Buzzsprout Review 2024: Is It The Best Podcast Hosting?

Buzzsprout Review 2024
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Summary

Buzzsprout offers all the powerful tools you need to get your podcast online along with enough free learning materials and fantastic customer support that has made it easy for anyone to start a podcast and have a successful podcasting journey. We would definitely recommend Buzzsprout podcast hosting services.

Are you looking to start your own podcast? Do you want to know if Buzzsprout is a good fit for your podcast?

Well, choosing the right hosting platform is crucial and Buzzsprout might be the perfect podcast hosting for you.

Buzzsprout is the world’s easiest podcast hosting solution, with all the tools you need to start, promote, and profit from your podcast. 

On top of that, they’ve got you covered with plenty of free learning materials and top-notch customer support that made podcasting so easy for everyone.

Because of that, Buzzsprout has been rated 4.8/5 and received excellent reviews by real users on the leading platform, Trustpilot.

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Check out my Buzzsprout Review to see why they are my favorite company for podcast hosting.

So without much ado, let’s dive in.

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Buzzsprout at a Glance

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Buzzsprout is probably the easiest podcasting software to start a podcast for non-techy people. 

It comes with a user-friendly interface and offers simple uploads, free promotional tools, comprehensive stats, and easy monetization opportunities.

Buzzsprout came into existence in 2011. Since its inception, it has been growing steadily and became one of the best podcast hosting services around.

Magic Mastering™, Automatic episode optimization, Dynamic Content, and Transcriptions are some of Buzzsprout’s unique features that make it one step ahead of its competitors.

Apart from that, a variety of free learning materials and world-class customer support are available that assist you to launch your podcast the right way without any hassles.

Now coming to the pricing structure of Buzzsprout, they facilitate you with a free plan along with three feature-packed paid plans, starting from $12 per month.

Here’s a quick overview of the Buzzsprout’s key features:

  • Powerful tools to host, promote, and track your podcast
  • A podcast website you’ll be proud of
  • One-click publishing and scheduling
  • Support all of the top podcast directories
  • IAB certified advanced statistics
  • Simplest monetization ways to get paid for your podcast

In short, Buzzsprout is the one-stop solution for all aspiring and professional podcasters out there.  

As a result, Buzzsprout is trusted by 100,000 podcasters of all levels. 

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So, are you ready to join Buzzsprout as well? Let’s dive in.


How to Get Started with Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting?

Starting a podcast on Buzzsprout is quite straightforward. 

The easy signup process and intuitive interface require no learning curve. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started with Buzzsprout.  

Step 1: Click here that will take you to Buzzsprout’s official website which looks like this;

Step 2: Hit the “Get Started Free” button.

Step 3: Create your account by providing your name, email address, and password. 

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buzzsprout signup email password
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Step 4: Next, you will be given two choices as shown below, choose one accordingly. Here, I’ve selected the first option.

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Step 5: Finally, provide some basic details about your podcast and hit the “Done, Let’s start podcasting.” button.

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As soon as you finish the signup process, you will be presented with your dashboard where you can easily manage everything related to your podcast. 

See, how simple is that? 


Buzzsprout Impressive Features (Reviewed)

Now let’s walk through the Buzzsprout features one by one that makes it the #1platform for podcasting in 2024.

1. Intuitive Interface

First things first — its intuitive user interface and straightforward design make it an excellent option for people new to the world of podcasting.

Here’s what Buzzsprout’s interface looks like:

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As you can see above, it is super easy for anyone including novice users to navigate through the Buzzsprout dashboard.

All the components are clearly mentioned, and users can get an overview of all the features from the dashboard and make use of them effectively.

It leads to an overall hassle-free podcasting experience.

2. Easy Publishing & Scheduling

Uploading your content at Buzzsprout is literally a piece of cake.  

Simply click on the “Upload a New Episode” button from your dashboard, choose a file to upload, enter the episode title, and description, and you’re all set to go live.

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Buzzsprout will optimize your episodes automatically, so you don’t need to bother about file types, bitrates, or ID3 tags.

The best part? You can leave your episodes unpublished to make them live whenever you wish or schedule them to release at a desired date & time.

Moreover, Chapter Markers functionality is there that helps listeners see what’s coming up.

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This is what your chapters will look like;

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Isn’t it amazing?

3. Magic Mastering

Buzzsprout’s Magic Mastering optimizes your audio files according to the industry’s best practices. 

It helps you make your audio files crisp, clear, and well-balanced resulting in a professional podcast that people will enjoy listening to.

