OMNY STUDIO

• Omny Studio's key features include podcast hosting, radio broadcast capture, publishing & sharing, editing, monetization, and analytics.
• Some positive customer reviews of the service include (1) the company's customer support team is quick to respond to any issues; (2) they allow users to add an intro and an outro to the main file, which can also serve as mini commercials, an additional revenue-generating opportunity; and (3) one account can have multiple users, which is very helpful for a team of podcast creators.
• However, when editing in the cloud, the company wipes out the ID3 tags, so if any user plays the podcast on Windows Media Player, the artwork made by the content producer does not show up.
• The price of the service starts at $99 a month.
• Omny Studio targets traditional broadcasters and pure-play podcasters; and with Triton Digital acquiring the company, their primary target country is Australia since Triton Digital is headquartered in Melbourne.

LIBSYN

• The key features of Libsyn are OnPublish (a tool that allows content creators to publish their podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and other popular platforms), custom podcast app creation, Libsyn Player, and a directory of over 50,000 podcasts.
• Customers perceive Libsyn's The Feed application as a source of great information and helpful tips, which is helpful for new podcasters. Customers also see Lisbyn's The Podcast Source app a great source of podcasts.
• However, negative reviews of both apps mostly cite the apps being buggy, frequently crashing, and not showing podcasts hosted by Libsyn.
• Libsyn's pricing tiers are Classic 50, which is $5 per month; Classic 250, which is $15 per month; Advanced 400, which is $20 per month; and Advanced 800, which is $40 per month.
• Libsyn is a global podcast hosting company; and according to Chartable, one of the top podcast Apple Podcasts/iTunes distributors

RESEARCH STRATEGY

VERITONE ONE

• As an expert in performance media, Veritone is capable of planning the best media buy and choosing the best channels for its clients' branding and messages.
• Veritone One is powered by aiWARE which allows its clients to listen to their brand's paid and organic mentions just minutes after they air.
• Veritone One's on-demand video content can reach audiences across all devices, at any bandwidth or screen size.
• Veritone aiWare platform uses AI-based cognitive computing to organize and analyze "unstructured audio and video data."
• Veritone One's VCAP dashboard provides analytics reporting that keeps clients updated on what they are doing on a daily basis.

• The accompanying metadata feeds easily into the custom analytics platform resulting in immediate actionable insights to optimize campaigns.
• Veritone One offers a variety of "ad units and granular targeting options available across top partners".
• The agency's audio and video campaigns are relevant and compelling for all types of audiences.
• In addition to that, Veritone One also takes advantage in making AI accessible and functional by using a single SaaS-based which can be deployed in all environments.
• Veritone aiWARE allows for comprehensive analytics, enhanced ad and content tracking, faster content extension, and better media management.

• The unavailability of a pricing plan leaves clients uninformed on what to expect in terms of charges for the company's services.

• According to the President and CEO of 1-800 FLOWERS and several other users, Veritone One is the best platform that gives real-time insights and unique look at opportunities to gain competitive advantage.
• Other users cite superior media planning, efficient pricing, and fantastic client service as some of the reasons they prefer Veritone One over competitors.

• Veritone One has no pricing plan outlined on its website.
• Even so, one third-party publication reported that Veritone launched Influencer Bridge.
• The platform is a pay-per-performance advertising platform for influential individuals i.e, creators of audio and video content on social media sites such as Instagram and YouTube and podcasts.

• Veritone One targets individual brands that are interested in real-time insights to inform their marketing strategies. Some of its clients include Uber, Dollar Shave Club, LegalZoom, Simplisafe, and Casper, among others.

• Veritone One boasts of its expert leadership and account service/execution teams.
• Veritone One has a proprietary technology that allows for the collection of real-time actionable intelligence that informs clients' branding and messaging needs.
• According to Veritone, it has a dedicated workforce that focuses on clients' accounts with no less than seven dedicated experts in media, strategy, analytics, and execution.
• As the largest buyer of spots in Sirius XM, Veritone One has in-house remnant buying capabilities that no other agencies have. Additionally, the company is leading in performance-based YouTube influencer marketing in the industry.
• According to Veritone, it has a superior database in performance-based audio that other competitors do not have.

