Podcasting

Podcast publishing is the process of making your audio content available to a wide audience through various online platforms. It involves uploading your podcast episodes to a hosting service, which distributes your content to popular podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

RSS

Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication allows website or media content publishers to distribute updates to their content in a standardized format. RSS feeds contain headlines, summaries, and links to full articles or episodes. Users can subscribe to these feeds via apps which collect and display updates from various sources in one place. In podcasting RSS feeds are used to distribute episodes to different podcast platforms making it easier for listeners to find and access new content - and this eliminates the need for you to manually upload episodes to each individual platform.

Publishing your podcast via RSS will make it more discoverable to your audience and let you proclaim "Find us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your quality podcasts."

Here are two real RSS feeds as examples:

For the podcast "Amplified": https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/amplified (featured on the Playing Podcasts tab)

For the podcast "Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess": https://anchor.fm/s/236705fc/podcast/rss

Hosting sites are highly competitive platforms offering various features and services to attract podcasters of all levels. You may want to consider factors such as pricing, data limits, analytics, and monetization in choosing one. Here is a list of popular podcast hosting sites.

Acast: offers podcast hosting, distribution, and monetization options with the option of migrating your existing podcast from another platform.

Anchor.fm: Anchor’s free podcast hosting platform has partnered with Spotify. This means it is ad based but you can use Spotify music if you only up load your podcast to Spotify.

Blubrry: provides podcast hosting, statistics, and WordPress integration. It's a great option for those who want to run their podcast through a WordPress website.

Buzzsprout: Offers hosting, distribution, and basic analytics. The pricing plan is based on upload hours/month and they offer a 90 day 2/h per month plan for free.

Libsyn: Offers various hosting plans and detailed analytics in 6 pricing tiers.

Podbean: Offers hosting, monetization, and a website builder for your podcast. It's known for its user-friendly interface and support for video podcasting.

Simplecast: Provides podcast hosting and distribution along with listener analytics. It's known for its user-friendly interface and sharing features.

SoundCloud: Known as a music and audio hosting platform it also supports podcasting.

Spreaker: In addition to podcast hosting Spreaker also offers live broadcasting features. Suitable for both beginners and experienced podcasters.

Transistor: Transistor is designed for businesses/professional podcasters and allows the user to manage multiple shows under one account.

For in-depth reviews of the above, and other, hosting platforms see Riverside.fm's blog and search by name  

Some of the above sites offer hosting only i.e. you'll need to edit your audio on a DAW and upload to the site. For all in one solutions that allow you to edit online via web browser see the Premium Podcast Solutions (all in one) box on the Publishing tab.

Monetizing refers to the process of generating revenue from your podcast and there are various ways to do this. One common method is through sponsorships and advertising, this is where companies or brands pay you to promote their products or services on your podcast. Another option is affiliate marketing, in which you receive a commission for each sale generated through your distinct affiliate links promoted in your show. Crowdfunding and listener support platforms such as Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee enable your loyal audience to provide financial support for your podcast. Additionally, you can sell premium content or merchandise related to your podcast. The choice of monetization method should align with your podcast's niche, audience, and your personal goals, so take the time to research and determine what works best for you.