via GIPHY

Take a look at the below image that depicts podcast usage globally from 2020 to 2021. Those numbers only continue to grow.

Podcast usage globally from 2020 to 2021

The rise of podcasting has been driven by a combination of technological advances and changing consumer habits. Today, podcasts are no longer limited to radio shows, they now include video, audio, text, and even games.

Podcasting is a great way to share podcast content with your potential listeners. Your podcast feed can be as diverse as you want it to be.

  • What Is A Podcast? 🎧
  • What Are Podcast Tools? 🔧
  • 10 Podcast Tools That For Creators And Listeners 📱
  • Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra). For more information, read our affiliate disclosure.

    What Is A Podcast? 🎧

    In the simplest terms, a podcast is an audio file that you can listen to or download from a number of websites that host podcasts. A podcast episode is usually about 10-20 minutes long, but it can vary depending on the audio content.

    You can create as many episodes as you want on your chosen podcast platform with your chosen audio interface, and for listeners, there is a podcast feed out there for most target audiences and a variety of interesting podcast content out there to discover.

    You can find a podcast title on just about anything: politics, sports, news, comedy, music, business, technology, and more.
    Apple Podcasts (author's personal account)

    Some people like to listen to them while exercising, commuting, cooking, cleaning, working, studying, and relaxing.

    Most podcasts have a podcast trailer that forms part of the creators' podcast marketing strategy in order to gain interest and appear on the podcast feed of their chosen audiences.

    A podcast carousel is a good way to explain trending podcast titles and podcast visibility, it can be described as having a 'merry-go-round' effect where a creator's episodes or their themes are shown repeatedly in an audience's podcast feed, according to current trends in media.

    What Are Podcast Tools? 🔧

    When we talk about podcast tools, we are referring to software applications that help you manage your podcast and its audio content or your list of podcasts that you listen to.

    👉🏼 These apps have built-in features that make managing your podcast or your podcast feed easier.

    There are two main places where podcast tools operate, desktop and mobile. Desktop tools are typically used when you are listening to your podcast in a web browser.

    Mobile tools are typically used when your device supports downloading files directly into its storage space.

    Most podcast content is available on desktop and mobile devices for potential listeners as well as podcast platforms where podcasters can make use of editing software features.

    Creators can gather tips for promoting their podcast episodes and audience persona (connection with their audience), either on social media platforms or on the podcast platform itself.

    There are also different categories of podcast tools.

    For example, some tools are designed specifically for podcasters and their editing software and optimizing their RSS feed (Rich Site Summary).

    This focuses on getting your podcast content out to your target audience via other popular podcast apps and is an important part of a podcast marketing strategy.

    Others are designed for anyone who wants to use a podcast site for listening. Still, most podcast tools are designed for both podcasters and non-podcasters.

    10 Podcast Tools For Creators And Listeners 📱

    There are hundreds of podcast platforms out there, but we have narrowed that daunting list to 10 of the most popular and successful podcast tools used nowadays that help achieve podcast visibility amongst a wide audience.

    You don't have to spend hours searching the net for a podcast hosting platform or for listeners, a podcast platform that has great content.

    1. BuzzSprout

    Image Source: BuzzSprout

    BuzzSprout is one of the best podcast management tools and podcast hosting platforms available today. With this tool, you can easily upload your podcast feed, schedule new episodes, track your downloads and your progress, and more.

    BuzzSprout focuses on creating podcast content that is reachable and of high audio quality.

    BuzzSprout also allows for transcribing podcasts, making it easier for podcast users of all abilities to interact with content. BuzzSprout is great for creators because it provides a comprehensive report of your channel.

    Key Features For Creators

    BuzzSprout provides you with insights into your channel statistics that are easy to understand and make use of, the benefit of being listed in all podcast directories worldwide, and handy tools that can help promote your podcast even further.

    The platform also provides its creators with free learning materials in the form of blog content that can help them understand and create high-quality episodes and a podcast description and audience persona that will get them noticed.

