I come across people who want help getting into iTunes. When I get to their site, there are times when they are missing some of the basic ingredients. I see where people are getting confused between having streaming audio on a website, and think they have a podcast. This video shows you how using a platform like SoundCloud may not work for podcasting. They DO have a podcasting option, but their service is over-priced and their stats are not in the same league as Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com They also set a total limit on how much you can upload (libsyn and blubrry do not, they only limit the amount you can upload per month, but this rolls over each month).
You can get a free month at Libsyn.com using the promo code sopfree
Having an Unlimited Back Catalog
One criteria I set for a media host is the ability to have an unlimited back catalog. This way when people discover your podcast, they can download your entire back catalog. This helps you build a relationship with your audience. To get an unlimited plan on Soundcloud it is €59 a month (or $95.07 US). Compare that to Libsyn.com and you get 400M of storage per month for $20 or 250M of space at Blubrry.com for $20/month.
Direct Link To Media
The key ingredient to this podcasting puzzle is having a direct link to the media file. With SoundCloud if they give you code to a player, or a shortcode to a widget, this is NOT the same as having a link to your media (mp3 file or video).
Avoid Podcasting Pitfalls
If you are looking to start a podcast, I can help you avoid the common mistakes that new podcaster make. Join the School of Podcasting today.
First off thank you for all of your great podcasting advice! I just noticed soundcloud started allowing soundcloud users to post on Twitter via a “audio card” Twitter is calling it. Pretty neat but as you said not a soundclud user for my podcast due to some reasons you listed above. For my podcast I insert the media via URL in my wordpress site using the direct download link that libsyn supplies. Do you recommend this method for posting audio on the website or should I point people to iTunes? Or use a Libsyn player? Thanks so much!
It looks like SoundCloud unlimited is $90/year now, not $59/month, which makes it a much more affordable option than described above.
I show it as $135 a year https://soundcloud.com/pro?ref=t145
My name is Denard Walker and I am currently switching to a career in broadcasting. I currently have a team of people who are working with me but a lot of the information is new. I am looking for someone who can help me set up a podcast and how to create a podcast to get the material out for people to view it.
Denard, thanks for stopping by. You can check out my “intro” course at http://www.planningyourpodcast.com or sign up for some one on one consulting at http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule