Podcast Platforms

Are They All Created Equal?

Here are three podcast platforms I looked into and what I found out:

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is a location where you can upload a podcast. However, when searching through it, it is filled with music. There aren’t many podcasts in there, but if you are looking for many different types of music, Soundcloud is for you.

Audioboom

Audioboom is another platform in which you can create and post podcasts. I found many different channels and podcasts ranging in topics. For example: The Midnight Library is a podcast that reads stories of a darker nature. Then there is Dinosaurs Didn't Read, where there are podcasts about books, reading, author interviews and library topics. Audioboom even has over 1000 podcast channels dedicated to come kind of reading. There are topics for cooking and gardening, in addition to many other topics. Audioboom is definitely an excellent place to look for podcasts.

Podbean

Podbean is also a place to upload a podcast, as well as find one on various topics. There are 29 podcasts directly related to the topic of Librarian. However, some are more mature than others, so look into what the topic of each one is before subscribing or listening. To stick with similar topics I mentioned before, there are 112 podcasts about cooking on Podbean and 82 on gardening. Though there are less podcasts on Podbean, than on Audioboom, it is still a great site for different topics.

Conclusions

My preference prior to this research was Podbean, as it is really easy to use when uploading a podcast. I had done this in the past for different school related assignments. However, I would recommend both Podbean and Audioboom for their ease of use and their available content. However, if music is what you seek, Soundcloud is very fruitful in that area.

For the podcast that a group I worked with did, we chose to publish at Podbean. This was because we all already had a Podbean account and new it well. Our podcast topic is on adding Maker Space to your school library. It's informative and entertaining! I hope you like it!

Podcasts in the library can be like ours, informational for school librarians, fun for students, such as a game or creative topic that they enjoy. Using podcasts in the library can be just as beneficial as creating them!