In 2024, Top Podcast Hosting Services A Comprehensive Ranking

In 2024, Top Podcast Hosting Services A Comprehensive Ranking

Kate Lv12

Top Podcast Hosting Services : A Comprehensive Ranking

10 Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Covering interesting topics in your podcasts or using professional audio recording and editing tools to process them, won’t mean much if you cannot reach your audience. Uploading a large numbers of audio files to your own website is not always an option, since the storage space, you have at your disposal may be too small to store all of your podcasts.

That is where podcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout or Podbean come in, to help podcasters store their content safely and deliver their latest podcast to different apps and directories through the RSS feed.

With so many options out there, finding a podcast hosting platform can be a daunting task for podcasters who are just starting out. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best podcast hosting platforms and provide you with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about podcast hosting services.

Comparison of the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

Are you too busy to go through all of the podcast hosting platforms we featured in this article? Do not worry, here’s a quick comparison of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Hosting Platform Subscription Cost Storage Bandwidth Podcast Analytics RSS Support Website host
Buzzsprout Ranges from free to $24 Unlimited 250 GB Yes Yes Yes
Blubrry Ranges from $12 to $80 per month 100 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Castos Ranges from $19 to $49 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podbean Ranges from free to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podiant Ranges from $12,99 to 35,97 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Transistor.fm Ranges from $19,00 to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Simplecast Ranges from $15 to $85 per month Unlimited 20,000 downloads Yes Yes Yes
Speaker Ranges from free to $50 per month Varies from 5 to 1500 hours Unlimited Yes Yes No
Libsyn Ranges from $5 to $150 per month Varies between 50 MB and 80 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
PODOMATIC Ranges from free to $20, 82 per month Limited, depends on the subscription model Limited, depends on the subscription model Yes Yes Yes

Part 1: Top Ten Podcast Hosting Platforms

Building an audience for your podcast can take months, sometimes even years, and for that reason having access to a reliable hosting platform that lets you distribute new episodes of your podcast effortlessly is vital for their success. Factors that range from subscription fees to RSS support can influence your choice of a podcast hosting platform, so let’s take a look at what some of the best hosting platforms for podcasters have to offer.

1. Buzzsprout

Price: Free, pricing options start at $12 per month

The fact that over 100,000 podcasters used Buzzsprout’s services to launch their podcasts, shows how highly esteemed the platform is within the podcasting community. The episode automation feature enables you to just upload an audio file and it takes care of the ID3 tags and bitrates for you. Buzzsprout grants you access to a huge audience by allowing your subscribers to listen to your podcast from Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts, Alexa or Overcast. The platform also provides you with advanced statistics for each episode of your podcast you upload. So, you can easily find out which apps they are using to listen to your podcasts or to learn the location at which your podcast was played.

Pros

  • Unlimited storage space
  • 90-day trial period
  • Grants users access to most popular podcast directories
  • Offers monetization options through affiliate marketing

Cons

  • Bandwidth is limited to 250 GB
  • The free version of Buzzsprout places ads to your podcasts on public sites

2. Blubrry

Price: Pricing options start at $12 per month

Uploading a new podcast and publishing it through Blubrry is a simple three-step process that can be completed in just a few minutes. This hosting platform grants you complete control over the iTunes’ RSS feed and it is optimized for the use on Android devices. In case you are considering moving from another platform like Libsyn or SoundCloud, you can easily migrate all of your content to Blubrry. Even though this podcast hosting platform features analytics tools you must purchase the Podcast Statistics package if you want to have a clear overview of the statistics your podcasts are generating.

Pros

  • The effortless podcast publishing process
  • Offers WordPress plugins
  • Free and easy media migration
  • Unlimited bandwidth

Cons

  • Storage space depends on the subscription plan
  • Access to analytics tools is not free

3. Castos

Price: Pricing options start at $19 per month

If you are searching for a platform that places no limits on your storage space or the bandwidth then you shouldn’t look much further than Castos. The platform lets you create as many new shows as you want and allows you to upload an unlimited number of episodes to each show you create. Podcasts you upload to Castos are automatically shared to all of the most popular podcast directories, including Sticher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also transcribe all of your podcasts with a click of a button, but you must pay a small fee for each minute of the podcast you transcribe.

Pros

  • Fully customizable podcast player
  • Offers support for both audio and video podcasts
  • Advanced analytics tools
  • Grants podcasters access to all of the most popular podcast directories

Cons

  • Short free trial period
  • Video republishing to YouTube is only available within the Growth subscription model

4. Podbean

Price: Free, pricing options start at $9 per month

Podcasters who would like to have their own full-featured podcast website and gain access to a website builder can hardly go wrong if they opt for Podbean. Moreover, you’ll be able to use your own domain and your branding if you create an account on this hosting platform. Podbean offers a broad selection of podcast templates and lets you choose the layout. Furthermore, Podbean provides excellent monetization opportunities, either through advertising, crowdfunding or premium content. The free version of the podcast hosting platform offers only limited broadband and storage space, while video support is only available if you purchase Unlimited Plus or Business pricing plans.

