Location: Austin, TX, USA

Podcast Movement joins South by Southwest, which “dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW® is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture.”

May 2026 Podcasting Events

The Podcast Show

• The Podcast Show 2026
• Date: 21-22 May, 2026
• Cost: TBA
• Location: Business Design Centre, Islington, London, England, UK

The Podcast Show is a unique global gathering of the broad and diverse podcasting community. By day, the show welcomes industry pros, independent creators, and business leaders to masterclasses, workshops, and global brands. By night, The Podcast Show is proud to present a week-long lineup of live podcasts, bringing some of your favorite voices and shows to life in theatres across London.

June 2026 Podcasting Events

Audio Storytelling at the Tribeca Festival

• Tribeca Audio Storytelling
• Date: June 3rd-14th, 2026
• Cost: $250-$1400
• Location: New York City, NY, USA

What started as a film festival has grown into a massive exploration of storytelling media. The Audio Storytelling wing of The Tribeca Festival celebrates podcasts that push the limits of what audio storytelling can be and stories that would otherwise go untold.

September 2026 Podcast Events

Podcast Movement 2026

• Podcast Movement
• Date: TBA, September 2026
• Cost: TBA; discounts may be available for those who sign up for their mailing list. 
• Location: New York City, NY, USA

Podcast Movement is the premier global event for all things podcasting, bringing together podcasters, industry professionals, and service providers & manufacturers.  Welcome to the ultimate destination for forming lasting connections, gaining valuable insights, discovering groundbreaking innovations, and fostering partnerships that will elevate your business and podcasting efforts. 

October 2026 Podcast Events

Afros & Audio

• Afros & Audio
• Date: TBA
• Cost: TBA
• Location: USA

Calling all indie podcast creatives and audio professionals! Join us for the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival—a gathering where diversity, innovation, and the indie podcasting spirit come together. Gain authentic insights, connect and collaborate, celebrate black excellence in podcasting, and grow with valuable resources. As one attendee shared, “This podcast conference was everything—the speakers were genuine, the information applicable, and each conversation an opportunity to network and grow.”

Podcast Events Beyond Fall of 2026

New podcast events are constantly planned and announced, so this list will always be a work in progress.

We’ll update this page as promoters inform us that they’ve added or changed events. If you’re promoting a future podcast event, contact us directly so we can include it here. We’d love to amplify your meetup!

The first Christmas my husband and I spent together, he got me a bike helmet and a portable USB hard drive. That’s how I knew he loved me for my mind. The next year, he got me a USB mic because he wanted to support my voice.

Giving a gift that helps your loved one with their work not only shows how much you care but also benefits the audience for their podcast. Hence, this gift guide for podcasters helps you make the world a better place.

Before we dive in, a heads-up that some of the links in our podcast gift guide are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission. It will not cost you anything extra, and it helps us keep creating free resources for podcasters.

Books as Podcast Gifts

Podcasters spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen, and there’s no doubt that screen fatigue is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining.

Books are terrific gifts for podcasters. They can learn more about their craft, spark inspiration, and escape the screen. Here are some books we’ve either written or read that should satisfy any bibliophilic podcaster.

Finally Start Your Podcast

Some folks have trouble getting started and need a step-by-step guide. Not only does Finally Start Your Podcast have all the essential information, but it also encourages a podcaster’s work as their show grows. Beautifully designed in full colour, this is an accessible guide where even the least “techy” of people will be ready to hit record in no time.

Buy Finally Start Your Podcast

The Audience is Listening

Tom Webster takes a “tough love” approach when he reminds us that nobody deserves an audience. The good news, though? We can earn one. Tom is a fantastic writer who engages the reader immediately with his lively and relatable tone. Above all, though, he brings a much-needed reminder to content creators everywhere: It isn’t about grabbing attention, but sustaining it!

Buy The Audience is Listening on Amazon

Podcast Growth

In our recent Indie Podcasters Report, 72% of respondents reported that their biggest challenge was growing an audience and discoverability. Getting the word out about a show can be challenging, to say the least. Podcast Growth is loaded with strategies and tasks to help any podcaster grow their audience.

Buy Podcast Growth on Amazon

Profit From Your Podcast

Nobody knows podcasting better than Dave Jackson. He’s put together Profit From Your Podcast, which is something of a podcast monetization bible. If the podcaster in your life is already up and running with their show, this could be the ideal gift. They might even take you out to dinner with their newfound earnings…

Buy Profit From Your Podcast on Amazon

The Podcast Host Planner Journal

Studies show that writing by hand on paper engages more brain activity and improves memory. The Podcast Host Planner is a journal filled with worksheets for podcasters to complete, allowing them to refer back to their answers later while crafting their podcast. Over time, this helps sustain a podcast and make it more enjoyable.

Buy The Podcast Host Planner on Amazon

Instapaper Subscription

If the podcaster in your life enjoys reading articles online but would love to cut down on their screen time, consider a year’s subscription to Instapaper. For less than $30, this handy little app lets you send content to your Kindle so you can read it away from the phone or laptop. Pair Instapaper with Feedly for the ultimate distraction-free experience.

Get Instapaper

More Books as Gifts for Podcasters

Our Best Podcasting Books roundup is a treasure trove of tomes by podcasting experts that go into greater detail about aspects of podcasting, such as technology, gear, fiction, and drama. Knowledge is a gift that never expires, and your podcaster will have a healthy supply.

Gear as Gifts for Podcasters

We update our equipment guides every year and test and review new podcasting tools frequently. Some of our favorite podcasting equipment has stood the test of time for quality and price. If you’re looking for a gift for podcasters that will help them for years, these devices will do that and more.

Samson Q2U Microphone

Not only is the Samson Q2U one of the most popular mics in podcasting, but it’s also our favourite mic. The Q2U offers excellent value for money and plugs in as either USB or XLR. This dynamic mic picks up vocals without bringing background sound along for the ride. For under $100, this is a perfect gift for a podcaster.

Buy the Samson Q2U on Amazon

RØDE Wireless Go, Now in Fabulous Colors!

We love the RØDE Wireless Go mics for many reasons (not only because Lindsay doesn’t get to use the Ø character often enough). Small wireless mics are de rigeur among the Instagram and video podcaster crowd, so RØDE now manufactures them in eye-popping colors. A few months ago, models in black or white were backordered, but tangerine or lime? No problem! This is a gift for podcasters that can make the most of brand colors and visibility.

Buy the RODE Wireless Go (Gen 3) at Amazon

PS – if you’re looking to save money and buy a smartphone-first wireless lav kit, check out the Rode Wireless Micro and BOYA Mini.

Focusrite Vocaster USB Interface for Podcasters

Matthew has used the Focusrite Vocaster as his main USB audio interface for a couple of years, replacing his well-worn Scarlett 2i2. It comes in two versions: a single-input model for solo creators and the Vocaster 2 with two XLR ports. The design is clean and minimalist, and the built-in presets make it easy to get a polished sound quickly. For podcasters, it remains one of the best value interfaces available today.

Buy the Focusrite Vocaster on Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise-cancelling headphones are life-changers and sanity savers. Bose is one of the best at eliminating outside noise from the listening experience. And these pillowy over-ear headphones are luxurious to wear. Bluetooth connects these directly to a smartphone. As gifts for podcasters go, this one is top-shelf.

Buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones on Amazon

Headphone Upgrades

When a podcaster finds a favorite pair of headphones, they tend to stick with the same pair for years. Over time, though, the surface of the ear pads will crack, chip, or flake off. The wearer’s body chemistry causes this, and there’s no way around it. Fortunately, you can revive a favorite pair of headphones with a re-padding kit. 

WickedCushions makes replacement ear pads in a wide variety of colors and patterns for almost every brand of headphones. Plus, they make cooling gel ear pads for marathon recording and editing sessions. 

For a more personal touch, search on Etsy for “handmade headphone ear pad covers.” Treat those ears to luxury with these handmade mulberry silk ear cushion covers, or these crocheted ear pad covers. Their favorite headphones will last longer and feel more fun.

Pro tip: Before you order, get the make and model of their favorite headphones, or measure the ear pads. If the seller knows the size of the ear pads, they can help you find the right gift for your podcaster more effectively. 

If your podcaster is married to a much-loved set of headphones, you can give them the option to turn them into a professional-sounding headset mic with the Antlion ModMic kits. These are brilliant for podcasters with limited space, or who often find themselves recording in different locations and need to travel light.

Buy the Antlion ModMic 2 USB or Antlion Modmic Uni 2 on Amazon

More Gear as Gifts for Podcasters

Our roundup of The Best Podcast Microphones for All Abilities and Budgets is the result of years of testing. It has everything from a gold-tone dynamic mic worthy of Elvis to a $45 USB workhorse.

And, our guide to The Best Podcast Equipment & Setup for Beginners & Pros Alike is a tried-and-true guide to everything a podcaster needs and nothing they don’t.

Clothing & Merch Podcast Gifts

Podcast merchandise, such as t-shirts, mugs, and stickers, are gifts for podcasters that do double duty. Not only do you give a gift, but you also help advertise their favorite pastime.

T-Shirts for Podcasters & Podcast Lovers

Our Teepublic store has a range of t-shirts designed for podcasters. From “Audio Changes Everything” to “I Like Big Mics, And I Cannot Lie”, these are great conversation starters for the podcaster in your life, enabling them to spread the word about their show freely and easily.

Merch for Podcasters

Speaking of TeePublic, you can also create tailored merch for your podcaster on their platform. They offer print-on-demand merchandise made by independent artists. If you have basic graphic design skills, you can design and print merchandise for your favorite podcaster with their show’s cover art.

Or, see which of their favorite shows are already selling their wares on there. Stickers are an inexpensive way to support multiple podcasts simultaneously. Plus, when podcasters cover their gear cases, water bottles, and notebooks with them, they’re less likely to get lost or stolen.

You’ll also find gifts like mugs, clocks, wall art, cushions, kettles… pretty much any item you can think of will be available with a podcast logo on it.

Education, Software, & Course-Based Gifts for Podcasters

Nothing endures like the gift of knowledge. Podcasting courses provide a structured approach to launching or improving a show. Most are self-paced, so the podcaster isn’t under pressure.

Consider one of these if you’re looking for a gift for podcasters that can last a lifetime.

Launch Mastery Course

In Launch Mastery, we walk you through the process of starting a podcast, from the seed of an idea all the way through to publishing those first few episodes.

Check out Launch Mastery

Growth Mastery Course

Does their podcast frustrate them? Do you wish there was something you could do to help? The Growth Mastery course can help them improve their show with promotion tactics.

Check out Growth Essentials

The Podcraft Academy

You can give the podcaster in your life full access to both of the above courses, and much more, by signing them up for The Podcraft Academy. Inside, they’ll find feedback, accountability, and practical tools that keep them supported, motivated, and moving steadily toward their goals.

Check out The Podcraft Academy

More Podcasting Courses

Our collection of the best podcasting courses shows you paths to greatness in any aspect of podcasting.

