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Table of contents:
How we’re reviewing Resonate Recordings
What does Resonate Recordings do?
Resonate’s Key Services & Features
Resonate is best for podcasters who have money to spend and no time to spare
How to Get Started with Resonate
How to Remote Record a Podcast with Resonate
How to Get Started with the Resonate iOS app
How to migrate your podcast to Resonate
How to distribute your podcast using Resonate
Resonate Recordings calls itself ‘an easier way to podcast’. On first impressions, a ‘comprehensive podcast editing services and production platform’ sounds like what many podcasters have been looking for. But when you delve deeper into the platform, it becomes apparent that every single service is itemized and priced accordingly. Podcast hosting isn’t really Resonate’s main focus, though they do offer unlimited hosting for just $25/month. In this Resonate Recordings review and walkthrough, we’ll take a look at the platform using our seven criteria and guide you through how to get started with the platform.
TL:DR
- Resonate recordings is an all-in-one production and editing service and platform that also offers podcast hosting
- Resonate offers podcast production, marketing, and editing services, each with an individual price tag.
- This platform is best for podcasters with money to spend and no time to spare
How we’re reviewing Resonate Recordings
Before we jump into Resonate, let us explain how we’re reviewing the platform and its features. We’ve identified seven key factors that we think every podcaster will consider when it comes to their podcast host:
Pricing
Price is a key consideration when choosing a hosting platform. Podcasters on tighter budgets will be looking to get a good bang for their buck and even those with more to spend will be seeking genuine value and a good range of features. That’s why we look carefully at a platform’s pricing tiers and what features and functionality each subscription offers.
Analytics
Podcasters need to be able to track and analyze how their podcast is performing. This means having access to key stats and analytics around engagement, listeners demographics, and more. We look at the kinds of metrics that a podcast hosting platform provides as well as how accessible they are.
Media Player
An embeddable media player is key to widening the reach of your podcast beyond the major listening platforms. We look for hosting platforms that offer an embeddable player, and ideally, the ability to customize it to match your branding.
File Hosting
When it comes to podcasting, audio quality is non-negotiable. That’s why we look for platforms that support lossless file formats such as WAV. We also look at file size limits and whether video podcasting is supported.
Distribution
You shouldn’t need to worry about distributing your show. Your podcast hosting platform should make submitting and distributing your podcast a breeze.
Monetization
The ability to monetize your content directly from your podcast host definitely shouldn’t be underestimated. We look for easy monetization tools that help you manage and maximize your revenue. Beyond podcast advertising, we also value the ability to create podcast subscriptions and allow your listeners to donate to you.
Useability and Additional Features
The fundamental useability of a platform is super important. We look for interfaces that have been considerately designed for podcasters, with features that are easy to use. And of course, if there are any additional tools or features that are unique to the platform, those are a great bonus.
Resonate: Quick Takeaways
Quick summary: Resonate is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for podcasting with an added edge. Resonate not only consolidates disparate podcasting tools and solutions into one platform, but offers production services and consultancy that allow you to take a step back from the podcasting process.
Price: Podcast hosting with Resonate starts at $25/month
Resonate USPs:
- Varied consultancy and production services. Resonate offers expert and professional services to help with every stage of your podcasting journey.
- Remote recorder with local recording that ensures your recordings are always the best quality audio.
- Unlimited hosting & episodes. No need to worry about monthly caps or upload limits.
What is Resonate Recordings?
Resonate was founded in 2014 to ‘build something bigger than a podcast production company’. Since then, they’ve worked with over 3000 podcasts, 13 of which have reached no.1 on Apple Podcasts.
Though one of their products is podcast hosting, this is not by any means their main business. Resonate is more of an all-in-one podcast production and consultancy that also happens to offer podcast hosting. The platform brands itself as an ‘all-in-one-solution’, that will take you all the way from writing to distribution. Their services are broad and varied, each itemized with their own individual price tag. They have a browser-based platform as well as an iOS app for recording remote interviews and managing the production process from your phone.
What does Resonate Recordings do?
Though we’ll look in depth at each area later on, here is a quick overview of what Resonate offers:
- Podcast recording (remote recording also possible) in web or iOS app
- Producer services
- Audio production services
- Video production services (for YouTube)
- Podcast launch services
- Podcast marketing services
- Podcast hosting
- Podcast analytics
How much does Resonate cost?
It’s difficult to give an exact number of ‘how much Resonate costs’ because every service is itemized with a specific price tag.
