If you are starting in the world of podcasting or looking to increase your audience and make more money, you are likely looking into the various available platforms for hosting your show. Two of the most popular are Pinecast and Podbean. Below we will break down the two into a bit more detail and hopefully help you decide between Pinecast versus Podbean.
Both are great platforms that have been helping thousands of podcasters achieve success.
As a quick guide, Pinecast is recommended for the beginning podcaster due to the lower starting rates and ease to upgrade as you grow, while Podbean is more for matured podcasts that want all inclusive features.
If you feel a bit stressed about finding the platform that will be the right home for your show, do not worry! We are here to help you figure it all out.
Related: Best Podcast Hosting Platforms.
Top Pinecast Platform Features
Pinecast is a podcast platform that hosts your show for a low flat monthly rate. It is designed to be user-friendly and allows you to publish your podcasts seamlessly. With the ability to create and import your shows in under two minutes, it has the busy podcaster in mind who does not have hours of free time to devote to publishing their podcast. They offer a free start-up and then a monthly or yearly subscription of $10 a month or $110 a year and then add-ons depending on your needs that range from $10 to $15 a month. The platform advertises several benefits that include:
Batteries-included
Pinecast will get your podcast featured in apps, allow you to measure your success and progress with premium analytics, and continue growing your audience and subscribers with SEO-optimized tools designed for podcasters. Since growth is so significant, accessing analytics and optimized tools is critical.
Money making
The platform allows you to publish premium content to paid subscribers, and you receive your weekly payout to either a debit card or your bank account. They also feature a “tip jar” that gives your listeners the ability to send monetary contributions to their favorite content creators. Not only does this help you make money and grow your show, it is a great way to gauge how connected your audience is to you.
Uploads made easy
Pinecast finds and fixes any problems when you upload your show. Whether the audio is missing tags or the artwork is the wrong size, their customer support will be there to help. If the MP3 you upload already includes artwork, they will automatically extract it and upload it for you. They also will skip the ID3 tag step if your episode already provides title, author, and podcast name ID3 tags.
Related: Best Podcast CMS that are Open Source.
Popular Features of Podbean
Podbean vs Pinecast – which podcast hosting is right for you?
Podbean touts that both podcast newbies and professional podcasters can use it. They offer all the services needed for you to start or expand your podcast and reach your goals. They also work on a monthly flat rate and range from free to start and up to $99 a month in all-inclusive packages. Their packages allow you to be billed annually or monthly, with the annual option saving you money. The benefits of Podbean are:
Easy creation & publishing
Podcasts can be created with their podcast recording app or professional-quality live streaming. Audio and video are captured on a secure and straightforward platform. They also offer integration of your branded domain, scheduled publishing, and a cover art creator. If you aren’t skilled in graphic design, a cover art creator can be a lifesaver and keep you from outsourcing the design work. That’s an added expense you can cross off your list!
Promotion & brand awareness
You are able to promote your podcast to popular apps like Spotify and Apple in just a few clicks. You can also expand your audience through awareness boosting on connected social accounts like Twitter, Facebook, and similar apps. They offer comprehensive statistics so that you can track how your promotion is affecting your podcast and show you downloads, trends, and user retention, among other analytics. Promotion is everything in podcasting, so access to popular apps makes sure your show is searchable to the masses.
Monetizing your podcast
The goal of your podcast is to make money, right? Podbean provides everything that you need to help monetize your podcast. You can list your podcast in their advertising marketplace and use their PodAds SaaS to help you with ads management and make sure you run ads like a pro. They also feature premium content at no extra cost to you and let you create a patron page where your listeners can donate. Check out our article on how much can you expect to make on your podcast.
Pinecast vs Podbean: Which platform is right for you?
Pinecast and Podbean both offer great features, and one of the overall positives of the service is that they are free to start. This can be an excellent way to get a sense of the ease and flow of the use of the application. You can start on the platform that seems the best fit for you, and if for any reason it doesn’t feel like the right home for your podcast, you can try the other!
With that being said, each platform is likely to work better for specific individuals over the other. If you are a novice or beginning podcaster looking to get your feet wet and start publishing your show, then Pinecast is the right choice for you. They offer cheaper rates and add-ons for when you start picking up steam and need to ramp things up.
If you have been in the podcasting game for a while, then Podbean is the choice for you. Their all-inclusive packages mean you don’t have to think about what features are and aren’t included in your membership. It is a one-stop-shop. Their ad marketplace and integrated promotional tools are perfect for taking your show to the next level.
Your podcast is your creative baby. You put in a lot of time and energy to make it successful and watch it grow into something profitable and influential. The right hosting platform can make a big difference in that growth. Hopefully, the details above about Pinecast and Podbean have helped you figure out which may be best for you and your show. Now, go out and there and make your podcast a success!
Related: Buzzsprout vs Podbean