Alitu: The Podcast Maker

Alitu is an all-in-one app that helps anyone record, edit, and publish a podcast without the tech headaches. It’s perfect for beginners, busy creators, or anyone who wants studio-quality sound with minimal effort. A prepaid year of Alitu makes a thoughtful gift that removes the stress of editing and production. Its text-based editing lets users fix mistakes by simply editing words, and its automatic noise reduction tools make every episode sound clean and polished.

Check out Alitu

RSS.com Gift Cards for Podcasters

If someone you know is about to launch a podcast, covering their hosting costs is one of the most useful gifts you can give. RSS.com makes it easy to start and grow a show, and they even offer gift cards for prepaid subscriptions that last from three months up to a full year.

Check out RSS.com’s gift cards for podcasters

The Gift of Podcast Promotion & Growth

I’ve already mentioned the Podcast Growth book and the Growth Mastery course. If you want to help the podcaster in your life build the big audience you know they desire, here are some other potential gifts:

• Hire an artist to animate their podcast. A cartoon video of an excerpt from their podcast is a great promotion tactic.
• Run an Overcast ad campaign for their show. It’s one of the most direct ways to get podcast aficionados to check out their episodes.
• Advertise their show on Podnews. There, it’ll be seen by a who’s who of industry folks, including people from NPR, Spotify, and the BBC. Not to mention about 33,000 other podcast enthusiasts!
• There are loads of other places to advertise podcasts, too. You’re only limited by your budget (or love for a certain podcaster).

Gifts for The Podcast Lover’s Kids

Is it possible to get kids interested in audio while limiting their screen time and encouraging independence? Absolutely. Here are two brilliant options.

Yoto Player

The Yoto is a durable screen-free audio player with a massive ad-free library of stories and music. Big buttons or dials on the player help kids use it all by themselves.

Yoto audio comes on cards, so kids choose what, when, and how they want to listen. Or, you can create and add your own audio creations to blank cards. It’s all the fun audio provides without the clutter of the Internet. See our Yoto Player review to get the full lowdown.

Buy the Yoto Player on Amazon

Seedpace Interactive Player

Seedpace is a new entry in the world of kids’ audio players. It is built to stand out rather than imitate. Its playful design looks like a small robot face that moves and changes expression, which gives it a personality that feels alive and curious.

Instead of using cards, Seedpace relies on small, durable discs called Crafts. Place one on the player and the story or lesson begins instantly. The device focuses on interactivity, offering educational audio dramas with built-in quizzes and personalised stories that adapt to your child’s learning goals.

For a deeper look, read our complete Seedpace Interactive Player review.

Buy the Seedpace Interactive Player on Amazon

A Final Gift Idea for Podcast Lovers

Know someone who’s obsessed with a certain show? Why not set up a call with their favorite podcaster? Many podcasts have a Patreon or other crowdfunding pages, and a personal chat can be a benefit for donors. If you want a favorite podcaster to deliver a pre-recorded greeting or message of encouragement, lots of podcasters are on Cameo, too.

When You Give a Podcaster a Gift, You Invest In Their Audience

This past Valentine’s Day, my husband got me a BusyBox smart sign for my office. Either this is a punchline to a weird joke, or he respects my boundaries. He said it’s so I’ll have more focus to work on my podcasts, and I think anyone who listens to them would be glad.

When you give someone a gift that supports their interests, they know you care about them, you want to see them succeed, and you enjoy what they create. Validation and emotional support are the best gifts you can give them. 

And, if you’re a podcaster in need of some assistance, check out The Podcraft Academy. You’ll build the skills to make a podcast that people want to listen to, while investing in yourself and your growth.

Here’s a map to the traps that many podcasters tend to fall into. You’ll learn how to avoid these common podcasting mistakes – plus what to do instead to improve your podcast. 

1. Recording Before You’re Ready to Be Heard

When you first start podcasting, it’s easy to get excited and jump in too quickly.

I’ve heard people say they want to make a podcast because they “enjoy talking”. Some people will spend a lot of money on podcasting gear before they’ve thought about why they want to make a podcast. Others will hit record and talk for twenty minutes before they know who they’re talking to. 

Before you jump in two feet first, try to plan out the why, what, and who of your show. When you know your podcast’s purpose and what its unique benefit is for the audience, the audience knows what to expect. When your show satisfies the audience’s expectations, they’re more likely to come back for more and share your show with friends. Excitement is hard to sustain, and podcasting without a plan to support your effort is tiring. 

Proverbial wisdom tells us that “when you fail to prepare, you’re preparing to fail”. However, with a bit of self-awareness and forward thinking, you can create a podcast that motivates your audience to come back for more. You’ll see how that works in the next few sections.

2. Not Listening to Your Own Podcast 

If you don’t regularly listen to recent episodes of your own podcast, you won’t know what your audience experiences when listening to your show. 

Sure, you will ‘hear’ the show during the editing phase, but you won’t hear the conversation, which is different than just mouth sounds or editing mishaps.   

I’d recommend setting a standing reminder on your calendar to download an episode from the previous month of your podcast and listen to it whilst out on a walk or on your commute. 

You’ll be amazed at the things you notice when you get this “fresh ears” perspective on your show. This can be anything from annoying crutch words you need to quash to the fact that you’re never really listening to a guest’s answer and always jump ahead to the next question without picking up on an opportunity for a good follow-up angle.

3. Expecting Perfection, Quickly

Another common podcasting mistake is expecting your podcast to be perfect from the start. Perfectionism can prevent you from ever hitting publish and moving on to the next episode.

Before you start recording your episodes, take the time to familiarize yourself with the software. Let yourself play with recording and editing. Experiment with your mic technique. Make an episode zero. Play is what helps us enjoy learning how to do something new, and is an important part of the creation process.

Once you’ve gained confidence, level up and start recording the audio you want to publish. Then, you won’t be dismayed if something happens, like a power outage or a mean review. You’ll shift gears and try something different, or keep pushing through.

Your podcast doesn’t have to be perfect. What’s “pretty good” to you could be “just right” to your audience.

4. Not Having A Specific Topic

It’s amazing how many podcasts launch without a clear topic. When your show name suggests it could be about absolutely anything, it makes it a lot harder to convince anyone to listen or to come back for more.

Katie asked podcasters what the biggest threat to podcasting is, and many mentioned “raw, unedited, rambling conversation,” or a lack of “passion for a topic to motivate you to do the work.”

But, when your show has a clear purpose, and when each episode has a clear hook or thesis, that gives the audience something to hold onto.  Katie also asked podcasters about the biggest opportunity in podcasting, and Jeremy Enns of Podcast Marketing Academy said, “more indie creators need to be thinking… about the show level, the concept, the premise.”

No matter how spontaneous a podcast episode sounds, the pros have a script. That “script” could be anything from a list of bullet points to a 10,000-word screed. When you plan out episode topics and talking points ahead of time, you can sound great even when you don’t feel inspired.

Nailing down a podcast topic is something you’d ideally do in the planning stages, but if you’ve launched and your “what’s it about?” still seems a little fluffy, it’s never too late to pivot and find your niche.

5. Not Knowing Your Audience

Many podcasters, especially when they’re first starting, don’t know who their ideal audience is. They want as many people as possible to listen, so they say their podcast is for “everyone.” But this approach can dilute your content and make it for “no one”.

When you make your podcast for a specific audience, they’re more likely to keep listening and share it with their friends. They know “this podcast is for people like me.” Knowing your audience’s demographics, values, and opinions can also help you build a meaningful relationship with them.

It’s one thing to make a podcast about pro ice hockey, and another to make a podcast like Ladies Talkin’ Leafs. Not only do the hosts enjoy discussing the Toronto Maple Leafs, but their show also challenges the stigma and “gives a voice to the growing number of female hockey fans.” 

You can get to know your listeners better by running an audience survey or asking questions they can answer with a voice memo. Pay attention to what they tell you, and how they say it.

Take the extra time and make the effort to get to know who’s listening and why. Then, tailor your content accordingly.

6. Poor Mic Technique

Take time to practice good mic technique. Record yourself at different distances and with different settings until you find your Goldilocks zone (not too far, not too close, but just right). I’ve seen many podcasters get so close to the mic that it looks like they’re about to announce their engagement. When the mic is that close to your mouth, it sounds like a threatening phone call. 

Know your microphone’s polar pattern. I talked into the wrong side of a Blue Yeti for a year until I figured it out. Mouth clicks and noises, too, are a repellent rookie mistake. 

At the opposite extreme, I’ve seen ads for microphones featuring photos of people sitting in rooms with high ceilings and hard surfaces. If you can’t take reverb seriously, the audience can’t take your podcast seriously. 

The saying “practice makes perfect” is overused; better to remember that practice prevents sounding awful.

7. Aggressive Sales Tactics

No matter how frugal you are, podcasting still requires electricity. Expenses have to be paid, and monetization allows podcasters to keep podcasting.

But a common mistake in podcasting is allowing monetization to have too much control over your podcast. 

A study by Ad Results Media examined how many ads are optimal, or make listeners stop paying attention. Two is the maximum number of ads in a row that most listeners will tolerate, the study reported. It also found that ads that don’t match the audience or the content are irritating. 

Host-read ads outperform dynamic ads because they build on trust. But some podcast hosts slip sales talk into conversation, whether it’s appropriate or not. Exploiting the trust your audience invests is a big turnoff. 

Allowing a monetization scheme to take too big a portion of your episodes is a common mistake in podcasting. When your monetization scheme prevents your audience from getting value from your show, it undermines trust and distracts the audience from your podcast’s message.

In contrast, when your monetization matches what your audience needs and wants, both you and your audience benefit.

8. Long-Winded, Rambling Intros 

When podcast hosts start the show talking about what they did last weekend or the latest episode of a favorite TV show, this puts an obstacle between me and what I came to hear.

Some podcast hosts believe this humanizes them and makes them more approachable. But it’s a common podcasting mistake to have too long a warm-up before getting into the topic at hand. In short, please get to the point. 

Katie compared the intros of the top 20 podcasts, and her findings favor brevity and clarity. If you must have an opening chitchat, use chapter markers in your show notes. That way, I know I can skip the deep dive into a 2015 episode of Downton Abbey.

9. Vague Episode Titles and Descriptions 

Often, when I read descriptions of newly-launched podcasts, I find myself like Brad Pitt in the climax of the movie Seven. I feel like I’m standing alone in a desert, screaming, “What’s in the box?”

Poetically vague episode titles and descriptions are common podcasting mistakes.  Another is to tell me who made the podcast and how successful they are, rather than focusing on the content of the episode.

When your title and episode description tell listeners what to expect in the episode, not only will the right audience for your podcast press play, but they can also share your podcast with their friends more easily.

Tell me what the episode is going to cover, who’s talking, why, and what the big questions are. These steps give me just enough specificity to pique my interest.

We All Make Mistakes. This Is How We Learn.

Whenever you try something new, it’s impossible to get it right on the first try. Hopefully, this guide can help you learn from others’ common podcasting mistakes so you can avoid making them yourself.