For podcast hosting alone, Resonate offers three pricing tiers:
Basic - $25 / month
- Unlimited episodes
- Unlimited downloads
- Unlimited show users
- Analytics Dashboard
- Detailed Embed Player Analytics
- Embed Player
- Live Chat Support
Premium - $49 / month
Same as above plus:
- Podcast microsite
- Dynamic Ad Insertion
Professional - Price on Request
Same as above plus:
- Embed player branding removed
- Live chat, slack and phone support
- Premium Podcast Microsite Themes
- Private Hosting
- Private Slack Channel with Resonate Team
What’s the catch with Resonate?
The podcast hosting subscriptions that Resonate offer very closely mirror packages offered by the platform’s competitors. In this sense, Resonate will most definitely serve its purpose (although admittedly, the platform is on the pricier side with fewer features on offer). However, if you want to get access to Resonate’s main USP and unique features, you need to be ready to pay for every single service.
Advantages of Resonate
Easy-to-use
Resonate is designed to be the opposite of a clunky or cluttered podcasting tool. It's sleek and modern design makes it a delight to use, meaning you can concentrate on the important tasks rather than trying to navigate the platform.
Convenient all-in-one solution
For podcasters who value convenience over all else, Resonate has got you covered. You can record, edit, mix, and distribute your platform directly from Resonate. Note, however, that each step in the process has a separate price attached to it.
Embeddable media player
The Resonate embeddable player - customizable for certain users - means that you can share your podcast with listeners outside of the major listening platforms. All data from the player is translated into actionable insights and metrics that you can access from your Resonate dashboard.
Collaborative working
Resonate caters for big production teams by allowing you unlimited team members on your account, even from the most basic hosting subscription tier.
One-click publishing & distribution
Resonate takes the stress out of publication and distribution, reducing the whole process to one click.
Podcast website
Resonate refers to podcast websites as microsites. These are available as part of the Premium hosting subscription or as a separate item starting at $999 (and $50/month for hosting).
Private podcasts / hosting
At an additional subscription fee, you can choose to create private podcasts either for internal organizational purposes or for paying subscribers.
Local & multi-track recording
When you record audio with the Resonate recorder, it’s automatically locally recorded on individual tracks for each participant. Local recording means that your audio is unaffected by dodgy internet and with multi-track recording you have the more creative freedom possible when it comes to post-production.
Expert advice on every aspect of podcasting
Resonate offers expert services and consulting on every facet of the podcasting journey. Whether you need advice on your equipment and recording setup, custom podcast cover art, a unique jingle, or you want to outsource to a professional post-production team, Resonate has you covered.
Disadvantages of Resonate
Expensive
Resonate pitches itself at a fairly high price point that may not be accessible to all podcasters. Every service and item has a specific price tag attached
Can’t monetize directly
Although Resonate provides for dynamic ad insertion, there is no integrated monetization direct through the platform. You can upload ads to the platform to be dynamically inserted when someone streams your podcast.
No video podcast
Resonate does not support video podcasts. You can’t record video podcasts with the Resonate Recorder or upload them to the podcast host for publication.
Resonate’s Key Services & Features
Resonate offers a huge array of services specific to each stage of the podcasting journey. In this section, we explore a few of their key services.
Remote Recorder
To use Resonate’s Remote Recorder it’s $20/month. There’s also a free 30-day trial, or, if you’ve spent more than $5000 with them in the past year, you qualify for a year of free usage.
With a subscription to Resonate’s Remote Recorder (browser and iOS), you get:
- Unlimited recording time
- Up to 10 guests
- Faster workflow - record, mix and host all from one app
- Local recording
- Multi-track recording
- Progressive uploading
- Automatic cloud backups
- Live chat support
Resonate Player
Depending on your Resonate recorder plan, you will get access to an embeddable media player that you can customize with your own colors. The Resonate Media Player records and reports all listener interactions and engagements to give you an in-depth look at how your podcast is performing.
DAI
Resonate allows you to manage your existing ads and insert them into your content using their Dynamic Ad Insertion technology. All you need to do is upload the ad audio to your account by ‘creating an ad’ and choose where you want the ad to play (pre, mid or post with specific timestamps).
Private Hosting - starts at $99/month for up to 65 users
If you want to create an internal organizational podcast or a private podcast feed for paying subscribers, you can do this through Resonate’s private podcast hosting feature.
You can choose to create a private RSS feed, a unique subscriber RSS feed, a password protected microsite, or embed your podcast on a secure site using the Resonate authenticated embed player.
