Castos: Podcast Hosting Review

Castos makes it easy to create, grow and monetize your show. This hosting platform is designed for people podcasting with WordPress to upload to your podcasts blog.

Whether you are a new podcaster or an experienced content creator wanting to grow your audience and expand your reach, their team is here to help you achieve your goals. In 2022, the podcast hosting service Podiant joined Castos.

But what makes Castos a good choice for you? Let’s dive into the features!

Table of Contents

Best for Any Level Podcaster

Thanks to its fast and seamless software, Castos is excellent for beginners. Whether you’re just getting started or already have an established following, this is one hosting platform that will serve all of your needs.

Additionally, one of the significant strengths of this platform is its integration with Youtube. Because videos often rank higher in search engine results than podcasts, republishing your audio episodes as video allows you to reach a wider audience.

And if you’re looking to make money from your podcast (which you likely are), Castos offers you subscription tools to help with monetization. This way, podcasting can grow from being a passion to a real business.

Integrated Plugin

Castos created the Seriously Simple Podcast plugin (SSP) for WordPress websites. It helps you manage your RSS feed, upload content, and view podcast analytics from your WordPress site. This plugin is one of the top-rated podcasting plugins for WordPress, with over 160 5-star reviews.

And it’s easy to use – just use a two-click import from WordPress to Castos. You can also embed a podcast episode right into your WordPress site.

If you’re not too familiar with this technology, worry not. The plugin manages everything on the backend of the website for you. This will save time and limit potential mistakes during the upload process.

Storage Limits

When it comes to hosting your podcast, having a good storage limit is essential. At Castos, you never have to worry about hitting your storage limit, no matter how long or frequently you produce episodes.

With unlimited storage space, you can record longer episodes, test new styles, or even take off a second show without ever exceeding storage limits.

Bandwidth Limits

One more thing you don’t need to worry about is bandwidth.

At Castos, you get unlimited bandwidth, so listeners can always access your podcast. With no restrictions on how much you upload or download, you can focus on what matters to you – producing great content.

Time Limits

With Castos, there are no time limits to how long your content should last, but ideally, an hour or less is a great starting point. Longer episodes may feel too long of an investment for users if you don’t have a dedicated audience yet.

In addition, the Castos team understands the importance of video in today’s online landscape. With the Pro plan, you can upload your podcast episodes in video format.

Statistics

Audience insights help podcasters grow their business and audience. By tracking what people click on and listen to the most, you can tailor your content to topics the target market is most interested in.

This will help grow the target market with constant episodes released. Thus,  it will enhance your visibility on any listening platform, which is especially important for business podcasts.

Castos Analytics provides you with a ton of stats to measure how your podcast is doing in terms of audience interaction.

The analytics dashboard can measure the following parameters:

  • The total number of listens by podcast episode to see what topics your audiences favor
  • Best-performing episodes to tailor content to the audience’s needs and attract sponsors
  • Browser usage to track which device the audience listens on the most so you can custom your message to fit the audience
  • Listener geolocation to explore ways to reach your target market.

Listing/Integration into Podcast Directories

If you’re looking to boost your reach and expand your audience, look no further than Castos! Grow your listenership by distributing your podcast episodes on the following top channels:

  • Apple podcasts
  • Google podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Amazon and many more

Advanced Features

Castos also offers a wide range of advanced options tailored to meet the unique needs of different podcasters. See them below!

Podcast Transcript

The benefits of using a podcast transcript are numerous.

For one thing, it gives listeners an easy way to follow along and check back on past episodes if they need to reference something. It also gives you an excellent opportunity to use keywords and optimize your content for search engines, which can be very helpful in driving traffic to your show.

And by providing a full transcript of every episode, you make it easier for people with disabilities or visual impairments to enjoy your show.

Youtube Republishing

Another feature you will surely benefit from is Youtube republishing.

Specifically, you can auto-publish your episodes directly to your Youtube channel or playlist. This feature allows you to repurpose your audio content for the target audience and attract new listeners!

Monetize and grow your audience by interacting with your watchers (in the comments) to build a podcasting community.

You can also post shorter videos to increase the likelihood of sponsor revenue. Short video content is excellent because videos are fun and easy to share with friends.

Customizable Audio Player

Another powerful feature of Castos is the customizable media audio player. With this tool, you can easily choose from various templates to create an attractive player cover that reflects your brand or personality.

To top it off, you can easily embed the player in any site, including Wix or Squarespace, giving your audience more access to your content.

And with unlimited subscription links to Spotify, Sticher, and iTunes, you’ll be growing your show in no time!

User Impression/Reviews

A YouTube video reviewed Castos and stated it’s super easy to use and has a clean interface with no technical difficulties. The reviewer also commented that Castos has one of the most popular plugins for WordPress (Seriously Simple Podcasting), which is great for beginners.

With enhanced stats and analytics, private podcasts, monetization options, and unlimited shows hosted easily, Castos makes it easy to grow your podcast audience and reach new listeners.

Plus, with unparalleled customer support that cares passionately about helping you succeed in your podcasting endeavors, Castos is the clear choice for anyone seeking to turn their podcast from a hobby to a business.

Ultimately, this hosting website was built to empower podcasters and help them monetize their content on their terms.

Current Pricing

With a range of flexible pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets, Castos has something for podcasters of any level.

The Starter pack features everything you need to produce your first podcast episodes, including unlimited storage, bandwidth, and helpful analytics tools.

If you’re looking to promote your show further or add video content, the Growth and Pro plans offer more features and tools. And for large publishers or professional podcasters, Castos Premium offers unbeatable value and unrivaled performance.

  • The Starter pack is $19 per month with all the essentials to make your first podcast episodes.
  • The Growth plan is $49 per month to enable more features to promote your show.
  • The Pro plan is $99 monthly to produce video content and access more analytics.
  • Castos premium is $499 and is ideal for large publishers

Or, pay annually with all the same features for a cumulative monthly fee at the end of the year.

  • The Starter pack is $190 a year.
  • The Growth plan is $490 a year
  • The Pro plan is $990 a year
  • The Castos Premium plan is $4,990 a year

And best of all, you can try it before you buy! Castos offers a 14-day free trial to see if it works for your needs. You’re free to cancel your subscription anytime, and no credit card is required.

Podcast transcription fee

As mentioned before, Castos allows you to transcribe your podcast episodes. But remember that this comes at $0.10 per audio minute. This amount will be included in your monthly Castos hosting plan fee

Final Words

Castos hosting is an excellent option for anyone looking to host and publish their podcasts. It offers a wide range of features that are ideal for both beginners and more advanced users, including transcription services, analytics tools, and unlimited bandwidth and storage space.

However, it may not be the best choice for everyone due to the relatively high cost of some of its plans. But then again, the Starter pack will cost you only $19 per month and can cover most podcasting needs.

With all its great features, Castos is worth considering if you wish to grow your podcast business. So if it suits your preferences (and your budget, of course), try it!