Even the best podcasters slip on the ice once in a while. What matters is that they get up and keep walking, watching for the safe places to step. 

On the odd occasion when you don’t quite get something right, see it as an opportunity for learning and growth. You’ll always come through stronger and wiser on the other side. 

Want to launch a podcast your audience will actually care about? The Podcraft Academy gives you the tools, lessons, and guidance to do it right from day one. Mistakes will happen, but we help you avoid the ones that waste money, time, and motivation.

Well, I can’t change your voice, but I can tell you the best hosting options! There are some fantastic services out there; it’s not one-size-fits-all. But here, I’ll give you the pros and cons and help you find the best podcast hosting for your own unique needs.

Below, you’ll find 17 of the best hosting platforms out there, with a full breakdown of features, price and special offers. Plus, further down, you’ll find five free podcast hosting options, just in case you want a no-risk dabble, first…

And remember, if you’re still at the start of the journey, check out our full guide to getting launched:

Learn How to Start a Podcast: Every Single Step

So you know, this article contains some affiliate links, which help support our site at no extra cost to you. Thanks for the help!

Captivate

Huge, Excellent Feature-Set incl. Powerful Website, Network Features, Growth Tools & more

Captivate’s Notable Features

• Calls to action in the podcast player.
• Unlimited team members – share the burden of running your show.
• Run a private podcast on all payment tiers.
• Extensive listen/subscribe link options, incl. Attribution Links & Single Promotional Link.
• Well-designed, highly customisable and mobile-friendly website, built-in
• Transcription feature
• WordPress plugin option for connecting to your own website.
• Tools to connect and grow your email list.
• Custom trackable Attribution Links for your sponsorships, social media, or affiliates.
• Collections feature – hand-pick episodes to create shareable playlists
• Guest booking tool
• Captivate doesn’t make any changes or alterations to your episode files.
• Audio mastering and Dynamic Ad insertion
• Run a podcast network inside your normal account

Captivate is a hosting platform that concentrates on helping you to grow your audience. Their tagline is ‘the only growth-oriented’ podcast host, and they have a feature set built to live up to that.

Captivate’s growth and monetisation tools include their ‘One-Click Sponsor’ kit, ‘Calls to Action’ in their podcast players and an excellent Single Promotional Link that you can link to anywhere. They also enable you to easily connect and grow an email list so you can stay in touch with your audience in various other ways.

You can also run private (or members-only) podcasts with Captivate. You can start one for your team, business, or organisation even if you’re on Captivate’s lowest payment plan of $19 a month.

Captivate Pricing

Captivate’s competitive pricing is based on ‘downloads per month.’ You can host as many shows as you like on one account and pay based on the total downloads accumulated by all of them.

• $19 per month ($204 when paid annually) for up to 30,000 downloads per month
• $49 per month ($528 when paid annually) for up to 150,000 downloads per month
• $99 per month ($1,080 when paid annually) for up to 300,000 downloads per month

See How many downloads do podcasts get? for a rough guide here, but the lowest tier will be more than enough for the vast majority of podcasters.

Sign up below for a 30-day free trial to look around the Captivate dashboard.

Sign up for Captivate

RSS.com Podcast Hosting

RSS.com podcast hosting gives creators everything they need to launch, grow, and monetise their shows. With an intuitive dashboard, built-in programmatic ads for effortless monetisation, and IAB-certified analytics, podcasters at any level can access all the tools they need for one affordable monthly price.

 RSS.com’s Notable Features

• Cheaper than many competitors and no limits on episodes
• Free Local & Niche plan for community-focused or niche podcasters
• AI-generated transcripts you can use to enhance and promote your podcast
• Ability to convert audio-focused episodes into videos and upload directly to YouTube from your dashboard
• IAB-certified analytics to help you grow your podcast
• Monetisation options, including Apple Podcast Subscriptions, Value 4 Value, donation buttons, and more
• Programmatic ads (PAID) for easy revenue generation
• Option to host multiple podcasts from one account on the Podcast Networks plan
• Privacy features like the removal of your email address from your public RSS feed
• Ability to add collaborators (Admins and Analysts) to simplify podcast management

RSS.com Pricing

You can sign up and upload one episode for free. After you’ve tested the waters, you’ll need to sign up for either a free or paid plan.

Free Local & Niche (FLAN) – Free
Unlimited episodes and audio, transcripts, free podcast website, episode scheduling, automatic distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major apps.

All-in-One Podcasting – $15.99/month
Includes everything in FLAN, plus programmatic ads (PAID), Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, audio-to-video conversion for YouTube Podcasts, invite up to 3 show collaborators, access to Power-Ups, embeddable podcast player, advanced analytics up to 180 days, and priority customer support.

Podcast Networks – $24.99/month
Includes everything in FLAN and All-in-One, plus unlimited podcasts, unlimited team member seats, analytics data up to 365 days, API access, and AI-generated transcripts.

RSS.com Special Offers

Use promo code THEPODCASTHOST to get two full free months on a paid subscription plan.

Sign up for RSS.com podcast hosting

Transistor.fm

Private Podcasting & Flexible Player Options

Transistor’s Notable Features

• Private podcasting tools built-in to create a members-only podcast for your members or your company team.
• Single episode, latest episode, multi-episode & dark mode players.
• Publish your show to YouTube automatically.
• Invite multiple team members to manage your show.
• In-built website integrates with many email providers (Convertkit, Drip, etc).
• Free podcast website builder tool

Transistor is another host that aims to make things easy and offers all of the normal tools a podcaster might need. One area in which they excel is their private podcast feed feature, and in the range of players they offer.

Private podcasting has long been an effective way to monetise your show or to engage an existing community. Imagine running a public show, with a ‘premium content’ option alongside, which your real fans pay for. Or, create a community-based show, only available for members. Or an internal staff podcast which updates your company’s team on a weekly basis. Transistor makes it really easy to run a private show, in any form. You simply invite your users, and they do the rest.

Transistor recently released their multi-episode player, which is a great way to showcase your back catalogue. You can show off your most recent episode alongside your 25 latest episodes. It’s a great way to entice listeners into your older episodes, encouraging a bingeing session and increased loyalty.

Transistor.fm Pricing

You can host as many shows as you like on one account, and pay based on the total downloads accumulated by all of them.

• $19 per month for up to 20,000 downloads per month
• $49 per month for up to 100,000 downloads per month
• $99 per month for up to 250,000 downloads per month

See How many downloads do podcasts get? for a rough guide here, but the lowest tier will be more than enough for the vast majority of podcasters.

Sign up for Transistor

Alitu

Recording, Editing, Production, Hosting (& More!) All in One Single Place

Alitu’s Notable Features

• One login and one subscription fee for everything you need to podcast
• Call recording for remote conversations
• Solo recording
• Podcast editing – quickly and easily chop out mistakes
• Text-based podcast editing – edit audio directly from transcripts
• Episode builder – add in music, transitions, and other segments
• Merge double-ender recordings from alternative call recording software
• Automatic post-production – Alitu cleans up your audio, fixes the volume levels, and optimises your sound
• Free podcast music library
• Auto-generated podcast transcripts
• Publish to Apple Podcast, Spotify, and all other podcast listening platforms

Looking for the least possible amount of subscription plans and tools to streamline your workflow? Then look no further than Alitu. This podcast maker tool has everything you need to record, produce, and publish your show, with regular new feature releases, too.

Whether you run a solo show, co-host show, or do remote interviews, you can record directly into Alitu. Editing is easier than navigating your average social media app, and audio cleanup (noise reduction, levelling, etc.) happens for you automatically. Once you’re happy with your episode, you just hit publish, and you’re done.

Whilst Alitu has everything you need, it also plays well with other services. If you still want to use one of the other podcast hosting platforms here, then it’ll automatically connect to most of them, so you can still publish from within Alitu’s interface. Or, you can easily download your finished episode and upload it elsewhere manually.

If you prefer to use other remote recording software, it’ll automatically merge double-enders, too, and give them the usual audio cleanup TLC.

Podcast transcription is essential for audience accessibility, and Alitu will auto-generate transcriptions of your episodes. This helps you to deliver written versions of your episodes at no extra cost.

You can also edit your podcast directly from your transcripts with Alitu’s text-based audio editor. This is a perfect on-ramp for folks short on time, or with little experience working with audio.

Alitu is an all-in-one tool that suits busy people, non-techy folks, and people looking to save money on their overall podcast spend.

Alitu Pricing

With Alitu, you get access to ALL of its features for a flat rate of $38 per month. If you pay annually, you get two months free.

On the podcast hosting front, pricing allows for up to 1000 total downloads per month, which is typically more than enough for most podcasters. But if you’re lucky enough to be getting a few thousand per month, then the cost would rise by $10.

Get a 7-day free trial to test out Alitu for yourself.

Sign up for Alitu

Castos

Great for WordPress Integration & Their Podcast Editing Service

Castos’ Notable Features

• Integrate with WordPress via the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin.
• Create unlimited podcasts with no cap on downloads.
• Built-in episode transcriptions.
• Option to create private podcasts.
• Option to outsource your editing to Castos Productions.

Castos are the media host behind the popular Seriously Simple Podcasting WordPress plugin, which you can use to integrate Castos hosting with your own WordPress website.

You simply install the WordPress plugin; from then on, you can upload and publish podcast episodes directly from inside your website. No need to log into your hosting. Read our full guide on how to set up your own podcasting website for more details.

The Complete Guide to Podcast Websites (with Dinosaurs)

Read article called: The Complete Guide to Podcast Websites (with Dinosaurs)

Another thing Castos specialises in is tools for private or “membership” podcasts and premium content. This can be run inside your Castos Dashboard and integrates with Seriously Simple Podcasting to run a private or members-only show directly from your WordPress site.

Castos has a handy tool in the form of their transcription service. This helps you create a more accessible podcast and offers a text version of every show for listener revision or skimming.

Castos even offer a podcast editing and production service, which you can add to your hosting.

Regarding your files, Castos doesn’t alter your bitrates or metadata in any way.

Castos Pricing

You can podcast on Castos from $19 a month, giving you unlimited podcasts, downloads, and episodes. There are two higher tiers at $49 a month and $99 a month. With the middle one, you can republish your show to Youtube, whilst the higher one lets you host video podcasts.

Castos Special Offers

Get a free month by using our coupon code TPH22

Sign up for Castos

Other Great Podcast Hosting Services

With our top recommendations done, here’s a roundup of some of the most popular hosting platform alternatives.

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout offers a few unique features built around automation, all of which can save you, as a podcaster, a lot of time. If you’re into clipping for social media, for example, Buzzsprout allows you to select parts of your audio to turn into video clips.

Buzzsprout can also automate adverts or cross-promotions, too, through it’s dynamic ad capabilities. This means you can easily add up-to-date and relevant ads to the beginning and end of all of your existing episodes.

They also offer the option to add chapter markers. This gives listeners the ability to quickly navigate through an episode to review the content. Great for learning shows, in particular!

