Introduction to Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout began hosting podcasts over 13 years ago. Thousands and thousands of successful podcasters have started with Buzzsprout. The hosting platform includes extremely fair pricing and a very simple to use interface.
As Buzzsprout has developed, new features have been added consistently. The platform is excellent for both new and veteran podcasters.
Anyone interested in the best possible design, an exceptional set of features and an easily understood platform should strongly consider Buzzsprout. The value is good, the podcaster can run numerous shows and the tools offer everything a podcaster could possibly want or need.
Buzzsprout Review
The first step for all podcasters is setting up the show. This is when podcasters generally require a lot of help. Buzzsprout also makes moving an existing show to a different host fast and easy. The platform enables podcasters to establish, host, distribute and grow podcasts. The podcast hosting platform is known for exceptional features, competitive prices, key differences from the competition and advanced statistics.
Thats exactly where we are going to start now in this Buzzsprout review.
The podcast hosting platform takes podcasts very seriously. Buzzsprout enables the creation of an ideal website to help ensure listeners are able to locate the podcast quickly and efficiently. The appearance of the website can be customized according to the brand. Custom URLs can be created to make it easier for listeners to locate the website, episode details and any existing podcast.
What is Buzzsprout Podcast Host?
Buzzsprout is just that, a podcast host. The podcast hosting platforms software was created more than a decade ago, but during the last few years, the platform and demand has shown tremendous growth.
The hosting provider has incorporated new features including transcripts for podcast episodes, customizing podcast websites and understanding podcast statistics. The result is maximizing the growth potential of the podcast.
How do you use Buzzsprout
The hardest part for a new podcaster is getting that first episode recorded and published.
Buzzsprout makes it really easy for beginners to get started. If you can create a social media account then you can setup your first podcast.
After signing up for a free plan, you will be asked if its a new podcast or you already have existing episodes to migrate. Buzzsprout offers both options. Buzzsprout lets you enter a podcast title, description and podcast logo. These are straight forward but extremely important for new podcasters to be successful.
If you already have episodes you can head to the recent episodes tab where you will find a list of podcast episode details, popular episodes, dates, analytics, duration, number of plays or specific artwork for each episode. You can also edit the episode description.
Players: More for experienced podcasters who wish to embed the podcast episodes or show on a website.
Website: A nice feature of Buzzsprout is that they automatically create a personal website for you to share.
Directories: Buzzspout makes it as easy as click “get listed” to share your new podcasts. Although your podcast will be hosted on Buzzsprout you need to find a home for your listeners to follow. Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, Pandora, stitcher etc. Thats how you grow. Listeners cancan favourite, follow and share your new episode.
See also: Where Does Buzzsprout Publish To?
RSS feed: More for an experienced podcaster. Either way if anyone asks for your RSS feed, it will be automatically generated here.
See also: Where Is My RSS Feed On Buzzsprout?
- Buzzsprout is recommended by Podcasters from beginners to experts.
- Podcast Hosting made easy!
Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting Platform Features
Buzzsprout is a great platform that provides everything necessary for hosting and distributing a podcast. The platform offers a place for hosting audio files in addition to a compliant RSS feed for submission to podcast directories. Some of the best features offered are detailed below.
Video Soundbites: Video soundbites enable the podcaster to choose a short portion of the episode for the creation of a video trailer. This type of trailer has become increasingly popular on social media. The service is included at no additional charge in the podcast hosting service.
Chapter Markers: Chapters markers have become extremely popular for podcasts. Buzzsprout ensures they are readily available. The app implements chapter markers exceptionally well. The podcaster can review the longer episodes to select the portions they choose to listen to. Listeners are encouraged to listen to the entire episode because they know what is going to happen and when.
Instead of the listener remaining unaware of what will be discussed by the host or whether or not the specific topic referred to in the title will be part of the discussion, the listener is aware of what is going to happen from the moment the podcast begins. The listener also knows how long the discussion of a specific topic will last to decrease any uncertainty.
The result is a decreased risk of the listener not being willing to hear the entire podcast. This is the reason adding chapter markers while the podcast is edited makes so much sense. The podcaster can simply add the chapter markers while they are listening to the show during the editing process.
Podcasting Stats: No podcast hosting or Buzzsprout review is complete unless the statistics are considered. Statistics across the board have become fairly standard in the world of podcasting. Even though the difference between platforms is slight, it is reassuring to know Buzzsprout offers deeper insights than any podcaster could ever need to know about each podcast.
Directories and Distribution: Buzzsprouts has a good distribution section called Directories. All of the popular podcast directories (Apple podcast, Google podcasts etc) the podcaster should be aware of are listed. Complete instructions are included to ensure the podcaster understands how to get into each directory. Since the submission process must always be completed by the podcaster, the directions provided by Buzzsprout are invaluable.
There are platforms emerging able to perform automatic submissions to eliminate some of the work. The issue is most podcasters believe the submissions should be performed personally to make certain control of the account and all of the data is retained on every platform. The manual process may actually be preferable.