SPREAKER

• Spreaker Studio for desktop is available for Windows and Mac. It allows for recording and live streaming, and easily integrates with Skype.
• These features make it possible to manage clients' episodes and drafts effectively.
• The Spreaker Studio for mobile is available for users of iOS and Android. The feature allows instant recording, chat with their audience as they stream live, and can access relevant statistics on their phone or tablet.
• The Spreaker Podcast Radio available for iOS and Android allows listeners to follow podcasters, mark their favorite episodes, and share events and shows.

• Spreaker has a wide array of tools that cover every step of the podcasting process, including simple recording, broadcasting apps to analytics on clients' targeted audience.
• Spreaker allows podcasters to connect external tools like broadcasting software, mixers, and Skype for a better experience.
• Additionally, it allows for interaction with listeners through chat during live broadcast live, and the podcaster can follow their comments on the episode's page.
• Spreaker's broad listener database makes it easy for podcasters to get noticed and attract more listeners.

• In terms of disadvantages, not much has been published on Spreaker's drawbacks.
• Even so, the fact that statistics are tiered depending on pricing plans may not give podcasters a clear picture of their performance.
• Additionally, people who cannot afford the pro plan do not have access to unlimited space and do not have extra options for managing their podcasts.

• Some of the positive reviews about Spreaker include the fact that the website allows for going live on Twitter and Facebook and that with Pro Plans, audio storage space is unlimited.
• Also, users cite the possibility of extra options for managing podcasts and live radio and subscriptions that are linked to iTunes accounts as benefits of the service.
• Other users feel that the customer service is not adequate with limited technical support available to podcasters when they encounter problems.

• Professional Plans

• On-Air Talent Plan — $6 per month billed yearly or $7 per month billed monthly.
• The Broadcaster plan — $18 per month when billed annual or $20 per month when billed monthly.
• Anchorman plan — $45 per month billed annually or $50 per month when billed monthly.

• Enterprises Plan
• The Station plan for enterprises attracts $100 per month when billed yearly or $120 per month when billed monthly.
• Enterprises can also have custom plans.

• Spreaker targets both individuals and enterprises regardless of whether they are starters or established podcasters. Spreaker's pricing plans are designed to meet the needs of each of the target markets.

• In terms of competitive edge, Spreaker has unlimited bandwidth, a free starter plan, ample audio storage, customizable RSS feeds, analytics/stats, free live recording on apps, live audio streaming, customized show apps, auto-publish features (to YouTube, Sonos, and SoundCloud), distribution to apple podcasts, auto post on twitter and Facebook, direct podcaster contact, multiple shows in one account, and live chat with audience.

MEGAPHONE

• Megaphone is a podcast advertising platform that works with both advertisers and publishers. They focus on large, enterprise-level publishers and help them by providing tools to "publish, monetize, and measure" their podcast business. For advertisers, they offer demographic- and intent-based targeting when inserting ads in over 60,000 segments.
• The key features of Megaphone are publishing, ad operations, targeting, and analytics.
• Their clients include big names in the podcasting industry, such as WSJ, Vox Media, Slate, iHeart Media, CBS Interactive, and Gimlet, among others.
• The company underwent a rebranding from Panoply Media to Megaphone and officially announced the rebranding in March this year, though they made an initial announcement of this plan in September 2018.

STREAMGUYS

• StreamGuys provides streaming, podcasting, and SaaS tools for enterprise-level media organizations.
• It offers "a complete podcast ecosystem for enterprise broadcasters" by providing podcast hosting, automated podcast creation, publishing and sharing, editing and clipping, monetization, and analytics.
• Their podcasting clients include Cox Media Group, WNYC, Patriots, Play It, and PRI (Public Radio International).
• Pricing is not published anywhere on the website, review websites, or in third-party sources. The company requests interested parties to contact them for pricing questions, though they claim to have the "best price-to-performance ratio" in the industry.

