Spotify for Podcasters (Anchor) Alternatives for Hosting [2024]
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) has long been a popular podcast hosting option because of its robust recording features, free pricing, and monetization options!
Recently, Spotify decided to remove some of these tools, leaving many podcasters without the features they're used to and considering new hosting providers.
The great thing about podcasting is there are so many hosting options! One host won't be the best solution for everyone, so in this blog, we'll evaluate the top Spotify for Podcasters hosting alternatives so that you can find the best podcast hosting provider for your podcast!
What to look for in a podcast host
Podcasting is not one size fits all, and neither are podcast hosting companies! What works for one podcaster may not work for another, so it’s important to make an informed decision when choosing the right host for you.
When looking for a new podcast host, it's important to consider:
If You’re Looking for an Easy-to-Use Hosting Platform:
The most user-friendly hosts are Buzzsprout and Podbean
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters features a user-friendly interface with easy setup and integration with Spotify.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout offers a straightforward interface that's easy for beginners to navigate. With a clean dashboard and intuitive episode management tools, Buzzsprout streamlines the entire process from upload to publication.
- Libsyn: Libsyn's design is more technical and can have a steeper learning curve for some podcasters. However, it does offer extensive customization options that other hosts don't provide!
- Podbean: Podbean offers a lot of great features, and while it's very powerful, Podbean's interface can be overwhelming for beginners.
- Transistor: Offers a user-friendly interface with a simple, clean design that makes it easy to navigate your account!
If You’re Looking for More Support:
The best customer support goes to Buzzsprout
Having dependable customer support can make a big difference in your podcasting experience, especially when dealing with technology issues or new information!
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters offers bot chat, community forums, and help articles. Email support is also offered for podcasters, but it can be very difficult to access.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout is known for its outstanding, hands-on customer support. They offer rapid, thoughtful responses through email, a community group on Facebook, and a wealth of helpful resources!
- Libsyn: Libsyn offers email support along with extensive online resources for when you get stuck.
- Podbean: Podbean provides support through email, live chat, and a detailed online help center!
- Transistor: Transistor is renowned for its fast and efficient customer support, available via email and chat!
If You’re Looking for More In-Depth Analytics:
The host with the best podcast analytics is Spotify for Podcasters
Podcast stats can help reveal listener preferences and trends! By understanding which topics and formats gain the most traction, podcasters can maximize their target audience growth and engagement.
Podcast hosts offer different reporting, but all can provide valuable insights:
- Spotify for Podcasters: You can’t beat stats from Spotify for Podcasters that provides analytics such as episode performance, listener demographics, and listening platforms, as well as more in-depth insights for Spotify users, like age and gender. One thing to note, you can access Spotify’s in-depth listener insights for your podcast, even if you’re not hosted with them!
- Buzzsprout: A close contender, Buzzsprout offers advanced analytics on all plans that include a podcast overview, episode downloads, listener locations, apps and devices, and achievement badges.
- Libsyn: Libsyn provides comprehensive metrics to premium plan members with customizable reports on download stats, devices and apps, and locations.
- Podbean: Podbean offers basic analytics with insights into listener behavior, locations, and download trends!
- Transistor: Transistor provides analytics for downloads, estimated subscribers, listener locations, devices and apps, and episode comparisons.
If You’re Looking for Straight-Forward Podcast Distribution:
The hosts with the easiest podcast distribution are Buzzsprout and Transistor
Podcast distribution gets your show in front of more listeners - it’s essential for growth! Most podcast hosts can help you distribute to podcast directories, but ease of use can save you a lot of time. Let’s take a look at podcast player distribution:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Allows easy distribution to Spotify, but other major directories like Apple Podcasts are much more difficult.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout provides one-click distribution to all major directories, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more. And if you ever need it, don’t forget the amazing customer support team that is ready to get your podcast out to the masses.
- Libsyn: Libsyn offers extensive distribution options with built-in support for most major directories.
