Podcasts are the new “talk radio” as I see it. You can find podcasts about almost any topic you are interested in. Ok, so you heard about this interesting podcast about the War in Russia/Ukraine you want to listen to. First is to find where to listen to a podcast. There is not a “podcast” radio station available. You must use a web browser like Chrome, Safari or Microsoft Edge or an app like Apple podcasts or Google podcasts. If you are using a web browser, you search for the web page and click on the player. If using an app, go to the search page and type the name of the podcast you want to hear. Vola! You now have hours of entertainment available.
You ask, “what if I want to make a podcast?” You have something to say to the world. You have the cutest dog, Fluffy, and you want to share funny stories about him. For this you need a podcast hosting platform. It is where you store your podcast audio files. It is possible to host your own audio files, but these files can require a lot of storage space and bandwidth to be streamed. Having tons of people listen in at once could push your hosting plan over the limit—or simply prevent your website from functioning properly. Unless you have the mega super-duper internet package, I wouldn’t recommend hosting your own podcast.
Below are three podcasting tools that I have explored. You can use these to make your own podcast.
Podbean
Podbean is free, but also offers a paid subscription mostly for businesses. It helps you launch your podcast, embed it on your website, and get basic stats on your podcast’s performance, all for free. Podbean’s free plan includes five hours’ worth of storage space and a 100GB monthly bandwidth. It has a help desk, forum, and phone support. There are training videos available.
Pro’s: beginner-friendly, episodes are hosted indefinitely (as long as you don’t exceed the 5 hours) and it has varied monetization options if you want to make money on your podcast (you will need the subscription for this).
Con’s: slow chat support and limited website templates.
Anchor
Spotify owns this platform. It allows you to record, edit, and upload your podcasts in one place. This podcast hosting platform is also unique in the fact that it is 100% free and does not offer any paid plans at all. There are no limits on episode uploads, downloads, or episode duration. To keep its platform 100% free, Anchor takes a cut from ads that it inserts in your podcast episodes, or from monthly donations that listeners send your way. These features help you monetize your podcast at the same time, so it’s a solution where everyone benefits!
Pro’s: completely free, all podcast tools in one place, easy monetization
Con’s: only one show per account, it is Spotify-owned (potential bias), monetization- they take a cut from what you make.
RedCircle
This platform is generous when it comes to getting started with podcasting. If you are serious, but just getting started, this platform is for you. Their free plan offers unlimited storage and bandwidth along with monetization options. It also includes historical analytics that never expire. There are also paid options with more advanced features.
Pro’s: Generous free plan, monetize your podcast for free, excellent customer service.
Con’s: The embeddable player will include non-removable RedCircle branding, even if you’re on a paid plan, smaller, less well-funded platform (how likely will it close up shop?)
We both were Podbean users but decided to try Anchor. It is easy to use and everything is in one place.
Podcast episode: https://anchor.fm/vanessa-briz/episodes/Young-Adult-Advocation-and-Literacy-Margaret-Edwards-e1h11mt
Educational Podcast:
This one is for teachers: Teaching Chanel Talks
This is an article that lists 35 of the best podcasts for students in elementary, middle, and high school. Best Podcasts for Kids
References
Garcia, J. (2019). Best podcast hosting: 13 free and paid platforms tested and compared. Retrieved April 9, 2022, from https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/podcast-hosting/
This blog post is done collaboratively by Angela Gibbs and Vanessa Briz
I see that many people used the Anchor app. I am also a Podbean user and so I used that one because I was most comfortable with it but I think that I will try the Anchor one as well. I like that everything is all in one place and that it's free.
ReplyDeleteI never used Anchor, but it seems this is the best route to go when wanting to record multiple voices. After each podcast host, I liked how you listed the pros and cons at the end for a quick summary of each one. I enjoyed listening and learning about Margaret Edwards!
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about podcasts as talk shows. I guess you are correct about this since it is a platform that allows a person to share whatever topic they want to with an audience. Thank you for sharing about Anchor. I had not heard of this one before since I mostly have used Podbean before.
ReplyDeleteI love Anchor! I agree it is very easy to use. Great job on your podcast!
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