Hosting your podcast on Google Drive is one way to avoid paying fees to hosting platforms. But most experienced podcasters do not recommend it because of potential problems with non-permanent URLs for files as well all other benefits that other podcast hosting providers offer that GDrive doesn’t for podcasters.
Related: Best Podcast Hosting Platforms.
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Can I host a podcast on Google Drive?
Google Drive is free to use for anyone. That means you can create and store files without having to pay exorbitant fees. The main reason for someone to use Google Drive for podcasts is to avoid paying audio hosts to store them. If you have a Good Drive account, you simply have to set up a folder and make it shareable to the public, or to anyone who has the link. You can even put permissions on the folder to make it accessible only to paid members. You simply send the link to your listeners, and they’ll be able to access the folder and download whichever podcast they like.
The Problems with Google Podcast Hosting
Two female hosts record a podcast
Though Google Drive may be free to store your files, it can end up causing you headaches. That’s because they do not offer permanent URLs for your files. If they decide to re architect their platform, your URLs will change and you will have to go back and manually change the links to the files on Google Drive. It’s a lot of work and your listeners will not be happy if they try to access your podcast and can’t
Can I host my podcast on Archive.org?
Yes, you can! You simply set up an account with Archive then upload your podcast MP3s. Input all applicable information into the entry screen, which includes any tags, a description and the URL field. You will link these files using this URL to a podcast streaming application. Important to note: make sure you don’t use bad language as most streaming services will ban your link.
Where is the Best Place to Host A Podcast?
Whether you decide to use Google Drive or a paid host, the main goal for you should be to make it easy for your listeners to access your podcast. One rule of thumb among most experienced podcasters is never to host audio files on your own website. For one, it takes up a lot of storage space which can cause your website to crash. You simply do not have the bandwidth to handle that kind of problem.
The best route is to use an inexpensive hosting platform to store and access your podcasts. Because they have SEO optimization capabilities with feeds that seamlessly integrate into streaming services like iTunes or Spotify, you won’t have any issues with your listeners accessing and listening to their favorite podcaster. And you’ll probably continue to increase your listenership, as well.
Overall, Google Drive is one option to inexpensively share your podcast with your listeners. But there are some disadvantages that may affect your file location and even disable your links.
Using Google Drive as a hosting platform for your podcast has its pros and cons.