SOUNDCLOUD

• SoundCloud allows users to host and share all podcasts with ease from one place, connect instantly with fans, and get immediate feedback.
• The Pro Unlimited can schedule releases, pin most popular episodes to Spotlight, access deeper stats and get unlimited hosting time, so the story can live on indefinitely.
• Soundcloud uses advanced analytics that helps one to grow their following and fanbase using the advanced stats. 
• The platform offers access to millions of listeners on SoundCloud and beyond, unlimited hosting time, and advanced stats for every episode.

AUDIO BOOM

• Audioboom offers a simple podcast page that lets the audience to listen in with advanced analytics detailing insights on podcast's performance while including an embedded player.
• Audioboom uses simple hosting that allows one to invite others to collaborate on their show by managing permissions to get help running the show or work with a co-host while monetizing his or her podcast.
• Other features include advanced analytics with breakdowns by app, device, and geographic region with distribution via Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher.

Simplecast

•  Simplecast offers unlimited storage, unlimited uploads, distribution across all platforms, listener analytic tools, themed show websites, secured RSS feeds, a standard web player, a custom website domain and recast possibilities as key features. Some key features can be further enhanced by purchasing an "Essential" or "Growth" subscription plan.
• Customers perceive user-friendliness, recasts, exhaustive analytics and their friendly team. In addition, design is often mentioned as a quality of the product.
•  Delay while streaming is often noted as a major drawback of the system. Also, many customers complain surrounding the product's pricing, mostly focused on unfair distribution of features across pricing tiers.
• The majority of users are satisfied with their product, with only one negative review among more than two dozen positive ones.
• Simplecast offers three pricing tiers, named "Basic", "Essential" and "Growth" respectively. The "Basic" tier is priced at $15/month, the "Essential" is priced at $35/month while the "Growth" costs $85/month. The "Growth" pricing tier is aimed at businesses and enterprises.
• In their official blog, Simplecast mostly addresses business owners and professional podcasters. This indicates their target audience are professional podcasters and business owners.
• One of Simplecast's competitive advantages is that their product is used by various enterprise-level companies and famous brands, as stated on their website. Additionally, they offer "One-click" publishing and distribution of podcast episodes. Also, the company offers "enterprise-scale" analytics at an affordable price, accessible to all podcasters.

Acast

• Acast offers podcasters safe transition from their previous platform to theirs, new feed launch, the "Create" tool for uploading episodes, statistics tracking, international sales teams, dynamic audio insertion and the ability to host shows through their Acast App.
• Customers point out friendly user interface as the main advantage of this product, alongside with lack of extraneous advertisements.
• The most negative customer reviews are aimed at playback issues, including but not limited to sudden crashes and connectivity issues.
• The average rating of the Acast app is 4.5 stars on Google Play and 4.8  stars on Apple Store. Positive and negative reviews are evenly distributed.
• Acast only has one pricing tier, Acast+. Listeners are allowed to choose their own pricing, ranging from $2,99/month to $6,99/month, based on how many shows they want to listen. Some features of the system are free and ad-supported.
• Acast targets enterprise-level companies with their advertising services, emphasizing brand recognition, audience management and brand safety and describing themselves as the "world leaders in podcast advertising".
• One of Acast's competitive advantages is that they offer website widget implementation accross all device types. Also, they have an app that enables listeners to more conveniently access podcasts. Ultimately, Acast offers some of its services free of charge, by relying on ads.

Research strategy

ANCHOR

• Anchor offers unlimited free hosting.
• It monetizes podcasts by matching podcasts with brands that may be interested. It also allows listeners to sign up for monthly donations through its Listener Support feature.
• Anchor is 100% free.

• The services provided by Anchor are 100% free.
• Anchor tools allow podcasters to edit the intros and outros of their file from any mobile device.