Pros

  • Compatible with iPhone and Android apps and embeddable media players
  • Provides RSS and iTunes support
  • Offers a broad selection of podcast themes
  • Allows podcasters to create their own podcast sites

Cons

  • You must upgrade from the free version in order to have unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Running multiple podcast channels is only possible if you have the Business pricing plan

5. Podiant

Price: Pricing plans start at $12,99

Podiant grants you access to all the tools you are going to need to upload and publish a new episode of your podcast. In fact, 22,200 podcast episodes are published through Poidant each day that are delivered to hundreds of thousands of listeners around the globe. The platform lets you choose from a broad range of themes, but it also features a templating engine that allows you to change the code on your podcasting site. Moreover, you can use Poidant to create a blog, embed content from Twitter, Instagram or YouTube in order to extend the reach of your podcasts and broaden their audience.

Pros

  • Allows users to host all their shows on one website
  • No bandwidth and storage space limitations
  • Compatible with all major podcasting directories and apps
  • Supports integrations through Zapier

Cons

  • The quality of the analytics data depends on the subscription plan
  • The free trial period lasts only two weeks

6. Transistor

Price: Pricing plans start at $19,00 per month

Professional podcasters and creatives from every corner of the world are already using Transistor to publish their podcasts. This podcast hosting platform makes all episodes of your podcasts available on Spotify, Overcast, and other popular podcast directories. Moreover, you can create unlimited podcasts and upload as many episodes as you want to the website you created with Transistor. The platform produces analytics reports for each of your podcasts, regardless of the pricing plan you own, but the number of collaborators on a single Transistor account depends on the subscription model. The number of monthly podcast downloads is limited and it varies from one pricing plan to another.

Pros

  • Allows users to create private podcast feeds
  • Supports integrations with email marketing platforms like Drip or MailChimp
  • Embeddable podcast player
  • The functionally organized RSS feed

Cons

  • You must purchase the Business subscription model to remove the Transistor’s branding
  • If you would like to create more than three private podcasts, you must contact the customer support

7. Simplecast

Price: Pricing options start at $15

The distribution, analytics, and sharing tools this podcast hosting platform provides are powerful enough to cater even for the most demanding podcasting needs. Simplecast lets you choose from a variety of themes that are optimized for mobile devices and search engines. It also enables you to customize the colors of each theme with its website builder. All podcasts you upload to Simplecast can be shared on all of the podcast directories that attract millions of listeners. What’s more, the platform makes monitoring the statistics your podcasts generate easy, so that you can discover new ways to reach new audiences.

Pros

  • Websites built with Simplecast are secure
  • Great selection of web-players
  • Provides detailed statistics for all podcasts
  • Doesn’t restrict the bandwidth or storage space

Cons

  • The size of the team using Simplecast can’t exceed eight members
  • Building more than three pages with Simplecast isn’t an option

8. Spreaker

Price: Free, pricing options start at $7 per month

Spreaker is an affordable podcast hosting platform for all podcasters who are just starting out or looking for a new platform they can use to host their shows. In addition, you can also stream your podcasts live, although their maximum duration depends on the subscription plan you have. The storage space you are going to have at your disposal also varies from one pricing plan to another, but even the free version of Spreaker lets you store up to five hours of audio on the cloud. However, there are no limits to the number of listeners which enables you to grow your audience continually.

Pros

  • An inexpensive option for both novice and seasoned podcasters
  • A fully customizable RSS feed
  • Supports content migrations through RSS feed
  • Provides excellent monetization options

Cons

  • The storage space is limited
  • You must purchase the Broadcaster subscription model in order to gain access to the platform’s analytics tools.

9. Libsyn

Price: Pricing options start at $5

This platform integrates with more than twenty podcast apps, social media platforms, and WordPress websites via the OnPublish feature. Libsyin features powerful scheduling tools, which enables you to choose the exact date and time when the next episode of your podcast is going to be published. The RSS is compliant with Apple Podcasts, which makes it easier to add a title, choose a category or write podcast summaries for each new episode you would like to optimize for playback on Apple devices. Libsyn offers Double Opt-in Advertising and MyLibSyn Premium Paywall monetization options so that you can choose the method of earning money through this podcast hosting platform that is the most convenient for you.

Pros

  • Supports audio, video, text and PDF hosting
  • Excellent podcast distribution capabilities
  • Cheaper than most of its competitors
  • Creating a publishing schedule for your podcasts is easy

Cons

  • Very limited storage space, regardless of the pricing plan you purchase
  • Underwhelming statistics tracking options

10. Podomatic

Price: Free, pricing options start at $8,32

The options you will have at your disposal if you opt to publish your podcasts with Podomatic, largely depends on the subscription model you have. Even though anyone can use this podcast platform for free, the bandwidth and storage space that are available on the free version of Podomatic can limit your options. Besides, publishing podcasts, you can also use the platform to listen to podcasts, from browsers or iPhone and Android devices. Podomatic lets you monetize your podcasts by connecting your Patreon account to your podcast website or by adding Podomatic Podcast to Advertise Cast.

