Podcasting on SoundCloud makes it easy for anyone to tell stories, upload, and share. Build your community on the most stable and intuitive audio hosting, and learn how to host your podcast in SoundCloud.
SoundCloud comes up when people talk about podcast hosting. Technically, though, SoundCloud isn’t a podcast host like Libsyn or Blubrry but rather a streaming audio platform. They host media on free and paid plans, and they have a pretty nifty player and subscription model. But, like everything else, you have pros and cons to the service. We want you to be able to make the most informed decision possible, so let’s go ahead and dive in and find out how to host your podcast in Soundcloud.
If You Haven’t Created a SoundCloud Account
1 -Start a SoundCloud Account for your Podcast
- Create an account with a valid email address.
- Use your podcast name as the display name.
- Check your inbox, and you will see a confirmation email to activate your account.
2 – Enter Your Profile Information
Go to your profile and select the edit button:
- Upload a profile picture of at least 1400 x 1400 pixels.
- Add your podcast description to your profile. This is important because you will use this report as your RSS feed.
- Add links to your podcast website and any podcast social media accounts in your links section.
- To further fine-tune your profile, visit the Configure your profile pages.
3 – Adjust Content Settings
On the Settings page, select the Content tab:
- Choose a category for your podcast.
- Next, choose the language of the podcast.
- If your podcast may contain explicit content, select the Include explicit content checkbox.
- Select the default upload settings you want. You can override these settings on any track’s edit page. If you intend to upload podcasts, enable the RSS feed setting primarily.
More From SoundCloud for Your Podcast
It’s a Social Platform
Probably the biggest positive in SoundCloud’s favor is that it isn’t just a streaming audio platform. It’s a social audio platform. In the same way that people interact with pics and videos on Instagram, that’s how you interact with tracks, albums, and users on SoundCloud. When it comes to music and podcasts both, people love to share what they love. They want to talk about what they love. If your podcast is more community-centric than idea-centric and you get a lot of interaction, SoundCloud can be an excellent place for you to host your podcast.
Dedicated Apps
Despite podcasts have been around for a long time (the term podcast was coined in 2004 by Ben Hammersley of The Guardian), finding a good app for listening to your subscriptions is still kind of a pain. Features many listeners want aren’t included across the board, even in the default, industry-standard Podcasts app that Apple includes in iOS. And Android doesn’t even have a standard podcast player.
While there are free options out there that work well, they all behave differently for different people. Overcast, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, and others have different UIs, which can obfuscate leaving reviews, among other things. With SoundCloud, if you publish on their platform, your listeners can download your episodes through the official SoundCloud app. (This solves the Android podcast app problem that plagues so many ‘casters.)
Unlike other podcast hosts, SoundCloud doesn’t rely on simple RSS to disseminate your podcast (though it does that, too, so you can be listed everywhere). It lets listeners connect directly with you, socially and passively. It’s easy for people to find and interact with you on SC because they use the service like a search engine. Cool, right?
Pro type, cons type for using SoundCloud in Podcast
It’s Free
Sort of. I will use this as a transition between the pros and cons because where this one falls will depend on who you ask. I’ve used both sides of the platform, personally. That’s why I put it here in this grey area. I am ambivalent about it, and so is the rest of the internet. Why’s that? Well, because the free version is very little. But it works fine to host your podcast in SoundCloud; you already know how to do it.
Here’s the breakdown of their tiers:
SoundCloud Basic (the free tier) is great for new podcasters who don’t know if they can stick with it. 3 hours of podcasting a month is adequate for weekly shows that run 30-45 minutes each. And as a new ‘caster, that’s plenty. The basic stats are just that. And the embeds are what you’ve probably seen on every SC player. However, you will need to upgrade if you intend to do more than record a few short shows a month.
The biggest reason to upgrade to either Pro Unlimited is for two features: replace tracks and scheduled releases. As a podcaster myself, these two features are invaluable. Because I’m human. I have a hectic schedule like you folks do, which makes scheduling podcast releases the most crucial feature I can have. I make many silly, careless mistakes (like maybe uploading the wrong show’s media file to the primary RSS feed. Oops.). Your feed occasionally goes off the rails without one or both of these paid features. This will confuse Your listeners, who may jump ship if they are confused.