• Because using Anchor is free, it was stated that it technically owns the podcasters content, which they can modify, share, and use however they like.
• The accounts are locked to just a single podcast channel with limited host control.

• Anchor is rated 3.5/5 by PCMag.
• Its lack of advanced features makes unappealing to advanced podcasters.

• Anchor is designed for new podcast hosts, with the aim of serving the larger podcaster community in the long run.
• Spotify now owns Anchor, thus it has the advantage of being backed by a stable business.
• It is considered as one of the top options for "free" podcast hosting without bandwidth and storage restrictions, yet it still provides analytics and monetization options.
• One of its unique features is its transcription service that turns audio files into a shareable video clips.

POST by Futuri Media

• POST's technology turns audio into an on-demand content designed by Futuri Media for broadcasters.
• It has a transcription service and straightforward ad insertion.
• It is designed to quickly edit and publish broadcast content to get immediate media coverage.

• POST offers comprehensive training and proactively monitors the users' performance.
• According to a survey by Nielsen, stations that use POST podcasting on their channels have attracted three times more time-shifted listening, and is higher among 18 to 49 years old demographics.
• It automatically transforms station audio into video content with licensed images that helps radios to reach highly monetizable audiences.

• When it comes to disadvantages, there are limited reviews done on the POST software specifically, but mostly are pertaining to the services of Futuri Media platforms in general.
• The pricing model is not presented in the official website, while other software review sites indicate that it was not provided by third-party review sites, thus, broadcasters interested on using this specific Futuri platform has to contact Futuri first.

• Users of Futuri's POST call it a "game-changer" option for radio stations as it enables them to easily create an embeddable and shareable social content from the station.
• POST users see growth on broadcast ratings.
• It also creates sellable digital assets to broadcasters' existing content.

• Pricing details are not provided by Futuri Media.

• Post is specifically designed for radio broadcasters.

• POST has a fully-licensed image library that enables users to add custom images to audio without expensive fines.
• POST is newly integrated with YouTube, the top platform for podcast consumption by listeners.
• Interviews from the radio stations that may not be played on air in full can be accessed through their social media platforms because of using POST.

Research Strategy:

PODBEAN

• Podbean's features are website builder and full-featured podcast site, unlimited storage and bandwidth, search engine optimized, and reliable cloud hosting.
• Podbean offers four main plans: Free plan ($0), Unlimited Audio ($9), Unlimited Plus ($29), and Business($99).

BUZZSPROUT

• Buzzsprout's features are advanced podcast statistics, automatic episode optimization, and transcription.
• Buzzsprout offers 4 main plans: Free plan ($0) for 2 hours of upload audio per month, $12/month for 3 hours, $18/month for 6 hours, and $24/month for 12 hours.

1. BLUBRRY

Key Features

• Blubrry uses a state-of-the-art content delivery network that guarantees to provide best-in-class performance.
• It integrates easily with individual websites.
• It has ID3 tagging (e.g. artwork, embed title, etc to media files).
• Blubrry also provides accurate advertiser-trusted podcast statistics and is used by major radio and TV networks with world-class CDN of over 35 data centers worldwide.
• It provides an additional 25% data storage above what's included in each plan, without extra cost.
• It has free phone support, scheduled one-on-one consulting, and video conference.

Advantages

• Its Powerpress WordPress plugin lets the user run their podcasts right on their main website.
• The advanced statistics used for data analysis.
• And, its "No-Fault Hosting" where every user has a 25% complimentary data storage above the limit for each service plan.
• Blubrry helps in finding sponsors with premium content features through its Powerpress.

Disadvantages

• The advanced analytics provided by Blubrry needs an additional $5 as fee (e.g. if the user wants trending information on regional demographics) while others provide it with no extra cost.
• It does not offer an option of creating a mobile app inside the platform while others (like Libsyn) has this feature.
• One concern in choosing Blubrry is its slightly expensive pricing compared to its competitors that offer unlimited storage in almost the same price.
• Other users who are not WordPress hosted do not find its Powerpress system appealing.