Pros:

  • Podomatic app is available for both iOS and Android devices
  • Podcast published through Podomatic can be played directly from Twitter and Facebook feeds
  • Equipped with a powerful drag-and-drop website builder
  • Offers a variety of themes designed exclusively for podcasts

Cons

  • Unlimited storage space and bandwidth are only available in the Enterprise subscription model
  • Offers only basic podcast statistics

Part 2: The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Podcast Hosting Platforms

In order to add episodes of your podcasts to podcast directories, you must meet only three requirements. Your audio file must be saved in the MP3 format, you must have access to the podcast hosting platform, and you must be able to add a podcast to an RSS feed. The hosting platform you selected will utilize its RSS feed to distribute your podcasts to the apps and services your audience is using to listen to them and deliver a new episode of your show to your listeners as soon as you publish it. The reach of your podcasts, your monetization capabilities or whether or not you will be able to create custom domains depends on the podcast hosting platform you choose.

What is podcast hosting and what are its main benefits?

All podcast hosting platforms let their users store their podcasts online and create an RSS feed for them that is used to add podcast to different podcast directories. Besides sending each new episode of your podcast to your subscribers, podcast hosting platforms also enable you to track their performance and learn which apps were used to access them as well as a plethora of other relevant metrics. Some podcast hosting platforms feature website builders that allow you to create custom domain landing pages, blogs or add widgets.

Why do I need podcast hosting services?

Podcast hosting services simplify the process of storing and publishing podcasts and ensure that each new episode you publish reaches your subscribers. In addition, most platforms offer a quick and easy way to add tags, cover art or podcast descriptions, so that you can provide all the information your listeners need to find your podcasts effortlessly.

How to select the right podcast hosting platform?

The reason why you are creating a podcast can often help you figure out which podcast hosting platform is the best option for you. If you would like to periodically share short interviews or simply have fun with your friends, then choosing a free version of a podcast hosting platform is your best option.

However, if you take podcasting seriously, finding out how much storage space a platform offers or the maximum bandwidth can help you decide if the platform you are considering is the right choice for you. Moreover, podcasters who also create video podcasts should check if the platform they would like to use to distribute their podcasts supports hosting and publishing video files. Ultimately, the amount of money you are willing to spend on subscription will determine which podcast hosting platform to pick since there is no reason to spend vast amounts of money on features you have no intention of using.

Is podcast hosting free?

Even though most podcast hosting platforms either have free versions or free trial, podcast hosting over an extended period of time is never free. Each platform offers different pricing options and lets you choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you decide to publish your podcasts with a free version of the podcast hosting platform, you should keep in mind that the scope of your options is going to be limited.

What is the average cost of podcast hosting services?

The cost of a monthly subscription for a podcast hosting service can be anywhere between $7 and $99. The majority of basic and pro pricing plans can be purchased for less than $20, but if you would like to utilize all the features a podcast hosting platform has to offer, then your monthly subscription can cost much more than a hundred dollars. Lower priced options often lack advanced file-sharing tools or don’t provide integrations features, which is the reason why you should only consider them if you just need a quick way to publish a podcast.

Conclusion

Each step of the process of creating a podcast is equally important, and the quality of the microphone you’re using to record an episode of your podcast is of no less significance than the hosting platform you’re using to publish a podcast. Each podcast hosting platform we included in this article ensures that your podcasts are delivered to all of your subscribers, but which one you are going to choose depends on a plethora of factors that range from a platform’s storage capacity to the number of podcast directories to which your podcasts are added. Which podcast hosting platform are you using to publish your podcasts? Leave a comment and let us know.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Covering interesting topics in your podcasts or using professional audio recording and editing tools to process them, won’t mean much if you cannot reach your audience. Uploading a large numbers of audio files to your own website is not always an option, since the storage space, you have at your disposal may be too small to store all of your podcasts.

That is where podcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout or Podbean come in, to help podcasters store their content safely and deliver their latest podcast to different apps and directories through the RSS feed.

With so many options out there, finding a podcast hosting platform can be a daunting task for podcasters who are just starting out. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best podcast hosting platforms and provide you with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about podcast hosting services.

Comparison of the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

Are you too busy to go through all of the podcast hosting platforms we featured in this article? Do not worry, here’s a quick comparison of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Hosting Platform Subscription Cost Storage Bandwidth Podcast Analytics RSS Support Website host
Buzzsprout Ranges from free to $24 Unlimited 250 GB Yes Yes Yes
Blubrry Ranges from $12 to $80 per month 100 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Castos Ranges from $19 to $49 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podbean Ranges from free to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podiant Ranges from $12,99 to 35,97 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Transistor.fm Ranges from $19,00 to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Simplecast Ranges from $15 to $85 per month Unlimited 20,000 downloads Yes Yes Yes
Speaker Ranges from free to $50 per month Varies from 5 to 1500 hours Unlimited Yes Yes No
Libsyn Ranges from $5 to $150 per month Varies between 50 MB and 80 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
PODOMATIC Ranges from free to $20, 82 per month Limited, depends on the subscription model Limited, depends on the subscription model Yes Yes Yes

Part 1: Top Ten Podcast Hosting Platforms

Building an audience for your podcast can take months, sometimes even years, and for that reason having access to a reliable hosting platform that lets you distribute new episodes of your podcast effortlessly is vital for their success. Factors that range from subscription fees to RSS support can influence your choice of a podcast hosting platform, so let’s take a look at what some of the best hosting platforms for podcasters have to offer.

