Since the first podcast was aired in 2004, it has become a vital part of mainstream entertainment. According to a survey in 2018, nearly 75 million American listen to podcasts, and the number will grow to 164 million a year by 2024. As you can see, the numbers are pretty encouraging for someone looking to start a podcast. However, starting a podcast is easy, but hosting it is different. Melon has the leading podcast hosting software so that you can create professional podcasts for free. Following is a complete guide on hosting a podcast in 2022.
1. Bulk Production
Before selecting a hosting service, you need to initially produce a couple of episodes. This allows you to stay up to date with your hosting schedule and gives you time to familiarize yourself with various tools and features of a hosting platform. Some hosting websites allow you to edit and mix your podcast, so producing in bulk can also help you with these features.
2. Hosting Service
This is a crucial step as the success of your podcast depends on a reliable hosting service. Due to podcast’s popularity, many free hosting services promise reliability; however, not all will deliver on their promises. Therefore, do extensive research on the best hosting services that meet your expectations and demands. You can also go for premium ones, but to gather experience try free services initially.
3. Storage
You will need a hosting service that offers massive storage for your podcasts. Listeners often go back to previous podcasts when they find them interesting. This is why your hosting service should offer storage options. There are free services that offer exactly this, therefore opting for them is a good decision. However, you have to ensure the quality and see if the files are stored in their original format. Quite often, to save some space, the files are compressed, which compromises the audio and video quality, resulting in poor audience response.
4. Overlays
This is like a fashion accessory for your podcast. It’s a design according to your podcast’s theme and holds information about the same. You can add anything on it from the topic to listener count or display a sponsor and other such information. The point is to make the podcast more appealing, and overlays do exactly that. Many hosting services give you many options when it comes to overlays. Choose the one that best compliments the theme and content of your podcast.
5. Live Hosting
This feature allows you to host your podcasts live. Previously, podcasts were recorded and then aired after some editing; however, live podcasting is now preferred by many listeners. This allows you to interact with your listeners and make them a vital part of the show. Therefore, select a service that offers live hosting with HD audio and video and lets you record the session.
Podcasts will only grow in 2022, but only the best will get the attention. Don’t let a poor hosting service ruin the experience for you. Therefore, select a hosting service that offers the abovementioned features for best results.
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