Buzzsprout Pricing

You need one paid account per podcast, and pricing is based on how much you upload, every month. You can upload two hours of content per month for free, but episodes are deleted after 90 days. Their paid plans store your episodes so long as your account is active, priced at $12/month (3hrs), $18/month (6hrs), and $24/month (12hrs).

Visit Buzzsprout

Podbean

Podbean have made huge strides in recent years to provide a range of brilliant tools to help Podcasters grow and monetise their shows. Their hosting is great quality, and can be easily tied in with their sponsorship marketplace, their dynamic ad insertion and their premium content service.

Podbean Pricing

Their flagship plan is the $14 per month (or $9 per month if paid annually) ‘Unlimited Audio Plan’, which would suit most podcasters. From there, you can upgrade for extra design options, their Podads and Patron programmes.

Read our full Podbean Monetisation Guide here for more info.

Podbean Special Offers

Get a month’s free hosting with Podbean when you sign up using the coupon code podcraft

Visit Podbean

RedCircle

RedCircle promises unlimited storage to host your podcast, and supports running multiple shows. Their features include the ability to take donations, subscriptions to premium content, cross-promotion with other RedCircle podcasters, dynamic ads, and YouTube distribution.

RedCircle Pricing

RedCircle has a free tier, which includes unlimited storage, exclusive content, and the ability to take donations. Upgrading to their $20 a month Growth plan though (annual savings are available), will let you host unlimited podcasts (actual shows, not episodes), get advanced statistics, and ad-free webpages.

Visit RedCircle

Spreaker

Spreaker is a podcasting platform that offers a lot more tools than most, with apps for live broadcasting, offline recording and some parts of production. You can see more about them, and other options, in our best podcast-making apps article.

Spreaker have a great distribution platform, which publishes you to all of the main directories without leaving the Spreaker platform. Finally, they have a good monetisation option in the form of dynamic ads insertion, if you’re happy to outsource the ad content.

Spreaker Pricing

Spreaker has a free tie, though opting for the $20 monthly plan gets you advanced stats, enhanced private podcasts, in-app support, and more.

Visit Spreaker

Blubrry

Blubrry have been part of the podcasting world since the early days, providing quality hosting to tens of thousands of users. They’re also well known for their excellent Powerpress plugin which allows anyone to run a podcast from their own website. You can learn how to set up Powerpress or a new podcast website here.

Blubrry were one of the first independent podcast hosting services to be given IAB certification, meaning they comply with official podcast measurement guidelines. That can be a help if you’re looking for sponsorship.

Blubrry doesn’t alter your uploaded files in any way.

Blubrry Pricing

If your show is on the short side, you might get away with their $12/month plan, for 125MB of uploads every month. Otherwise, their $20/month 400MB storage plan should suit longer shows.

Blubrry Special Offers

Get a month’s free hosting with Blubrry when you sign up using the coupon code: podcraft

Visit BluBrry

Libsyn

Libsyn is one of the old-guard of the podcast hosting world – similar to Blubrry, serving tens of thousands of happy customers, with a quality, reliable and extremely knowledgeable service.

Libsyn pride themselves on empowering you to be found anywhere that podcasts are consumed, and with their Destinations you can publish to any day/time in the future to the minute to each directory, independently of each other.

Also, what you upload is what your listener downloads. They don’t change your files at all – though they do provide tools to add metadata to your episodes if you choose to.

Libsyn Pricing

Libsyn starts at $5 a month for 162MB of uploads per month (approx three hours).  Their 324MB plan is more suitable for most weekly podcasters, though, and runs at $15 per month.

Libsyn is also well known for its Enterprise offerings, catering to professional podcasters, podcast networks, celebrities, government agencies, and big media companies. You’ll have to get in touch to get a quote based on what exactly you’re looking to do.

Libsyn Special Offers

Get a month’s free hosting with Libsyn when you sign up using the coupon code podhost

Visit Libsyn

Podcast.co

Podcast.co is a company, like their name, that aims to make things as simple as possible. They offer a platform with lovely design and great ease of use, including all the standard tools you’d expect in your hosting.

One unique feature is that Podcast.co also offers launch, growth and production services. So, if you think you’ll need extra help at any stage, you can add this on to your package.

Finally, they also offer a private podcasting service, but only on the $49 package and upwards. If you’re looking to do a members-only or internal team podcast, though, it could be a nice add-on.

Podcast.co Pricing

Podcast.co follows the ‘monthly downloads’ model and starts at $19 per month and 15,000 downloads. That ramps up to $49 for 75k downloads and $99 for 200k. Podcasts.co now offers unlimited podcast feeds on all tiers.

Visit Podcast.co

Acast

Acast is a well-known podcast hosting platform with some handy monetisation, promotion, and transcription features.

Acast’s interface is clear, clean, and straightforward. They offer embeddable podcast players and snippets which make it easy to promote your show. On top of that, you can add dynamically inserted adverts into your episodes, too!

Acast Pricing

Acast offers a free tier with all the basics. Unlimited uploads, basic analytics and a basic podcast website.

The $25 a month “Influencer” tier offers advanced analytics & website, integration with Patreon, as well as other monetization options.

On Acast’s $ 40-a-month “Ace” tier, you get transcriptions, along with professional workshops, more customer support, and team and network management.

You can save on the $25 and $40 monthly payments by paying annually.

Visit Acast

Podcast Websites

Podcast Websites is a service built on the Captivate podcast hosting platform I mentioned above. It’s the highest-priced product here at $97 per month (or $77 annually), but it sets you up with what amounts to your own self-hosted WordPress website, equipped with a range of really powerful plugins to help you engage your listeners and grow your show. If you want to run a powerful, customisable podcast website, but you’d like someone else to take care of it, Podcast Websites could be well worth the extra cost.

Podcast Websites Pricing

Podcast Websites likes to keep it simple, with just one unlimited premium tier, at a monthly cost of $97. But, you can pay annually, at $77 per month to save $240 over the year.

Podcast Websites Special Offers

Use our coupon code – HOSTME – to get $10 OFF the monthly cost for life.

Visit Podcast Websites

Simplecast

Simplecast markets itself as “the modern independent podcast hosting and analytics platform”. They offer great stats and sharing options for podcasters, giving you the tools to help you grow your show and to track the progress of that growth.

File-wise, Simplecast will re-encode MP3s that are over 128kbps to that bitrate, but they won’t alter anything uploaded at a rate of 128kbps or lower. Stereo/mono encoding is kept as-is at all times. If you’d really like to run your podcast at a higher bitrate though, they’re happy to discuss that with you.

Simplecast Pricing

You can run an account from $15 a month, which puts a soft limit of 20,000 total monthly downloads on your show. You can upgrade to their 50,000 package for $35 a month, or their 120,000 package for $85 a month. Discounts are available when paying annually.

Simplecast Special Offers

Get 50% off your first two months on Simplecast when you subscribe with the promo code ONSIMPLECAST.

Visit Simplecast

Ausha

French podcast hosting platform Ausha has recently expanded to the US and is now IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement 2.1 certified. Founded in 2018, they had become the leader in hosting and broadcasting native podcasts in France by the beginning of 2020.

Ausha Pricing

Their “Launch” tier costs $156 a year or $15 when billed monthly. This gives you unlimited storage, episodes, and downloads, along with a newsletter feature of up to 1000 contacts. If you upgrade to their “Boost” tier ($35/month, annual savings available) you can get 5000 newsletter contacts and distribute to YouTube.

Visit Ausha

CoHost – Podcast Hosting for Brands & Agencies

CoHost is built specifically for brands and agencies to better measure the impact of branded podcasts. Their primary focus is on providing valuable, actionable data that helps a brand better understand what is and isn’t working in their audio efforts.

CoHost Pricing

CoHost has launched with a $59 package, but if you’re an agency or network, they’ll create a custom, discounted rate depending on the number of shows you’re looking to onboard. Get in touch with their team for a demo and to discuss pricing! 

Visit CoHost

Free Podcast Hosting: Is it a Good Idea?

The eternal question! Yes, there can be a place for free podcast hosting, as long as you know the downsides and it suits the stage you’re at.

Using a free hosting platform can be a decent way to test the waters when you’re starting out. Podcasting isn’t for everyone, after all, so being able to try out the medium for a month or more, for free, can be nice.

But, you know what they say – if you’re not paying, then you’re the product. The upside is obviously saving some money. But, here are the downsides:

• Often adds advertising to your show, for the hosting co. or others.
• May add advertising to your podcast website, or players
• Options for analytics or customisation tend to be limited
• You may give up a lot of control (eg. Anchor owning your feed on Apple Podcasts.)
• Free podcast hosts may struggle to monetise. Historically we’ve seen them change their approach rapidly or go out of business.
• Support can be limited
• Free hosting has created some podcast piracy issues

The upsides of paying for podcast hosting are huge, such as features to grow your show, full ownership over your feed and content, detailed analytics, reliable support, and all the other things we’ve talked about in the recommendations above.

But, there are four free options, which can be a good starter – as I said, to test the waters – and that’s Podbean, Spreaker, RedCircle and Buzzsprout. Plus, there’s Spotify for Podcasters, which I don’t necessarily recommend, but I’ll let you know why, below.

RSS.com Podcast Hosting’s Free Tier

RSS.com podcast hosting‘s new ‘local & niche’ free tier includes unlimited episodes and audio, transcripts, a podcast website, episode scheduling, and automatic distribution to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major apps. They’re one of our favourite hosting providers, and this accessible entry point for new or experimental creators fits perfectly alongside their excellent-value paid plans.

Podbean’s Free Podcast Hosting

Podbean‘s free package has the following limits:

• 5 hours of audio, maximum, forever
• 100GB monthly bandwidth

And that’s it! This is interesting because it means that you could run short episodes for a few months, inside that limit. Let’s say 15 episodes of 20 minutes each.

If you decide, at that point, that you don’t like it, you just stop. But, because of the limits here, your show is still available, forever.

RedCircle’s Free Podcast Hosting

RedCircle have a great free tier which lets you host one podcast with unlimited storage and distribution. Instead of charging a fee upfront, they provide tools for podcasters to earn revenue and then take a cut if/when they do. You can learn more about this in our dedicated RedCircle review.

Buzzsprout’s Free Podcast Hosting

Buzzsprout offers a free package, with the following conditions:

• You can upload up to 2hrs of audio each month
  (enough for a weekly 30min show).
• But episodes go offline after three months of publishing

The 3-month episode shutdown means it’s not a viable option for running a long-term podcast. You’ll want your back catalogue available permanently.

But this works as a great free trial for Buzzsprout, and can help you decide if you want to keep going with them and sign up to their $12-per-month plan.

Spotify for Podcasters’ Free Podcast Hosting

Spotify for Podcasters (Anchor) is the big dog of free podcast hosting. Their platform has made it easy and accessible for ‘toe-dippers’ trying podcasting out to see if it’s for them or not.