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Here’s how Magic Mastering improves your content:

  • Smart Adaptive Leveling
  • Perfect Loudness and True Peak Targeting
  • Audio Sweetening (Filtering + Noise, Hiss, and Hum Reduction)

4. Dynamic Content

This is another helpful feature that lets you automatically merge any audio file (max 5 mins) before and after your future episodes’ content.  

Furthermore, you’re allowed to insert dynamic content into your entire episode history.

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5. Beautiful Website and Custom Domain

Having a website is a great way to showcase your content to the world and boost your podcasting credibility.

Interestingly, every Buzzsprout account includes a website for free that you can customize according to your brand.

You can easily change color and background image, and add your social media links to your Buzzsprout podcast website.

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Moreover, you’re allowed to personalize your Buzzsprout.com URL or set up a custom domain.

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Above all, your website is highly responsive and thus looks good on desktop and mobile devices.  

A Hide from search engines option is also there that you may enable to prevent search engines from indexing your website.

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6. Stunning Podcast Player

In addition to the free website, you will also get a stunning podcast player for free that you can embed to your website with just a snippet of code.

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They look professional and give you and your listeners full control with the following features;

  • Skip forward, backward, or watch at 2x speed
  • Instant sharing on social media and download
  • Can customize to match your brand

7. Distribution Across Top Podcast Directories

Buzzsprout lets you list your podcast in popular podcast apps so that people can listen to your show on their favorite app.

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To list your podcast in any of the above-mentioned directories, simply click on the “Get Listed” link, follow the instructions, and submit your request.

Once your request is approved, all your new episodes and updates will automatically appear in the respective app after a period of time (generally 24 hours).

Please note that once you list your podcast in Apple Podcasts, it will automatically be available in the following podcast apps:

  • Overcast
  • Castro
  • Castbox
  • Podfriend

8. Social Media Sharing, Visual Soundbite, and More

Buzzsprout offers quick options to share your episodes on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Moreover, you can create visual Soundbites to stand out on social media.

Since they are in video form, it leads to better engagement and more clicks.

To create a soundbite, click “Create a Visual Soundbite” from the sidebar of your episode page.

Set the start time and duration of the Soundbite. 

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Finally, customize it and hit the “Create My Soundbite”. 

Once created, you will be able to download it and share it on any social media platform that accepts video files.

Apart from that, a couple of other useful options like Email link to Episode, Direct Link to MP3, Download MP3, Embed Episode, View Episode Stats, etc. are also there.

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9. Transcription 

Do you want your podcasts found on search engines?

Well, in the world of podcasting, it’s not enough to rely on just the podcast hosting service.

To get better traction, it’s always a good idea to make your podcast accessible through search engines like Google.

Transcription is one of the best ways to make this happen.

At Buzzsprout, you will get access to an automated transcription system that takes care of this aspect as well. 

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Take into account that Transcription is charged at $.25/minute additionally.

10. Buzzsprout API & Integration

Buzzsprout has designed an API that allows you to seamlessly integrate your podcast hosting service with the leading third-party applications.

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It is a huge plus point for tech-savvy podcasters.

11. Monetization Opportunities

In the end, we all want to encash our efforts. 

If you also want to make money podcasting then Buzzsprout is the best fit for you as you will get ample opportunities to monetize your podcast as stated below: 

Buzzsprout Ads

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This is the simplest and most effective way where you get paid by promoting other podcasts within your episodes.

The best thing about sticking to Buzzsprout Ads is that you don’t need to put any effort from your end as:

  • All ads are from like-minded podcasters
  • You have full rights to approve or decline any ad before inserting the ad into your episodes
  • Uses smart insertion technology to find the right number of ads along with the best location for ad breaks
  • All ads pay equally; 1.4 cents USD
  • Beautiful transitions and appropriate durations (40 seconds or less)
  • Automatic ad removal on the ad buy fulfilled

Sponsors

Apart from ads, you can take advantage of sponsorships to generate decent revenue from your podcast.

All you need to add sponsors and let Buzzsprout automatically show them to your episode descriptions as well as the Buzzsprout website.

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If you don’t have sponsors for your podcast then also you don’t need to worry about it as they have partnered with Podcorn which will help you find the right brand sponsorships for your podcast.

Affiliates

You can promote Buzzsprout via your unique link and in return, you will get $25 for referring each new paid account.

Support Show Link

This is another way to make your listeners support you in the form of donations.

