Buzzsprout Podcasting Review

With its ability to combine the power of the message through sound and the internet, a podcast has become an effective communication instrument. Therefore, if you have something to say to people, it’s vital to find a host that can help make your program productive. Buzzsprout podcast platform is unquestionably the right location to launch and grow your show!

Buzzsprout began operating in 2009, and since then, it’s been gradually expanding and developing. More than 100.000 active podcasters trust this hosting site and successfully use it to store, track, promote and monetize their shows. While having all the standard tools for adequate podcast management, Buzzsprout also boasts plenty of unique, game-changing characteristics to optimize your show and make it shine!

I’ve created this detailed Buzzsprout podcast hosting review to empower you with a good understanding of this platform, its strengths, and weaknesses. So, keep reading to determine whether it suits your needs!

Pricing plans

Let me begin my Buzzsprout review from the bit we all care about the most – the cost.

One of my favorite things about this podcast hosting service is how nicely its different tiers cater to various demands. All of the tiers are transparent and easy to comprehend – you just pay for the monthly hours of content you upload, with no worries about the size of the files. Buzzsprout keeps things straightforward, and this is what makes it stand out against many rivals out there.

The service offers a free subscription for new users who simply wish to try out podcasting. You’ll have access to extensive statistics, may invite an unlimited number of team members, and submit two hours of material each month. Just keep in mind that Buzzsprout’s free plan is ideal for getting started, but not for long-term use, as it will only host your episodes for 90 days before deleting them.

All paid plans provide unlimited storage, as many team members as you need, indefinite hosting, advanced stats, and free transfer from other sites. The main difference between the Buzzsprout pricing tiers is the amount of material you can submit monthly and the price to upload more content than what is allowed by your plan. So, let’s take a closer look at the prices:

• The $12/mo tier – 3 hours of episodes + $4 for an extra hour.
• The $18/mo tier – 6 hours of episodes + $3 for an extra hour.
• The $24/mo tier – 12 hours of episodes + $2 for an extra hour.

Overall, I love Buzzsprout’s price/quality ratio. My only complaint is that unused storage space is lost after one month, while many podcasters sometimes need additional podcast time.

Statistics and analytics

With the help of podcast statistics and analytics, you can gain a thorough insight into your audience and choose the most effective advertising and monetization strategies. So, do consider this feature when looking for a host for your show.

You can totally rely on Buzzsprout analytics since it has an official certification from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab, meaning the analytics meets all industry standards.

The Buzzsprout statistics are very informative yet simple to understand. You’ll receive a range of information about the number of listeners, platforms, and devices, understand how & where your audience finds your podcast, etc. To top it off, the analytics updates every 6 hours, plus, you’ll receive emails with your stats every week.

Distribution and directories

Buzzsprout’s distribution section gives you access to all popular podcast streamers like Google, Apple, Spotify, and others. There’s also a detailed guide on how to become listed in each streamer.

All submissions must be completed manually – I know many users dislike this, but on the other hand, it allows absolute control over the process for better distribution.

Promotion

Website

A website tailored to your podcast is a great way to increase your visibility and draw new followers. However, most of us are not IT wizards, and designing a site may be a real headache!

Luckily, Buzzsprout helps to solve this problem by building a customizable podcast website for you! It will house your shows, store all the necessary information, you’ll be able to connect to your podcast directory listings, social networking sites, and a donation section. Simply put, the site will include everything required to establish and expand a podcast.

Audio player

Each Buzzsprout plan comes with simply embeddable, customizable players for podcast websites.

There are several variations of these players – Individual Episode Player, Single Episode Player, and Multiple Episode Player – they can be personalized to match your site’s style. Such generous player customization makes Buzzsprout outshine its competitors!

The player provides listeners with convenient controls and a social network sharing button for quick and easy sharing.

Newsletter and sharing

Buzzsprout offers several options for sharing your podcast episodes with others: via the Buzzsprout website, a shareable URL, or an episode-specific link. You may also produce a visual soundbite of the episode to post on social media or anywhere else.

Promotion tools

Unlike many other hosts, Buzzsprout offers two great tools for podcasters to build their listenership effectively. It’s great to know that the company wants you to succeed!

1. Make a Buzzsprout podcast promo to cross-promote your program and reach out to new listeners.
2. By targeting listeners in your sector, Buzzsprout Ads and podcast promotions may help you grow your audience. When listeners click on your advertising, your podcast page will appear, allowing them to subscribe to your show and get information on new episodes.

You’ll have to shell out money to take advantage of these resources, but the game is worth the candle, especially if you need new followers ASAP!

