Libsyn

Platform: Unix
Price: $5.00
Storage Space: .100GB

If you’re looking to start your own podcast, or if you need a new hosting package for an existing podcast, Libsyn may have an economical solution for you.

Libsyn is short for Liberated Syndication and they offer a unique way to host your podcast. Instead of paying for a set amount of bandwidth and diskspace, you are charged a set fee based on how long your podcast is and how often you publish it. All of their hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth, which will allow you to store as many files as you like up to your monthly quota, and you won’t have to worry about bandwidth when your show takes off. Each month, your shows are automatically archived, so you won’t need to delete them to make more room.

There are four different plan levels, starting at just $5 per month. The first plan, the Basic Podcaster Package will allow you to publish either a daily (weekdays only) 20 minute podcast that is encoded in low quality audio, a weekly 30 minute talk/music program or a weekly 20 minute talk program that is encoded in high quality audio. The next three plans offer the ability to encode high quality audio, regardless of how often your podcast is published.

Also included with Libsyn’s account is the ability to publish your podcast using RSS, autocreation of podcast ready files, the ability to split your RSS feed into different subjects and much more. One downside of Libsyn’s packages is that they do not offer email addresses, which means you may either have to use a free email service, or you may need to purchase an additional hosting package from another company that offers more functionality.

Support is another area that may be a problem, particularly for new podcasters. Currently, you can simply email your questions to Libsyn, but there are no tutorials or documentation to walk new casters through the process. This plan would have received a higher overall ranking if the support options were increased and if Libsyn had included at least one POP3 email account with each package.

Related Posts:

Upcoming Podcast

Web Hosting Information Podcast

Debut of In Your Corner: Hosting Dispute Resolution

PodcasterHosting

PodKive

Posted on 02/11/06 9:44 PM