The downside of this is that it has created a lot of ‘one-episode then gone’ clutter in the podcasting realm. That said, almost half of the podcasters we surveyed said they didn’t care about this (though a third of them did). The Podcast Index also re-evaluated what they considered to be a valid podcast, too, as their total number was grossly inflated by a lot of 20-second “hey, is this thing on?” shows.

Of course, if you’re simply curious about podcasting then none of this will matter much to you. But if you want to test the water with free podcast hosting on a platform that can grow with you, then opt for RedCircle, Spreaker, or Podbean.

Spreaker’s Free Podcast Hosting

Spreaker have a decent free plan if you only want to run a single podcast. You’ll get up to 6 months’ worth of basic stats. Upgrading to their paid tier will give you access to features like enhanced private podcasting, Apple Podcasts subscriptions, advanced statistics, and in-app support.

Podcast Hosting FAQs

If you’re still deciding, here are a few questions you might have about finding the best podcast hosting.

What is Podcast Hosting?

Podcast hosting does two things. First, it’s the place on the web where you upload your podcast episodes. Second, it generates the RSS feed which you submit to listening platforms – eg. Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc – and which allows people to subscribe to your show.

Podcast hosting is generally a subscription service. You sign up for a monthly fee, and you can upload your new episode files every week. There are a bunch of extra features that come with hosting, such as stats, marketing tools, podcast websites and more, but the basic principle is that it’s a place to put your audio files.

Go Deeper: What is a podcast host, and why do I need one?

How Do I Choose the Best Podcast Host?

Good question! There isn’t a one-size-fits-all, so it’s worth going through the strengths and weaknesses of the best in the business.

For this roundup, we’ve run through all of our experiences with every host and drawn thoughts from many others we know and trust. Our top picks are all hosts that we actively use, either with our own shows or with other shows we work on. And, the ‘best of the rest’ are all hosting platforms we’ve at least used in the past.

Can I Host My Podcast on My Website?

The short answer is: no. With caveats. It’s all about bandwidth. Audio files can be pretty big: let’s say 30mb for an average kind of episode. Then, if you do well, you might get a few thousand downloads of your new episodes, every week. 3000 x 30mb is nearly 100,000MB per week, not counting downloads of your back catalogue too.

While most web hosts claim they run unlimited, unmetered bandwidth, they generally have fair use policies that disallow this volume. So, it’s common for self-hosting podcasters to be kicked off their hosting, or forced to upgrade.

Worth knowing, that you can still treat your main website as the home of your podcast (maybe a category within it), but you’ll upload audio files to the podcast host, and then embed the player on your own episode blog posts.

Remember, you do get a basic website as standard with your podcast hosting account (some of them look pretty good, too), and you can even get custom domains to point to them. For some, this is a quick and easy alternative to setting up a WordPress site.

Go Deeper: Can I just host my podcast on my website?

How Does Podcast Hosting Storage and Bandwidth Work?

It depends on who you opt for. But there are two common ways of working.

The first is that a hosting provider will charge you a monthly fee and limit the amount of content you can upload that month. BUT, you could suddenly become the most famous person on the planet and get a billion downloads the next day, and you’d still be golden.

The second is that a hosting provider will charge you a monthly fee and you can upload as much content as you like. BUT, there will be a cap on how many times it can be downloaded.

A caveat on this is that, firstly, the download ‘cap’ number is usually set very high. Far higher than the average new podcaster is going to have to worry about hitting any time soon (and if they do, what a nice worry to have, eh?).

Secondly, no decent podcast hosting platform is likely to cut you off the minute you reached such a limit. Instead, they’ll tend to reach out to you to discuss upgrades to your account. If you’re doing really well, they will want to take good care of you!

Podcast Host Pricing: Is It Better to Be Charged for Uploads or Downloads?

The promise of “unlimited bandwidth” can be confusing, because it might mean uploads, downloads, or both.

But the good news is that few podcasters need to worry about upload or download limits in their podcast hosting account.

Libsyn is a host that charges by uploads. Their lowest tier of $5 a month still allows for around three hours of monthly storage to be added. So if you’re running a weekly show of 30-45mins, you should be totally fine. They don’t put any cap on downloads either.

If we take Captivate, by contrast, you have unlimited storage space. You can host as many podcasts and publish as many episodes as you like for $19 a month. Captivate charges based on downloads, so your limit here is 30,000 per month, spread across all of your shows and episodes.

30,000 monthly downloads is massive. Even if you have a few popular shows with big back catalogues, they might not quite hit that lofty number.

In summary, upload or download limits probably aren’t a reason to choose one particular podcast hosting provider over another.

Does Hosting Handle Podcast Distribution?

Not directly, but most of the good hosts give you a lot of help when it comes to distributing your podcast. For example, both Captivate and Transistor have a podcast distribution page for every show you host with them.

These pages give direct links to the top podcast directories, so you can list easily. And, in some cases, they can submit for you. Captivate and Transistor registers your show on Spotify with one click. They’ll also help you submit to Apple, whilst Google Podcasts just finds you automatically (that’s what they do, after all!).

Once you have your podcast hosting set up, head over here for our complete podcast distribution guide to make sure your podcast gets found by potential listeners.

Go Deeper: Complete Guide to Podcast Distribution

Can I Upload Video Podcasts to My Podcast Host?

Video podcasts can be confusing. The vast majority of podcasters who run a video component to their show will upload their episodes to YouTube, and a YouTube channel technically isn’t a podcast feed.

That said, YouTube has now rolled out a dedicated “podcasts” section to US-based users, so things are changing. But video podcasting in the technical sense (where you can subscribe to shows inside many major listening platforms) is a bit more niche.

Podbean is a podcast host that lets you upload videos and run a video podcast. Whether you should run a video show alongside the audio version is another matter. Some argue that this can split your downloads and subscribers over two different content streams, and this can affect your “searchability” in podcast apps.

As it stands, it’s probably best just to create a YouTube channel and upload your video episodes there. Whether YouTube’s official venture into podcasting comes to anything or not is irrelevant. Tonnes of people are “listening to podcasts” on there, even if that’s often not technically correct.

Do Podcast Hosting Providers Offer Transcriptions?

Some podcast hosts have advanced features where they can auto-generate transcripts of your episodes for you. Alitu and Castos do this.

Many other hosting providers will provide a space to upload or copy in transcriptions, but you’ll need to use another service to create them. Here’s how and where to get your podcast transcribed.

Which Hosting Provider Has the Best Embeddable Podcast Player?

Your podcast hosting provider will offer an embeddable player for your episodes. This means you can add them to your website and blog posts.

Most of these players are pretty customisable in terms of their colours, and the buttons you can add to them. There are a lot of nice attractive options out there these days, too. Check out our full guide to podcast players right here.

Do Hosting Providers Have Podcast Production Tools?

Alitu is one of the few “all-in-one” services that has both podcast hosting and editing and production built-in. It’s important to differentiate between “editing” and “production” because the latter can be used as a term to describe enhancing your audio, but not necessarily chopping out mistakes and unwanted segments.

Captivate and Buzzsprout are two podcast hosts offering mastering tools that fall into the “production” bracket. These can help sharpen up the sound of your uploaded files. But if you’re looking for full editing and production options, opt for Alitu or Spotify for Podcasters.

Can I Have Separate Hosting Accounts for Team Members?

If you have a team of people working on your show then some hosting providers give you the ability to have individual logins and accounts for each one. The most notable options here are Captivate and Transistor.

Are Podcast Hosting Sites the Same as Podcast Networks?

No, in almost all instances, they are different things. Some podcast networks may have criteria that their podcasts are hosted on a particular platform, but your host is your host, and your network (if you are on one) is your network.

Many hosting providers do have special tools and features allowing you to create and run a full podcast network on their platform. Notably, Libsyn and Captivate.

What’s the Best Podcasting Hosting for You & Your Content?

Loads of information there, but hopefully that’s helped you to find a service that looks like a great fit for your show. Or, at the very least, helped you to whittle all the options down to a shortlist! Here, again, are our top choices for podcast hosting solutions right now:

If you’re looking for growth tools, private pods, network features & a great site:

Choose Captivate

If you’d like recording, editing, and hosting all in one place:

Choose Alitu

If you’re a native Italian or Spanish speaker, or, are looking for a lower subscription cost without a reduction in quality:

Choose RSS.com

If you’re looking for simplicity & automation:

Choose Castos

If you’d like private podcasting feeds & a variety of players:

Choose Transistor

She did.

In fact, she loved listening to audio stories so much that we got her the travel-sized Yoto Player for her third birthday.

So when an email landed in the inbox recently about a new kids’ audio player —one that’s been compared to the Yoto and the Toniebox —I was intrigued. It’s called the Seedpace Interactive Player, and I figured it deserved a look from me and my chief tester.

Thanks to Seedpace for sending one out for review purposes. We also use affiliate links in this review, which means we earn a small commission if you choose to buy through them, but it never costs you anything extra. Affiliates never cloud our judgement, so you can always trust that you are getting our honest thoughts.

Now, let’s get on with it.

What is the Seedpace Interactive Player?

I’ll admit, the cynic in me suspected it might just be a Yoto copycat. But the Seedpace Player definitely stands out on its own.

Seedpace is the brainchild of a dad whose three-year-old asked, “If I were the hero, could I be brave too?” during a bedtime story.

Like the Yoto, it’s a portable screen-free audio player that lets you plug in and play different stories and songs. But that’s where the similarities end.

Seedpace looks a bit like a small robot’s head, with its buttons forming a face. Pick it up and give it a wiggle, and the player acts dizzy. Even left alone, the face stays “alert”, offering the odd wink, frown, or smirk. It is a small detail, but a fun touch that makes it instantly endearing.

Seedplayer Crafts

Instead of Yoto-style cards, the Seedpace audio comes on sturdy, disc-shaped crafts. To play one, simply place it on top of the player, and it starts automatically. Swap it for another, and it even remembers where you left off.

You get three crafts in the box:

Storybox: 12 Bedtime Stories

Not much more to say about this, it does exactly what it says on the tin. Or craft, as it were.

Dino Land

Here, we add some interactivity. Dino Land is a fun and educational craft that blends audio drama with learning about dinosaurs, featuring interactive true-or-false quizzes along the way.

The Cursed Wizard

This one’s the Seedplayer’s piece de resistance. The Cursed Wizard uses AI to generate stories that cast your kid as the main character. I couldn’t really believe what I was hearing, first time round.

Seven other crafts are available on the Seedpace website. I’ve got a couple on my Santa list, Space & City Explorers-The Alien’s Adventure and Clumsy Monster: Learning at School & Time Travel. We’ll see if the big man delivers.

Podcasters can create their own audio stories and add them to blank crafts, too. Why not pair the player with the ultra-accessible Micro-Speak Plus recorder and let your kid tell some stories of their own?

How Do the Seedpace AI Stories Work?

What’s under the hood is a mystery. But you set up a profile on the Seedpace companion app, where you’re invited to enter your child’s first name, age, and gender.