1. Buzzsprout

Price: Free, pricing options start at $12 per month

The fact that over 100,000 podcasters used Buzzsprout’s services to launch their podcasts, shows how highly esteemed the platform is within the podcasting community. The episode automation feature enables you to just upload an audio file and it takes care of the ID3 tags and bitrates for you. Buzzsprout grants you access to a huge audience by allowing your subscribers to listen to your podcast from Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts, Alexa or Overcast. The platform also provides you with advanced statistics for each episode of your podcast you upload. So, you can easily find out which apps they are using to listen to your podcasts or to learn the location at which your podcast was played.

Pros

  • Unlimited storage space
  • 90-day trial period
  • Grants users access to most popular podcast directories
  • Offers monetization options through affiliate marketing

Cons

  • Bandwidth is limited to 250 GB
  • The free version of Buzzsprout places ads to your podcasts on public sites

2. Blubrry

Price: Pricing options start at $12 per month

Uploading a new podcast and publishing it through Blubrry is a simple three-step process that can be completed in just a few minutes. This hosting platform grants you complete control over the iTunes’ RSS feed and it is optimized for the use on Android devices. In case you are considering moving from another platform like Libsyn or SoundCloud, you can easily migrate all of your content to Blubrry. Even though this podcast hosting platform features analytics tools you must purchase the Podcast Statistics package if you want to have a clear overview of the statistics your podcasts are generating.

Pros

  • The effortless podcast publishing process
  • Offers WordPress plugins
  • Free and easy media migration
  • Unlimited bandwidth

Cons

  • Storage space depends on the subscription plan
  • Access to analytics tools is not free

3. Castos

Price: Pricing options start at $19 per month

If you are searching for a platform that places no limits on your storage space or the bandwidth then you shouldn’t look much further than Castos. The platform lets you create as many new shows as you want and allows you to upload an unlimited number of episodes to each show you create. Podcasts you upload to Castos are automatically shared to all of the most popular podcast directories, including Sticher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also transcribe all of your podcasts with a click of a button, but you must pay a small fee for each minute of the podcast you transcribe.

Pros

  • Fully customizable podcast player
  • Offers support for both audio and video podcasts
  • Advanced analytics tools
  • Grants podcasters access to all of the most popular podcast directories

Cons

  • Short free trial period
  • Video republishing to YouTube is only available within the Growth subscription model

4. Podbean

Price: Free, pricing options start at $9 per month

Podcasters who would like to have their own full-featured podcast website and gain access to a website builder can hardly go wrong if they opt for Podbean. Moreover, you’ll be able to use your own domain and your branding if you create an account on this hosting platform. Podbean offers a broad selection of podcast templates and lets you choose the layout. Furthermore, Podbean provides excellent monetization opportunities, either through advertising, crowdfunding or premium content. The free version of the podcast hosting platform offers only limited broadband and storage space, while video support is only available if you purchase Unlimited Plus or Business pricing plans.

Pros

  • Compatible with iPhone and Android apps and embeddable media players
  • Provides RSS and iTunes support
  • Offers a broad selection of podcast themes
  • Allows podcasters to create their own podcast sites

Cons

  • You must upgrade from the free version in order to have unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Running multiple podcast channels is only possible if you have the Business pricing plan

5. Podiant

Price: Pricing plans start at $12,99

Podiant grants you access to all the tools you are going to need to upload and publish a new episode of your podcast. In fact, 22,200 podcast episodes are published through Poidant each day that are delivered to hundreds of thousands of listeners around the globe. The platform lets you choose from a broad range of themes, but it also features a templating engine that allows you to change the code on your podcasting site. Moreover, you can use Poidant to create a blog, embed content from Twitter, Instagram or YouTube in order to extend the reach of your podcasts and broaden their audience.

Pros

  • Allows users to host all their shows on one website
  • No bandwidth and storage space limitations
  • Compatible with all major podcasting directories and apps
  • Supports integrations through Zapier

Cons

  • The quality of the analytics data depends on the subscription plan
  • The free trial period lasts only two weeks

6. Transistor

Price: Pricing plans start at $19,00 per month

Professional podcasters and creatives from every corner of the world are already using Transistor to publish their podcasts. This podcast hosting platform makes all episodes of your podcasts available on Spotify, Overcast, and other popular podcast directories. Moreover, you can create unlimited podcasts and upload as many episodes as you want to the website you created with Transistor. The platform produces analytics reports for each of your podcasts, regardless of the pricing plan you own, but the number of collaborators on a single Transistor account depends on the subscription model. The number of monthly podcast downloads is limited and it varies from one pricing plan to another.

Pros

  • Allows users to create private podcast feeds
  • Supports integrations with email marketing platforms like Drip or MailChimp
  • Embeddable podcast player
  • The functionally organized RSS feed

Cons

  • You must purchase the Business subscription model to remove the Transistor’s branding
  • If you would like to create more than three private podcasts, you must contact the customer support

7. Simplecast

Price: Pricing options start at $15

The distribution, analytics, and sharing tools this podcast hosting platform provides are powerful enough to cater even for the most demanding podcasting needs. Simplecast lets you choose from a variety of themes that are optimized for mobile devices and search engines. It also enables you to customize the colors of each theme with its website builder. All podcasts you upload to Simplecast can be shared on all of the podcast directories that attract millions of listeners. What’s more, the platform makes monitoring the statistics your podcasts generate easy, so that you can discover new ways to reach new audiences.

