Spreaker Review: Pros, Cons & Platform Walkthrough

How we’re reviewing Spreaker 

In order to comprehensively review the Spreaker Podcast Hosting platform, we looked at it using seven factors that we believe give us a good picture of how it performs in relation to other podcast hosting platforms: 

Pricing 

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, pricing is a big consideration when it comes to choosing a hosting platform. For this reason, we take a close look at how much a podcast hosting platform costs, what their pricing plans look like, and whether they offer good value for money. 

Analytics 

Analytics are the key to understanding how your podcast is performing. We value podcast hosting platforms that give you the level of detailed data and insights that you deserve. We also ensure that the analytics are integrated, easy to understand and to action.

Media Player 

Though easy to overlook, an embeddable podcast media player is absolutely essential if you want to share your podcast directly to your own site. Some podcasters prefer to offer their audiences their content separate to dedicated listening platforms. Beyond just offering one, we look at whether the platform offers a customizable media player and whether you can choose how many episodes to link. 

File Hosting 

Compatible file formats  can affect the maximum quality of your audio. Though some podcasters may be able to work with lossy file formats, others will settle for nothing less than the best. In the same vein, though not all podcasters have ventured into the world of video podcasting, many have. That’s why we review podcast hosting platforms based on which file formats they work with and whether they offer both audio and video. 

Distribution 

A podcast hosting platform arguably has two fundamental functions: hosting and distributing. That’s why we focus on how easy a platform makes it for podcasters to get their podcast out onto the major listening platforms. We believe it should be a quick, stress-free, and ideally, automated process. 

Monetization 

With all the different ways that you can monetize your podcast, we think that all podcasters should have a range of different revenue streams at their fingertips. We look for podcast hosting platforms that make monetization simple and easy. Even if you haven’t ventured into making your podcast into an income source, we believe the potential to do so at some point is essential. 

Useability and Additional Features 

In some ways, the useability and additional features are ‘nice-to-haves’. After all, we can all grin and bear it if a platform’s interface is clunky or hard to use. However, if a podcast hosting platform invests in its UX design and offers features that actively enhance user experience, we’re here for it. 

Spreaker: Quick Takeaways 

Quick summary: 

Spreaker styles itself as a ‘complete solution’ for the podcasting industry. It is, in essence, a one-stop-shop for all things podcasting. Whether you’re recording, hosting, distributing or monetizing, Spreaker takes care of it all. It’s aimed at a cross-section of podcasters, from side-hustlers, passion projects, to serious professionals. There is also a Spreaker Podcast Player app that is aimed at listeners. 

Price: Five different pricing plans: Free, On-Air Talent, Broadcaster, Anchorman, and Publisher (more on this later)

Spreaker’s USPs:

• 360-degree podcasting tool. You can do everything with Spreaker since it’s a ‘full stack solution for audio publishing’ 
• Make money from day one. Unlike other platforms, Spreaker doesn’t set thresholds for audience numbers or other metrics, so you can start monetizing straight away (although note you need 5000 monthly downloads to access Spreaker Prime). 
• Ad injection & ad exchange. Spreaker gives you in-depth control over your ad programming. It helps you to sell your audio inventory to ensure that you have a 100% fill rate. 

What is Spreaker? 

Launched in 2010 by Francesco Baschieri, Maro Pracucci and Rocco Zanni, Spreaker is a ‘360-degree’ podcasting tool that aims to equip creators of all backgrounds with all the tools they need for creating, hosting, distributing and monetizing their podcast. It is owned by iHeartMedia, one of the biggest US media companies.  In 2018, Spreaker became part of Voxnest, an audio-technology company that specializes in podcast solutions. 

How much does Spreaker cost? 

Spreaker has five different pricing tiers that you can choose from: 

Free Speech - $0/month 

• Unlimited episodes
• Automatic uploading to Spotify, iHeart and Apple Podcasts
• Customizable RSS feeds
• Ad monetization
• Recording and live broadcasting
• Only one podcast
• 6 months statistics for your podcast

Broadcaster - $20/month 

Same as the Free Speech plan, plus:

• Enhanced private podcasts
• More advanced statistics
• 12 months statistics
• Unlimited podcasts
• Subscriptions in Apple Podcasts

Anchorman - $50/month 

Includes all the features of the Broadcaster plan, plus:

• A collaboration feature with unlimited collaborators
• Full statistic reports
• Customizable player colours
• 12 months statitsics

Publisher - $250/month   

Includes all the features of the Anchor plan, plus:

• Campaign manager to traffic your own ads
• 24 months statistics
• Priority customer support

What’s the catch with Spreaker? 

