Daring to try new things is vital to succeeding in almost any field. But what about podcasting? As technology evolves, there are constantly new hosting and promoting options, and you may be wondering which ones are worth trying.
Twitter and Twitch, for example, are gaining traction nowadays, as platforms to grow (and even host!) podcasts.
In fact, Twitter released new podcasting features, as a continuation of an audio-centric strategy that started with the launch of Twitter Spaces.
Twitch, on the other hand, has grown among podcasters, evolving from a gaming streaming site to a platform enjoyed by people of all ages and interest groups.
If you're starting a podcast or want to expand your show’s reach, Twitter and Twitch could be your go-to platforms for community building. But, are their content hosting features enough?
In today’s post, we’ll discuss:
- The best approach for hosting your podcast
- The pros & cons of Twitter for podcasting
- The pros & cons of Twitch for podcasting
Let's dive in!
What’s The Best Podcast Hosting Platform?
Let’s be honest — there's no secret recipe for podcasting success. As long as your content is valuable to your target audience, distributed on top podcasting platforms, and marketed correctly, you're on the right track.
The most scalable way to build a podcast is:
- Identifying your target audience.
- Crafting a brand that’s genuine and makes it easy to connect to your audience.
- Uploading your episodes to a podcast hosting/distribution service.
- Implementing a content marketing strategy across social media channels.
When looking for the best podcast hosting platforms, most creators opt for:
- Anchor.fm
- Buzzsprout
- Transistor
- Podbean
- Soundcloud
Unlike Twitter and Twitch, podcast hosting services include everything to store and distribute your content. Some services, such as Anchor.fm, are optimized to distribute your podcast to most major platforms, including:
- Apple Podcast
- Spotify
- Google Podcast
- And more
This makes it easy for your podcast to be discovered by potential listeners.
Twitter for Podcasting: Pros & Cons
As streaming became popular in 2020, Twitter introduced a live-audio feature called Spaces. With Twitter Spaces, users can now discuss various topics in real time with their followers and other members of their Twitter audience.
The goal of Spaces was to compete with the iOS-exclusive platform Clubhouse, and to advance Twitter’s reputation as “the place where conversations happen”. And it was quite well-received. Spaces took off among Twitter users and now it has been redesigned with podcasters in mind.
Twitter users now can access a new Spaces Tab, which allows them to record & share their Spaces.
The Space Tabs is also a hub where your target audience can discover conversations aligned with their interests. Thus, by setting a clear podcast topic and communicating it with your audience, you'll probably make it easier for them to find you.
Pros
The main pros of hosting your podcast on Twitter are that:
- It’s great to boost your Twitter presence. Hosting spaces is a simple way to get more Twitter followers, humanize your brand, and build loyalty across your audience.
- It doesn’t require any equipment. Twitter Spaces can only be hosted from the Twitter mobile app. So, with Spaces, you run a live podcast from your phone.
Cons
The main cons of hosting your podcast on Twitter are:
- Limited Audience. Not everyone is on Twitter, so some audiences might not use it as their podcast platform.
- Audio quality & fallibility. Twitter Spaces is still a new feature. So, it’s prone to some audio quality pitfalls that may hurt your show’s quality.
- It’s only fitting for some formats. If you conduct interviews and would like your audience to join the conversation live, Spaces may be the platform for you. However, some shows won’t be benefitted from Spaces’ interactive features.
- There are limitations for users. Podcasting features are only available to a limited number of Twitter Blue Labs subscribers. Soon, all paid members will be able to access them. However, they’re not available for free users - at least for now.
So, should you post your podcast on Twitter? It depends. If you're focused on reaching a massive audience, Twitter might not be the best choice. But, if your brand relies on a strong Twitter presence, you may want to consider it.
In any case, you'll want your listeners to know when you're releasing a new episode and bringing on new guests. And Twitter is a great place to promote your content, expand your brand, and keep up with your audience.
Twitch for Podcasting: Pros & Cons
Twitch is a social network for streaming video. In 2020, talk shows on Twitch became a popular source of entertainment for thousands of people. In fact, nowadays many traditional radios and podcasters stream their shows as vodcasts there.
You already know what a live stream is. But, what is a vodcast on Twitch? Basically, a vodcast is a recorded version of previous streams. This is the most common way of podcasting on Twitch. The term “vodcast” is a combination of “video” and “podcast”.
Want to learn the benefits of sharing your podcast via Twitch? Let's take a look at the pros.
Pros
The main Pros of hosting your podcast on Twitch are:
- Live audience engagement. Twitch allows you to interact with your audience in real time. Your listeners can see you and you can also read their comments as you stream. That way, you can build a close relationship with your audience.
- Monetization. You'll be able to monetize your streams on Twitch if you stream a minimum of 8 hours on different 7 days during the last 30 days. Plus, you'll need to have a minimum of 50 followers and an average of 3 viewers per broadcast.
- A lower production cost. Streaming on Twitch doesn't require much equipment. Hence, you can start your podcast with minimum setup. If you have a webcam, a microphone, and a computer, you are ready to join in.
- It’s easy to repurpose. Once you finish your stream, you can save the Twitch video and repurpose it on other platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. On the other hand, users can trim clips from your stream as you go, and save them on the platform.
Cons
The main Cons of hosting your podcast on Twitch are:
- It has a specific audience, so it may not help you reach your target demographic. Although Twitch has grown exponentially, it still has a niche audience. According to stats compiled by Streamscheme, 35.85% of Twitch users are 18- 24 years old, and 34-14% are 25-34 years old. Plus, Twitch audiences are predominantly male (78.36%).
- It doesn’t offer permanent storage. A stream is only available for up to 14 days for all members before being deleted. However, Prime members can keep streams live for up to 60 days.
With Twitch, you can get closer to your audience and get immediate feedback. That way, users can help you build your content and give you fresh ideas.
Overall, Twitch is the ideal platform to reach a young or tech-savvy audience. However, we recommend you use YouTube or a regular podcast distribution service to make your content available in the long run.
For instance, you could download your streams as soon as possible and re-upload them to YouTube and your podcast distribution platform of choice.
If you need some guidance on promoting your podcast, check out our beginner's guide.
Key Takeaways
If you want your podcast to be easy to find among potential listeners, you must distribute it mindfully.
Although they continue to grow, Twitter and Twitch aren't the best home for your podcast. However, these platforms can indeed enhance your marketing strategy by offering new ways to engage with your audience.
For a standard podcast, you should choose a podcast hosting service. The right service will store your episodes permanently and distribute them on the best podcast platforms.
Nevertheless, podcast distribution is just one of the many aspects you should consider when planning for podcast growth.
Creating quality content across multiple platforms is also key to attracting more listeners. Audiograms are great for that.
Turn your episodes’ highlights into engaging short videos and share them across social media. That way, you’ll connect with new listeners by showing them the best your show has to offer.
Curious? Try Audiotease today and create your first audiogram for free. No editing skills required.