Pros

  • Websites built with Simplecast are secure
  • Great selection of web-players
  • Provides detailed statistics for all podcasts
  • Doesn’t restrict the bandwidth or storage space

Cons

  • The size of the team using Simplecast can’t exceed eight members
  • Building more than three pages with Simplecast isn’t an option

8. Spreaker

Price: Free, pricing options start at $7 per month

Spreaker is an affordable podcast hosting platform for all podcasters who are just starting out or looking for a new platform they can use to host their shows. In addition, you can also stream your podcasts live, although their maximum duration depends on the subscription plan you have. The storage space you are going to have at your disposal also varies from one pricing plan to another, but even the free version of Spreaker lets you store up to five hours of audio on the cloud. However, there are no limits to the number of listeners which enables you to grow your audience continually.

Pros

  • An inexpensive option for both novice and seasoned podcasters
  • A fully customizable RSS feed
  • Supports content migrations through RSS feed
  • Provides excellent monetization options

Cons

  • The storage space is limited
  • You must purchase the Broadcaster subscription model in order to gain access to the platform’s analytics tools.

9. Libsyn

Price: Pricing options start at $5

This platform integrates with more than twenty podcast apps, social media platforms, and WordPress websites via the OnPublish feature. Libsyin features powerful scheduling tools, which enables you to choose the exact date and time when the next episode of your podcast is going to be published. The RSS is compliant with Apple Podcasts, which makes it easier to add a title, choose a category or write podcast summaries for each new episode you would like to optimize for playback on Apple devices. Libsyn offers Double Opt-in Advertising and MyLibSyn Premium Paywall monetization options so that you can choose the method of earning money through this podcast hosting platform that is the most convenient for you.

Pros

  • Supports audio, video, text and PDF hosting
  • Excellent podcast distribution capabilities
  • Cheaper than most of its competitors
  • Creating a publishing schedule for your podcasts is easy

Cons

  • Very limited storage space, regardless of the pricing plan you purchase
  • Underwhelming statistics tracking options

10. Podomatic

Price: Free, pricing options start at $8,32

The options you will have at your disposal if you opt to publish your podcasts with Podomatic, largely depends on the subscription model you have. Even though anyone can use this podcast platform for free, the bandwidth and storage space that are available on the free version of Podomatic can limit your options. Besides, publishing podcasts, you can also use the platform to listen to podcasts, from browsers or iPhone and Android devices. Podomatic lets you monetize your podcasts by connecting your Patreon account to your podcast website or by adding Podomatic Podcast to Advertise Cast.

Pros:

  • Podomatic app is available for both iOS and Android devices
  • Podcast published through Podomatic can be played directly from Twitter and Facebook feeds
  • Equipped with a powerful drag-and-drop website builder
  • Offers a variety of themes designed exclusively for podcasts

Cons

  • Unlimited storage space and bandwidth are only available in the Enterprise subscription model
  • Offers only basic podcast statistics

Part 2: The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Podcast Hosting Platforms

In order to add episodes of your podcasts to podcast directories, you must meet only three requirements. Your audio file must be saved in the MP3 format, you must have access to the podcast hosting platform, and you must be able to add a podcast to an RSS feed. The hosting platform you selected will utilize its RSS feed to distribute your podcasts to the apps and services your audience is using to listen to them and deliver a new episode of your show to your listeners as soon as you publish it. The reach of your podcasts, your monetization capabilities or whether or not you will be able to create custom domains depends on the podcast hosting platform you choose.

What is podcast hosting and what are its main benefits?

All podcast hosting platforms let their users store their podcasts online and create an RSS feed for them that is used to add podcast to different podcast directories. Besides sending each new episode of your podcast to your subscribers, podcast hosting platforms also enable you to track their performance and learn which apps were used to access them as well as a plethora of other relevant metrics. Some podcast hosting platforms feature website builders that allow you to create custom domain landing pages, blogs or add widgets.

Why do I need podcast hosting services?

Podcast hosting services simplify the process of storing and publishing podcasts and ensure that each new episode you publish reaches your subscribers. In addition, most platforms offer a quick and easy way to add tags, cover art or podcast descriptions, so that you can provide all the information your listeners need to find your podcasts effortlessly.

How to select the right podcast hosting platform?

The reason why you are creating a podcast can often help you figure out which podcast hosting platform is the best option for you. If you would like to periodically share short interviews or simply have fun with your friends, then choosing a free version of a podcast hosting platform is your best option.

However, if you take podcasting seriously, finding out how much storage space a platform offers or the maximum bandwidth can help you decide if the platform you are considering is the right choice for you. Moreover, podcasters who also create video podcasts should check if the platform they would like to use to distribute their podcasts supports hosting and publishing video files. Ultimately, the amount of money you are willing to spend on subscription will determine which podcast hosting platform to pick since there is no reason to spend vast amounts of money on features you have no intention of using.

Is podcast hosting free?

