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AudioBoom Review: Podcast Hosting Focused on Advertising

AudioBoom Review: Podcast Hosting Focused on Advertising

Audioboom’s website offers a tantalizing amount of information. Enough to pique podcasters interest, but not quite sufficient to give us a true understanding of what’s on offer. It’s a podcast hosting, distribution and advertising platform that pitches itself at two quite different audiences: small independent creators and established podcast networks. So does it get it right? This review and walkthrough looks in-depth at what Audioboom has on offer, taking you through its key features, strengths and weaknesses. We try to cut through some of the ambiguity on its website to give you a true picture of what Audioboom is all about. 

TL:DR 

  • AudioBoom is a podcast hosting, distribution and advertising platform. 
  • AudioBoom has two pricing plans: Podcasters and Podcast Pros
  • Key features include a customizable podcast page, private podcasts, and an embeddable media player 
  • Audioboom is best for professional and branded podcasts looking to monetize through advertising 

How we’re reviewing AudioBoom 

When looking for podcast hosting platforms, it can be difficult to compare or understand the proposed value of a service. We’ve come up with seven different categories that we think are important considerations for any podcaster: 

Pricing 

Whether you have a big or small budget, pricing is probably a key factor when choosing a hosting platform. We look beyond the monthly price to assess whether you’re getting real value for money. This includes the range of features available and storage and bandwidth limits that are included in each subscription tiers. 

Analytics 

The ability to dive deep into your podcast’s performance is essential. We look at what kind of analytics and data the podcast hosting platform offers as well as how they’re presented. 

Media Player 

An embeddable media player is key to allowing podcasters to share their content beyond the major listening platforms. We look at how customizable the media player is as well as how easy it is to use. 

File Hosting 

Pro podcasters are serious about their audio quality, as they should be. That’s why we value podcast hosting platforms that are compatible with lossless file formats that don’t jeopardize quality for size.  Additionally, we highlight whether a platform supports video podcasts. 

Distribution 

A podcast hosting platform should minimize how much time it takes to distribute your podcast. We look at how easy they make it to submit your show to major listening platforms and whether they automate distribution. 

Monetization 

Podcasters who are looking to convert their content into a source of income will be searching for the ability to monetize directly through their podcast hosting platform. We look at how their platform allows them to monetize whether that’s through subscriptions, advertisement, or merchandise, as well as how much of a cut they take. 

Useability and Additional Features 

Finally, we look at how usable a platform is. We look for services that offer streamlined UX and enhance the podcaster’s experience with cutting-edge features and functionality. 

AudioBoom: Quick Takeaways 

Quick summary: AudioBoom is a podcast hosting platform that streamlines the distribution process and helps podcasters to monetize. It doesn’t offer any creation or editing features, so it only comes into play in the post-production stage. 

Price: AudioBoom has two pricing plans, one aimed at individual creators starting at $9.99/month and another for pros (price available on enquiry). 

AudioBoom USPs:

  • Advertising. AudioBoom’s international advertising marketplace and dynamic ad-insertion technology make it easy for podcasters to monetize their podcasts. 
  • LIRICAL. When your show fulfills certain criteria, you will be invited to offer live host-read endorsements and slots to interested brands. 
  • Unlimited monthly uploads (subject to 500MB file maximum size) for all pricing plans 

What is AudioBoom? 

AudioBoom is a hosting platform dedicated to hosting, distributing, and podcast advertising. Though it used to have both a discovery and podcast recording app, these were both discontinued in 2018. 

AudioBoom also works directly with advertisers, helping them to connect with their roster of podcasting talent and global audiences. 

How much does AudioBoom cost? 

AudioBoom has two pricing plans. The first is aimed at independent podcasters and the second at pros. 

Podcasters - From $9.99/month

Aimed at individual creators that want an ad-free option 

  • Unlimited episodes per month 
  • Up to 10,000 plays per month on their Standard Plan 
  • Up to 25,000 with their Plus plan (which is $19.99 per month, or $199 for a year) 
  • Distribution to Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher
  • Advanced Analytics with breakdowns by app, device, and geographic region 
  • Embeddable player for website and social and social media integration 

Note that if you work with multiple podcasts, you have to pay per podcast . 

Podcast Pros - Pricing on Inquiry 

This plan and its features are only available to podcasts that have over 10,000 plays per episode. 