Free Website: Although Buzzsprout provides a hosting platform for podcasts, a website is still critical. In 2019, Buzzsprout began including a website builder for free. The podcaster is provided with a site for showing all of their podcast episodes. When listeners are restricted to this website, they receive numerous benefits. Listeners can view the podcast artwork and a better channel description is provided. This is an excellent way to lead listeners to frequently used directories.
Statistics Dashboard: The buzzsprout dashboard interface offers a modern appearance, easy access and transparency. A lot of the best hosting platforms for podcasts only offer a standard dashboard. Buzzsprout displays deeper insights than the other dashboards including listeners, plays, the number of downloads and the geographical location.
The difference is in the way Buzzsprout presents the information. The dashboard uses colorful and bright graphics, buttons and charts for displaying information. The design of the dashboard is a lot easier for beginners to grasp.
Podcast Episode Transcription: One of the reasons Buzzsprout is so unique is the audio transcription services, beginning at 10 cents per minute. Audio transcription is incredibly useful for increasing the reach of the podcast through SEO. The podcaster can offer listeners a variety of options for engaging with every episode of the podcast. The issue is transcription has always been both slow and expensive.
The transcription offered by Buzzsprout is priced competitively in comparison to similar services. The difference is Buzzsprout has connected episode transcriptions right to the platform. The result is a much easier and less time-consuming process. Revising transcripts and editing is simple. The transcription can be directly published on the public Buzzport page or copied and pasted to other sites.
- Buzzsprout is recommended by Podcasters from beginners to experts.
- Podcast Hosting made easy!
API Integration: Any podcaster using an editing platform will be excited by the newly released Buzzsprout API. The podcaster is able to directly upload episodes into the Buzzsprout account. The podcaster no longer needs to download and then re-upload all of the episodes. If the platform currently used by the podcaster does not enable API integration, uploading and exporting is still fairly easy.
If the partnerships established between Buzzsprout, Hindenburg and Alitu are smooth, positive feedback is expected. If this happens, Buzzsprout may add additional partners to make publishing to a Buzzsprout account even easier.
Alternatives to Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout Pricing
One of the most outstanding pricing features of Buzzsprout pricing is the free plan option offered. Hosting is only provided for a period of 90 days with an extremely limited amount of space for storage.
Paid plans come with unlimited storage, can be purchased for as little as $12 per month including three hours of content. The podcaster can add more content by paying by the hour. Full-time podcasters should strongly consider the biggest plan available for $24 per month with no storage limits and unlimited bandwidth.
If you do sign up to the podcast platform, Buzzsprout are kind enough to give you a free $20 gift voucher that can go towards some new podcasting equipment, like a new mic.
Click here for the latest Buzzsprout promo code
The plan includes 12 hours of space, excellent for podcasters offering one or two podcasts each week. The pricing options for Buzzsprout is different than its competitors because it is based on storage size as opposed to the length of the episodes. Beginners can use the hourly plans to determine how much storage space will be required. Making a comparison between file size and audio duration is difficult due to the variation between export settings and recording methods.
One GB of audio recorded at 16-bit depth at 48K may be approximately three hours of WAV files. When recorded at 16-bit depth at 96K, the length of MP3 audio may be as much as 24 hours. The best way to determine the amount of space required is to look at previous episodes or consult with an audio engineer.
Want to get noticed in Google? Buzzsprout offers episode transcription service ($0.25/minute) so you can have the audio file converted to text and allow you to be seen by search engines.
- Buzzsprout is recommended by Podcasters from beginners to experts.
- Podcast Hosting made easy!
Buzzsprout Pros and Cons
Pros
- Beginner-Friendly
- Quick straight forward setup
- Free tier plan available to get started
- Fair price points for plans with all the benefits
- Ability to host multiple podcasts shows on the same Buzzsprout account
- Nice easy to navigate website and dashboard
- Podcast website included
- Great tool with excellent customer support
- Distribute your podcast with one click
- Advanced monetization methods (affiliate marketplace)
Cons
- No option to pay for 1 year upfront. Only month by month.
- Free plan comes with ads on podcast website (cant really expect everything to be free).
- No unlimited audio plan
The cost of three hours of audio each month is $12 monthly
The cost of six hours of audio each month is $18 monthly
The cost of 12 hours of audio each month is $24 monthly
The Buzzsprout upgrades are:
0.25 cents a minute for transcription
$6 per month and up for 192k stereo or high-quality audio
My Final Thoughts On Buzzsprout
- Buzzsprout is recommended by Podcasters from beginners to experts.
- Podcast Hosting made easy!
As a podcast enthusiast, I find Buzzsprout an excellent podcast hosting platform. It offers user-friendly tools, comprehensive features, and outstanding customer support, making it ideal for new and experienced podcasters.
The platform provides free learning materials, top directory listings, and the unique Magic Mastering feature for audio optimization.
In my opinion, Buzzsprout is a fantastic option for podcast hosting.
