Using WordPress for Podcasting

Why Use WordPress for Your Podcast?

Podcasts are experiencing a significant increase in popularity. So it’s no surprise if you’ve been considering getting into the medium yourself. Getting started with a podcast can be a little confusing, however, especially when it comes to figuring out the hosting and resources you’ll need. 

Fortunately, WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that’s well-suited to handling podcast content. Whether you choose to use some of WordPress’ native media hosting elements or maximize its open-source data-sharing capabilities through plugins, you won’t be disappointed. 

In this article, we’ll take a look at the best ways to set your WordPress website up for a podcast. We’ll also review several tools and plugins you can use to create a podcast site. If you’re ready, switch on the mic and let’s get started! 

Configuring Your WordPress Site for Podcasting

If you’re creating a dedicated website for your podcast, it’s a good idea to set up a custom post type for your episodes. This will provide you more flexibility over how you display, organize, and promote your show. Then you can start adding content to your site.

Step 1: Add a New Custom Post

Depending on how you’ve set up your custom podcast post type, you’ll likely have a special Podcasts menu option where you can directly add a new podcast post. In our example, we’ll navigate to Podcasts > Add New:

Once your new podcast post opens, you’ll have a couple of different options for how to embed your audio files. 

Step 2: Add an Audio Block

First, you can click on the ‘+’ icon to add a standard WordPress audio block:

This will bring up the settings for the native WordPress block. Here you can either upload an audio file from your computer, select one from your Media Library, or paste in the URL of an audio file:

If you choose to upload your podcast file directly to WordPress, it will display in an elegant but simple player: 

We don’t recommend using your Media Library as the primary storage for your podcast episodes, however. This can bog down your website and cause slow loading times. We’ll talk about specific podcast hosting options later in this article. 

If you already have your files on another platform like SoundCloud, you can add them to your podcast posts easily as well. Click the ‘+’ icon again, and find the Embed category of block options. There you can choose from many available blocks. For this example, let’s select the SoundCloud option, which you can see is right next to another popular block for Spotify:

Once you add the SoundCloud block to your post, you’ll have a simple interface where you can paste in the shareable URL provided by SoundCloud.

When you use this block to embed a sound file, you’ll be adding a more stylized player to your post. It will bring in information from your SoundCloud account, such as your profile picture.

Of course, these are just two examples of how to embed a podcast into a WordPress post. There are a number of tools and plugins you can also consider as you plan out your podcast strategy. 

Podcasting Tools and Plugins

The popularity of podcasting and the flexibility of WordPress’ open-source CMS means there’s a wide array of helpful plugins to choose from. Whether you’re hosting your podcast on a dedicated media server or just starting out with the basics, there’s something for everyone. 

If you’re looking for ways to integrate your podcast with WordPress, keep the following kinds of solutions in mind: 

• Podcast hosts: Using a dedicated host for your podcast sound files will keep your website running fast and smooth. 
• Podcast themes: Investigating podcast-friendly themes is one way to maximize WordPress as your podcast CMS. 
• Integration plugins: You can easily integrate your podcast feeds into your WordPress website with special podcast plugins. 

Let’s focus on that latter category for now, and take a look at a couple of plugins that can help you easily integrate your podcast episodes into your WordPress website.

Podlove

This plugin gives you the freedom to host your podcast just about anywhere, as long as you can control the file names. That includes storage solutions accessed by Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) applications. With Podlove, you’ll be able to use WordPress as your central podcast dashboard. 

PowerPress

Compatible with most major podcast feeds and hosts, PowerPress enables you to easily import episodes to your website. This plugin also offers full support for Apple and Google Podcasts, and was developed by Blubrry, a full-featured podcast hosting service. 

Seriously Simple Podcasting

With Seriously Simple Podcasting, you can consolidate all of your podcast tools in one place. Right from WordPress, you’ll be able to load your sound files to your podcast host, create episode posts, and register with other podcast platforms.

Verify Your Audio and Hosting Quality

When it comes to creating a successful podcast, you’ll want to ensure that your audio quality is high. You can achieve this without breaking the bank, fortunately. There are several microphones that are excellent for beginners, and can easily be adapted as your skill level increases. 

Additionally, there are a number of free audio editing software options, such as Audacity. With this and similar tools, you’ll be able to edit multitrack audio and use many professional sound effects and features. 

Of course, you’ll want to also make sure you’re storing your audio files with a top-notch hosting service. Here at WP Engine, we offer hosting plans and podcast tools that can help get your show off the ground, as well as support you when you hit the big time.  

Upload to Spotify, Google Play, and the App Store

Once you’ve established where you want to host your media files and how you want to integrate them into your website, you’ll want to make sure your podcast is registered with the major podcast syndicators. These include names like Spotify, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts. 

For most of the major podcast syndicators, you’ll need to create an account. Additionally, you might be using a plugin that will take care of pushing your feed to these platforms for you. Be sure to investigate your plugin for those features. 

Once you create an account, you’ll need to copy and paste in your podcast RSS feed URL. This is true for all of the platforms mentioned above, but let’s take a look at Google Play for a more in-depth example.

After going to Google Play’s podcast publishing page, you’ll click on Publish to get started.

If you’re not already signed in, you’ll be prompted to log in to your Google account and accept the podcast terms of service. Then you’ll have just three easy steps to complete. You’ll need to submit your podcast RSS feed URL, verify your ownership of the podcast, and publish your feed.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll just need to wait for email verification and notice that your podcast has been approved. After that, your podcast will be available to anyone using Google Play to find and listen to podcasts. 

Make Your Voice Heard With WP Engine

Creating a podcast can be a great way to share your stories, market your brand, or just have fun with friends. Here at WP Engine, we understand what a difference the right developer resources can make when you’re working on a new project.

Consequently, our hosting services can be a perfect way to manage and coordinate your podcast. We make setting up WordPress websites easy and fun!