Today’s episode is a little more geared towards the newbies to podcasting so if you already have your podcast up and running, then you probably don’t need to listen to this episode…unless you’re using Anchor.FM that is. 

If you’re in the midst of preparing to launch and haven’t chosen your podcast host yet, then this episode is for you. 

I’m going to be sharing my take on what your different hosting options out there are and why I recommend certain options over others.

Let’s first start with Anchor since that is the main point of this episode. A lot of you have probably heard of the free platform called Anchor, right? 

Anchor’s big selling point is that you don’t have to pay to use it and has some other cool perks without the added price tag but that doesn’t necessarily make it an amazing host to use and here’s why.

Anchor allows you to download their app, record audio clips directly into your phone and publish your podcast on all major platforms with one button which sounds amazing, right? But…

  •  The app offers pretty basic editing features so you can’t really have high-quality production if you want 
  • The issues with Anchor heavily branding themselves over your content, as well as effectively owning your show in places like Apple Podcasts, means that they really aren’t an option if you want to create a serious and long-term podcast.
  • The final issue is that Anchor is free. It’s a much-repeated phrase but with any free service you use, you are the product rather than the customer

My recommendation is and will most likely always be Libsyn. It is the host I have been using for over 2 years and what I always set my clients up on if possible. This episode is definitely not sponsored by them nor am I even an affiliate for their company but they have been in the podcasting space since 2004. 

Libsyn plans start at just $5/month and provides you with an easy to use interface to host your episodes complete with access to analytics so you can see how each episode is performing. 

I have also used ACast (formerly known as Pippa) for clients and really enjoyed it. They have a free plan and also a $25/m plan for those looking for unlimited episodes and advanced analytics. 

There’s a few other options like Blubry, Spreaker, and Podbean which I can’t really offer any advice about as I’ve never used them myself personally. 

If you wanna hop on a free 20 minute call with me to chat about who to choose as your host or anything else related to launching your show, make sure to go to http://www.savvypodcastingforentrepreneurs.com/consult to book your time.