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There are PLENTY offer media hosts (buzzsprout, podbean,blogtalk radio, talkshoe) and in the past I’ve said not to use them. Today I explain WHY.

The Best Podcast Website Configuration

Ask any podcast consultant worth their price that and they will THE BEST configuration for your podcast is to use a self hosted WordPress install (see my quick start page for more information) for your website, and either Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com for your media. If you use Libsyn, use the coupon code sopfree to get a free month.

This allows you to completely control he look of your website. Any advertising on your website are there because you put the there and you benefit from them. Any RSS feeds icons are to RSS feeds YOU control.

Neither Libsyn or Blubrry change your file. Blubrry can add id3 tags if you set it up. But the name, format and publishing quality are not touched.

Libsyn and Blubrry do not limit how many listeners you can have. They do not limit how many episodes you can have in your history. The only limitation you have is how much you can upload a month (so you set a target length for each podcast and determine how much hosting you need). This means you have ONE price no matter the size of your audience. This means people that find you today can go back and download your entire back catalog (I have over 300 episodes online). The more episodes your audience consumes, the better the relationship you build with them.

Now Let’s Look at Free Media Hosting For Your Podcast

As we go through this list you will see where they break the above rules.

Blog Talk Radio

1. Their audio is 1/2 the quality of a CD. It’s very, very bad. Keep in mind most people are publishing their podcast at CD (or near CD) quality. You will stand out in a bad way.
2. The links they put on your page on their website uses the “itpc” method to subscribe to iTunes. This means that anyone who uses this links iTunes ignores. So if you’re looking for your popularity numbers to jump they are not. iTunes doesn’t even know you exist using this method.
3. The link they put to iTunes is a feed that you can’t control. If later you want to switch, you are stuck with BTR (see this video to help explain).
4. There is a TON of advertising on your page featuring other podcast shows. You don’t see a dime for this. If you want to cross promote your podcast for FREE see www.podcastclicks.com
5. The file name of your media file does not reflect your show. They list blogtalkradio.com and the author.
6. Their price is $40 a month. This is in case you do podcast 2 hours a day for 30 days they have enough space. I would guess that most people do NOT podcast 2 hours a day (MAYBE 2 hours a week if they are ambitious). Consequently, you are paying for services you are not using.

Podomatic

1. They limit your total storage to 2 Gigs of storage space and 100 Gigs of bandwidth. You have now put a limit. Admittedly a large limit, but none the less a limit.
2. They put advertising on your site.
3. They also use the itpc method of linking to iTunes so you get no “Credit” in iTunes for those subscribers
4. The link they put to iTunes is a feed that you can’t control. If later you want to switch, you are stuck with BTR (see this video to help explain).

Podbean

1. INSANE amounts of advertising on your page. EVERYTHING has an advertisement (this is why its free).
2. If you are going to try to make money with your podcast you HAVE to go through them.
3. Their stats are not even close to Libsyn or Blubrry
4. They encourage you to submit THEIR feed to iTunes (which you later can’t change).
5. When you login to your account you have to get through a captcha service (annoying).
6. Their player is not iPad compatible
7. Their backend is based on Podpress (and that’s bad).
8. If you use the paid version, you CAN change the links to iTunes.
9. Can’t add any plugins.
10. If you want

Buzz Sprout

1.  This company has unlimited bandwidth and storage (when you pay). If you go free you back catalog is online for 90 days.

2.  They change the format of your audio to CD quality mono (I didn’t see a way to change this).

3.  They offer an RSS feed that you can’t control

4.  When I uploaded a file and downloaded, the ID3 Tags came up in Japanese.

Feedburner is on Thin Ice

While I don’t think Feedburner is going away (although it could) Google has turned off some of the “back end” of this service. Consequently, I do not recommend using this service, and instead recommend using the PowerPress Plugin. If you are not using WordPress, then go through Libsyn.com as you media host (and use their system).

Tweriod Help You Know When To Tweet

Tweriod.com helps you find out when your twitter followers are active (so you know the best time to send tweets). If you like this tip, check out my Weekly Web Tools podcast.

Podcast Testimonials This Week

Robert Chazz Chute from All That Chazz 

Scott Eiland from This Week in Wrestling

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