Then, you pick from a range of Educational Goals. These are things like:

• Values: Kindness, honesty, compassion, etc
• Social Skills: Friendship, sharing, conflict resolution, etc
• Emotional Education: Confidence, perseverance, coping with setbacks, etc
• Cognitive Development: Curiosity, creativity, problem solving, etc
• Life skills: Time management, basic etiquette, healthy habits

There’s also a ‘More Goals’ section where you can add in any that weren’t an option. For example, “patience”.

It seems the player uses this information to create fully AI-generated stories, but they sound surprisingly well produced.

Kids choose a location using the left button and a best friend with the right, then, after a short pause, the player creates a brand-new story. It is a clever and impressive feature. Granted, they don’t compete with something a human has written and produced, but the stories manage to capture a real sense of fun, imagination, and discovery.

It’s worth noting that I’ve had a minor bug with the smartphone app where it won’t lock in my wee one’s gender settings. I set it to ‘Female’, but it always reverts back to ‘Prefer not to say’. It’s a small thing, and I doubt it has any bearing on the stories, but I’ve tried everything to fix it and just can’t.

Seedpace Interactive Player Vs Yoto Player

So the Seedpace Player isn’t just a Yoto knockoff. That said, it’s unlikely your kid would need both. So which to choose?

Pricing

At the time of writing, you can get the Seedpace with its three crafts for $99/£80. The Yoto Mini is currently $80 (£60), and the Yoto 3rd Gen is $110 (£100).

It’s unclear which cards are included. From memory, there was a small bundle (including a ‘write your own’ card) that came with the 3rd Gen. I’m sure the Mini was accompanied by one ‘write your own’ card, too.

Variety

If you’re looking for variety, then there’s very little you can’t find for the Yoto. They have a huge library, from Disney and Sesame Street to Roald Dahl and Harry Potter. You can even get Bob Marley and The Beatles albums on Yoto cards.

Looking at the cost of stories, you can get a pack of cards with six Disney classics for $45. The Swashboggling Collection sits at $50, whilst The Chronicles of Narnia is a princely $60.

Seedpace’s small library of crafts is typically cheaper than Yoto’s offerings. Everything is currently priced at $20 on the player’s website, though there’s no big IPs on there yet.

Durability

As for durability, our two Yoto Players have had a tough life and still live to tell the tale. The Seedpace Player seems durable enough, though I’m not going to ask her to throw it down the stairs to find out for sure.

I do think the crafts look more resilient than the Yoto cards, though; it would take something special to bend or break one of those!

Headphones

None of these players comes with headphones, but all have a 3.5mm jack. Often, it’s fun to hear their audio. But on lengthy car journeys, do you really want to hear Elsa belting out Let It Go for the fiftieth time?

Extra Features

The Yoto 3rd Gen has an “okay to wake” light feature, which Seedpace and the Yoto Mini don’t. I know that has nothing to do with audio stories, but if you’re in the market for one of those, too, then that might just swing it.

Interactivity

Interactivity is the Seepace Player’s USP. Not only can you play educational true-or-false quizzes, but The Cursed Wizard craft tailors AI-generated stories around your kid’s first name and learning goals.

That isn’t to say Yoto is an entirely passive player. There’s a wide range of interactive content and audio games available. My wee one’s favourite is Dungeons & Dragons: Forge Your Quest. It’s actually my favourite, too.

Summary: Seedpace Interactive Player

Seedpace is a distinctive and welcome addition to the growing world of screen-free audio players for kids. At only $99 (£80 in the UK), it offers excellent value, especially given its near-infinite story potential.

Currently, the Seedpace catalogue is limited, while Yoto’s is extensive. But since both players let you record and add your own, you’re unlikely to feel stuck with a small selection. I fully expect Seedpace to add more crafts to its range over the coming year as well.

There’s no clear winner, and I’d be happy if my wee one could only ever use one or the other. Seedpace has the novelty edge right now, though, and it’ll be exciting to see what they do next with this clever technology!

So technically, you can run your podcast month-to-month without spending any money producing it.

But the big question is: can you grow a successful show?

When we asked respondents to our Independent Podcaster Survey (sign up to get the full report soon) how much it costs them per month to run their show, a substantial 17% said they produce on no budget whatsoever.

These podcasters said they ‘spend’ time rather than money. This reminded me of another survey we ran back in 2022, which showed the vast majority of new creators (79%) would prefer to invest time rather than cash when launching and growing their content.

So it’s interesting to see that 17% of our survey respondents are actually managing to do this.

I wanted to know a bit more about these podcasts: Are they reaching their goals, getting the downloads in and managing to sustain a regular show while keeping costs non-existent?

Let’s find out – can you run a successful podcast on no budget?

Yes, If You Make a Particular Kind of Podcast

Every time we run a new survey, we’re always prepared for the data to show something that contradicts our expectations. But with this particular topic, the data backed up our general thesis that you can run a podcast on no budget, but only a particular kind of podcast.

For a zero-budget podcast to be successful, it would most likely need to be a solo show with an altruistic, hobbyist goal.

Let’s break that down…

1. A solo show

In theory, solo shows are easiest to run for free. They don’t rely on co-hosts, interview guests, or remote recording software, so they’re much easier to squeeze into your free time and sustain as a hobby.

This was reflected in the survey, which showed that the majority of free podcasts (53%) are solo shows. This number dropped to 28% among those who spend under $50 and to 24% among those who spend more than $50/month (where the interview format was much more popular).

65% of the ‘free’ group also said they get no help with running their show, compared to just 35% of the $50+ group.

2. A show with an altruistic goal

One surprising thing: not spending any money running a podcast doesn’t seem to have any impact on whether respondents achieve their goals.

71% of the ‘free’ group said they’re still achieving at least some of their podcast goals. 72% of the sub-$50 group said they were, and 80% of those who spend $50+.

If I’m honest, I was expecting to see far fewer podcasters in the ‘free’ group achieving their goals, so this was initially quite surprising.

But of course, this also has a lot to do with the goals themselves and what ‘success’ looks like to those creators.

Regardless of whether podcasters spend money on producing their show, the top 3 goals remained the same: supporting others, personal enjoyment, and raising awareness about a topic.

However, revenue-related goals (particularly ‘to develop or promote a brand or business’) were more common among those who spend monthly on their podcast.

3. A hobby project

If you’re not spending any money on your podcast, you need to go in with the mindset that you probably won’t make any money from it either.

Comparing the three spending groups suggested that the more you spend, the more likely you are to make a financial return. Only 5% of respondents who make a podcast on no budget reported making any money from their podcast. This climbed to 16% in the sub-$50 and 26% in those who spend over $100 a month.

Overall, just 15% of all of those who took our survey said their podcast makes money. 85% don’t.

BUT Free Podcasts Come With Limitations

So clearly, it is possible to run a successful podcast on no budget. However, not only do you have to be prepared to be limited to a particular type of show, but free shows come with some other limitations, too.

Free podcasts are harder to grow

If there’s one really clear takeaway regarding the ‘success’ of those shows that run on no money, it’s that, unsurprisingly, they’re harder to achieve substantial growth with.

68% of respondents who told us they spend no money producing their podcasts get under 50 downloads per episode in the first week. To be clear: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a podcast that gets under 50 downloads per episode – in fact, it’s a marker of success for most shows.

But there’s an undeniable trend. Download numbers climb the more creators financially invest in their shows. Only 24% of those who spend $100+ get less than 50 downloads per ep.

Free podcasts can be hard to sustain

Another thing I noticed when looking into the data was that 44% of those who create their podcast at no cost have only been running their podcast for less than a year.

This number drops to 33% of sub-$50 and 22% of $50+. Perhaps creators begin their podcasting journey on no budget, but over time, they spend more as their show grows and their needs become more complex.

Similarly, you might take from this that the more you invest in your podcast, the more likely you are to stick it out. Or at least, when you start putting money into it each month, you’re more inclined to show up.

Which takes me to my final point…

Spending keeps you accountable

This example might not ring true to everyone, but hear me out. If I’m paying for a gym membership, I’m likely to make more of an effort to go regularly than if I had free access. There’s just less motivation there to make the effort when I’m not concerned about getting my money’s worth.

The same idea can be applied to podcasting. Our data suggests that those who have an allocated budget for their show tend to put a bit more into the production, too.

For example, there’s a correlation between money spent and time spent. You’d be forgiven for thinking that spending money = less need to spend time. But according to our data, the opposite seems to be true.

12% of podcasters who spend nothing on their shows say they spend less than an hour on each episode. It is hard to imagine creating strong content in under 60 minutes, yet many report doing so.

At the other end of the scale, 19% of those who invest more than $100 per month spend over ten hours producing each episode.

Financial investment also seems to influence how consistently podcasters release new content. 16% of those in the free group have no fixed schedule, compared with 10% of the sub-$50 group and just 4% of those spending $50 or more.

Listeners value consistency, and irregular publishing inevitably affects engagement. Still, it is easy to see why those who podcast for free struggle to maintain a routine. Just like skipping the gym when you’re not paying for a membership – something else always feels more urgent than lacing up your running shoes.

The Under-$50 Sweet Spot

So yes, it’s possible to make a podcast with no budget, but it can be tough and rarely gives you the best shot at growing your show.

You can see from the original graphic that the most popular spending bracket was $10-49 per month (I’ll post it again here to save you scrolling back!).

That’s not an insignificant amount of money, especially with the cost of living these days. But it signifies to your brain that you take your show seriously, and those monthly payments are great for holding you accountable.

What’s more, spending on your show gives you access to better tools, which in turn, helps you create better-sounding content. This opens up the door for monetising your podcast, and with a couple of hundred loyal listeners, you can quickly recoup that monthly spend with something as simple as a Patreon account.

This data was gathered from our Indie Podcasters Report, which will be published in the coming week. Be sure to subscribe to Podcraft Perspectives, and you’ll get it in your inbox the minute it goes live.

You’ve got great ideas and a microphone, but who exactly are you talking to? Many podcasters say their show is for “everyone.” But vague-casting doesn’t make your show universally attractive. Understanding your ideal audience makes it easier to connect with them and build a meaningful relationship. Here’s how to define your podcast avatar or ideal listener, what to do with that profile, and how that avatar can help your podcast thrive.

What’s a Podcast Avatar? 

The word may evoke images of blue, elfin creatures, but the word “avatar” comes from Hindi and means the incarnation of a deity in human form. It’s come to mean a personification of an abstract idea. What we mean when we say “audience avatar” is your podcast’s ideal listener. 

Why does this imaginary friend matter? Any podcaster can benefit from imagining their ideal listener as a real person. However, this avatar idea is most helpful for solo podcasters who feel put off by “talking to themselves” behind the mic. Name your podcast avatar to make the image more concrete. Now, you can think of yourself talking directly to “Bob”, “Helen”, or “Count Chuckles of Chortleton”.

If I asked you to imagine the ideal audience for a “kids and family podcast,” you’d probably picture two kids in the back seat of a car while an adult driver picks out a podcast. Or, if I say “True Crime podcast,” you might visualize a woman in loungewear examining documents with a magnifying glass. On the most basic level, that’s an audience avatar. 