Buzzsprout allows you to easily add a link to your payment, membership, donation, Patreon, etc.

This link will be shown in your podcast player, episode description, and Buzzsprout website.

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12. Detailed Statistics

Buzzsprout gives you detailed insights into your podcast stats so that you can measure the progress and analyze what is to be done to take your podcast to the next level. 

Simply head over to the Stats tab from your dashboard and you will get to know about:

  • Total number of downloads over time
  • What apps and devices people are using to listen to your podcast
  • From which part of the world people are listening to your podcast
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On top of that, you will get access to a pretty cool tool “The Podcast Predictor” that forecasts how many unique downloads you can expect from your next episode within the first 90 days. 


Buzzsprout Pricing Explained

Buzzsprout podcast hosting services are available at a fair price.  

You don’t need to sign a long-term contract as they support month-to-month payments. You’re allowed to upgrade, downgrade, and cancel your account at any time. 

The best part? They don’t even ask for your credit card details so you can try out their services without any risk. 

If you are just starting out, I would strongly suggest going with Buzzsprout because they offer you everything you need to get your podcast off the ground.

Here are Buzzsprout’s pricing plans complete details:

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Plan 1 (Free): This is the free plan where you can upload 2 hours of content every month.  

The main limitation of this plan is that your episodes will be hosted for 90 days only. Moreover, ads will be displayed on your website that may hurt the user experience.

But still, if you want hands-on Buzzsprout services, this plan is good to start with.

Plan 2 (12/mo): This plan costs you $12 per month where you can upload 3 hours of podcasts every month along with the following features;

  • Episodes are Hosted Indefinitely
  • Advanced Stats
  • Unlimited Storage
  • Unlimited Team Members
  • Import Podcast for Free
  • Upload More Content for ($4 per hour)
  • Add Magic Mastering for $6/month.

Plan 3 ($18/mo): This plan costs you $18 per month where you can upload 6 hours of podcasts every month along with the following features;

  • Episodes are Hosted Indefinitely
  • Advanced Stats
  • Unlimited Storage
  • Unlimited Team Members
  • Import Podcast for Free
  • Upload More Content for ($3 per hour)
  • Add Magic Mastering for $9/month.

Plan 4 ($24/mo): This plan costs you $24 per month where you can upload 12 hours of podcasts every month along with the following features;

  • Episodes are Hosted Indefinitely
  • Advanced Stats
  • Unlimited Storage
  • Unlimited Team Members
  • Import Podcast for Free
  • Upload More Content for ($2 per hour)
  • Add Magic Mastering for $12/month.

All pay plans also include:

  • Podcast Website
  • Custom Embed Players
  • Get into Podcast Directories

Quick Note: You can also add on the Episode Transcription utility at an additional cost of $.25/minute.

Bonus: You will get a $20 Amazon.com gift card when you upgrade to any paid plan.


Buzzsprout Customer Support

Buzzsprout customer service is highly responsive and helpful.

Anytime you have questions or need help, you can email their support team at support@buzzsprout.com and expect a response within a few minutes.

As you can see below, over the last 30 days, they’ve responded to approx. 6,000 emails and helped around 2,500 customers with an average wait time of just 13 minutes.

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In addition to that, they’ve got you covered with plenty of free podcasting guides and a very well-categorized help section that has answers to every question you may have.

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Not only this but they also have a YouTube channel with over 80K subscribers where you will find step-by-step video tutorials 

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and a massive community on Facebook where you can connect with the Buzzsprout team and like-minded podcasters to grow together. 

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Nonetheless, a free course is also there which is a step-by-step guide to launching your podcast.

All in all, they have everything you need to create a successful podcast and you will be really glad if you choose Buzzsprout for podcasting. 


Buzzsprout’s Positive and Negative Sides 

Though Buzzsprout is one of the most powerful tools available for podcasters today, there’s no platform there that is perfect.

It is amazing in terms of services but has certain limitations as well.