    Price

    This tool is very easy to use, and it's free for all users. However, there are pricing options available if you want access to more features. BuzzSprout has three main plans available.

    • A plan for $12/month, gives you 3hrs of audio uploads per month.
    • A plan for $18/month, gives you 6hrs of audio uploads per month.
    • A plan for $24/month, gives you 12hrs of audio uploads per month.

    Pros

    • Affordable
    • Easy-to-use
    • Tracking features

    Cons

    • Some occasional bugs

    2. Inspod

    Image Source: Inspod

    Inspod is a new tool on the block by Kdan Mobile and is great for developing a deeper understanding of a variety of subjects with podcasts.

    👉🏼 With Inspod you can stream podcasts and YouTube videos through the platform.

    One of the key features is the note-taking tool, users can add timestamps and add note cards to the audio or video they are listening to or viewing. The app also allows users to share content with friends on social platforms.

    Inspod can be placed in both the creator and listener category, as it has elements that cater to both.

    Key Features For Creators

    Inspod's helpful note-taking, timestamping, and sharing features make it great for podcasters to save ideas and make notes for possible edits or ideas that they want to focus on and include in their episodes, as well as share their show notes made by Inspod with a large audience to gain engagement.

    Inspod is a versatile podcast tool on the market that has incorporated some nifty features for its users to highlight and review key moments in podcast episodes.

    It is listed under a tool for listeners because that is the platform's primary focus. Inspod, however, also provides podcast creators with features to add notes and timestamps to their own shows right on Inspod and share their content with their audience networks.

    Key Features For Listeners

    Listeners can now take notes with the note-card feature and insert timestamps on their favorite episodes to make sure they never lose their place. What’s more, users can add tags to their episode notes, making them easy to review later.

    Inspod focuses on providing listeners with the ability to learn and expand their knowledge while actively or passively listening to their chosen episodes.

    Price

    Inspod is free-to-use and requires no additional fees.

    Pros

    • Free
    • Easy to use
    • Note-taking capabilities

    Cons

    • Limited to Android devices

    3. Apple Podcasts

    Image Source: Apple Podcasts

    Apple Podcasts is one of the more popular podcasting platforms out there, accessible by multiple search engines.

    Podcasters can create episodes within the platform and listeners can discover millions of quality audio content.

    Apple Podcasts allows access to premium content without the need for subscriptions and provides personalized recommendations or podcast carousel content based on previously liked episodes or channels by listeners.

    Apple Podcasts is known for its wide variety of educational and high-quality audio content and is still a strong contender on the market.

    Key Features For Listeners

    With Apple Podcasts, users can enjoy listening to premium content without worrying about paid subscription services.

    There are millions of channels to choose from and a personalized recommendation list of what listeners are gravitating toward.

    Apple Podcasts can also connect to Siri, making sure users always have a way to listen to their favorite episodes.

    Price

    Apple Podcasts is free-to-use for iOS device holders.

    Pros

    • Free
    • A large variety of audio content
    • Personalized playlists

    Cons

    • Not available on Android devices

    4. Podbean

    Image Source: Podbean

    Podbean is another excellent podcast app that helps you manage your podcast and is great for listeners too.

    This tool allows you to publish your podcast anywhere online, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, YouTube, SoundCloud, and others.

    It also lets you add images, videos, links, and other media to your podcast. This makes it possible to add visual elements to your podcast, that garner a larger audience.

    With Podbean, you can also keep a custom playlist of all your favorite episodes or leave space for new ones.

    Podbean gives podcasters the ability to create, monetize, and promote their channel in a variety of ways.

    Key Features For Creators

    Over 600,000 podcasters use Podbean to host their podcasts.

    The platform has some great features like the ability to create podcasts from your mobile device and use Podbean's live streaming feature to capture audio and video on the go.

    Podbean's recording software is of good quality and podcasters can use their audio interface in the best way possible to get the podcast sound they are looking for and create an episode title for each audio file that is catchy and assists with their podcast marketing strategy.