When you understand your podcast avatar, you can determine how to reach them and what they can do for you. 

Case Study: The True Crime Audience Podcast Avatar 

Let’s use True Crime podcasts as an example, since many studies have consistently found that they attract a specific audience. I’ll show you the data, and how to make it work for you. 

Who Listens to True Crime?

Sounds Profitable’s Safe & Sound study showed that 38% of women respondents ranked True Crime as their favorite podcast category.  The Pew Research Center found that True Crime podcasts were most popular among women. So, it’s safe to say that the audience avatar for True Crime is likelier to be women (though not universally: my husband can’t get enough True Crime).

How Does This Audience Find and Consume Podcasts?

Now that we know women listen to True Crime, we can examine data about how women find and consume podcasts. For example,  the Women’s Audio Report: Women & Podcasts released by Edison Research and Sirius XM reports that: 

• 40% of respondents ranked True Crime first out of twenty-four categories (verifying what we learned from Sounds Profitable and The Pew Research Center)
• 74% of respondents find out about new podcasts from social media, and 73% find out about new shows via word of mouth 
• The majority of respondents listen to find connection, knowledge, and representation, and are highly responsive to calls to action. 

This is a superficial layer of information. I don’t want to keep you here all day. Now that we know that True Crime listeners tend to be:

• women
• finding their next podcast via social media or word of mouth
• seeking community, education, and representation
• are likely to act on podcast CTAs

What do we do with these data points about our True Crime podcast avatar?  

What Methods Are Appealing?

Our ideal listener is more likely to discover her next podcast listening experience through a social media post or word of mouth, so we know that social media posts will be more effective than purchasing a print ad, for example. Successful promotion will focus on relationship-building rather than general advertising. Cross-marketing tactics, such as trailer swaps, feed swaps, and guest appearances on other podcasts, can fit into calls to action (i.e., “if you enjoyed this show, then check out that show.”). 

This podcast avatar prefers word-of-mouth recommendations, so empower your audience to be your word-of-mouth PR team. Incentivize participation by thanking people on the air when they reach out or review. 

And, this ideal listener wants positive representation. If you don’t already have women on your True Crime show, bring them on board immediately. Get expert consultants, who happen to be women, to explain a court case or investigation. Bring in lady guests, or when you need an extra voice, choose a female-identified voice artist. 

When you know what kind of people are most likely to listen to your True Crime show, and what motivates their podcast choices, you can tailor your content and PR strategies accordingly. 

A Real-World Example

Crime Junkie’s website is chock-full of relationship-building opportunities. In the “Extras” category, information about avoiding scams, a portal to suggest a case, and a free cross-stitch pattern are just the beginning of their relationship-building paths.

How to Research Your Ideal Listener and Apply That Information to Your Podcast

Not all information about the relationship between podcasts and their audiences is as clear-cut as that of the True Crime audience. Gathering statistics about your audience can involve researching outside the podcasting realm and then analyzing how podcast listeners engage with your show’s content. 

Instead of Researching Podcast Audiences, Research What Your Audience Wants

Let’s shift from True Crime to gardening, for a moment. Home and Garden is an undervalued podcast category. You may imagine the ideal listener as an elderly lady wearing large gloves and hats, trimming rose bushes. Instead of looking up, “Who listens to garden podcasts?” look up gardeners. These are the people you want to reach. Look up industries that depend on the same information in your podcast. 

Who Else is Interested in Your Audience, and Can They Help?

Companies that manufacture and sell garden products conduct extensive research, as do universities and publications with an interest in the environment. Gardening Statistics in 2024 includes many specific findings about gardeners that defy the Miss Marple stereotype. The number of millennial and Gen Z gardeners has increased significantly in the past five years. The primary reason for the increase in gardening among these groups was related to mental health.

How Can You Put Your Podcast In Front of Your Ideal Audience?

Now that you know many new gardeners are millennials and Gen Z, look up information about podcasting for these demographics. A lot of research exists about millennial and Gen Z podcast listeners, and don’t underestimate Gen Alpha. 

What Does Your Ideal Audience Want From Your Topic?

Since you know these gardeners are also interested in mental health, plan your topics accordingly. Interview a psychologist who specializes in horticultural therapy, or a graduate student who studies the effects of agrichemicals on wellness. Your audience can listen while they pull weeds, and you may be able to secure a sponsorship with a local garden center. 

No matter what your podcast’s topic or niche is, pursue the common interest (your podcast’s topic), gather data on how people consume it, and apply that to your podcast to strengthen your relationship with your ideal listener. 

Once You Know Who to Invite, How Do You Make Your Podcast Inviting?

Here’s where you need to give your show a handle for your ideal audience to grab. Make sure they can find your show easily, provide a show that caters to their interests, and use empathy.

Include the Audience In The Description and Introduction

This could seem obvious, but for some podcasters, this is new information. You may want to include the target audience for your show in the episode description and the introduction. For example, a golf podcast for Christians could have a name like “What Would Jesus Putt?” or ask in the podcast description, “Do you love golf, but have to make sure you can get a tee time after 1 pm on Sundays so you don’t miss church?” You don’t have to follow SEO tactics dogmatically, but clarity helps.

What Would Your Audience Buy?

Your audience avatar’s education and income level help you plan monetization schemes. The podcast merchandise you sell can validate how your audience avatar views itself. A show for beer drinkers may be more interested in drinkware than t-shirts, but knowing your podcast avatar can tell you whether to sell crystal stout snifters or crocheted can cozies. 

How Does Your Audience Play?

When I first started podcasting, my friends who showed the most enthusiasm for my podcast were people who read a lot of graphic novels and played tabletop roleplaying games. I printed stickers with the podcast logo on them and dropped them off at comic book and game shops to give away to customers. I can’t track that PR campaign’s effectiveness, but it didn’t hurt, either. 

How Does Your Audience Work?

Put yourself in their shoes while planning your podcast format and structure. Busy real estate agents may prefer shorter episodes or segmented shows that they can pick up and put down between client meetings. Long-haul truckers might enjoy longer episodes.

Bring Your Podcast Avatar With You.

Take time to write down:  

• who your podcast is for, 
• what you know about that audience, and 
• how your podcast can meet your audience on their terms. 

Stick this piece of paper on your podcast workstation, and keep it visible while you record. When you have your ideal listener in mind while working on your podcast, you’re more likely to work in a way that strengthens your relationship with that audience. 

Podcast Avatar Sounds Alien, But Shouldn’t Be.

When I research information, I often second-guess my citations, which slows me down. One day, I decided that one of my ideal listeners is Gladys, a woman who cares so much about research accuracy that she will fight me to prove any argument I make. Now, when I second-guess myself, I think of Gladys (who looks an awful lot like my aunt Janet), and I thank her for her dedication. 

Count Chuckles of Chortleton doesn’t mind how tight my citations are. He listens to my podcast to fall asleep.

Ultimately, your audience avatar or ideal listener loves your podcast’s topic as much as you do. It may seem that you don’t have to define your ideal audience because they’re someone who’s just like you. But no two people are alike. The more information you have about who your audience avatar is, the easier it is to reach, reward, and encourage them to share your show. The compassion you carry for your audience will show through in your podcast. 

Need some help fleshing out your podcast avatar? Try the Alitu Showplanner. It’s free to use, needs no login, and generates assets including a trailer script, episode ideas, and unique angles for your show.

Think of it as an appetizer sampler platter: It’s a condensed, snack-sized, flavorful version of your work that leaves listeners wanting more. 

You could turn to the latest AI tool, say, “generate my press kit material,” and call it a day. That’s fine; we have a guide to AI podcasting tools to help you evaluate which is best for your purposes.

But when you know how to construct a podcast media kit of your own from scratch, you’ll better understand why and how a good media kit works.

True, it’s added work. But whether your podcast is an income stream or a fun hobby, a media kit is worth your time and energy.

A good podcast media kit does all of the following:

• Helps listeners find and share your podcast
• Enables you to build relationships with sponsors
• Gives journalists key information for articles about your podcast
• Shows your podcast’s unique value proposition
• Persuades guests to participate in your show
• Condenses and sums up your podcast for future pitches

Bookmark this guide. I’ll cover what goes into a media kit, how to make one, and how to use it to engage audiences, sponsors, and guests. 

But first, let’s get some terminology out of the way.

What’s the Difference Between a Media Kit, a Press Kit, and a Press Release?

Media kits are like press kits, for those of us old enough to remember printing presses (hello!). But unlike press kits, which consisted of text and printed photos, media kits are more technologically sophisticated and dynamic.

Free templates in Canva or other design software make a visually stunning podcast media kit that goes far beyond what’s possible in a Word document. But we’ll get to the how-to shortly.

So, What’s a Podcast Press Release?

A press release is one part of your podcast media kit. It typically announces something newsworthy, such as the launch of a new podcast, a milestone reached, or an award.

Press releases can be effective at attracting media attention and may be the first place people learn about your show. They normally announce time-sensitive news, meaning they’re a temporary tool, whereas a media kit is a long-term tool you can use year-round.

How to Plan Your Podcast Media Kit Like a Story

So, how do you create one of these bad boys? First, draft out your thoughts. Ask yourself questions like a journalist:  take a moment to write down the What, Who, Where, Why, When, and How of your podcast. 

Jot down some short answers in your podcast planner or notebook.

What is your podcast?

This is your podcast description. One meaningful descriptive sentence is perfect.

Who is involved in your podcast?

The ‘who’ of your podcast covers two things: hosts and audience.

So yes, this means writing a short bio about you or your business, but it also means writing a short bio about your ideal listener. It may sound strange, but you need to explain who your show is intended for. For example, “Podcraft listeners are early-stage and aspiring podcasters looking to launch a show optimised to grow and monetize”.

Knowing who’s involved and who your podcast is for is, to paraphrase Rick in Casablanca, “the beginning of a beautiful relationship.”

Where is this podcast from?

Did the show grow out of a team-building workshop? Is it uniquely Minnesotan? Does it occur in an unusual environment (such as Hostile Worlds’ starship Tardigrade)? Is it recorded in an unusual place, like your home, a particular recording studio, or a van? Tell your media kit readers.

Why do you produce this podcast?

What do you want your podcast to accomplish? Do you want to teach your audience about something or share a lesser-known perspective on a subject? For example, “Hostile Worlds is designed to teach the audience about the universe in an entertaining and accessible way.” 

When is this podcast’s information relevant?

What dates are relevant in your media kit? For example, is your podcast celebrating an anniversary? If you haven’t launched yet, what’s your launch date? Do you release new episodes on the first and third weeks of the month? Do you have an important milestone, like an upcoming live podcast? Is there a date that’s important in the larger world that your podcast will promote, such as Election Day or the start of fly-fishing season?

How can people listen to your podcast and support you?

How can people listen, get in touch with you, and engage with the show? Include your podcast website URL, social media handles, email address, and RSS feed. Link to your website’s “Listen now” page: here’s an example of the “Listen now” page for Podcraft.

