There’s a lot that goes into creating your podcast. You have to come up with ideas, record, edit, share—the list is extensive!
You also have to figure out where to host your podcast. The right podcast hosting platform will make your life easier and take your show to new heights. It gives you an on-site player for an improved listening experience and analytics to track your growing audience base. Plus, it will also get your show on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.
But the wrong podcast platform will be frustrating to use and make it challenging to grow your show.
You don’t want to choose the first podcast host you come across. You should do your research and test out a few options before settling on one.
We’re here to help you with your search. In this thorough review, we take a look at Transistor. We cover everything you need to know about this podcasting host, including its advanced analytics, distribution method, etc. Read on to see if Transistor is right for you!
What Is Transistor?
Transistor fm is one of the best podcast host platforms on the market. Seeing as it launched in 2018, it’s relatively new compared to its competitors.
However, Transistor has been in the works for much longer. Founders Jon Buda and Justin Jackson met six years ago and quickly bonded over their vast podcasting experience. Ever since, they have worked on several projects together.
In 2017, Jon started building a podcast hosting site and player for his employer. He saw the potential it had and partnered with Justin to launch it to the public. Fast-forward to 2018, Transistor officially became available to podcasters around the world.
Today, the podcast hosting platform hosts over 9,000 shows spanning just about every genre. Users include everyone from hobbyists and ammeters to small businesses and enterprises. People find it useful for storing episodes, accessing advanced analytics, uploading to Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.
My Favorite Transistor Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 📦 Distribution | Distribute your podcast everywhere |
| 📢 Dynamic Ads | Dynamic Ad podcast hosting platform |
| 🌐 Website Builder | Podcast website builder |
| 🎥 YouTube Auto-posting | Auto-post your podcast to YouTube |
| 🎙️ Podcast Hosting | Best podcast hosting for multiple shows |
| 🤝 Collaborate | Invite team members to your podcast |
| 🎵 Embeddable Player | Custom embeddable podcast player |
| 🔌 Integrations | Integrations for your podcast workflow |
| 📊 Analytics | Podcast analytics software |
Let’s take a look at some of Transistor’s best features:
Create Unlimited Podcasts
Unlike with other podcast platforms, Transistor lets you create unlimited podcasts under one account. You won’t have to worry about making and managing multiple accounts. As long as you stay under your account’s download limit, you won’t have to pay extra for having more than one show.
Collaborative Options
Transistor is perfect for collaborating. The website lets you add members to your podcast so that they can edit podcast episodes, view analytics, and complete other tasks. People like that they can easily share the workload with their team.
Advanced Analytics
All Transistor users get access to advanced analytics. You can view data across podcast sites like Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. These analytics will help you tweak your podcast and reach an even bigger audience.
Analytics are critical to understanding your audience and expanding your reach. If you don’t know what analytics are or how to use this data, have no fear. The Transistor folks also have helpful articles on using analytics to gauge engagement on directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.
Customer Support
While Transistor is one of the best podcast hosting sites for many reasons, its customer support stands out in particular. Its help center has articles addressing both common and helpful topics, such as:
- Understanding Google analytics
- Promoting your podcast on social media
- Submitting to directories like Spotify, Apple podcasts, etc.
- and more
You can also contact a representative for personalized support for your podcast.
Access to Built-In Podcast Website
A podcast website gives your show a home on the internet. If you already have a podcast website, perfect! You can add content from Transistor to your website player.
If you don’t already have a website, Transistor’s got your back. The platform provides a built-in podcast website for every user. It’s easy to design the website and analytics how you want. Your show appears thanks to the user-friendly player, letting you put your podcast in front of people.
Distribute to Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Etc.
People listen on a variety of platforms like Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You want to make sure they can find your podcast.
Transistor makes it possible for you to appear everywhere. All you have to do is upload your mp3 files. Each episode will automatically publish to Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms. You can also embed a player onto a page on your site.
Retain Ownership of Your Content
A podcast hosting platform should be just for that—hosting. If a podcast host wants to own or control the rights reserved content you upload, you should stay far away from it.
Luckily, Transistor lets you retain 100% rights reserved ownership of your content. You can run ads on your podcast episodes, use them as Patreon rewards, etc. without any problems.
No Automatic Shut-Downs
Each Transistor plan has download limits. If you continuously go over your limit, the podcast hosting platform will contact you about an upgrade. The company will not shut-down your account and disrupt your podcast. You’ll still have access to your analytics and podcast website, and your episodes will still appear on platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, etc.
