Which are the Best Podcast Platforms For Your Show?
You’ve done all your planning, bought the very best audio equipment that money can buy and finally got around to the fun part – recording your podcast. But what comes next? How do you choose the best podcast platform for your content?
Once your podcast is ready to hit the airways the next thing on your mind should always be podcast distribution. This crucial step will play a big role in determining the number of people your content can potentially reach.
To achieve your goal, it is extremely important to understand the requirements for the vast collection of podcast directories that are available on the market. Honing in on the podcast distribution platforms where your target audience likes to spend most of their time is a good strategy to adopt. But publishing your content in as many places as possible is an even better approach for maximizing your reach.
✴ How Does Podcast Distribution Work?
In essence, podcast distribution follows the three simple steps below.
You upload your podcast to a podcast-hosting platform.
You register your podcast on the best podcast directories.
Your podcast is distributed and listeners find your content through relevant channels and podcast directories.
✴ Which is the Best Podcast Platform for Me?
With so many podcast platforms to choose from, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. To save you the time and effort of scouring through countless user reviews, we have put together a list of the top-rated podcast distribution platforms, to help you grow your audience. In no particular order the best platforms are detailed below.
✴ Apple Podcasts
Formerly iTunes, Apple Podcasts is a titan of the podcast streaming industry. Despite their best efforts, other distribution services can't seem to reach the level of success that Apple Podcasts has.
According to some sources, 52% of listeners consume their podcast content through Apple Podcasts (this statistic excludes YouTube, which isn’t counted as an official podcast platform). There are currently over 850,000 active podcasts (up from approximately 550,000 as recently as 2018) and 30 million podcasts (a 60% increase from approximately 18.5 million just 2 years) in 100 languages.
One of the many reasons for Apple Podcasts’ popularity is their advanced SEO algorithm. Previously shows were only discoverable through the following elements:
The name of the podcast
The name of the podcast author/host
The name of the episode
The name of the episode author/host
But in early 2019, that changed. Podcasts are now searchable based on extended criteria including the subjects, and individual sections of an audio transcript. What’s more, once you submit your RSS feed to Apple Podcasts, your show will also be featured on Podchaser, Castro, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and Castbox among others.
All of the above has made it easier for content creators and their target audience to find each other, thus boosting the stock of Apple Podcasts even further.
Learn more about Apple Podcasts submission process.
✴ Spotify
The platform’s true strength lies in the detailed analytics that are available to podcasters. You have access to important data such as who your listeners are, which of your episodes are being streamed or downloaded the most, and even the music preferences of your audience. This is extremely helpful for planning future content and developing more lucrative sponsor partnerships.
In addition to this, Spotify is committed to helping podcasters reach more people with an interest in their niche. The platform uses editorial and personalized playlists such as Your Daily Podcasts, This Week’s Top Podcasts, and Brain Snacks to boost the opportunities for content creators to reach a wider audience and grow their following.
Spotify itself doesn't host podcasts, but if you register with one of their aggregator partners like BuzzSprout, Libsyn, or PodBean, you can easily upload your content within minutes.
Learn more about Spotify’s submission process.
✴ Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts’ main benefit is the pure scale of the Google brand. By having what’s essentially a monopoly over Internet related services, Google has access to endless data sources from which they can build a highly effective system.
The introduction of Google Podcast Manager allows users to export all of their audience data into a single analytics program. Access to this type of information means that you can:
Gain a better understanding of your audience to help you better serve them
Get real-time insight on each episode, including where your listeners are tuning in or dropping off
Benefit from additional insight into listener habits across different devices like smartphones, desktop, or smart speakers
Reach more listeners across Google including Google Search, Google Assistant, and more
Google Podcasts also has a new found commitment to algorithmic recommendations in a similar way to Spotify’s Your Daily Podcasts and This Week’s Top Podcasts. By adopting proven strategies from the highest profile podcast directories, the platform will continue to see growth in the number of returning listeners and successful podcasts.
Learn more about Google Podcast’s submission process.
✴ Stitcher
Previously considered the best alternative to Apple Podcast for Android users, Stitcher was once at the top of the podcast platform leaderboard. Since then Stitcher has become more of a niche platform with a loyal following, which makes it a good place to register your podcast to extend your reach.
By operating as a mobile app, Stitcher offers a direct link between your podcast and your listeners. The in-app search engine allows users to look for podcasts when they are out and about, so they can listen to their favorite content no matter their location.
Through their registration on the top mobile play stores, Stitcher gives podcasters access to the large user-bases of Apple, Android, TCL, and HP. What’s more, Stitcher is also compatible with over 50 car models meaning people can consume their podcast content in any vehicle that has Android Auto or Apple’s CarPlay.
The platform features the standard analytical tools to help podcasters gain additional insight into performance. But it’s important to note that this information purely applies to how you’re doing on Stitcher and none of the other platforms where your podcast might be registered.
Create a Stitcher account to easily submit your podcast.
✴ TuneIn
TuneIn is a surprisingly large podcasting platform, with 75 million monthly users and a collection of 5.7 million active podcasts all streaming in over 20 languages. The platform has created a one-stop service for audio entertainment, offering not only a vast collection of podcasts but also:
Live NFL, NBA and NHL sporting events
Access to TalkRadio, Times Radio and other news outlets
Access to a number of talk radio shows, including The Graham Norton Show, The Chris Moyles Show, and Desert Island Discs
These additional features are part of the reason why users keep coming back. It also means if you’re using TuneIn as your podcast streaming service, you are exposing your content to the platform’s enormous and diverse global audience.
One of TuneIn's biggest advantages is its connection to other platforms. Alexa, for example, uses TuneIn when users ask for radio updates or recommended podcasts. This alone gives podcasters access to 25% of US households and 20% of UK homes – two of the biggest international markets.
Submit your podcast details on Tunein.
✴ YouTube
YouTube is one of the most overlooked options by podcasters looking to grow their audience. Despite not being an official podcast directory, it is easily the biggest repository of audio content in the world.
YouTube has over 30 million daily visits and more than 1 billion users globally who turn to the platform to consume different types of audio content including podcasts. A study by the Canadian Podcast Listener in 2019 showed that 43% of people use YouTube to listen to their favorite podcasts, which is well ahead of Apple Podcasts/ iTunes at 34% and Spotify with 23%.
By using YouTube as one of your podcast streaming platforms, you significantly increase the digital footprint of your content. As the leading audio streaming service, the platform is the “go-to place for entertainment” for a wide audience. With YouTube being the second largest search engine in the world behind only Google as well, you know that your listeners are very active there and have easy access to your content.
There is also the added benefit of incorporating a visual element to your podcast on YouTube, which opens you up to even more potential people tuning in to your to watch and listen to your content. Many podcasters have seen a big boost in subscribers and engagement after adding their content to the platform.
Learn more about YouTube’s submission process.
✴ The Best Podcast Platform for You
And there you have it! These are the very best podcast platforms on which to register your awesome content in a nutshell. While they all offer a range of unique benefits that will help you reach a wider audience, the most effective strategy is to use them all.
Listing your show on most podcast distribution platforms requires minimal effort and is completely free. As such, there’s never been a better time than now to leverage the power of these streaming channels to help you increase your following and surpass your podcast goals.
For more information on optimizing your podcast, grab our free production checklist here.
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