I think I’m podcast material—how do I get my stuff out there?
The world needs to hear what you have to say.
Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from the listed companies for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.
So you’ve got a voice (and perhaps even a face) for radio—fantastic. This could be big. But, there aren’t all that many radio openings these days, so maybe you want to take your talents in a more feasible direction—in the podcast direction, to be exact. Even better. Luckily for you, and much like we outlined in our article on music streaming services, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get a podcast distributed. Or any kind of scientist, really.
How do I become the next Joe Rogan?
At Triumph, we’ve had a couple past clients express interest in starting a podcast. We honestly think it’s a fascinating endeavor, and may even embark on our own someday. We naturally ask ourselves the question—“who on Earth would listen to that?”—but, then again, we had the same thought about written content. And we were happily proven wrong.
But enough with our existential ramblings, it’s time to get your voice out to the masses. So, where does one begin? Well, plenty of places. There are already an abundance of articles on the internet digging into the nitty gritty of podcast marketing and production. We’re sure at least some of them are solid, and will leave the niche technology debates to the experts. For our purposes, we are going to assume you’re already armed with decent gear and a content idea and are specifically looking to get your podcast onto the major platforms. We’ve laid out three of our personal favorites below.
In addition to having a great name, Podbean is widely considered one of the best podcast recording and distribution platforms on the market. Don’t want to take our word for it? Totally understandable, but perhaps you will take the word of J.P. Morgan, IBM, the Hoover Institution, or the University of Virginia—all of whom use Podbean for their diverse podcasting needs.
In addition to being experts in getting podcasts listed quickly on the major platforms, Podbean has plenty more features to offer—an entire garden even (sorry). Even with the most basic subscriptions, you will have access desktop and mobile tools that make recording, editing, and uploading your podcast easy as pie—the easiest of all baked goods.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. Has the time finally come to quit your boring day job? Well then, you’re in luck as Podbean also offers top tier monetization and live streaming capabilities, so you’ll be able to get the word out (and get paid) whenever inspiration strikes. With some elbow grease and a little help from Podbean, you can turn your podcasting hobby into a bonafide income stream.
Podbean offers four subscription tiers, beginning at our favorite price point (free) and ratcheting up to $99 a month. The different subscription cover quite the variety of podcasting needs, and as we all know, variety is indeed the spice of monetized content. Want to give podcasting a try before committing fully? The free version sounds like your cup of tea. Want to keep cost low and launch a more traditional style show? The Unlimited Audio Plan will fit you like a glove. Growing your audience and looking to add a video element to your offering? Go ahead and give Unlimited Plus a try (but minus 2 points for name creativity). And finally, if you’re looking at creating a podcast empire to rival the throne of King Rogan himself, the $99 a month Business Podcast Plan will arm you with the resources necessary. Godspeed on your quest.
Ready to try for yourself? Check out The Bean here.
We’re not sure what’s with all the legume-related names in the podcast space, but they keep delivering home run products—so we’ll allow it. Meet Buzzsprout, another industry leader in podcast hosting and distribution.
Buzzsprout brings an interesting business model to bear on the podcast scene. Rather than divide their pricing plans based on available features, Buzzsprout stratifies based on available upload hours. All plans beyond the free version (hard to beat that price point, though) come with largely the same features but varying available content hours to make use of those features. Any of the paid plans allow users to enjoy advanced analytics, a no-hassle upload system, and listings on all of the major podcast platforms. For a few extra bucks, Buzzsprout will even throw in their audio-mastering software (so people can’t tell you recorded in your parent’s garage) as well as podcast transcriptions (classy!).
Circling back to that unique pricing model we referenced earlier, Buzzsprout offers four pricing packages. Each plan has an allotted amount of upload hours per month along with a unique overage fee, save the free version, which has a zero tolerance policy for overages.
For $0 a month, you’ll still be allowed to get your feet wet with 2 hours of uploads. That’s enough time to try your hand at four The Office length podcasts, two NCIS length podcasts, or one Stranger Things season finale length podcast. Feel free to get creative, the choice is yours. Be aware, though, that Buzzsprout will only host these episodes for 90 days. After that, it’s pay-up or hit the road.
If you decide to shell out for the $12 a month plan, your upload allotment will skyrocket to a whopping 3 hours per month (so a slightly longer season finale of Stranger Things). That said, you do get to enjoy permanent hosting for you episodes, and extra upload time can be purchased for $4 per hour.
Should you decide to jump up to the next to highest plan at $18 a month, your upload allotment will double to 6 hours per month. So more like the length of Zach Snyder’s cut of Justice League (or how long it felt suffering through the original)—now we’re talking! If your creative juices push you beyond 6 hours per month, additional allotment can be purchased for $3 per hour.
And finally, in the top spot is Buzzsprout’s $24 a month plan, which will reward you with 12 hours of upload time per month. We’re running out of strained analogies, but that is a solid chunk of time to get your message out to the world. Should you need to purchase additional hours, you can do so for the increasingly economical price of $2 per hour.
Given the nature of their pricing model, we think Buzzsprout is perfect for new and growing podcasters who want to establish and expand their audiences with out breaking the bank. Does that pique your interest? If so, go see what all the buzz is a sprout (somebody please stop us).
Check out Buzzsprout for yourself here.
Ah, the bean pun names end—but the quality doesn't. Spreaker is another power player in the podcast game, even if their name just looks like a typo.
Spreaker markets themselves as a one-stop shop for podcast aficionados—and rightfully so. Users can create, host, distribute, and monetize their product all with one Spreaker subscription. Emphasis on the word monetize. While monetization is available on all three of the platforms discussed in this article, Spreaker has some additional credentials to bolster their offering. Due to the company’s partnership with IAB Tech Lab and Nielsen, Spreaker’s analytics carry additional industry certifications for accuracy. And with more powerful analytics comes more reliable advertising potential—and with that, more dough.
While all these features are fine and dandy, our favorite thing about Spreaker comes from their subscription offerings. Well, more specifically, the names of their subscription offerings.
It took entirely too long, but the team here at Triumph have finally found a company with some originality, and, for the first time in our history, we’ll be adding (rather than subtracting) points for name creativity.
Beginning with Spreaker’s $0 a month plan, brilliantly dubbed “Free Speech” (plus 10 points), users will be able to give podcasting a go with space for up to 10 episodes. Once you’re ready to upgrade, Spreakers offers an $8 a month On-Air Talent plan (plus 5 points), complete with monetization options, customizable RSS feeds, 100 hours of storage, and automatic uploads to all the major podcast platforms. As your audience grows, consider moving up in the world to Spreaker’s $20 a month Broadcaster plan (plus 3 points) which boasts all the nifty features of the lower levels along with advanced statistics, in-app support, and 500 hours of storage. Once your side-gig becomes your main-gig, it might be time to try the Anchorman plan (plus 10 more points) for $50 a month. In addition to major street cred from the name, the Anchorman plan also comes with 1,500 hours of storage and advanced player customization options. And finally, once your podcast turns from a job to a way of life, consider indulging with Spreaker’s premium Publisher plan (no addition or subtraction of points) for $120 a month. In addition to every other feature we’ve previously listed, the Publisher plan also comes with unlimited storage, an ad campaign manger, and priority support options (whatever those are). The names are great and the product is quality—you can’t ask for much more.
Give Spreaker a go right here.
Shoo! Shoo! Go get famous!
You’ve got a bright future ahead, my friend. Podcasting is the medium of our day, and, with the tools above, you’ll be well equipped to leave your mark. So go forth and conquer. And—once you get your first episode up and running—shoot us the link. We might just tune in.
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