Even though most podcast hosting platforms either have free versions or free trial, podcast hosting over an extended period of time is never free. Each platform offers different pricing options and lets you choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you decide to publish your podcasts with a free version of the podcast hosting platform, you should keep in mind that the scope of your options is going to be limited.

What is the average cost of podcast hosting services?

The cost of a monthly subscription for a podcast hosting service can be anywhere between $7 and $99. The majority of basic and pro pricing plans can be purchased for less than $20, but if you would like to utilize all the features a podcast hosting platform has to offer, then your monthly subscription can cost much more than a hundred dollars. Lower priced options often lack advanced file-sharing tools or don’t provide integrations features, which is the reason why you should only consider them if you just need a quick way to publish a podcast.

Conclusion

Each step of the process of creating a podcast is equally important, and the quality of the microphone you’re using to record an episode of your podcast is of no less significance than the hosting platform you’re using to publish a podcast. Each podcast hosting platform we included in this article ensures that your podcasts are delivered to all of your subscribers, but which one you are going to choose depends on a plethora of factors that range from a platform’s storage capacity to the number of podcast directories to which your podcasts are added. Which podcast hosting platform are you using to publish your podcasts? Leave a comment and let us know.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Covering interesting topics in your podcasts or using professional audio recording and editing tools to process them, won’t mean much if you cannot reach your audience. Uploading a large numbers of audio files to your own website is not always an option, since the storage space, you have at your disposal may be too small to store all of your podcasts.

That is where podcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout or Podbean come in, to help podcasters store their content safely and deliver their latest podcast to different apps and directories through the RSS feed.

With so many options out there, finding a podcast hosting platform can be a daunting task for podcasters who are just starting out. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best podcast hosting platforms and provide you with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about podcast hosting services.

Comparison of the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

Are you too busy to go through all of the podcast hosting platforms we featured in this article? Do not worry, here’s a quick comparison of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Hosting Platform Subscription Cost Storage Bandwidth Podcast Analytics RSS Support Website host
Buzzsprout Ranges from free to $24 Unlimited 250 GB Yes Yes Yes
Blubrry Ranges from $12 to $80 per month 100 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Castos Ranges from $19 to $49 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podbean Ranges from free to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podiant Ranges from $12,99 to 35,97 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Transistor.fm Ranges from $19,00 to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Simplecast Ranges from $15 to $85 per month Unlimited 20,000 downloads Yes Yes Yes
Speaker Ranges from free to $50 per month Varies from 5 to 1500 hours Unlimited Yes Yes No
Libsyn Ranges from $5 to $150 per month Varies between 50 MB and 80 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
PODOMATIC Ranges from free to $20, 82 per month Limited, depends on the subscription model Limited, depends on the subscription model Yes Yes Yes

Part 1: Top Ten Podcast Hosting Platforms

Building an audience for your podcast can take months, sometimes even years, and for that reason having access to a reliable hosting platform that lets you distribute new episodes of your podcast effortlessly is vital for their success. Factors that range from subscription fees to RSS support can influence your choice of a podcast hosting platform, so let’s take a look at what some of the best hosting platforms for podcasters have to offer.

1. Buzzsprout

Price: Free, pricing options start at $12 per month

The fact that over 100,000 podcasters used Buzzsprout’s services to launch their podcasts, shows how highly esteemed the platform is within the podcasting community. The episode automation feature enables you to just upload an audio file and it takes care of the ID3 tags and bitrates for you. Buzzsprout grants you access to a huge audience by allowing your subscribers to listen to your podcast from Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts, Alexa or Overcast. The platform also provides you with advanced statistics for each episode of your podcast you upload. So, you can easily find out which apps they are using to listen to your podcasts or to learn the location at which your podcast was played.

Pros

  • Unlimited storage space
  • 90-day trial period
  • Grants users access to most popular podcast directories
  • Offers monetization options through affiliate marketing

Cons

  • Bandwidth is limited to 250 GB
  • The free version of Buzzsprout places ads to your podcasts on public sites

2. Blubrry

Price: Pricing options start at $12 per month

Uploading a new podcast and publishing it through Blubrry is a simple three-step process that can be completed in just a few minutes. This hosting platform grants you complete control over the iTunes’ RSS feed and it is optimized for the use on Android devices. In case you are considering moving from another platform like Libsyn or SoundCloud, you can easily migrate all of your content to Blubrry. Even though this podcast hosting platform features analytics tools you must purchase the Podcast Statistics package if you want to have a clear overview of the statistics your podcasts are generating.

Pros

  • The effortless podcast publishing process
  • Offers WordPress plugins
  • Free and easy media migration
  • Unlimited bandwidth

Cons

  • Storage space depends on the subscription plan
  • Access to analytics tools is not free

3. Castos

Price: Pricing options start at $19 per month

If you are searching for a platform that places no limits on your storage space or the bandwidth then you shouldn’t look much further than Castos. The platform lets you create as many new shows as you want and allows you to upload an unlimited number of episodes to each show you create. Podcasts you upload to Castos are automatically shared to all of the most popular podcast directories, including Sticher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also transcribe all of your podcasts with a click of a button, but you must pay a small fee for each minute of the podcast you transcribe.

