Podcasts

Have you ever listened to a podcast? In a recent article, Salman Aslam (2023) shared that while only 22% of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasting in 2006, by 2021 this figure had risen to 78%. In 2023 the number of podcast listeners is expected to surpass 160 million! This platform for information sharing continues to rise in popularity. Additionally, 74% of people listen to podcasts to learn new things, which makes it an ideal place for students, teachers, and educators to share knowledge.

While I have only this year begun listening to podcasts myself, I have quickly become a fan due to the ability to access them anywhere, especially during activities like cleaning or driving. However, I have never attempted creating a podcast before, so some research was needed to do so. I created accounts for three podcast hosting platforms to compare their features and usability: Spotify for Podcasters (formerly known as Anchor), Buzzsprout, and PodBean. I typically have a strong preference towards one platform when doing these kinds of comparisons, but to be honest I felt they were all great and each had different benefits to offer. Read on for more information on the podcast I created and my evaluations of these different platforms.

Creating My Podcast

My podcasting partner Sylvia and I had a great time collaborating to create our podcast, Library Lore: Exploring Books Beyond the Stacks, where we aim to explore quality literature from the perspective of librarians! In this episode, “Time Traveling Through the Pages of Historical Fiction,” we inform listeners on how librarians evaluate historical fiction novels and share some children’s literature recommendations. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to our podcast at the link below and leave us a comment about your favorite historical fiction novel for children!

➡️ Click here to listen to our podcast episode! ⬅️

You can also visit our Podcast channel on Spotify or on Spotify for Podcasters.

I created the cover art through Canva, combining Sylvia’s love of purple with the vision of us in a library discussing books together. I took this opportunity to explore Canva’s new AI-powered Media Magic feature for creating the picture. I’d love to do a future exploration into different AI creation platforms to see how they compare – perhaps the topic of a future post on this blog! 

Spotify for Podcasters (https://podcasters.spotify.com/)

This is the platform my podcast partner Sylvia and I ended up using. We needed a platform that made recording from different locations possible, since we live nearly 6 hours apart. The Spotify for Podcasters mobile app makes the process of recording multiple people through their phones very easy. As seen in the images below, it is very easy to find where to record and how to invite friends to record with you.

   

Once recordings are made, they are instantly saved to your library, which can also be accessed via computer in your account. From there you can easily combine and edit multiple recordings, as well as transition music, into one episode. 

Another large benefit of Spotify for Podcasters is that they offer free hosting, without the limits other platforms place on free accounts. The length of recording times does differ based on the device you are recording from, but other than that there are few limits. Once saving, the podcast is quickly available on Spotify, but you can also export the recording to different listening platforms. There are also options for monetization, but I did not explore those at this point. I also like how the platform allows you to post a Q&A question that listeners can respond to for growing engagement.

One thing that initially confused me with this platform was how to set up certain features before creating my podcast recording. For example, you cannot start with creating an episode name or cover art. You must start with the recording, and then are led to fill those parts in step-by-step once the episode is put together. It would be hard to explore this platform’s operating possibilities without going through the entire process of publishing the podcast episode. 

Overall, using Spotify for Podcasters was a great experience and I would both recommend it and use it again. They also provide articles and resources for learning more, including this helpful guide to starting a podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/resources/learn/how-to/start-a-podcast. 

Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com/)

Buzzsprout has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. It also has easy distribution to major podcast directories and opportunity for website integration. A feature I liked was the ability to create episode artwork through Canva directly on the platform and have it upload straight into your Buzzsprout account.

The biggest negative to me with this platform is the limited free hosting. The free plan has limited storage and feature access. I started with 2 hours of content upload available, with a note that my allowance would renew in one month or I could upgrade to get more time. Depending on your intended podcast use that may or may not be enough time. There are plans to upgrade to 3 hours each month for $12/month, 6 hours for $18/month, and 12 hours for $24/month, each with hourly fee options to upload more content. The biggest deterrent for us to using this platform is that with the free plan, episodes are only hosted for 90 days.