So in this grey area, the near-universal ambivalence comes because the free tier is really good for many people. With its social features and dedicated, cross-platform app, SoundCloud is appealing to many people. However, the paywall for two of the most basic features that come with other podcast hosts for free (or at their lowest tiers rather than the highest) gives a lot of people pause.
Cons for SoundCloud
Uploads are by Time, not File Size
Now, one of the most significant downsides to SoundCloud in the podcast is that they limit your podcasting by hours. Other hosts do it by file size. This is important. For podcasting, it’s okay to skimp on bit rate, and sample ate because the quality differential is generally unnoticed. From the NPR website (royalty among podcasters):
We recommend encoding these files at a lower bit rate of 24-64kbps. Also, the sample rate should be a standard kHz rate of 11, 22, 33 or 44 kHz. This will allow your users to download files more quickly and result in lower bandwidth usage for the station. Keep in mind people listen on computer speakers, head phones so higher quality is not appreciated.
They go on to outline the time, quality, and file size ratios, too.
5 minutes encoded at 24kpbs is approximately 1 MB, 48kpbs is approximately 1.7 MB, and 64kpbs is approximately 2.5 MB
30 minutes encoded at 32kbps is approximately 7 MB, 64kbps is approximately 14 MB
1 hr encoded at 32 kbps is approximately 13 MB, 56 kbps is approximately 22 MB, and 64 kbps is approximately 25 MB
When looking at SoundCloud versus Libsyn, Blubrry, or others, you can get the same upload of a huge lossless WAV file as you do a minimal 24kbps MP3. As a prolific podcaster, you can easily run out of time if you’re not on the unlimited plan. Many people hate this because you can get more than 3 hours packed into your audio if you follow the NPR standards.
That said, this is what I meant when I said that SC was not primarily a podcasting platform. It is designed first and foremost for music, which is why they limit you by the hour instead of file size. You can get many more high-quality songs on your account than on podcasts.
They Might Be in Trouble
Depending on where you look, who you talk to, and what you read, SoundCloud is either in tremendous financial trouble or is doing just fine; thank you very much. When SoundCloud laid off over 40% of its employees in 2017, there was a kind of exodus from the platform to other hosts by podcasters. Independent musicians tended to stay, but it became the primary host of far fewer podcasters. After all, transferring hosts for your media while keeping the same RSS feed consistent is serious business.
Of course, since the layoffs, the company has said that it’s OK (but every company tends to say that until the very end) and has no intentions of closing. However, the consensus is to use SC as a syndication tool like Stitcher or TuneIn but use someone else as your primary media host.
I included this in the piece because it is kind of the dark cloud hanging over SC in regard to podcasting. It’s not a maybe-con or full-on one because I want you to know what you’re going into. Even potentially sinking has made people avoid the company, and I don’t want to make it sound like it’s a black-and-white issue. It’s not. No one wants to get caught unaware and lose their work or have to redo it. Proceed with caution and with all the information you can to make an informed decision.
Is SoundCloud on your Podcast right for you?
Maybe. It is a place you want to include your podcast. It just depends on what kind of needs you have for this to be your primary host. For many podcasters, SoundCloud is simply another tool they can use to get their podcast out there. With iTunes being the 800-lb gorilla of the podcasting world, you will still get over 90% of your downloads through there.
But SoundCloud does offer a lot of cool toys and gadgets for you. Plus, having a few % come from the SC searches is a good idea. But it’s up to you to take all this info and decide which host is the best. SoundCloud is definitely a viable option, though, especially for the more audiophilia among you.
Here’s a tip for using SoundCloud in your podcast
To encourage listeners to follow your SoundCloud profile and leave comments on your podcast, you should disclose your SoundCloud URL in the credits of your podcast. That way, fans who discovered your content through iTunes or other distribution platforms will know you’re on SoundCloud.
We offer a music theme with a podcasts feature and easy connection with SoundCloud too, and please check it out here. I hope this article explained you how to host your podcast on SoundCloud.
