How to Find a Host for your Podcast MP3 Files

If you have finished recording your podcasts, you have to save them as mp3 files and put them onto a server, before you can go on to introduce them to the public. Where do you go to find a server though? If you don't already have one, you can look for a hosting site online.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• computer
• internet connection

1. Things to consider: How much space do you need? If you are just playing around and don't have too many megabytes of mp3 files to host, you might be able to stick with Geocities or your local ISP. But, if you're planning on recording lots of shows, you're going to need something more. This will take some research. Instead of steps, here are some options to look through to see which option is right for you.

2. Creative Commons (creativecommons.org) is a place to host your content for free. Creative commons encourages people to share their original content on the web -- whether it be photographs or audio, so as long as it's your own speech or music, this should be a good option.

3. GCast (www.gcast.com) is a free podcast hosting service made by the creators of GarageBand. If you're already using GarageBand to upload and edit your podcasts, this might be a good option. The only thing to keep in mind is that they place audio ads in the podcasts themselves, which is how they can allow their hosting service for free.

4. OurMedia (www.ourmedia.org) is another free hosting site. "A global home for grassroots media," this site is designed as a place to share and discover independent media.

5. Other free options include Podstrike! Podcast Manager (http://www.podstrike.com), Podcast Spot(www.podcastspot.com), and Odea Studio (studio.odeo.com).

6. 
    

   If you need a lot more space than you can find on a free hosting site, there are other hosting options that could be worth looking into. Liberated Syndication (libsyn.com) has five different options, varying from $5 a month to $30 a month. You pay depending on how many megabytes you expect to upload per month. Another perk of libsyn is unlimited bandwidth.

7. Bluehost (www.bluehost.com) and The Planet (http://www.ev1servers.net/) are options for very serious podcasters. The first offers 2 GB of storage, 75 GB/month bandwidth, while the latter offers up to 60 GB storage with 1000 GB bandwidth.

8. Other paid options include: HipCast (www.hipcast.com), GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com), Globat (www.globat.com), and Powweb (www.powweb.com).

9. Look around; choose one that's right for you. Basically, the factors to consider include: how many podcasts you plan to produce per month, how long the shows are, how big the files are, the audio quality of your mp3 files, how many subscribers you are expecting, and how many past shows you want to make available at a time to your listeners.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask around and see what people recommend in terms of good hosting services. There are many options that it's hard to choose. Other people's input can be very helpful.
• Think about where you want your podcasts to go eventually. For example, if you want to publish your podcasts on iTunes, check for hosting services with iTunes compatibility.
• Stick with free hosting, especially if you're a beginner. If you begin to work up the ranks and gather lots and lots of subscribers, then you can start thinking about more expensive options that might offer different opportunities.
• Don't post copy-righted materials without permission.
• Make sure you do your research, and be aware of scams. There are certain web hosting services that offer to place ads in your podcasts and then pay you part of the revenue. Some of them might be legitimate, but some of them are probably not.

[newmansa]

on 11/13/2009 Ourmedia.com seems useless. I took the time to create a profile and a channel. I uploaded an mp3 at least four times, received the email link telling me it was uploaded, clicked on the link which took me back to Ourmedia only to be told there was no such file there. Every single time I uploaded, I could never find the file, so I finally gave up.

Also tried the associated SpinXpress.com but it was pretty useless, too.

[lexwahl]

on 12/25/2008 BlueHost just canceled my contract because my podcast was slowing their shared servers. I release 2 podcasts per month, with about 2500 downloads of approx. 30 MB each. Many of my listeners are overseas. All that being said, BlueHost is not a reliable service for podcasting (a growing form of media).