Our free Podcast Planner tool will help you a lot, here. It only takes a few minutes to fill out, and it’ll provide you with numerous suggestions, ideas, and inspiration for creating your podcast media kit.

How to Make Your Podcast Media Kit

Great! Now that you have drafted all these thoughts into condensed statements, let’s move on to making the building blocks of the press kit itself. 

Your media kit should include:

• A fact sheet (as a PDF, with a web page version).
• A Google Drive or Dropbox folder 
• Copies of your podcast’s art and relevant images, optimized for web and print.

Your Podcast Fact Sheet

This is where the magic happens, and you’ve already got your notes to inform this part.

No matter what kind of podcast you have, here are the building blocks of your fact sheet:

• About (your podcast’s description)
• Who’s involved
• Target audience (who is this show for)
• Contact information (you’d be surprised how many people forget this)
• How to listen

You can also add some of these, if you have them:

• Awards and accomplishments
• Measures of engagement, like how many followers you have on which social media platforms, how many downloads, or what countries your podcast has been played in
• Reviews or positive social media messages about your content
• A special episode that you recommend people listen to first.

Type the answers to these bullet points into a Word doc. Then, copy and paste the text you typed in your Word doc into the relevant spaces of your fact sheet template. It’s important to type your answers out in Word first because design software can’t pick up on spelling errors.

Adjust the colors to fit your brand and add the images you want to include.

When the sections are consistent and everything looks neat and legible, save the document as a PDF and put it in your podcast media kit folder (more on that in the next section). 

Essentially, you summarize your show and what it goes well with, then gather the images. Once you put it all together, all you’ve spent is time and patience. 

Your Podcast Media Kit Folder

Some journalists prefer to work offline and would rather have the information about your show in a format they can save to their desktop or print out and read.

Create a folder with a public link, such as a Google Drive or Dropbox zip folder. Set the permissions to view-only and test the link with a friend to make sure it’s accessible.

Bookmark this link or copy and paste it into a note on your desktop – you’ll be using it often!

You’ll also want to create a web page version of your media kit, which you can update quickly and send to interested parties. You can make this on your podcast website or use a platform like Notion.

This version of your media kit helps your SEO because search engines will index the information on the page. 

Your Podcast Art

A journalist might publish an article about your podcast in print media. If they do, they’ll want a high-resolution image to make their article stand out.

Images with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) or higher are suitable for print media. Images that load quickly on screen are typically 72 dpi and may appear unclear in print. So add both a 72 dpi and 300 dpi copy of your podcast cover art or logo. 

Save your podcast art as a .png or .jpeg to your folder, with a clear name(e.g., “podcast-title-media-kit-print-july2024′), so the recipient can find it easily. Put these in your podcast media kit folder. 

Visual Media for Audio Podcasters

Podcasters need to be conscious of the visual elements of their brand. Just like when you’re adding sound effects or music to your podcast, you want to be able to find and use your visual elements quickly too.

As you build your media kit, make an image folder, adding in images you want to use. You’ll also want to type up a note with the following information: 

• Your brand colors and their hex codes, for consistency
• Your brand fonts.

Put this folder on your desktop, along with your logo and podcast art files. Name it “[your podcast title] visual assets.” You can pull from this folder as you work on your fact sheet.

Here’s a deeper dive into creating artwork and logos for your podcast, too!

Should My Podcast Media Kit Have Links? 

Yes. It doesn’t matter if the recipient’s going to print the podcast media kit or not – they can still click on the links to get more information. Always link to your podcast website’s “listen now” page in your media kit, as well as to your podcast’s social media profiles. Just be sure to type out URLs and handles rather than hyperlinking them so they’re clear to anyone reading it away from the screen.

Additional Content

Over time, you’ll gather new assets to add to the folder. When publications write about your podcast, you’ll want that text in your press kit.  Transcripts, press releases, photos, and updates can also be included in your podcasting press kit.

Hubspot has some really cool free business templates to help you populate your folder with things like advertising proposals, event proposal outlines, and mind maps.

Make sure these items have clear dates and file names so that journalists can use the most up-to-date information.

Podcast Media Kit Templates: Know Your Audience & Niche

When I first started exploring media kits in Canva, the variety and panache of the layouts were staggering. But don’t just pick whatever template seems the boldest or attention-grabbing – be sure your template suits the answers to the questions you initially asked.

You want a template that accurately conveys the mood of your podcast. Consider your podcast niche and audience when selecting one. For example, if accessibility is important to your niche, Canva offers dyslexia-friendly fonts.

You also want to think about content. If your media kit focuses on reviews and descriptions, you may want a template with more text boxes. A template with more image spaces would fit a podcast that needs images (such as a fashion or woodworking podcast). 

What To Do With Your Podcast Media Kit

Once you’re happy with your podcast media kit, upload the folder to Google Drive or Dropbox. Make sure it’s publicly accessible but view-only. You can then link to it from other places, like on your website or in your show notes.

Typically, podcast websites have an “About” page, since most users don’t think a media kit applies to them. But the “About” page can repeat all the information from your fact sheet.

Link to your media kit when promoting your podcast to potential audiences, such as newsletter editors, journalists, sponsors, and other relevant contacts. You can even put the link in your email signature to save time.

When you invite guests to your podcast, share the media kit with them. A fact sheet describing past guests goes a long way toward securing that one fantastic star for your show.

Your podcast media kit shows them what to expect, how to prepare, and what your show can do for them.

Keep it short and positive, and they’ll be more likely to show up on time, prepared, and confident. 

Podcast Media Kit Examples

Here are some examples of podcast media kits that have caught my eye over the years.

Girl in Space’s press kit page uses bright colors and a Q&A layout to enlighten new audiences about this sci-fi mystery audio drama. Creator Sarah Rhea Werner includes a link to a Dropbox folder near the top of the page.

Civics 101 de-mystifies how the American government works, and its press kit’s clarity reflects its commitment to transparency. The high-contrast color scheme and straightforward language make the podcast accessible and simple to write about and promote. 

Click on the “About” tab for the Spirits podcast, and you’ll find a comprehensive and detailed podcast media kit, which even includes fan art. 

Make Sharing Your Show Easier

Whilst you spend time building your audience actively, a great podcast media kit helps you build your audience passively.

A media kit makes it easy for your fans, search engines, and writers to better understand and share your show.

Legacy media’s traditional press kit structure made it easy for anyone to write about and share the latest TV show, theatre project, or ice cream brand. When you plan the fact sheet’s content, package the information and images in an accessible way, and share it, it’s like packing a snack for your future audiences.

When they understand your show, they’ll come back for a full meal and bring their friends.

A podcast media kit is just one great way to help your show grow. In The Podcraft Academy, you’ll find many more, from our Growth Mastery course to feedback and accountability tools. We’d love to work with you in there!

Delighted? Disappointed? Indifferent?

While some podcasters might think 100 downloads isn’t a number big enough to aspire to, it might surprise you to hear it’s actually a real marker of success. In fact, landing just 27 downloads in the first week puts you in the top 50% of podcasts on Buzzsprout.

So what didn’t come as a surprise to us is that the vast majority (68%) of podcasters who took this year’s Independent Podcaster Survey (sign up to get the full report to your inbox soon!) fall into the under-100 download mark, too.

In fact, half of all respondents get less than 50.

(Note: we excluded pre-launchers from all the data in this article, for obvious reasons.)

I was interested to know more about the 32% who have crossed that 100-download mark. What are they doing differently, and is there anything we can learn from their workflows?

Here’s what I learned when I dug into the data.

4 Insights from High-Download Indiepodders

1. Have patience to play the long game

Let’s start with something that probably won’t surprise you. One thing that stood out about the 100+ DL club was that they’ve been podcasting for a while. In fact, 36% of that group have been running their podcast for more than 5 years.

Anyone who’s launched a podcast knows that success doesn’t happen overnight. Growth can be slow, but audiences tend to be much more engaged and loyal than consumers of other media.

So having patience to see it through is a lesson to take from these high-download shows. One podcaster from the 100+ club said:

“Stick with it… Don’t try to make an audience. Make great content and let your audience find you.”

Having patience to play the long game was also cited as the most essential ingredient to having success with your podcast in our last Indiepod survey back in 2022.

2. Video isn’t the be-all, end-all

When it comes to engaging your audience, you’d be forgiven for thinking having a video component is a non-negotiable these days. With so much of the discourse around podcasting dominated by video, there’s a lot of pressure to get in front of the camera.

So much pressure, in fact, that ‘adapting to video expectations’ was flagged by our survey respondents as the #3 biggest threat to podcasters in the next 3 years. The only bigger threats respondents flagged were ‘increased competition’ and ‘AI’.

But what I found super interesting when I dug into the 100+DL club data was that only 37% of them actually do video.

Not only this, but 21% said they have no intention of doing video in the future either.

And when I compared this with the segment that gets fewer than 100 downloads, there wasn’t much of a difference.

28% of that group said they publish video episodes, and this number goes up to 34% when I isolated the under-50 download group. So essentially, what the data may suggest here is that adding a video component doesn’t have the guaranteed growth impact we’re led to believe.

Interestingly, many podcasters are still tapping into the video trend without producing video podcasts – and more 100+ podcasters are doing this than sub-100s.

16% of shows with more than 100 downloads use platforms like YouTube to share their audio with static imagery, compared with just 8% of those under the 100-download mark.

3. Longer form is IN

If you ever worry that your podcast episodes are too long, the answer is almost always ‘no’. We’ve explored this topic in-depth before, and it’s great to see the results from our survey back up the theory that long-form is stronger than ever before.

When I compared the sub-100 download group with the 100+ group, there was a notable difference in average episode length.

You can see the general trend from the graphic: the podcasts in our survey that get more downloads per episode are the ones that favour longer-form content. 21% of the 100+DL club have an average episode length of over an hour.

So this idea that no one has the time, patience or concentration span to enjoy long-form audio anymore is once again proven baseless.

4. You get back what you put in

It seems like there’s a new AI tool built to speed up the podcasting process emerging almost daily. But despite this, our survey suggests you still need to put the hours into creating your content if you’re going to cross that 100-download mark.

We asked podcasters who took our survey how much time they spend on average making a single episode of their show, from planning through to publishing.

The most popular option amongst the 100+ group was more than 10 hours, with 24% choosing that option. The most popular option amongst the sub-100 group was 4-5 hours per episode, at 31%.

As you can see from the comparative graph above, while only 8% of sub-100 podcasters spend more than 10 hours on producing an episode, while a meaty 24% of the 100+ club do.

It’s worth noting that we didn’t ask respondents about the promotion stage of their podcast workflow in this question – this is purely the time spent leading up to publishing an episode.

If this data is anything to go by, putting in those extra hours to get your podcast to the next level could really pay off – AI or no AI!

We’ll be releasing a full report of the survey results soon. Sign up to Podcraft Perspectives to be the first to get it straight to your inbox.