Podbean (https://www.podbean.com/)

Podbean has a very organized dashboard, making it easy for find and control features. I liked the way it was organized with features in a panel alone the left side, much like in the previously explored programs of Canva and Pixton. There are many features available including the ability to create a podcase website, easily submit the podcast to popular podcast apps such as Apple, Google, Spotify, Audible, etc., share to social media, and include an embeddable player. Thanks in part to all the advanced options, Podbean could have a steeper learning curve than others. 

The free, basic plan includes 5 hours of storage space and 100 GB monthly bandwidth before upgrading. All upgraded pay plans include unlimited storage space and unmetered bandwidth. The Unlimited Audio plan is $9/month (billed annually or $14 monthly) and the Unlimited Plus plan, which is best for video podcasts and podcast monetization, costs $29/month (billed annually or $39 monthly). I do like that Podbean’s free plan does not delete episodes, but it is also a costly option if planning to upgrade to video or access monetization features.

Use of Podcasts in the Library

As mentioned previously, the majority of people listen to podcasts to learn new things. Since the library is a hub for knowledge within a school, podcasts can serve many purposes in a library setting. Some possible uses include:

• Sharing of educational content aligning to classroom coursework

• Promotion of library services and library orientation information

• Author interviews

• Book/audiobook recommendations and promotions

• Children’s programs and storytelling

• Staff training and professional development

• Community engagement and sharing of local history 

• Student projects to show learning or collaborate with others

Educational Podcasts

There are many podcasts out there about libraries and learning. Here are some to get you started on your educational podcast listening journey:

Stuff You Should Know is a popular weekly educational podcast covering everything and anything, from history and science to pop culture and anything else you can imagine.

The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching is hosted by two instruction librarians who “share their experiences with teaching information literacy, discussing current trends, and having meaningful conversations about librarianship.”

The Librarian Is In is The New York Public Library’s podcast about books, culture, and what to read next. This podcast is said to be, “funny, smart, and everything you could possibly want in a reader’s advisory podcast by librarian New Yorkers.”

Cyberpunk Librarian talks about all things digital including “ideas, trends, and cool stuff for technologically minded librarians who are high tech and low budget.”

Resources

Aslam, S. (2023, January 8). Podcasts by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts You Need To Know. Omnicore. https://www.omnicoreagency.com/podcast-statistics/ 

Buzzsprout. (n.d.). https://www.buzzsprout.com/ 

Bryant, C. & Clark, J. (Hosts). (2008-present). Stuff You Should Know [Audio podcast]. https://stuffyoushouldknow.com/

Canva. (n.d.). https://www.canva.com/

Collerius, F. & Chen, C. (Hosts). (2015-present). The Librarian Is In [Audio podcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-librarian-is-in/id1070595177?mt=2

Garcia, J., & Ellis, C. (2022, March 16). Best podcast hosting: 13 free and paid platforms tested and compared. Tooltester. https://www.tooltester.com/en/blog/podcast-hosting/ 

Gooding-Call, A. (2020, January 6). 13 must-hear librarian podcasts. Book Riot. https://bookriot.com/librarian-podcasts/ 

How to start a podcast: The creator’s step-by-step guide. Spotify for Podcasters. (2023, July 26). https://podcasters.spotify.com/resources/learn/how-to/start-a-podcast 

Messer, D. (Host). (2013-2022). Cyberpunk Librarian [Audio podcast]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cyberpunk-librarian/id510825688

Piekart, A. & Kiebler, J. (Hosts). (2019-2021). The Librarian’s Guide to Teaching [Audio podcast]. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/librariansguidetoteaching

Podbean. (n.d.). https://www.podbean.com/ 

Spotify for Podcasters. (n.d.). https://podcasters.spotify.com/ 

Yakubovsky, M. (2020, June 11). Handing students the MIC: Podcasting to increase engagement. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/handing-students-the-mic-podcasting-to-increase-engagement?utm_campaign=1519-hs&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ascdexpress