Pros

  • Fully customizable podcast player
  • Offers support for both audio and video podcasts
  • Advanced analytics tools
  • Grants podcasters access to all of the most popular podcast directories

Cons

  • Short free trial period
  • Video republishing to YouTube is only available within the Growth subscription model

4. Podbean

Price: Free, pricing options start at $9 per month

Podcasters who would like to have their own full-featured podcast website and gain access to a website builder can hardly go wrong if they opt for Podbean. Moreover, you’ll be able to use your own domain and your branding if you create an account on this hosting platform. Podbean offers a broad selection of podcast templates and lets you choose the layout. Furthermore, Podbean provides excellent monetization opportunities, either through advertising, crowdfunding or premium content. The free version of the podcast hosting platform offers only limited broadband and storage space, while video support is only available if you purchase Unlimited Plus or Business pricing plans.

Pros

  • Compatible with iPhone and Android apps and embeddable media players
  • Provides RSS and iTunes support
  • Offers a broad selection of podcast themes
  • Allows podcasters to create their own podcast sites

Cons

  • You must upgrade from the free version in order to have unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Running multiple podcast channels is only possible if you have the Business pricing plan

5. Podiant

Price: Pricing plans start at $12,99

Podiant grants you access to all the tools you are going to need to upload and publish a new episode of your podcast. In fact, 22,200 podcast episodes are published through Poidant each day that are delivered to hundreds of thousands of listeners around the globe. The platform lets you choose from a broad range of themes, but it also features a templating engine that allows you to change the code on your podcasting site. Moreover, you can use Poidant to create a blog, embed content from Twitter, Instagram or YouTube in order to extend the reach of your podcasts and broaden their audience.

Pros

  • Allows users to host all their shows on one website
  • No bandwidth and storage space limitations
  • Compatible with all major podcasting directories and apps
  • Supports integrations through Zapier

Cons

  • The quality of the analytics data depends on the subscription plan
  • The free trial period lasts only two weeks

6. Transistor

Price: Pricing plans start at $19,00 per month

Professional podcasters and creatives from every corner of the world are already using Transistor to publish their podcasts. This podcast hosting platform makes all episodes of your podcasts available on Spotify, Overcast, and other popular podcast directories. Moreover, you can create unlimited podcasts and upload as many episodes as you want to the website you created with Transistor. The platform produces analytics reports for each of your podcasts, regardless of the pricing plan you own, but the number of collaborators on a single Transistor account depends on the subscription model. The number of monthly podcast downloads is limited and it varies from one pricing plan to another.

Pros

  • Allows users to create private podcast feeds
  • Supports integrations with email marketing platforms like Drip or MailChimp
  • Embeddable podcast player
  • The functionally organized RSS feed

Cons

  • You must purchase the Business subscription model to remove the Transistor’s branding
  • If you would like to create more than three private podcasts, you must contact the customer support

7. Simplecast

Price: Pricing options start at $15

The distribution, analytics, and sharing tools this podcast hosting platform provides are powerful enough to cater even for the most demanding podcasting needs. Simplecast lets you choose from a variety of themes that are optimized for mobile devices and search engines. It also enables you to customize the colors of each theme with its website builder. All podcasts you upload to Simplecast can be shared on all of the podcast directories that attract millions of listeners. What’s more, the platform makes monitoring the statistics your podcasts generate easy, so that you can discover new ways to reach new audiences.

Pros

  • Websites built with Simplecast are secure
  • Great selection of web-players
  • Provides detailed statistics for all podcasts
  • Doesn’t restrict the bandwidth or storage space

Cons

  • The size of the team using Simplecast can’t exceed eight members
  • Building more than three pages with Simplecast isn’t an option

8. Spreaker

Price: Free, pricing options start at $7 per month

Spreaker is an affordable podcast hosting platform for all podcasters who are just starting out or looking for a new platform they can use to host their shows. In addition, you can also stream your podcasts live, although their maximum duration depends on the subscription plan you have. The storage space you are going to have at your disposal also varies from one pricing plan to another, but even the free version of Spreaker lets you store up to five hours of audio on the cloud. However, there are no limits to the number of listeners which enables you to grow your audience continually.

Pros

  • An inexpensive option for both novice and seasoned podcasters
  • A fully customizable RSS feed
  • Supports content migrations through RSS feed
  • Provides excellent monetization options

Cons

  • The storage space is limited
  • You must purchase the Broadcaster subscription model in order to gain access to the platform’s analytics tools.

9. Libsyn

Price: Pricing options start at $5

This platform integrates with more than twenty podcast apps, social media platforms, and WordPress websites via the OnPublish feature. Libsyin features powerful scheduling tools, which enables you to choose the exact date and time when the next episode of your podcast is going to be published. The RSS is compliant with Apple Podcasts, which makes it easier to add a title, choose a category or write podcast summaries for each new episode you would like to optimize for playback on Apple devices. Libsyn offers Double Opt-in Advertising and MyLibSyn Premium Paywall monetization options so that you can choose the method of earning money through this podcast hosting platform that is the most convenient for you.