Reviews

• It was rated 4.7/5 in Podcast Insights.
• Blubrry's use of Powerpress makes it easier to upload episodes.
• The way Blubrry helps in finding sponsors through its detailed analytics makes podcasters choose this platform.

Pricing

• Small: $12/month (100MB)
• Medium: $20/month (250MB)
• Large: $40/month (500MB)
• Extra Large: $80/month (1,000MB)
• Professional: Price is available upon request for details (unlimited storage)

Target Market

•  Media creators, advertisers, and media consumers.

Competitive Advantage

• Users find its "No-Fault Hosting" an advantage compared to other podcasts.
• Blubrry has numerous features that everything a user might need.
• What makes Blubrry stand out is its Powerpress that allows quick and easy sharing of episodes to any WordPress running website.

2. TRANSISTOR

Key Features

• Transistor allows users to host multiple podcasts in one price, not per show.
• It has an advanced podcast analytics about average downloads, number of subscribers, trends, etc.
• It enables users to embed their podcast episodes to WordPress, Squarespace, and Twitter.
• It easily integrates with other podcast hosts by just entering the current RSS feed.

Advantages

• Users of Transistor finds it easy to use with a very straightforward process and lots of tutorials.
• It also offers a free 14-day trial.
• It allows users to browse through the website while playing an episode uninterrupted.
• Its initial price of $19/month for 10,000 downloads is considered favorable.

Disadvantages

• Unlike other podcasts that support both audio and video files, Transistor only supports audio files.
• Transistor does not offer add-on monetization services (e.g. advertiser matching or ad-injection).

Reviews

• Transistor was rated 5/5 by its users through Product Hunt and is highly recommended.
• Most reviews talk about its intuitiveness and user-friendly aspects.
• Its plans are considered affordable by serious podcasters looking for budget considerations.

Pricing

•  Starter: $19/month ($190/year), 10,000 downloads per month
•  Professional: $49/month ($490/year), 50,000 downloads per month
•  Business: $99/month ($990/year), 150,000 downloads per month

Target Market

• Transistor is more focused on brands and professional podcasters.

Competitive Advantage

• Transistor stands out because of its user-friendly attributes and functionality.
• It also gives users the full control of their podcast website and options of hosting through Transistor or the user's own website through its embedded player.
• If a podcast website is hosted on Transistor, it can be integrated with email newsletters such as Mail Chimp and Drip. Hence, email signups can be collected right from the podcast's homepage.
• Its podcast statistics and analytics is more detailed, including average downloads per episode, listener trends, number of subscribers, complete episode breakdown, and a map of the listeners' location.

Captivate

• Captivate is a podcast platform created for “independent podcasters.”
• It has features such as advanced analytics, unlimited podcasts, importation of shows, and more.
• It was only launched recently this January 2019.
• Additionally, the plans offered are Podcaster ($19 per month), Audio Influencer ($49 per month), and Podcast Brand ($99 per month).

Castos

• Castos is a podcast platform catered to bloggers and those who want to monetize and privatize their content.
• Castos' features include WordPress plug-ins, independent RSS-feeds, YouTube Republishing, and others.
• The plans they offer include Starter ($19 per month), Growth ($34 per month), and Pro ($49 per month).

Research Strategy

PODOMATIC

Key Features

• Podomatic uses powerful podcast stats to review growth and listeners engagement.
• Podcast can be played directly from Facebook and Twitter feeds, and one can embed episodes on their site or on any other social media network.
• The firm has partnered with Weebly to provide their powerful drag-and-drop website builder to all its premium level members, hosting and domain included and no coding needed.
• It Has both free service and a premium version.
• With Podomatic one is able earn revenue with advertising and crowdsourcing through its partnerships.
• Has a free podcast App for IOS and Android.