Though not technically a ‘catch’, the downfall with Spreaker is that you can’t access most of its core features unless you pay. In addition, if you’re looking for unlimited hosting, you’ll have to pay for the most premium subscription. A price that many podcasters may not be able to afford. In addition, Spreaker takes a 40% cut of your ad revenue per impression. Which is quite a big percentage. 

Advantages of Spreaker 

All-in-one podcasting tool

The biggest advantage of Spreaker is that they have every base covered. When they claim they’re a ‘full stack solution for audio publishing’, they mean it. With Spreaker you can record, live broadcast, edit, host, distribute, monetize and analyze your podcast. The CMS (Content Management System) gives you a centralized dashboard for monitoring your content. 

Adapts to your style of podcasting 

The agility of Spreaker to adapt to different styles of podcasting is also a huge plus. You can choose to record on the go using Podcast Studio mobile app, record with guests using the Skype integration using Spreaker Studio, or work with pre-recorded audio. 

Varied pricing plans 

With five subscription tiers, Spreaker caters to all budgets and all types of podcasters. If you’re limited in how much you’re able to spend, you can opt for the Free Speech or On-Air Talent plans without breaking the banks. Although bare in mind that these subscription tiers do come with some limitations. 

Easy to use 

In general, Spreaker is designed to be user-friendly, intuitive and smart. The interface is straightforward and there’s no learning curve involved. Though the recording process is a little clunky (more on this later).

Quick distribution and promotion 

Spreaker makes distributing your podcast as easy as one click. Publish your podcast on major listening platforms, namely: Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google, and Amazon. 

Team-friendly 

Spreaker allows you to have multiple podcasts associated with your account (as long as you’re within your upload and audio storage limit). You’re also able to have ‘collaborators’ with different levels of access and permissions, meaning your whole production team can work together on Spreaker. 

Compatible with lossless file formats 

Spreaker is compatible with a number of different file formats (although notably does not support videos) including wav and wma which are both lossless. This means that podcasters who value audio quality won’t need to compromise to use the platform. 

Integrated monetization (for certain plans) 

Spreaker’s ‘scalable tech solution’ dynamically inserts high-revenue ads into your podcast. The dynamic insertion ensures that there are no awkward ad placements. In addition, you’re able to monetize your existing content, the so-called ‘back catalog’, with new advertising. 

In addition, you can publish podcasts with Limited Access to take advantage of Patreon podcast subscriptions. 

Crucially, as we mentioned, there are no requirements for starting to monetize your podcast. So even if you’re a newbie in the industry, you can start making money from your podcast. That being said, Spreaker Prime is reserved for podcasts that have over 5000 monthly downloads. 

Embeddable and customizable media player 

Spreaker gives you an embeddable media player that (depending on your subscription) you can customize to certain degrees. You can remove the Spreaker logo and add your own, decide on a branded background picture, and even decide if your player starts automatically playing whenever you go live. You can also choose whether you want to include  comments, likes, shares or download buttons too. 

In-depth analytics 

Spreaker’s agreement with Nielsen for use of its Audience Segments gives podcasters on paid subscriptions robust and insightful analytics about their audience and podcast performance. 

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Disadvantages of Spreaker

Remote recording is not an integrated feature 

Though Spreaker does technically allow for remote recording, it’s not that straightforward. Remote recording is only possible using their Skype (or Google Hangouts) integration. You’re required to not only download the Spreaker Studio desktop app, but additional extra software to manage external audio sources from the Spreaker studio. 

No Video Podcasting 

Spreaker doesn’t support video podcasting. So if you currently create or are looking to start creating video podcasts, Spreaker won’t fulfill your needs. 

Need to pay for access to full features 

Although many podcasting platforms require you to be a ‘premium’ subscriber to access additional features. Podcasters don’t even get access to the ‘automated distribution’ functionality unless they pay. In addition, the upload and storage limits could be a major deal breaker for some podcasters. 

Podcast subscriptions are not an integrated feature

Though well set up for podcast monetization, if you’re looking to offer podcast subscriptions to paying listeners, you’ll have to set up an additional Patreon account. The only aspect of the subscription process that Spreaker is built for is creating limited access podcast episodes. 

Need to pay for audio transcription 

If you want to transcribe your podcast audio, you’ll need to pay $0.10/minute of audio. In addition, this isn’t actually a Spreaker feature, but rather a partnership with Scribie. 

