The Podcast Hosting Show

Episode Summary: What a podcast media host actually is, how the whole system works behind the scenes, what to look for when choosing one, and the two different hosting setups Mike ran in 2018.

What You’ll Learn

• What a podcast media host actually is and how it differs from a website host
• How podcast media hosting works end to end, from upload to listener download
• The 3 factors to weigh when choosing a media host: longevity, flexibility, affordability
• The two different hosting setups Mike used for his two shows in 2018

What Is a Podcast Media Host?

A podcast media host is where you upload and store the final audio files for your podcast — most commonly MP3s, though it could be PDFs or video files for a video podcast. Every time you publish a new episode, the MP3 goes into storage alongside your other episodes, and when someone opens a podcast app and downloads an episode, it’s the media host that serves up the file. It’s conceptually similar to a website host, just for podcast audio — plus extras like RSS feed generation, statistics, and podcast web pages. Think of it simply as the home for the audio files you want to share with the world.

How Podcast Media Hosting Works

The 101 version: every podcast has an RSS feed submitted to Apple Podcasts and directories like Spreaker, TuneIn, Google Play, and Spotify. That feed is generated either by your hosting company or, in Mike’s case, by a plugin on his own website — but every podcast has one either way. Publishing a new episode uploads the MP3 to the media host, and the RSS feed automatically distributes it to every directory and notifies subscribers. When a listener presses play in their podcast app, the media host pulls the file from storage and serves it up — a warehouse that’s always on call.

What to Look for in a Media Host

Three big factors:

1. Longevity and dependability. Choose a host with a proven track record and financial stability — one likely to stick around long-term. Flashy, free, brand-new hosting solutions with no track record are a real risk, since switching hosts later is a genuine hassle.
2. Flexibility and expandability. Look for a host that can scale with your show — state-of-the-art servers that handle traffic spikes and provide unlimited bandwidth, so a big shoutout from a major podcaster doesn’t take your downloads offline.
3. Affordability. Price matters — find something that fits your budget so you can sustain it long-term.

What Mike Used

Podcast #1 — Mike Murphy Unplugged: $15/month to Libsyn for MP3 hosting, plus $15/month to Siteground for the WordPress.org website, using the free Powerpress by Blubrry plugin to generate the RSS feed. Total: $30/month across two separate services — a common setup, but not the cheapest option.

Podcast #2 — the companion show to the WordPress.com eBook: using WordPress.com itself, which combines podcast hosting and website hosting in one $4/month Personal Plan with unlimited bandwidth for both. The $4 plan has some storage and theme limitations, upgradeable anytime for roughly $4 more per month. Clarification: WordPress.org is not a podcast host — don’t try to host podcast files there. WordPress.com includes both podcasting and web hosting in one.

Squarespace was another combined option, around $18/month paid annually for unlimited storage and bandwidth, with some RSS feed limitations worth researching before committing.

Podcast Media Hosts (2018 Snapshot)

• Anchor
• Blubrry
• Buzzsprout
• Fireside
• Libsyn
• Messy.fm
• Pinecast
• Pippa.io
• Podbean
• PodcastWebsites.com
• Podomatic
• SimpleCast
• SoundCloud
• Squarespace
• Spreaker
• Whooshkaa

Show Notes & Links

• Anchor
• Blubrry
• Buzzsprout
• Fireside
• Libsyn
• Pinecast
• Pippa.io
• Podbean
• SimpleCast
• SoundCloud
• Squarespace
• Spreaker

Related Episodes

• Episode 142: The Why WordPress.com Show
• Episode 144: The WordPress.com Show