Downsides to Transistor
One downside to this podcast hosting platform is that you can’t use it to record podcast episodes. This issue isn’t a huge deal seeing as many people record separately. They can upload the mp3 file for distribution to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.
The lack of a recording feature is easy to overlook, especially when considering that Transistor provides many other benefits (advanced analytics, unlimited podcasts, etc.).
What’s New In 2023 For Transistor
- A comparison feature was added for podcast episode downloads.
- Ad campaign scheduling was introduced for podcasts.
- New website theme ‘Cardboard’ launched for podcasts.
- Chapters feature added to podcast episodes.
- Patreon integration was introduced for podcasters.
- Embedding of YouTube videos in episode pages enabled.
- Episode Summaries feature discontinued.
- Download accuracy for episodes improved.
Pricing
Unlike some other podcast sites, Transistor does not have a free plan. You will have to pay a monthly fee for access to the podcasting hosting site. The good news is that Transistor subscriptions are affordable.
| Plan Name | Monthly Price | Yearly Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/mo | $190/yr |
| Professional | $49/mo | $490/yr |
| Business | $99/mo | $990/yr |
| Enterprise | $199+/mo | $1990+/yr |
| Plan Name | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 🎙️ Starter | $19/mo |
|
| 🎤 Professional | $49/mo |
|
| 🏢 Business | $99/mo |
|
You can choose from the Starter, Professional, and Business plans. Each one lets you:
- Create unlimited podcasts
- View advanced analytics
- Access customer support
- Store and upload episodes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.
People like that the hosting platform doesn’t hide its best features behind a paywall. You will have access to unlimited podcasts, advanced analytics, and other essential features, no matter what plan you have. The key differences between the Transistor plans include:
- How many private podcasts and private subscribers you can have
- Monthly download limits
- Ability to remove branding from players
- How many additional users you can have per podcast
Check out the pricing for Transistor plans here to see what each includes. It will help you choose the plan that will best suit your show.
Free Trial
If you aren’t sure about Transistor, you can try it out free for fourteen days. This trial period will give you plenty of time to test its features, view its analytics, and compare Transistor to other podcasts platforms.
Save When You Choose the Annual Plan
Transistor is already affordable, but you can make it even more affordable by choosing the annual plan. People can pay upfront for the whole year to get two months free.
Who Uses Transistor?
Here are a few well known podcasts hosted by Transistor, so you know you will be in good hands.
- Fitness Podcast by Aisha Zaza: Achieved over a million downloads, propelling her fitness podcast to the top of Apple and Spotify charts.
- Kaleigh Moore Podcast: A dedicated platform for freelance writers, where the choice of hosting on Transistor was emphasized over free hosting options.
- Ali Abdaal’s “Deep Dive” Podcast: YouTube influencer Ali Abdaal shares his launch plan for his new podcast hosted on Transistor.
- NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights Podcast: A well-produced hockey show discussing various hockey-related topics, hosted by notable figures in the hockey community.
- The Indie Hackers Podcast: Startup founders share raw conversations about their online business journeys, providing valuable insights to the listeners.
Customer Experience and Feedback
Transistor is highly regarded as a modern podcasting platform notable for its outstanding customer service, affordable pricing, user-friendly interface, capability to host multiple podcasts, and comprehensive analytics. It is well-suited for business, church, and education podcasts, alongside independent creators.
- Cameron Stack from Stacked Audio highly recommends Transistor, praising its unique features and accessible user interface after exploring over 20 other podcast hosting platforms.
- Andy Baldacci of Pod Avenue switched to Transistor from Libsyn, highlighting Transistor’s ease of use and straightforward episode publishing process compared to the confusing options on Libsyn.
- Dan Schoonmaker from CasterKit appreciates Transistor’s reliability, ease of use, and exemplary customer service, mentioning a positive experience starting from the free trial and appreciating its integration with Zapier.
- Lindsay Harris Friel from The Podcast Host values Transistor for allowing multiple RSS feeds, both public and private, at a single price point, suggesting it as a long-term solution for independent podcasters.
Is Transistor Worth It?
Yes, Transistor was worth it for me. The user-friendly interface, reasonable pricing, and exceptional customer service made my podcasting journey smooth and enjoyable.
Try Transistor Podcast Hosting Today
Transistor is the perfect podcast hosting platform for people like you. It hosts your podcast episodes and uploads them to Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other top podcast sites. You’ll get access to advanced analytics you can use to improve your show. Best of all, the plans are comprehensive and affordable.
Try out Transistor for free for 14 days!
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