Private hosting includes:
- High levels of security and privacy
- Analytics and listener metrics
- Ability to work collaboratively with a team
- Access to Resonate API to automatically add subscribers
Podcast Directory Setup - $499
They take the stress out of the distribution process for you. The Resonate team handles everything by setting up your podcast hosting and submitting your show to all the major listening platforms.
You have to pay an additional $50 per directory submission (outside of Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and iHeart Radio)
Launch Packages
Resonate offers specific launch packages that range from $1,999 to $5,799, with a myriad of different services included such as:
- Onboarding
- Podcast Artwork and Music
- Directory Setup
- 1 hour Podcast Consulting
- Audio and Video Trailers
Producer Services
For podcasters who are looking to outsource from beginning to end, Resonate’s Producer Services will fit the bill and offer you an outside perspective on the content creation process:
- Co-writing scripts
- Editing
- Adding music beds
- Collaborating on content
- Outsource the hardest tasks
Audio Podcast Production
Resonate’s Audio Podcast Production services are aimed at podcasters who are unable to take care of post-production themselves or who would rather enlist a professional:
- Mixing/reducing background and room noise
- Balance dynamics/tone
- Organize all your audio files
- Editing and cutting
- Mastering the audio
The entire editing process is still collaborative and you retain ultimate oversight. You can upload your audio along with instructions, comment on revisions, and approve the final masters before publishing through the Resonate platform.
Resonate charges on a per-episode basis rather than through a rolling contract. Their rates are as follows:
- Standard rate - $69 per episode
- Premium is $159 / episode
- Enhanced – $239 / episode
- Enterprise - $449 and up
- Custom - $750 and up
Video production
Starting at $239 per episode, Resonate’s video production services are aimed at converting your podcast audio into video format fit for YouTube. Resonate will spruce up your externally recorded remote video podcasts by:
- Adding backgrounds
- Color grading and color corrections
- Editing out mistakes (up to 10 edits with the basic plan)
- Adding in simple animations (pop ups and lower thirds)
- Inserting transitions
You can also opt to pay for subtitling or burnt-in captions at $2 / minute
Podcast marketing
If you need a marketing stack for your podcast, Resonate can kit you out. As ever, each marketing asset on offer has an individual price tag attached:
- Show notes (SEO rich) - starting at $50
- Transcriptions - $1.50 / minute
- Audiograms - an audio snippet perfect for social sharing and promotion - $50
- Videograms - a short video clip for promotional purposes - $50
- Social cards - essentially a visual social media asset for promoting your podcast on your social platforms
Resonate is best for podcasters who have money to spend and no time to spare
Looking at Resonate as a podcast host, its packages are good but fairly expensive. It’s likely you’ll be able to find a better deal with more features included elsewhere.
Considering Resonate holistically, with all its services, features and products, it’s safe to say this is a great platform for podcasters with a big budget but little time to spare. If you’re a creator who’s committed to developing a high-caliber, professional podcast from the ground-up, and are willing to outsource, Resonate will handle everything from start to finish - as long as you’re willing to shoulder the hefty bill at the end.
How to Get Started with Resonate
Step 1: Sign up. Request a quote and fill in the form on their website.
Step 2: Schedule your onboarding call to learn about Resonate, how it works and the features available to you.
Step 3: Meet your personal Producer and work with them to create unique customized plan
Step 4: If you’re only interested in the podcast hosting, you can give their platform a try by starting with a 14 day free trial.
How to Remote Record a Podcast with Resonate
Remember, in order to be able to use the Remote Recorder function, you’ll need to sign up for an additional $20/month subscription.
Step 1: Log in to your Resonate Recordings account.
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Step 2: Click on ‘Recordings’ and then ‘Start a recording session’ in the top left.
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Step 3: Hit ‘start a call’ and give your recording files a name.
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Step 4: Make sure that your microphone settings are all correct.
Step 5: Click on ‘Guests’ and fill out your ‘Invite list’ by adding emails. When you’re done, click ‘Send invites’.
Step 6: When everyone is on the call and is ready to go, click ‘Start recording’.
Step 7: When you’re finished, click ‘Stop recording’.
Step 8: If you’ve bought Resonate credits for post-production services, you can then repurpose the recording into a podcast episode directly. In your Resonate dashboard click ‘Start an Episode’.
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Step 9: Select your Resonate episode credit
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Step 10: Fill in all the details about your podcast episode and select the recording session you want to use. Then submit your new episode for post-production.