Monetization

Advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate programs are the most prevalent means of income for podcasts. And Buzzsprout gives you plenty of chances to significantly increase your earnings!

• Affiliate marketplace – you’ll find various brands available for partnerships there. Once you’ve received the necessary approvals, Buzzsprout will immediately include the affiliate link in the episode notes. No commissions or middle-man fees from your earnings!
• Dynamic add capabilities – you can quickly add pre- and post-rolls to your current programs for advertising, promoting, or sharing anything you like. Alter them whenever you want!
• Outside sponsors – even if they are not from the Buzzsprout marketplace, you may still mention them in your show descriptions.
• Donations – you can provide links to services like Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee, PayPal, etc., where your followers will make donations.

Files and formats

Newbies in podcasting will appreciate Buzzsprout’s auto-modification feature since it takes all the trouble of mastering the audio off their shoulders.

You may submit any audio/video files, and Buzzsprout will automatically encode them at 96k, add necessary ID3 tags, and transform them to mono.mp3 format without using up your monthly download space.

Buzzsprout features

What I love the most about Buzzsprout is that it’s incredibly generous with plenty of helpful features that make podcasting easier and absolutely enjoyable.

Visual Soundbites

Using Buzzsprout’s Visual Soundbite is the simplest way to share your podcast episodes on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram! The soundbites receive greater awareness and more clicks just because they are videos.

Magic Mastering Tool

If you produce a podcast, you know how essential it is to sound confident and professional. That’s where Magic Mastering comes into play.

Magic mastering is a tool that may significantly improve the sound quality of your podcast. It works by reducing background noise and adjusting loudness, among other things. As a result, your episodes will sound like they were produced in a professional studio.

Dynamic Content Tool

The Dynamic Content tool on Buzzsprout lets you easily add and remove brief pre- and post-rolls from the shows. You may select whether to automatically apply the content to new episodes or all of your existing programs by just clicking a button.

The non-destructive nature of the extra material is a big benefit here – alter the pre/post-rolls at any moment and update all your past programs. When you make modifications, the old material is simply replaced with a fresh one. However, you may permanently reassign the previous content because it will all be kept in your Dynamic Content Library.

Canva + Buzzsprout

Canva is a free art design website that offers about 250,000 templates, stock pictures, fonts, and logos to make the creation process more straightforward.

Buzzsprout has partnered with Canva and built the Canva Artwork Helper, giving you a plethora of instruments to make gorgeous artwork for your show. Totally love this tool!

Host & Co-host Info

Your Buzzsprout podcast website gives you the option to add information about the hosts and co-hosts of your show. So, your followers will learn a bit more about the folks behind the program.

Buzzsprout’s Support The Show Link

Every episode description has a link to your payment, which significantly simplifies the donation process for your listeners. They don’t even need to visit outside websites to give you back—all it takes is a few clicks!

Buzzsprout Ads – Beta

This brand-new technology has already been put to the test by many podcasters. The system automatically inserts mid-roll advertisements at the appropriate points in your episodes using cutting-edge algorithms.

Buzzsprout respects its users and inserts nothing without their approval, meaning you’ll listen and review ads before deciding to approve or decline.
Unfortunately, as it’s a beta version, bugs happen; however, a super-responsive support team is always there to help you solve any problem.

Chapter Markers Tool

This fantastic tool allows you to split up longer episodes into segments or chapters, giving your audience a better listening experience. Your listeners will be aware of what’s coming up and when, plus, they can cherry-pick the most interesting parts. In other words, people will have complete control over the process, which significantly increases the likelihood of their staying.

Other features

The below set of features is more or less standard for all podcast hosts, but Buzzsprout makes them so user-friendly that I just cannot fail to mention them here!

• The platform’s dashboard is intuitive and easily navigable, making it perfect for novice podcasters. But on the other hand, the host is full of advanced features and tools, so seasoned podcasters will find it suitable for their ambitious plans as well.
• To make your podcast more visible for search engines, speed readers, and the deaf, Buzzsprout gives you the option to transcribe your episodes from within the platform quickly.
• Buzzsprout API (Application Programming Interface) makes it simple for third-party software programs to interact with your podcast. If you have the technical expertise, you can even build your own integration.
• Create as many podcasts from one account as you wish and invite as many team members as you need – this is an excellent feature for professionals with large followings.
• Terrific customer service! Buzzsprout will make you feel like you’re their premium client – managers always get back quickly and are very helpful.
• All podcasters, especially newbies, appreciate that Buzzsprout supports them through video tutorials, blog posts, emails, and podcast community. You’re not alone and can always find plenty of useful podcast-related info on the platform.

Summing up

Official site