    Price

    Podbean has a free plan available and three main other pricing plans.

    • The 'Unlimited Audio' at $9/month, ideal for audio podcasting.
    • The 'Unlimited Plus' at $29/month, best for video podcasts and podcast monetization.
    • The 'Business' at $99/month, great for business podcasts and podcasting networks.

    For podcast listeners, the Podbean mobile app is free to download, with the option of upgrading to a Pro version.

    Pros

    • Affordable
    • Advanced editing features
    • Easy UI

    Cons

    • Could be more customizable

    5. Blubrry

    Image Source: Blubrry

    Blubrry is a podcast hosting platform that provides creators with helpful features to get them started with recording and editing their audio.

    It also provides them with a free WordPress site to develop podcast visibility of their channel, as well as promote blog content related to a specific podcast.

    Blubrry also has a PowerPress podcast plugin that assists with podcast publishing on your WordPress site.

    The platform allows creators to launch one new show or an entire podcast network. Creators can monetize their podcast channels and connect with their potential listeners in a seamless and effective manner.

    Blubrry focuses on making the podcast publishing process easier for podcast creators.

    Key Features For Creators

    A nice feature that Blubrry has developed is giving its users a free WordPress website to encourage brand development and attract listeners to the podcaster's site, helping them gain a wider influence and improve their podcast marketing strategy.

    If users aren't too keen on a WordPress site, Blubrry also has the option of a simple landing page that allows podcasters to get straight to the point, what they are about, what they talk about, and ways listeners can follow their channel.

    Price

    Blubrry has two main pricing plans to choose from.

    • The 'Standard Plan' at $12/month, ideal for podcast creators that are just starting out.
    • The 'Advanced Plan' at $20/month, best for creators that are looking to upgrade storage space features.

    Pros

    • Free WordPress site included
    • Great customer support
    • Podcast plugin

    Cons

    • Not the most affordable

    6. Castbox

    Image Source: Castbox

    Castbox is an excellent podcast tool that offers many useful features, such as automatic episode scheduling, audio editing, and commenting and sharing features.

    Castbox is a podcasting tool that caters to both podcasters and podcast listeners. The platform offers analytical insights for creators and a wide range of over 259,000,000 files of high-quality audio content for listeners.

    Castbox is an ideal podcast tool for listeners as it provides over 259,000,000 files of audio content!

    Key Features For Listeners

    Listeners of Castbox can enjoy a free podcast service that provides a large selection of content that deals with a diverse group of topics, from comedy, and true crime, all the way through to learning about societal and cultural norms.

    Price

    Castbox is free-to-use for listeners and creators, it's great for beginner podcasters learning how to navigate upload features.

    Pros

    • Free
    • Wide range of audio content
    • Commenting and sharing features

    Cons

    • Frequent pop-up ads

    7. Pocket Casts

    Image Source: Pocket Casts

    Pocket Casts is one of the most popular podcast apps available. This tool has a beautiful design, and it's extremely easy to use.

    The podcast hosting platform caters to podcast creators and listeners, with listeners with a variety of features that assist with promoting your podcast visibility.

    Key Features For Listeners

    Listeners have access to high-quality audio and a handy filtering feature that gives you the exact episodes you want to listen to and be informed of.

    Price

    Pocket Casts is free-to-use by podcasters and listeners.

    Pros

    • Free
    • Filtering feature
    • Easy to use

    Cons

    • Customer support can be improved

    8. Spotify

    Image Source: Spotify

    Spotify is one of the biggest music streaming platforms around. If you're looking for a podcast app that works seamlessly with Spotify, then look no further.

    Spotify has a podcast app for listeners that exists within the music platform itself. Whether you are searching for a music track or a podcast, it is all available in one place.

    You can create a playlist based on your favorite podcasters and their episodes, so you never lose track of where you left off.

    Spotify is known for its music streaming services but it also provides an extensive list of podcast channels for users to listen to.

