Podcasting, from the moment you decide you want to host your own, is filled with choices.

First, you have to choose what equipment to use, and then how you’re going to present your topic and diversify your content over time. One choice which is often left until the last moment, however, is the platform you’re going to use to distribute your podcast far and wide.

This is often a mistake, as the platform you choose to host your podcast on will make a huge difference to your reach as a podcast host - as well as the ease of sharing the episode you have so lovingly worked on.

Luckily, at telbee, we’ve done our research, and in this blog we want to introduce you to our favourite podcast platforms - along with all of their pros and cons.

Let's get started, shall we?‍
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Need something all-in-one?: Podiant (Podiant.co)‍

Podiant is a platform which strives to be all things to all podcasters. Not limited to just the hosting and distribution of your podcast, it also offers an easy way of creating a website without the need for hosting and paying for a service somewhere else. 

Podiant distributes to the most popular apps and aggregators, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, making sure you’re always present where it matters.

With a 14-day trial, it’s a great service to test if it sounds like it might be for you. Plus, with a +- $15 monthly fee for its Indie plan, it won't break the bank.

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If you want easy: Podserve.fm (Podserve.fm)‍

On its website, hosting your podcast with Podserve is listed in steps, and it is really this easy: Record, create and choose your channels, upload your podcast and that’s it.

Podserve not only makes it very easy to upload and distribute a podcast, it also offers hosting and great analytics to boot, giving you more information on what's working, on which channel, and at what time.

At $19 a month, it also offers great features, such as a promotion facility, to help you build your listener base over time.

Something tried and tested: Buzzsprout (Buzzsprout.com)‍

A stable, trusted and classic choice of platform, Buzzsprout has been on the podcasting scene for some time, helping a tremendous amount of people start their podcasts. 

As a result of all this experience, it’s a great platform which is both easy and powerful, allowing you to upload and distribute with ease to all major platforms, as well as understand the stats generated by your audience. 

Buzzsprout’s 90 day trial is also a massive benefit for any podcaster, as it's a great way of gauging its efficacy properly, and for only $12 a month you get all the features you need to make a great podcast that reaches the large audience that you deserve.

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Our top choice: Anchor (Anchor.fm)‍

Recently acquired by Spotify, Anchor aims to be the best hosting and distribution solution on the market. With the might of a tech behemoth behind it, the features it offers (never mind the price) will be enough to sway any podcaster. 

The biggest benefit of Anchor is its availability on nearly all platforms for creation, editing and distribution. Its editing features are also easy to use and powerful, allowing you to sound your best even after editing that one sentence for the 100th time.

The best part? It's free… 100% free! Plus, it even has an advertising system attached (US only currently) so that you can monetise your platform even faster.

For audience participation: telbee‍

While it may not be a podcast distribution platform, this voice-first platform is the ideal way to collect audio messages from your listeners, which could be questions, stories, opinions, feedback or even ideas for your next show.

Including your listeners in your podcast is a great way to collect personal content that builds a real connection with your audience. And by continuing the conversation, you can drive growth or build relationships for your podcast and beyond. See our Guide to Podcast Audience Engagement for more opportunities and ideas.

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With telbee, you can create your own customised voice recorders - either by embedding a plugin on your website, or simply linking to a recording page that we host for you. 

When you ask your listeners to submit their stories, questions or thoughts, they can go to the link, hit the record button and let you know what’s on their mind. 

You’ll then receive all of your listeners’ submissions in a voice inbox, where you can save their submissions as MP3 files, see them transcribed as text and either reply directly to their messages by voice - or save them to share live during your next broadcast!

When you let your audience talk to you with telbee, you’re able to screen and select your audience’s submissions before you play them on air, as well as listen to and manage all of your submissions in one dedicated place (your ‘voice inbox’). 

The platform also makes it quick and easy for your listeners to get in touch with you before your show airs (and still get the ‘live caller’ effect), and helps you save time on content creation by making use of user-generated recordings that spark conversation.

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Final thoughts‍

Hopefully, this article has helped you to find a distribution platform that looks like a great fit for your show - and reminded you that, especially when you’re just starting out, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have an incredible quality podcast!
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‍To find out how our voice recording and messaging tools for podcasters can transform the way you interact with your listeners (and hear their questions and stories), get in touch with the team at telbee today. We’d love to hear from you!