Advantages

•  Easy to set up a podcast for a beginner and easy to learn.
•  Easy to sign up for beginners.
• Easy to use and easily lets one keep track of their podcasts.
• It allows users to upload audios totally free and in turn offers simple tools to publish podcasts.
• One is able to store a list of interesting podcasts to listened to later.
• It offers podcasts in several subject areas that are easily accessible.
• Anyone with a smartphone can access their podcasts with any podcast app in the Play Stores.
• The homepage has a clean design and isn’t too busy.

Disadvantages

• Many people do not have knowledge of this platform so it reduces the number of people using this app.
• Podcasts take more time to elaborate, than to publish your information in a blog or in any web page.
• It crashed several times and this can be frustrating."
• The blatant nature of the paywall is frustrating.

Reviews

• The firm has a perfect 10/10 in Ease of Setup.
• Podomatic has 8.3/10 in Ease of Use.
• The firm has a 5.6/10 in regard to quality of Support.
• Podomatic rates 3.9/5 stars.

Pricing (if available)

• There is the Basic Free Account with No strings attached of 500 MB Storage with 15 GB Bandwidth/month.
• The PRO account takes your voice to a professional level with 2 GB Storage with100 GB Bandwidth/month for $8.32 per month for annual plans.
• The PRO PLUS accounts that Extends your reach to your growing audience has a 2.5 GB Storage with 200 GB Bandwidth/month for $12.49 per month for annual plans.
• PRO PLATINUM account that one can Host their massive audience and podcast library has a 5 GB Storage with 500 GB Bandwidth/month for $20.82 per month for annual plans.
• BROADCASTER account for the Podcasting Rock stars where one can build a podcast website and host it with Unlimited Storage, Unlimited Bandwidth and Free Podomatic Ads is not priced but one needs to get into contact with Podomatic for more pricing details.

Target market

• Based on the pricing the target market includes brand new podcasters, enterprise-level companies, and solo professional podcasters.

Competitive Advantage

• Podomatic competitive advantage against competition is that it is easy to use as one is able to record, upload, publish and promote.

FIRESIDE

Key Features

• Has a customized in-built Website that is beautiful, responsive with episode pages, your images, custom pages, redirects, host and guest pages, and more.
• Has downloadable stats & analytic that display massive amounts of data about unique downloads with the industry’s most trusted podcast hosting and download tracking systems in compliance with IAB.
• Has a built-in security with a free SSL (https) certificate for both sub domains and your own custom domain name, ensuring your website and all of its content is delivered to the user's audience securely.
• One can use their own custom domain to create a seamless experience for your listeners.
•  Fireside imports all the user's episodes, titles, descriptions, MP3 files, and important metadata from anywhere with just one click no matter where you currently host.
• Has a lightning-fast file hosting.

Advantages

• Fireside provide accurate and detailed stats and analytic in real-time.
• One can easily import podcast hosted elsewhere into Fireside without losing your subscribers.
• With Fireside one can get an awesome website and blog (with a customized domain name) for your podcast.
• Fireside gives out a 7-day free trial to see and learn more about Fireside.
• Fireside keep things simple as there is one plan for $19/month with everything unlimited.
• Fireside is good with audio and just RSS feeds.

Disadvantages

• Fireside is not the place for video podcasts.

Reviews

• Most reviews appreciate the accurate, detailed stats and analytic given by the platform in real time.

Pricing (if available)

• One plan for $19 monthly that includes 1 Podcast, Unlimited Episodes, Unlimited Downloads, Unlimited Storage, Full analytic and DataBeautiful, responsive website and 1-Click Importing from Your Old Provider.

Target market

• The firm says it is a powerful podcast hosting and analytic by podcasters, for podcasters and this indicates their target audience are all types of podcasters without any special mention of any special group.

Competitive Advantage

• The firm says that it's accurate, real-time download stats and analytic reporting are at the very core of the product, making sure every unique download is tracked and counted accurately.
• The Fireside dashboard was designed to give a simple user experience.
• Fireside was built to serve the podcast community and the focus is on delivering the best overall experience for podcasters of all levels with a feature comparison that is based on the direct input of real-world podcasts, customer feedback and founder experience.