  • Unlimited episodes per month 
  • Unlimited plays per episode 
  • Distribution to Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher
  • Advanced analytics breakdowns by app, device, and geographic region 
  • Embeddable player for website and social and social media integration 
  • Live reads and host endorsements from all the top podcast advertisers
  • Branded content partnership opportunities 
  • Sponsorships
  • Access to AudioBoom’s targeted ad-network 
  • Event and live show sponsorships 
  • Instant monetization with targeted ad-network and premium sales service
  • Mid-roll ad-insertion tool to optimize revenue
  • Manage multiple podcast channels with contributor accounts and different access permission levels. 

What’s the catch with AudioBoom? 

If you’re on the hunt for a podcast hosting service that comes with monetization features, AudioBoom is a great choice. However, the requirement to have 10,000 plays per episode means that podcasters at the start of their journey won’t be able to benefit from AudioBoom’s advertising and sponsorship opportunities. 

Advantages of AudioBoom 

Social sharing 

AudioBoom can be set to automatically share a link to your latest episode when you publish. All you need to do is connect your social media accounts. 

AudioBoom has an integration with Headliner to make it easy to promote and share your podcast on social media. Using Headliner you can create short video clips that make perfect social assets and offer a taster of your latest podcast episode. 

Customizable Podcast Page

Each podcaster gets a podcast page where all your podcast shows are listed. Your listeners can listen directly from their browser and discover information about your podcast. You customize basic details such as your logo and description from your AudioBoom dashboard. 

Private Podcasts 

AudioBoom doesn’t allow you to manage podcast subscriptions from within their platform. However, you are able to create private podcasts that are only accessible to people with whom you explicitly share the RSS feed. This is ideal for podcasters looking to create exclusive content for their paying subscribers through Patreon for example. 

Embeddable Media Player

The AudioBoom embeddable media player is responsive and works across different devices. It’s also compatible with private podcasts, which means if you’ve got a live podcast subscription for example, you can share exclusive content using an embeddable media player. 

Advanced analytics 

Both the podcast and podcast pro subscription plans offer advanced analytics which breakdown your audience, the devices they’re listening from, and where they’re located. 

Contributors

With the Podcast Pros subscription plan, you gain the ability to add collaborators to your AudioBoom account. This means that if you’re a bigger operation with a production team, you can set relevant permissions and work collaboratively on AudioBoom. 

Monetize 

Podcasters with over 10,000 plays per episode get access to powerful advertising tools: dynamic ad insertion, sponsorship, and branded content opportunities. 

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Disadvantages of AudioBoom

Lack of transparency 

As an outsider looking in, the information that is available surrounding some of AudioBoom’s features feel a little vague. It’s difficult to discern how one can participate in their advertising scheme or how much revenue is available to you. This lack of information could be frustrating for some podcasters. 

No video podcasts 

Unfortunately, AudioBoom is not compatible with video podcasts. 

No free subscription plan 

Although AudioBoom’s Podcaster plan is only $9.99/month, this still comes with some limitations and doesn’t give subscribers access to their full range of features. Podcasters on a tighter budget may be better off looking at AudioBoom alternatives that offer more bang for their buck. 

No creation capabilities 

Though this isn’t by any means a dealbreaker, nor is it a prerequisite for podcast hosting platforms, the ability to record, create and edit your podcast within your podcast host is highly convenient and helps to streamline the process. Plus many podcasters like to keep everything centralized. If you’re in the market for a one-stop-shop, AudioBoom probably isn’t what you’re looking for. 

Thresholds for access to podcast advertising 

The minimum of 10,000 plays per episode in order to access the monetization features means that podcasts in the early stages of growth or with a smaller audience base will miss out on potential revenue opportunities. 

No podcast subscriptions

Although AudioBoom offers a strong advertising infrastructure, the platform doesn’t have an integrated podcast subscription feature. Although it’s possible to launch subscriptions using services such as Patreon, for example, this could be a dealbreaker for podcasters looking for a centralized way to manage their podcast. 

Automatic re-encoding all audio files 

Although AudioBoom supports lossless files such as WAV, all audio files are automatically re-encoded to .mp3 for distribution. 

Key features of AudioBoom  

Now that we’ve seen the main advantages and disadvantages of AudioBoom, let’s delve a little deeper into some of its features and how they work: 

AudioBoom Private Podcasts 

As we’ve mentioned, private podcasts are a way to create podcasts that are only available to the people you choose to share it with. These episodes don’t automatically appear on your podcast page and have their own dedicated RSS feed. 

Bear in mind, though, that your Spotify listeners won’t be able to access these private podcasts directly because podcasts aren’t submitted to Spotify with RSS feeds. 

You can create a members only embeddable media player. 

AudioBoom SHOWCASE 

SHOWCASE is AudioBoom’s dynamic ad insertion technology that helps to seamlessly execute ad campaigns without too much involvement from podcasters (or advertisers). 

