Result of our test: 4,6/5
Castos is a podcast hosting platform above the rest. Indeed, this one offers you a lot of functions in unlimited. We can mention the number of downloads, the number of podcasts, the bandwidth, etc.
You want to start podcasting and you are looking for a hosting platform ? Indeed, it is an essential step to distribute your achievements effectively.
This is a great way to diversify your content offering. In addition, it shows your audience your mastery and expertise on a specific subject.
Plus, it’s highly valued content because it’s useful, it engages and it inspires your community. It is also very convenient, because you can listen to it while doing another activity(driving for example).
According to a study, nearly 52% of French people who have already consumed a podcast. Do you now understand the importance of this format for your business?
However, there are a lot of podcast hosting platforms . Some are very good and offer a lot of features. Others should be avoided.
It’s a good thing because today we are going to present you the test of Castos, one of the best podcast platforms in 2022. The tool provides features to make the best possible audios.
🕰️ No time to read everything? Here’s what you need to remember:
👉 Automatic transcription of podcasts: something to improve the referencing of your shows.
👉 Automatically publish podcasts to YouTube to increase visibility and SEO.
👉 Customizable mini website for the podcasts included in the offer.
👉 Audio file editing service to save time and improve quality.
👉 Podcast analytics report to better understand its audience and improve its performance.
👉 Ability to create private podcasts to monetize and offer exclusive files
Contents
Presentation of Castos
Castos is a platform for hosting and analyzing podcasts. It will allow you to manage several multimedia files simultaneously.
The tool also has a WordPress plugin that you can easily integrate to your site. This extension is Seriously Simple Podcasting.
Using Castos will give you the opportunity to increase your traffic and encourage visitors to appreciate the work you offer.
Concerning the software, it will allow you to import your audio and video sequences in only a few clicks. In addition, you can also link your Castos account with your YouTube account.
It’s easy to understand and simple to use, ideal if you’re new to podcasting. You will be able to track different data about your audience and know their preferences.
Who is Castos for?
Castos is a podcasting platform that is perfect if you are just starting out. It is also a tool for more experienced professionals.
It is a program for people who are looking for an unlimited number of podcasts and downloads. These people also want to be able to track the detailed statistics of each of their podcasts.
At first, newcomers to podcasting are interested in Castos because it offers a low-cost first price plan, only $19/month. This allows them to publish their audio and video files at a lower cost. In addition, the tool is very easy to use and their website provides various guides to help beginners.
Secondly, Castos is highly appreciated by professionals. Indeed, its wide range of features allows them to benefit from a high quality service. There are price plans for all types of podcasters. It is also a software used by WordPress professionals, thanks to the simple integration of the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin.
If you want to know about other podcast platforms, be sure to stay until the end!
The major features of Castos
Before presenting the main features of Castos, we would like to show you some of the characteristics of this tool. These are details that should not be overlooked.
- Unlimited storage: You will be able to download as many podcasts as you want, because here there is no storage limit. You can do as many tests as you want and of any length.
- Unlimited bandwidth: There is no limit to the bandwidth either. This will allow your audience to access your content without difficulty.
- Unlimited Podcasts: No matter which price plan you choose, you will have no limit on the number of podcasts you can listen to. And all this on the same account.
There are plenty of other features like these. Now, let us introduce you to the major features of Castos :
Transcript of the podcasts
Transcribing audio or video is really one of the least fun tasks to do. However, it is a step that is still very important.
Indeed, it can have a positive impact on your referencing. Your podcasts will be better positioned in search engines and therefore you will have greater visibility.
On the other hand, if you offer quality content, you make it easier for people to write about you.
Castos understands that this is important, so they provide an automatic transcription service. However, you will have to pay $0.10 per minute of audio to get this service.
Publication on YouTube
How can we not mention YouTube when we talk about podcasting. The largest video file hosting platform. One of the social networks with the highest usage time per person.
This feature will be available from the Growth plan, Castos takes care of transforming audio files into beautiful videos that will automatically publish on YouTube.
It will also increase your SEO, since YouTube is owned by Google.
Creation of podcast websites
If you don’t have a website and you’re not really interested. Castos gives you the possibility to have access to a mini-site on which your podcasts will be posted.
This site has some necessary pages and can be customized as you wish. This makes it easier for your audience to find your work .
Moreover, for you it offers only advantages. On the one hand this service is included in the offer, on the other hand it will allow you to promote your audios.
Finally, this site is responsive so no need to worry about mobile devices. And if you have a domain name, you can use it as a URL.