So, if you want to make a final decision, do consider the pros and cons listed below:

Buzzsprout Pros

  • Offers a user-friendly interface that allows you to get your podcast up and running in minutes
  • Easy upload and automatic episode optimization
  • Works with nearly any audio format
  • Dynamic Content tool to add audio files to be played before and after main episode content
  • Get your podcast listed in the most popular podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, etc.
  • Transcribe your episodes to make your podcast more accessible to search engines
  • Built-in monetization (Ads, Sponsors, Affiliates, Support Show Link) to make money from your podcast 
  • Advanced podcast statistics to track your progress
  • A beautiful podcast website along with your own custom domain
  • Embeddable podcast player for your website
  • Magic Mastering™ to optimize your audio files to match the industry best practices
  • API to integrate Buzzsprout with existing podcast tools
  • Lets you manage Multiple Podcasts with Unlimited Team Members
  • Free for complete 90 days 

Buzzsprout Cons

  • Limited upload time even in the top-end plan
  • Unused upload time lapses at the end of the month
  • Doesn’t provide video hosting
  • Limited website customization features
  • Does not support live streaming
  • Lacks live chat and phone support

FAQs

Here are some of the frequently asked questions on the Buzzsprout podcast hosting site that can help you make a decision with ease.

What is Buzzsprout?

Buzzsprout is a powerful platform for hosting, analyzing, and distributing your podcast.

Is Buzzsprout completely free?

Buzzsprout offers a free plan for up to two hours of audio per month but all your episodes are hosted for only 90 days. To make your episodes hosted indefinitely, you may upgrade to their paid plans.

How to start Buzzsprout free trial?

Simply click here, create your account, add podcast details, and start using Buzzsprout services for free for 90 days.

What about Buzzsprout pricing?

Besides Buzzsprout’s free plan, you may opt for these three simple pricing plans:

— Upload 3 hrs each month for $12 /month + more content ($4 per hour) and Magic Mastering for $6/month

— Upload 6 hrs each month for $18 /month + more content ($3 per hour) and Magic Mastering for $9/month

— Upload 12 hrs each month for $24 /month + more content ($2 per hour) and Magic Mastering for $12/month

How do I make payment at Buzzsprout?

You can use your credit card to upgrade from the free plan to Buzzsprout’s higher plans.

List some benefits of Buzzsprout podcast hosting?

Here are some of the Buzzsprout key benefits that make it certainly worth your consideration.

— Both free and paid services are available
— User-friendly interface
— Import your existing podcast for free
— Automatic episode optimization
— Magic Mastering and Dynamic Content
— Customizable website along with a custom domain
— Advanced statistics plus The Podcast Predictor
— Buzzsprout Ads, Sponsors, Affiliates, and Support Show Link to monetize your podcast
— Buzzsprout API

Is Buzzsprout safe?

Yes, they’ve built-in systems to keep your data safe and backup up daily. 

However, these systems do not allow you to recover individual episodes deleted by you or any other team member. That’s why they recommend storing a local copy of all your podcast assets to have extra peace of mind.

Where does Buzzsprout list my content?

Buzzsprout offers simple podcast submission in all of the top podcast directories including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Alexa, and many more to reach millions of potential listeners.

How to download podcasts from Buzzsprout?

You can easily download all of your favorite episodes locally from podcast apps or go to the respective podcast website (if available).

What is Buzzsprout’s Episode Transcription?

It’s an add-on service that facilitates you to transcribe your podcast, charged $.25/minute additionally. You can utilize this feature to make your podcast available on Google and accessible to people who are hard of hearing.

What about Buzzsprout’s money-back guarantee?

Buzzsprout’s services are strictly billed month-to-month basis so no refunds are processed except for some situations. 

That being said, you can cancel your account or downgrade to the free plan anytime and you will not be charged for the following month. Moreover, if you wish to upgrade your plan, you will have to pay the difference amount between the plan prices.

Buzzsprout vs Podbean, which one to consider in 2024?

Both Podbean and Buzzsprout are powerful podcast hosting platforms and have a lot to offer. You can choose any of them based on your requirements. In either case, the future of your Podcast is safe.


Also Read:

Final Thoughts on Buzzsprout Review 2024

All in all, Buzzsprout is an excellent podcast hosting service for anyone looking to start a podcast without spending a lot of time getting their setup just right. 

It’s reliable, easy to use, and affordable, making it one of the best options on the market. 

For those who are looking to create a podcast from scratch but don’t know where to begin, Buzzsprout can help you get started on your goals with every step of podcast creation at your fingertips.

So, what’re you still waiting for? 

Activate Buzzsprout’s 90-day free trial now, and let your podcast get online and distributed to your listeners.

What are your thoughts on this Buzzsprout podcast hosting review? Any further queries? Do drop a comment below and let us know.

A seasoned blogger with over four years of experience, has crafted a successful online journey and generated an impressive revenue surpassing $50,000. His expertise lies in creating engaging content and navigating the digital landscape, making him a go-to source for those seeking insights into the world of profitable blogging.

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