When you see that something is being offered for free then you pretty well know there will be a catch somewhere. But not today.
If you have a way to record a podcast then you know that once that is done and ready to be released you will likely have to pay someone to host it so it can be heard around the world. But hold on, in this episode of Podcasting Made Easy I show that there are free ways to distribute your show.
If you are just dipping your toe in the water to see if podcasting is for you – because plenty of podcasts do not get past episode 7 – then you can get it out there for free.
And if you have a website then even better; you can embed an audio player of your podcast there too.
Companies such as:
give you ways to upload your shows for free. With YouTube of course you will need to upload a video, but there are ways to use a static image for this.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud will give you a podcast RSS feed that you can submit to Apple Podcasts (used to be known as iTunes) and other distributors. But the company does place limits on a free account.
And should you want to move your podcasts to dedicate podcast services then that will involve letting everyone know you have a new RSS podcast feed (that can sometimes lead to real tears). You’ll need to set up a 301 redirect at SoundCloud or start over by uploading all your existing podcasts to the new hosting firm.
Spreaker
Spreaker offers a free account of 5 hours’ storage. Do a 15 minute podcast once a week and that’s 20 weeks covered – by which time you will know if podcasting is for you. It also offers ways to share your shows across major platforms such as iHeart, Spotify, and Stitcher etc.
Mixcloud
Mixcloud is free, has no limits and covers your royalties if you want to play commercial music. You can send shows there via an RSS feed or upload direct.
YouTube
YouTube is also used by podcasters. Search for “convert MP3 to video YouTube” and you’ll find firms offering to convert your audio file to a video with a static image. Or you could talk to camera and podcast that way – video to YouTube, audio to everywhere else.
All of the above won’t cost you a cent and you can share your show links across social media to boost listener numbers.