Publishing Service
This service will save you a lot of time, but it will also allow you to get quality podcasts. Indeed, Castos will make available its teams of experts for file editing.
All you have to do is register and send the raw files to the platform. Of course, don’t forget to indicate the instructions to follow so you don’t end up with any unpleasant surprises.
However, this service also has a cost. Prices range from $75 for the standard edition, up to $300 for a custom edition.
Podcast Analysis Report
A marketing tool is not a good tool if there is no analysis function. But don’t worry, this is not the case here. It is a very complete podcast platform that will offer you detailed reports.
The goal is to better understand your audience, by what they like and what they don’t like. You will be able to analyze each of your podcasts with several advanced filters.
You will have access to several statistics such as the number of listens(date ranges can be modified), media performance, device type, location, etc.
Another advantage of this feature is that the reports are often updated. With the addition of new statistics.
Private Podcasts
We speak of private podcasts when they are files accessible only by a few people. It’s a great way to monetize them. It also makes your audience feel privileged.
Indeed, some of them will have access to exclusive files. This may involve online training, for example.
In addition, it is a great way for companies to share their accomplishments with select groups of partners.
Rates for Castos
As far as pricing is concerned, the site offers four different deals for each of its plans, with the option to pay annually or monthly:
Annual rates
Monthly rates
As we have already told you, the Starter plan does not have automatic publication on YouTube. Moreover, the number of private subscribers varies according to the offer. You will get 100 for the first, 250 for the second, 500 for the third and unlimited for the last.
The same is true for the number of downloads per month. The last one obviously offers you an unlimited number. For the Starter offer you will be limited to 20,000, which is still quite reasonable. For the Growth offer the limit is 75,000 and for the Pro you will have access to 200,000 downloads.
On the other hand, Castos does not offer a free offer, only a 14-day trial. But when you see the quality/price balance of the first offer, you think that the tool is almost free!
Advantages and disadvantages of Castos
We’ve finished introducing you to the Castos podcast platform. Now we will give you the main advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages
✅ Manage podcasts from WordPress with the plugin.
✅ Free trial.
✅ Very easy to use interface.
✅ Affordable entry price.
✅ Advanced podcast statistics.
✅ Unlimited downloads, podcasts and bandwidth.
The disadvantages
❌ YouTube publishing is not available in the Starter plan.
❌ No extension for other CMS.
In summary : our opinion on Castos
By using Castos, you have in your hands one of the best podcast platforms. Indeed, this one has a very good interface, fluid, fast and easy to use.
Thanks to its WordPress extension “Seriously Simple Podcasting” you will be able to easily integrate your creations to your sites. This will allow you to better engage your audience and also show them an expert image.
In addition, its various features will allow you to produce and improve your podcasts day by day. You will be able to follow the performance of each of them by means of analysis reports.
As for the price, Castos unfortunately does not offer a free version unlike many of its competitors. However, they have recently introduced a 14-day free trial. This is still a good way to test the platform.
Whether you are an expert or a beginner, you need to use Castos. The fact that you don’t have limits on the number of podcasts, downloads and bandwidth is a real plus.
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Alternatives to Castos
There are a lot of podcast hosting platforms! However, some of them have no real added value.
If you were not convinced by Castos, let us present you some alternatives:
Buzzprout This tool is considered the most popular podcast hosting platform on the market. Today it has nearly 100,000 podcasters. You will be able to easily integrate your audios on several platforms such as Apple, Spotify, etc. Like Castos, Buzzprout has its own WordPress plugin, very easy to integrate into the CMS. Another advantage is that this platform has a free offer.
Podcloud: Cocorico ! This is a 100% French podcast hosting platform. Very useful if you are targeting mainly French people. Like Buzzprout, this tool has a free version with quite complete features. However, here you will not have unlimited storage.
Podbean : Just like other platforms, you’ll be able to stream your content on mediums like Spotify. However, with Podbean you can monetize your work. This is one of the great strengths of this tool. Moreover, it is a platform that is used by more than 600,000 podcasters. Just like the 2 previous tools, this one has a free version. It gives you access to 5 hours of podcasts per month.
How to use Castos on WordPress?
The use of the Castos platform will be very easy, thanks to the simple handling.
First of all, you will have to create an account, which is normal. Then download the extension from the WordPress dashboard. Choose the first plugin, Seriously Simple Podcasting.
Then you just have to click on “Add new episode“. You will arrive on interface as below.
All you have to do is fill in the various information in your file. And there you have it. You just posted your first podcast on your WordPress site.
If you prefer video tutorials, here is one that will show you how to get started with Castos.