- Podbean: Podbean features a simple distribution process to major directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- Transistor: Transistor offers similar streamlined distribution to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms. They also have easy-to-follow videos to help in the process!
If You Want Better Distribution for your Video Podcast:
The best podcast host for video podcasts and live streams is Podbean
Video podcasting continues to grow in popularity, but not all podcast hosts or directories support video podcasting. If you want to include video content or live streams, you’ll want to choose a host that has these capabilities:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters supports video podcasts on Spotify, but does not share the video anywhere else.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout focuses on audio podcasts and does not offer video hosting.
- Libsyn: Libsyn supports video podcasts that are distributed to Apple and YouTube.
- Podbean: Podbean is a clear winner because it supports video podcasts that are distributed to Apple and YouTube, and offers live streaming with co-host invitations, listener call-in, virtual gifting, and live chat!
- Transistor: Transistor focuses on audio podcasts and does not offer video hosting.
If You Want a Host with a Better Mobile App:
The best in-app recording goes to Podbean. The best app for podcast management is Buzzsprout
Spotify has rolled back the features in the Spotify for Podcasters app, which can make it difficult to podcast on the go. If you’re looking for alternative hosts with a mobile app, here is what you need to know:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters has a mobile app, but removed the ability to record and edit.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout offers a sleek and intuitive app that makes it easy to manage your podcast, view analytics, approve ads, and read Fan Mail. The app is available for both iOS and Android!
- Libsyn: Libsyn has a mobile app for managing your podcast episodes and viewing analytics, making it easy to manage your show from anywhere.
- Podbean: Podbean is the only mobile app for recording, editing, and managing your podcast, but the UI can be difficult to navigate. But, if you’re looking to record new episodes in an app, this is the best option!
- Transistor: Transistor lacks a dedicated mobile app, but they do provide a responsive website for mobile management.
If You Want a Host That Offers a Built-In Podcast Website:
The two podcast hosts with the best websites are Transistor and Buzzsprout
Podcast websites aren’t necessary for having a podcast, but they can be a great way to get your show in front of listeners who aren't on traditional podcast directories. Building a website can take a lot of time, so if your podcast host offers one, it can be really beneficial. Let’s take a look:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters provides a basic website for your podcast but limited SEO features.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout’s customizable podcast website has all the basic SEO tools, podcast info and episodes, host information, and subscription banners.
- Libsyn: Libsyn offers a very customizable podcast page with SEO capabilities.
- Podbean: Podbean includes a customizable podcast website with SEO options.
- Transistor: Transistor also provides a customizable podcast website with different templates, episode landing pages, an about page, and a subscribe page.
If You’re Looking for a Host That Has a WordPress Plugin:
Our top pick is Buzzsprout
If you do decide to create a podcast website on your own, WordPress is a popular choice! WordPress plugins can help you easily add your embeddable player to your WordPress website, helping to streamline your workflow.
Not every host will offer a WordPress plugin, so if you’re using a WordPress site we recommend considering this when looking for alternatives.
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters does not have direct WordPress plugins but can use an RSS feed for integration.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout offers a dedicated WordPress plugin for easy integration, making it simple to manage your podcast from your WordPress site.
- Libsyn: Libsyn offers a WordPress plugin for seamless integration to your website!
- Podbean: Podbean also offers a WordPress plugin for easy publishing.
- Transistor: Transistor has an embed code that you can add to your WordPress website, but it doesn’t have a dedicated WordPress plugin.
If You’re Looking for More Monetization Options:
The best hosts for monetizing your podcast are Buzzsprout and Libsyn
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters has ad monetization is invite-only, podcast subscriptions are only available to podcasts that have at least 100 listeners in 60 days, same is required for listener support, which is only available in the US. This makes monetizing difficult for podcasts that have a smaller audience size.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout is best for the hobbyist podcaster looking for listener support. It provides dynamic ad insertion through Buzzsprout Ads for podcasts with 1,000 downloads/month, an affiliate marketplace, listener subscriptions, and monthly support for all paid plans.