Livestream functionality is limited 

Though set up for live streaming, compared to other podcast hosting apps, Spreaker’s live broadcast capabilities are arguably a little lackluster. You’re unable to livestream video and you can’t include remote guests. 

Not entirely browser-based 

Though your Spreaker CMS is browser-based, if you want to live broadcast or record audio content, you’ll have to download the dedicated Spreaker Studio App onto your desktop computer (or to your phone). 

Clunky recording and limited editing workflow

Navigating between the Spreaker CMS, the desktop app and the mobile app can feel extremely clunky. For example, recording with Spreaker (especially on desktop) feels a little stunted. You’re not able to record from your browser, so you need to download the dedicated Spreaker Studio app. In addition, the desktop editing features are extremely rudimentary (if not non-existent). Podcasters looking for streamlined workflows may be left disappointed. 

Key features of Spreaker  

Now that we’ve taken a look at Spreaker’s advantages and disadvantages, let’s deep dive into some of its key features and how they work: 

Live podcasts and real time chat 

If you’ve downloaded Spreaker Studio onto your computer or mobile, you can live broadcast audio at any time. You can go live to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or iHeartRadio. Depending on your subscription plan, your broadcast may be party to a time limit. 

During your livestream, you can communicate and engage directly with your listeners via the chat function. You can also add different elements to your broadcast such as sound effects.

Remember, you won’t be able to livestream video. 

Spreaker Prime 

If you’ve got more than 5000 monthly downloads, then you’re eligible for Spreaker Prime. You’ll gain access to the automatic ad insertion tool that automatically inserts ads into downloaded episodes, as well as stitching them into on-demand streaming. You maintain total control over the ads through the CMS. 

Programmatic ads (only on Spreaker Prime) 

Programmatic ads are linked to Spreaker’s Ad Exchange where ads are bought and sold. Spreaker takes the stress out of your hands by leveraging its dynamic ad insertion software and very own built-in programmatic marketplace. They ensure as far as possible to leave none of your content ‘unfilled’, with a USA fill rate of close to 100%. 

Social auto-sharing 

In your Spreaker CMS, you can connect your social platforms and enable auto-social sharing. This helps you automate your promotion and marketing process and ensures that your followers are the first people to know about your new uploads. 

Spreaker is Best for Semi-Pro Podcasters with a Bigger Budget 

There’s no doubt that Spreaker offers a great deal and is a genuine all-rounder when it comes to podcasting. However, given that the free and lower-tier subscriptions exclude some core features and entail upload and storage limits, there are probably better options with more features available for beginners. On the other end of the spectrum, it doesn’t quite hit the mark on all bases including the lack of video podcasting and noticeable absence of integrated ‘native’ functionality, such as remote recording, meaning serious professional podcasters would be left wanting more. For that reason, we think Spreaker sits at a happy medium. It’s the perfect fit for a mid-range podcaster (with a bigger budget) searching for an all-in-one solution. 

First look at Spreaker’s CMS & Spreaker Studio Dashboard (Desktop) 

Spreaker CMS 

When you first make an account and login to Spreaker, you’re taken directly to the CMS or ‘Content Management System’. You can think of this as your central dashboard where you have an overview of your podcasts, analytics, monetization, campaigns, promotion and more. The left hand panel allows you to navigate to all these various tabs. 

First look at Spreaker’s Podcast Studio Mobile App

When you first open the app, you’ll see your ‘drafts’ (if you have any). On the bottom panel you can navigate to your podcasts, the recording studio, your podcast analytics and your settings.

How to get started with Spreaker (desktop)

Step 1: To create a podcast using Spreaker on desktop, start off in your CMS and click ‘+ Create New Podcast’ 

Step 2: From there, you’ll be taken to a page where you’ll need to fill out the podcast title, language, category and access. You can also add the podcast artwork here. 

Step 3: When you’ve filled in all the information, click ‘create’ at the bottom of the page. 

How to record your podcast with Spreaker Studio 

Spreaker Studio Desktop 

To record on desktop, you’ll need to download the Spreaker Studio application. Once you’ve created your podcast in your Spreaker CMS, you’ll see a gray button that says ‘record episode’. If you click this, you’ll be redirected to a download link for Spreaker Studio.

Step 1: Once you’ve downloaded Spreaker Studio, open the application. You may have to give the application permission to access your microphone. 

Step 2: Sign into your Spreaker Account 

Step 3: Once you’ve signed in, you can take the short tutorial and application tour to get familiar with the interface. 