Podcasters can choose exactly where the mid-roll ad-points fall in their content to avoid awkward transitions or interruptions. If you enable pre-roll and post-roll, these are taken care of automatically. 

How does dynamic ad-insertion work with AudioBoom? 

When someone streams or downloads your content, AudioBoom fills the dynamic ad-slots using their VOLARE ad-server and by cross checking with any active AudioBoom and third-party ad campaigns. 

They ensure that the ads that get played during your podcast align with your show, the listener, and your ad preferences. Sometimes, they won’t fill an ad-slot at all if they don’t find an appropriate advertisement. 

LIRICAL: ‘Host Read’ 

When your show gets big enough to attract sponsors looking for ‘host read’ live read spots, AudioBoom will reach out to you directly and invite you to join their LIRICAL system. 

LIRICAL is a platform where AudioBoom sells live reads to potential sponsors and also handles all booking, billing and payments. 

AudioBoom is best for pro podcasters who want to advertise 

AudioBoom’s basic plan aimed at independent podcasters is a robust offering, and will definitely do the trick when it comes to hosting and distributing your podcast. However, without access to AudioBoom’s full range of features, smaller shows will probably see more value for money elsewhere. 

That being said, AudioBoom comes into its own at the pro level where you’re able to harness their advertising capabilities. If you’re a pro podcaster that’s looking to monetize through advertising (and you’re not that concerned with other functionality), AudioBoom is a great choice. 

First look at AudioBoom Dashboard 

Your AudioBoom dashboard gives you a broad overview of your podcast show. You’ll be able to see your all-time listens, total episodes, recent episodes, and all your episodes (including drafts, scheduled episodes, deleted and published). You also have the option to upload from there and switch between shows if you have more than one podcast. 

How to Get Started with AudioBoom

Step 1: Create your account. 

Step 2: Log in to your dashboard and click the blue Upload button. 

Step 3: Drag and drop your audio file or upload manually. 

Step 4: Fill out the details: title, description, and add cover art. 

Step 5: Select the destination (which listening platforms you want to publish to). 

Step 6: Schedule to publish or publish immediately.

How to Migrate your Podcast to AudioBoom

Step 1: Import your podcast to AudioBoom by copying and pasting your existing RSS feed.

Step 2: When you activate your AudioBoom account by paying for your subscription, your old episodes will be automatically imported. 

Step 3: Ensure to set up a 301 redirect. If you are struggling, AudioBoom can support you. Simply submit a request.

How to distribute your podcast using AudioBoom 

AudioBoom has partnered with the following listening platforms: Apple Podcasts, CastBox, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeart, Player FM, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and TuneIn. 

AudioBoom has dedicated instructions for submitting to each of the platforms listed above. Simply visit their distribution page and follow the steps for the relevant platforms. 

How to monetize your podcast using AudioBoom 

If you’ve got more than 10,000 plays per episode, you meet AudioBoom’s criteria for monetizing via podcast advertising. 

To sign up, you need to email [email protected] and fill out relevant forms agreeing to their terms and conditions. Once you’ve signed on, you’ll see an ‘Ad Settings’ page in your dashboard. From here, you’ll be able to set your ad preferences. 

As we saw earlier, Audioboom offers dynamic ad insertion with SHOWCASE, as well as host-read features through LIRICAL. 

AudioBoom Podcast Analytics 

From your dashboard, if you navigate to the Analytics page you’ll be able to see: 

  • Listens 
  • Top episodes 
  • Top countries
  • Top Cities
  • Devices that your audience are using to interact with your content
  • Platform that they’re tuning in from 
  • Age 
  • Gender
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Final thoughts on AudioBoom 

AudioBoom is a high-power platform for professional and business podcasters. Its global advertising marketplace and dynamic ad-insertion makes it easy for podcasts with big audiences to capitalize on the value of their content and connect with interested brands to secure advertising, partnership or sponsorship deals. 

For independent podcasters with a small listener-base or who are just starting out though, it may not be the smartest option. Since the basic Podcaster’s plan doesn’t include access to the full range of features, smaller podcasters may find that they’re better catered for elsewhere. 

FAQs about AudioBoom 

What is AudioBoom? 

AudioBoom is a podcast hosting, distribution and advertising platform. 

Is AudioBoom free? 

No, AudioBoom does not have a free plan. You have to pay a minimum of $9.99/month or $99 for an annual membership. This doesn’t give you access to the full range of features, though. 

Want to read more on podcast hosting platforms? Check out our other reviews:

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