- Libsyn: Libsyn is a great option for podcasts that are looking to go pro. Libsyn has invested in platforms like Libsyn Ads for podcasters with 2,000 downloads per episode/month, premium subscription services through Glow, and a merch-selling partnership with Pair.
- Podbean: Includes an ad marketplace, premium subscriptions, and listener support features.
- Transistor: Supports private podcasts for premium content but relies on third-party services for ad monetization.
If You’re Looking for a Budget-Friendly Premium Host:
The biggest bang for your buck is Buzzsprout or Podbean
Pricing often dictates the range of features available to you, and not all pricing plans are equivalent. Here is what you can expect from free hosting plans:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters only has one plan: free! They offer free podcast hosting with unlimited storage and a lot of great features, but it does some of the more robust tools and distribution offered by other hosts.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout provides a free plan with 2 hours per month and 90 days of storage. The Buzzsprout free plan still has access to stats, soundbites, and several other features!
- Libsyn: Libsyn doesn’t offer a free plan, but they do occasionally have promo codes that offer two months for free.
- Podbean: Podbean has a free plan with 5 hours total storage and 100 GB bandwidth per month! However, this does not include video podcasting, team members, or monetization features.
- Transistor: Transistor doesn’t have a free plan, but you can try their hosting for free for 14 days.
More features come on higher-priced plans! Here are some features included with each host:
- Spotify for Podcasters: Because Spotify for Podcasters only has one plan, all podcast hosting is free and includes the same features.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout has paid plans starting at $12/ month for 3 hours. All plans include unlimited file storage and paid plans include dynamic content, a podcast website, fan mail, and more!
- Libsyn: Libsyn has plans that start at plans start at $7/month for 162 MB of storage, but you must upgrade to $20/month to access advanced stats and greater file storage that other hosts include in their basic plans.
- Podbean: Podbean has paid plans starting at $9/month for unlimited uploads, but the costs will go up to $29/month for unlimited audio and video content, and $79/ month to include team members.
- Transistor: Transistor has plans that are based on episode downloads, starting at $19/month for up to 15,000 downloads, $49/month for 75,000 downloads, and higher tiers for more downloads each month.
Knowing the pricing plans from podcast hosting providers will help you pick a podcast hosting platform that fits your budget and meets your needs!
If You’re Looking for More Robust Features and Functionality:
Now that Spotify for Podcasters/Anchor has removed their built-in tools and rolled back eligibility for some functions, let’s look at what hosts are at the top of the game.
The hosts that provide the most robust features are Buzzsprout and Podbean
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify for Podcasters offers audience interaction tools, like Q&A and Polls, that allow podcasters to engage with their audience.
- Buzzsprout: Buzzsprout is packed with features like Magic Mastering for enhancing audio quality, Cohost AI to help with podcast publishing and transcriptions, Team Members for multiple users, Fan Mail to receive messages from listeners, a mobile app for iOS and Android, a WordPress plugin and more!
- Libsyn: LibsynPro provides enterprise-level solutions, including private podcasting, dynamic stitching tools, user management, and a full SLA. Libsyn also offers extensive audio file distribution options and a customizable HTML5 player, but they are lacking transcription services.
- Podbean: Podbean takes the cake for video podcasters or beginners because it includes a podcast studio app, premium content, and live streaming! Podbean also includes social media auto-sharing and email integration for easy ways to connect with your audience.
- Transistor: Transistor is known for its private podcasting, excellent analytics, and team collaboration, making it a strong choice for professional podcasters. Transistor doesn’t have a mobile app, but its UI is mobile-friendly for podcasters who are on the go.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What other podcast hosting services should I consider as an Anchor alternative?
There are a lot of great podcast hosts! Podcasters also often consider hosting with Spreaker, Soundcloud, Blubrry, Simplecast, or Captivate.