Step 4: To start recording, simply click the red ‘start’ button. You can toggle your microphone settings at the bottom of your screen. 

Step 5: From the right-hand panel you can add Spreaker’s preloaded effects or simply drag and drop your own from your computer. 

Step 6:  If you hover your mouse to the left, you’ll open the left panel. Here you can choose to connect to Skype to record remotely.

Step 7: When you click ‘start’ you’ll be able to choose between live and offline recording. 

Step 8: If you click ‘offline’, you’ll immediately start recording. You can always pause the recording by clicking the ‘II’ button at the top of the window. 

Step 9: When you’re finished recording, pause the recording, then click the square ‘stop’ button. 

Step 10: You’ll then see your recording. When you’re ready, hit ‘publish’, fill out the details, then head back to the Spreaker CMS to see your published episode.  

You can continue to edit the details even after you’ve published it. Simply click the pen icon to make any changes.

How to record your podcast with Podcast Studio by Spreaker (mobile iOS and Android) 

Step 1: Download Podcast Studio from the App Store or the Google Play store. 

Step 2: Login to your account

Step 3: Tap the red record button at the bottom of your screen 

Step 4: If necessary, give Podcast Studio access to your microphone 

Step 5: Click the gray ‘record’ button to record offline and the app will start recording straight away. 

Step 6: Hit the red ‘II’ pause button at any time to pause your recording. 

Step 7: When you’re happy with your recording, click pause and then the gray ‘stop’ button

Step 8: You can then listen back to your audio, share the recording or save it in your drafts. 

Step 9: If you click ‘share’, you’ll be asked to fill out your episode details and then you can click ‘upload’. 

Step 10: Your episode will automatically appear in your Spreaker CMS on your browser. As before, you can continue to edit its details from there. 

How to livestream with Spreaker 

From Spreaker Studio Desktop : 

Step 1: As above, open your Spreaker Studio desktop application. 

Step 2: Click ‘Start’ and choose ‘Live’ 

Step 3: Fill in your episode information including the title, its description, which podcast show it will be associated with, and which platform you want to broadcast to.

Step 4: If you haven’t already, you’ll need to connect your social platforms before you can livestream. 

Step 5: When you begin your livestream, you can live chat to your audience using the ‘chat’ panel on the right

From Spreaker Podcast Studio: 

Step 1: Navigate to the recording studio by clicking the red ‘record’ button on the bottom panel

Step 2: Select the red ‘go live button’

Step 3: Fill out your live broadcast details then click ‘go live’ in the top right hand corner 

Step 4: You can toggle ‘push to talk’ mic on and off from the bottom of your screen, add effects using the ‘effects’ panel, and interact with your audience in the chat. 

Step 5: When you’re finished with your live broadcast, simply tap the red ‘stop’ button at the top of your screen 

Step 6: Your recording will be saved automatically, but you can choose to share it immediately by tapping ‘share’.

How to migrate your podcast to Spreaker 

Note that depending on your current hosting service the migration process might look a little bit different. Ensure to check the specific migration guide relevant to your platform. 

In addition, make sure that your chosen Spreaker subscription plan has enough storage allowance to accommodate all your existing episodes. 

There are two steps to migrating your existing podcast to Spreaker: using the RSS importer, then forwarding your old RSS feed to the new one. 

In your CMS, go to ‘podcasts’ and click ‘Import Episodes’. 

RSS Importer

All you need to do is copy and paste your podcast’s RSS feed URL into Spreaker’s dedicated RSS importer page.

Forwarding your old RSS feed

Once you’ve done that , ensure to redirect your old RSS to keep your subscribers and avoid the need to resubmit your content to listening platforms. 

How to distribute your podcast using Spreaker 

Initially, you’ll have to set up each podcast listening platform individually for distribution. However, once you’ve done this, distribution will be automated every time you publish a new episode. 

Step 1: Go to your CMS dashboard

Step 2: Select the podcast you want to distribute

Step 3: Select ‘distribution’ on the left-hand panel

Step 4: Select the platform you want to distribute the podcast to

Step 5: Follow the specific instructions for the relevant platform

How to monetize your podcast using Spreaker 

To start monetizing your podcast using Spreaker, you’ll need to be a premium subscriber, you’ll need to enable the Ad Exchange and accept the terms and conditions. You’ll also have to enable at least one pre-,mid- or post roll ad slot in your podcast. 

