Blubrry Promo Code
I use Blubrry for my podcast media host. Whatever media host you choose, or web host for that matter, use a promo code that will give you a month of free service. You can find them everywhere, including here. My Blubrry promo code is “Question”. If you use this code, you will get a month of free service (the last time I checked) and I will directly benefit from your purchase should you stick with Blubrry. Here’s more about Blubrry’s affiliate program that explains this.
So why is it usually a good idea to have a media host in addition to a web host?
We just looked at some podcast websites that use WordPress. They live on servers that are maintained by web hosts. My web host company is A Small Orange. I’m on a shared hosting plan that works for me right now. There are many web hosts out there. Go Daddy. Host Gator. In fact, some of these web hosts sponsored WordCamp-Minneapolis/St. Paul 2017.
Your web host server is where you:
- Install WordPress
- Manage you site
- Make blog posts and web pages
- Store media files, such as images you use on your website
Note: I do not explain how to set up a basic WordPress blog here. But you can find out how to do that for free online (check Google and YouTube). Once you do have a blog set up, making blog posts is simple… and… publishing a podcast episode works exactly the same way as making a blog post in WordPress. I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to start a podcast to learn the fundamentals of blogging with WordPress first. It will give you so many advantages over other methods of podcasting. On the top of my list is owning and controlling my work. If you need help setting up a WordPress blog, contact me. I might be able to help you or put you in touch with someone who can.
From Blogging to Podcasting
Once you do transition from blogging to podcasting, you’ll need a place to put your MP3 (audio) or MP4 (video) files. Theoretically, you could put these files on your web host server.
However, if you’re beyond tinkering and you’re serious about your podcast, in addition to your web host, you will need a media host.
The reason for this is that your web host won’t likely be able to handle delivering big media files to a large audience. My media host is Blubrry. I initially chose them because they had what I wanted (a package that included statistics) for the best price. It was only later that I came to appreciate that their approach to podcasting fits my sensibilities.
There might be an exception to the above suggestion to get a separate media host for your podcast. You’ll have to check with your individual web host about this.
Blubrry Promo Code
Again, my Blubrry promo code is “Question”. If you use this code, I will directly benefit. Here’s more about Blubrry’s affiliate program that explains this.
A Peek at the Blubrry Dashboard
The Blubrry user dashboard is straight forward. Here’s a peek at what you’ll find if you use them as your media host. I should point out that these things that I am showing in the video can be integrated with your PowerPress plugin. In other words, it’s possible to view your podcast statistics and upload your media using the plugin without going to the Blubrry dashboard as I am doing in the video. So why do I do it this way? Habit. I also think it’s useful to see how things work “the long way” before taking shortcuts.
By the way, you can purchase Blubrry statistcs for your podcast à la carte. I know someone from my Twin Cities Podcasters group who uses Squarespace for his web/media host, while using Blubrry statistics. If you want to try this for free, the promo code I mentioned above (“Question”) should do the trick.