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How to Get Started with the Resonate iOS app
The Resonate iOS app is a creation tool as much as it is a management tool.
If you’re using Resonate production services, the app is even more essential. Through the app, you can communicate directly with the Resonate team, keep track of progress, comment on revisions, and sign off on your podcast episodes before they’re published.
To use the iOS Remote Recorder:
Step 1: Download the Resonate iOS app from the app store
Step 2: Make sure all your guests have downloaded the iOS app and have created a free account.
Step 3: To remote record using the Remote iOS app, you’ll first need to start a Session from your browser dashboard and send the session invite to your remote participants. They can then open the session on their phones.
Step 4: Click start recording on the web app.
Step 5: Enjoy your session from your iPhone
How to migrate your podcast to Resonate
Migrating your podcast to Resonate is quick and easy. According to their website, it should take only 10 minutes.
Step 1: Sign up for Resonate hosting.
Step 2: Head to the Resonate Feed Importer, and copy and paste your RSS feed URL into the box.
Step 3: Click ‘import’ and then ‘continue’
Step 4: Once migration has been completed, don’t forget to redirect your RSS feed over to Resonate and to update your RSS feed in all your directories.
If you’re struggling, Resonate provides detailed instructions for migrating from a variety of major podcast hosts.
How to distribute your podcast using Resonate
If you purchase Resonate’s Hosting & Distribution add-on, the team will take care of submitting your podcast to six platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Stitcher. If you want them to submit to additional platforms, they’ll charge you an extra $50 per directory.
Resonate Podcast Analytics
In your analytics dashboard, Resonate gathers all the key insights into your podcast’s performance. Resonate divides your data according to the listening platform that it’s coming from:
- Daily downloads
- Total downloads
- Top episodes
- Geographic location
- % played in the Resonate Embeddable Player
- Embed player engagement
Resonate Recordings Alternatives
Anchor vs Resonate recordings
Though Anchor and Resonate are both ‘all-in-one’ podcasting solutions, they have very different target audiences. Anchor is free for all podcasters, regardless of the features they’re using. Resonate, on the other hand, puts a price on every single service. If you’re restricted by budget, Anchor is the clear choice.
Buzzsprout vs Resonate recordings
Buzzsprout doesn’t offer recording capabilities, though to use Resonate’s Remote Recorder you need to pay an additional fee. This means podcasters looking for creation capabilities might not find what they’re looking for in either of these platforms.
When it comes to pricing, Buzzsprout offers different subscription tiers that have monthly upload limits. The most comparable plan to Resonate’s Basic subscription at $25/month is $24/month for 12 hours of upload. Given that with Resonate you get unlimited uploads, podcasters who don’t want to worry about
Soundcloud vs Resonate recordings
The key difference between Soundcloud and Resonate recordings is that Soundcloud isn’t just meant to be a podcast hosting and distribution platform - it’s a streaming platform. Though pricey, Resonate is built for podcasters by experts in the industry, which may make a difference for some creators.
From a pricing perspective, Soundcloud’s Pro Unlimited plan is $144/year, whilst Resonate’s basic hosting plan is $300.
Podbean vs Resonate recordings
When comparing Podbean and Resonate recordings, the starkest difference is the value for money you get with each platform. Podbean offers a $9/month subscription which gives you unlimited hosting, a podcast website, and monetization options through their Ads marketplace and AI dynamic insertion technology. By contrast, with Resonate’s basic hosting package, you don’t get access to that many additional features.
Final thoughts on Resonate
As a podcast host, Resonate offers unlimited episodes, team members, and hosting for $25 a month. However, this basic subscription doesn’t give you access to that many of Resonate’s features such as a microsite or an embeddable player. If you’re a creator on the hunt for a new hosting solution, we’d bet you could find a better deal elsewhere.
That being said, Resonate isn’t really a podcast host at heart. It’s a comprehensive podcast production and consultancy service that offers hosting as an additional service. If you’re in need of professional input on your podcasting journey, or are looking to hand off responsibility and outsource your podcast completely, Resonate is definitely a strong contender.
FAQs about Resonate Recordings
What is Resonate podcast?
Resonate calls itself ‘your comprehensive podcast editing services and production platform’. It’s an all-in-one solution that can take your podcast idea to a fully-polished professional podcast, with the help of an expert team. They offer different services separately or as a part of a package, including podcast hosting.
Want to read more on podcast hosting platforms? Check out our other reviews:
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