    Key Features For Listeners

    Create personalized playlists with all the podcast episodes and channels that pique your interest. Spotify has earned its reputation as one of the best streaming platforms for music and podcasts alike.

    If an episode title appeals to you, add it to your playlist and save it for later, that way you don't have to worry about it disappearing from your podcast feed.

    Price

    Spotify is a free-to-use platform, but there are options to upgrade that will include a pricing plan.

    Pros

    • Free
    • High-quality audio
    • Easy to use

    Cons

    • Ads with the free version

    9. SoundCloud

    Image Source: SoundCloud

    SoundCloud is probably one of the more popular platforms for creators hosting a podcast and assists with setting up a podcaster's RSS feed in an easy step-by-step process.

    The platform lets podcasters submit their podcast episodes to iTunes in order to get started with reaching potential listeners that will see their podcast content.

    SoundCloud provides users with helpful information on how to reach potential listeners and figure out their podcast sound.

    SoundCloud provides its users with assistance in setting up their RSS feeds. The platform also has a variety of resources that can help podcasters get started with their channel.

    Key Features For Creators

    An assisted journey to understanding how to use the RSS feed to extend a podcast's reach and improve podcast visibility and audience persona to an audience's podcast feed.

    SoundCloud also has top-notch recording software that creates a professional podcast sound.

    Price

    Using SoundCloud as a creator provides two main pricing plans.

    • The 'Pro Unlimited' at $144/year, gives creators access to most of the platform's features and tools.
    • The 'Repost By SoundCloud' at $30/year, this plan is more suited to creators who want to distribute their audio to other social platforms.

    For listeners, either SoundCloudGo or Go+ are popular choices.

    • The 'SoundCouldGo' at $4,99/month, allows listeners to enjoy audio without ads and save tracks offline.
    • The 'Go+' at $9,99/month, gives the same benefits as SoundCloudGo, in addition to access to all of the platform's catalog and higher quality audio.

    Pros

    • Free
    • Helpful guides
    • RSS feed assistance

    Cons

    • Support can be slow at times

    10. Audible Plus

    Image Source: Audible Plus

    Audible Plus is a great podcast app for listeners. The platform is known for its focus on audiobooks but podcasts on Audible are a nice feature to add to the long list of informational topics Audible provides its users.

    With Audible you can access thousands of podcast channels and have ad-free experiences while sitting back and enjoying your podcast.

    Audible Plus focuses on providing top-notch audio content that its users can actively engage with.

    Key Features For Listeners

    Listeners are rarely a fan of ads, and Audible Plus ensures that its users won't have to deal with ads popping up during their listening experience.

    Audible Plus is also known for recommending interesting and interactive content to its listeners as part of an effective podcast marketing strategy.

    Price

    Audible has two main pricing plans that include their primary audiobook features as well as their podcast features.

    • The 'AudiblePlus' at $7,95/month, with a 30-day free trial available.
    • The 'AudiblePremiumPlus' at $14,95/month, with a 30-day free trial available, comes with 1 extra title per month from a selection of bestsellers and new releases.

    Pros

    • Affordable
    • Wide selection of content
    • High-quality audio

    Cons

    • Customer support can be improved

    We hope this list of podcast tools has helped you in finding the best platform to create your audio content for your chosen target audiences or for listeners to listen to and engage with high-quality podcasts that are educational and that can easily be shared on social platforms.

    Note for creators: Your podcast visibility is vital in attracting an audience, and a podcast trailer can be a great way to enhance your reach. Remember to create a podcast carousel for your content that is often preferred or trending with your audience.

    Develop a podcast title and include catchy podcast music that best describes your sound and content, and add it to your podcast trailer.

    👉🏼 Also, remember to add a podcast description, so your audience can better understand what your podcast sound is about.

    via GIPHY

    Note for listeners: If you want a more personalized podcast feed, be sure to follow your favorite podcasters and add them to your chosen playlists so you always have a selection of your favorite content to choose from with ease.

    Good luck!
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