Spreaker podcast analytics 

Spreaker calls its analytics ‘statistics’. You’ll find these on your Podcast Studio app through the bottom panel or on the CMS in the left hand panel. Note that you can’t access in-depth statistics from the mobile app. If you click ‘detailed stats’, you’ll be redirected to the browser. 

Once your podcast is set up, you’ll be able to see stats that give you insights into your podcast downloads, your daily listeners, how many likes certain episodes have got, audience breakdowns and demographics, where your listeners are tuning into your content from and on which platform, and what kind of device they’re using. 

Note that the stats that you have access to depends on your subscription plan. 

Spreaker vs other podcast hosting platforms 

To get a clearer picture of Spreaker’s performance, we’ve compared it to three other platforms that offer a similar service: 

Spreaker vs Podbean 

The biggest difference between Spreaker and Podbean is that the lowest paid tier of Podbean’s subscription plans (‘Unlimited Audio’) at $9/month offers both unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth. 

In addition, on the ‘Unlimited Audio’ plan, podcasters gain access to the Ads Marketplace and PodAds, unlike Spreaker Premium. 

In addition, Podbean is set up for video and remote podcasting (although you need to be an Unlimited Plus subscriber to gain access to this feature). 

Spreaker vs Anchor

Again, the biggest contrast between Spreaker and Anchor is the functionality you get for free. Anchor, which aims to ‘democratize’ podcasting, offers absolutely all of its powerful features for free alongside unlimited hosting. From this perspective, it’s quite hard for Spreaker to compete. 

However, because of Anchor’s Spotify affiliation, its podcast analytics and insights are less in-depth than other platforms. 

Spreaker vs Soundcloud

For $16/month, you’re able to upload unlimited audio to Soundcloud. From a budget perspective, this is clearly a better offering than Spreaker. That being said, Soundcloud isn’t built specifically with podcasters in mind, nor do you get a full management dashboard or creation suite dedicated to podcast creation. For podcasters who are looking for podcast-specific functionality, there’s no doubt that Spreaker wins out here. 

Spreaker vs Buzzsprout 

The biggest difference between Spreaker and Buzzsprout is podcast creation and editing capabilities. Buzzsprout supports you in the post-production part of the podcasting journey, whereas Spreaker is there for the creation part too. Overall, however, they’re fairly evenly pitched, so it will come down to what you’re looking to get out of your podcast hosting platform. 

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Final thoughts on Spreaker 

Spreaker covers all the bases, from creation to distribution it really is a 360 tool. For podcasters looking for a ‘one-stop-shop’ podcasting solution, Spreaker is a solid choice. However, as we mentioned earlier, when compared to other similar podcast hosting platforms, Spreaker’s basic subscription tiers just don’t offer as much core functionality and are constrained by upload and storage limits. For beginners or podcasters on a tighter budget, the likelihood is they’ll get more value for money elsewhere. Equally, pro podcasters may find the lack of integrated functionality (solved through patchwork partnerships with external software) frustrating. In combination with the inability to video podcast or remote record in full HD, dedicated professionals are most likely better off looking at other options. However, to reiterate, Spreaker is a reliable all-in-one solution for podcasting, especially as you move further up the subscription plans. Mid-range podcasters who value convenience and have a slightly bigger budget will see all their needs met with Spreaker. 

FAQs about Spreaker 

Is Spreaker a good podcast platform? 

Spreaker is designed to cover all the bases and it certainly does. It’s a solid solution for podcasters looking for a ‘one-stop-shop’, offering robust functionality and a fairly good range of features. 

Is Spreaker available for free? 

Spreaker has a free subscription plan, but this comes with certain limitations. 

Is Spreaker any good? 

Spreaker is an all-rounder that has a tool for every step of the podcasting journey. As we’ve covered, despite its ‘360 appeal’, it may not be the best platform for every podcaster. It depends what you are looking for and what kind of budget you’re playing with. 

Can I make money with Spreaker? 

Absolutely. Spreaker has good monetization tools (although some are reserved to higher subscription podcasters or certain sized podcasts) that help you to make money out of your podcast. 

How do I record a podcast on Spreaker? 

Follow our step-by-step guide above. 

Want to read more on podcast hosting platforms? Check out our other reviews:

• Buzzsprout
• Simplecast‍
• Transistor.fm‍
• Libsyn‍
• Acast‍
• Megaphone‍
• AudioBoom‍
• Podomatic
• ‍‍Podbean‍
• Anchor.fm‍
• RedCircle
• Captivate
• Blubrry
• Sounder.fm
• Resonate Recordings