Inthe latest edition of WebsitePlanet interviews, Barry Luijbregts, Founder and CTO of Podhome, shares the inspiring story behind the creation of his podcast hosting platform. From simplifying the podcasting process to providing innovative features, Barry discusses how Podhome is revolutionizing the way creators manage and distribute their podcasts.

Can you share a few details about Podhome’s founding story and its mission?

Podhome was founded out of my own experience as a podcast creator. I realized how involved the process of producing a quality podcast could be, from crafting detailed metadata to managing transcripts and chapters, basically manually doing all those things that can make a podcast stand out. A few years ago, I was using podcast hosting services and found that while some platforms were good, they were often expensive and required clunky add-ons for features like chapter creation. With a background in software development and a passion for podcasts, I decided to build a solution for myself. Podcasts are a powerful tool for learning, inspiration, and open dialogue, so I wanted to make the process easier and more accessible. What started as a personal project quickly grew into something much bigger, and now Podhome serves a growing community of podcast creators who appreciate its streamlined approach.

What features does Podhome offer?

Podhome offers a range of features that set it apart from other podcast hosting platforms. One of the key differentiators is that we provide unlimited shows, episodes, uploads, and downloads for a flat monthly rate of $15.99. Unlike other platforms that might charge per show, limit the number of episodes you can upload, or cap downloads, we ensure that everything is truly unlimited. Additionally, we include unlimited advanced features at no extra cost.

For example, our Podhome AI automates the creation of chapters, transcripts, and other metadata, generating multiple title ideas and descriptions quickly and with high accuracy, in around 90 languages. This tool streamlines the process, making it incredibly easy to upload an episode, apply the AI features, and be ready to publish.

Moreover, we pride ourselves on being the most modern podcast hosting company by supporting almost all the features of Podcasting 2.0, a project by Adam Curry and Dave Jones aimed at modernizing the podcasting experience. These features include chapters, transcripts, and even live podcasting, where you can start a live broadcast. These features are formulated in a way that all podcast player apps can recognize and are included in our standard subscription, making Podhome a comprehensive and future-proof platform for podcasters.

What’s your approach to podcast distribution?

Podcast distribution is a fundamental service offered by podcast hosting companies, and at Podhome, we’ve made it incredibly straightforward. When you create an account with us, you can either start new podcasts or import existing ones, and then choose where you’d like to distribute them. They go from us to a podcast directory like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, and the Podcast Index from Podcasting 2.0.

Those are all databases and once you’ve selected your distribution channels, our system handles the rest. With just a click, your podcast is listed in these directories. From there, directories like Podcast Index regularly check for updates, new episodes, or any changes, ensuring that your listeners always have access to the latest content. The various podcast player apps, such as the Apple Podcasts app on iOS, pull from these directories to display updates and new episodes.

Our goal is to make distribution seamless, so your show reaches audiences on nearly every podcast player app available. If we ever miss a directory, you can easily add it manually using the RSS feed we provide. This ensures maximum reach and accessibility for your content across the podcasting landscape.

You also offer users the opportunity to easily generate a website for their podcast. What can you tell me about that part of your work?

We call them “Podhome Websites.” Our philosophy is to include all the essential tools a podcaster might need, beyond just podcast hosting. A dedicated website is crucial because it gives you a place to send your audience where they can listen to your episodes, explore additional content, and even find links to funding platforms like Patreon.

With Podhome, you can generate a website for your podcast with just a click. Whether you have one show or multiple, our platform allows you to create a website effortlessly. You can also use a custom domain name, so your site could be something like “yourpodcast.com,” fully integrated with our platform.

These websites are customizable, allowing you to tweak colors, add extra pages, and tailor the site to match your podcast’s branding. And yes, it’s all included in your subscription, making it as easy as possible to create a professional online presence for your podcast.

What sets Podhome apart from its competitors?

Podhome stands out primarily due to its pricing and inclusivity. At just $15.99 per month, we’re significantly more affordable than many other podcast hosting companies, which often charge higher fees and add costs for additional shows or features. With us, everything is included in that one price—unlimited shows, uploads, Podhome Websites, and even advanced tools like Podhome AI, which would typically require separate services elsewhere.

We like to call ourselves the most modern podcast hosting company, offering a wide array of contemporary features. Our ability to innovate quickly is a direct result of our modern software development practices. For instance, last Friday, we decided to expand our dynamic audio feature, which allows users to insert custom audio—like intros or outros—at any point in an episode and also remove or swap it later down the line if you decide to, for example, if you have a new intro/outro. Before, users could do that only at the beginning or the end of an episode, but many of them asked for this feature to be updated. By the following Wednesday, it was live for our customers. This speed of implementation is something you won’t find with larger companies, which often take months due to their extensive legacy code. While we know we might slow down as we grow, our current agility is a significant advantage that allows us to adapt swiftly to customer needs.

Is there anything else about your work that you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?

I just want to encourage everyone to come over and give it a try. You get 30 days for free, which is plenty of time to explore and see if Podhome is the right fit for you. You can easily import your existing show without fully committing, just to see how it all works, or create a test show—or even multiple test shows—to get a feel for the platform. We’d love for you to check it out!

To learn more about Podhome, you can visit Podhome.fm