Pros

  • Supports audio, video, text and PDF hosting
  • Excellent podcast distribution capabilities
  • Cheaper than most of its competitors
  • Creating a publishing schedule for your podcasts is easy

Cons

  • Very limited storage space, regardless of the pricing plan you purchase
  • Underwhelming statistics tracking options

10. Podomatic

Price: Free, pricing options start at $8,32

The options you will have at your disposal if you opt to publish your podcasts with Podomatic, largely depends on the subscription model you have. Even though anyone can use this podcast platform for free, the bandwidth and storage space that are available on the free version of Podomatic can limit your options. Besides, publishing podcasts, you can also use the platform to listen to podcasts, from browsers or iPhone and Android devices. Podomatic lets you monetize your podcasts by connecting your Patreon account to your podcast website or by adding Podomatic Podcast to Advertise Cast.

Pros:

  • Podomatic app is available for both iOS and Android devices
  • Podcast published through Podomatic can be played directly from Twitter and Facebook feeds
  • Equipped with a powerful drag-and-drop website builder
  • Offers a variety of themes designed exclusively for podcasts

Cons

  • Unlimited storage space and bandwidth are only available in the Enterprise subscription model
  • Offers only basic podcast statistics

Part 2: The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Podcast Hosting Platforms

In order to add episodes of your podcasts to podcast directories, you must meet only three requirements. Your audio file must be saved in the MP3 format, you must have access to the podcast hosting platform, and you must be able to add a podcast to an RSS feed. The hosting platform you selected will utilize its RSS feed to distribute your podcasts to the apps and services your audience is using to listen to them and deliver a new episode of your show to your listeners as soon as you publish it. The reach of your podcasts, your monetization capabilities or whether or not you will be able to create custom domains depends on the podcast hosting platform you choose.

What is podcast hosting and what are its main benefits?

All podcast hosting platforms let their users store their podcasts online and create an RSS feed for them that is used to add podcast to different podcast directories. Besides sending each new episode of your podcast to your subscribers, podcast hosting platforms also enable you to track their performance and learn which apps were used to access them as well as a plethora of other relevant metrics. Some podcast hosting platforms feature website builders that allow you to create custom domain landing pages, blogs or add widgets.

Why do I need podcast hosting services?

Podcast hosting services simplify the process of storing and publishing podcasts and ensure that each new episode you publish reaches your subscribers. In addition, most platforms offer a quick and easy way to add tags, cover art or podcast descriptions, so that you can provide all the information your listeners need to find your podcasts effortlessly.

How to select the right podcast hosting platform?

The reason why you are creating a podcast can often help you figure out which podcast hosting platform is the best option for you. If you would like to periodically share short interviews or simply have fun with your friends, then choosing a free version of a podcast hosting platform is your best option.

However, if you take podcasting seriously, finding out how much storage space a platform offers or the maximum bandwidth can help you decide if the platform you are considering is the right choice for you. Moreover, podcasters who also create video podcasts should check if the platform they would like to use to distribute their podcasts supports hosting and publishing video files. Ultimately, the amount of money you are willing to spend on subscription will determine which podcast hosting platform to pick since there is no reason to spend vast amounts of money on features you have no intention of using.

Is podcast hosting free?

Even though most podcast hosting platforms either have free versions or free trial, podcast hosting over an extended period of time is never free. Each platform offers different pricing options and lets you choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you decide to publish your podcasts with a free version of the podcast hosting platform, you should keep in mind that the scope of your options is going to be limited.

What is the average cost of podcast hosting services?

The cost of a monthly subscription for a podcast hosting service can be anywhere between $7 and $99. The majority of basic and pro pricing plans can be purchased for less than $20, but if you would like to utilize all the features a podcast hosting platform has to offer, then your monthly subscription can cost much more than a hundred dollars. Lower priced options often lack advanced file-sharing tools or don’t provide integrations features, which is the reason why you should only consider them if you just need a quick way to publish a podcast.

Conclusion

Each step of the process of creating a podcast is equally important, and the quality of the microphone you’re using to record an episode of your podcast is of no less significance than the hosting platform you’re using to publish a podcast. Each podcast hosting platform we included in this article ensures that your podcasts are delivered to all of your subscribers, but which one you are going to choose depends on a plethora of factors that range from a platform’s storage capacity to the number of podcast directories to which your podcasts are added. Which podcast hosting platform are you using to publish your podcasts? Leave a comment and let us know.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Covering interesting topics in your podcasts or using professional audio recording and editing tools to process them, won’t mean much if you cannot reach your audience. Uploading a large numbers of audio files to your own website is not always an option, since the storage space, you have at your disposal may be too small to store all of your podcasts.

That is where podcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout or Podbean come in, to help podcasters store their content safely and deliver their latest podcast to different apps and directories through the RSS feed.

With so many options out there, finding a podcast hosting platform can be a daunting task for podcasters who are just starting out. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best podcast hosting platforms and provide you with answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about podcast hosting services.

Comparison of the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms

Are you too busy to go through all of the podcast hosting platforms we featured in this article? Do not worry, here’s a quick comparison of the best podcast hosting platforms.

Hosting Platform Subscription Cost Storage Bandwidth Podcast Analytics RSS Support Website host
Buzzsprout Ranges from free to $24 Unlimited 250 GB Yes Yes Yes
Blubrry Ranges from $12 to $80 per month 100 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Castos Ranges from $19 to $49 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podbean Ranges from free to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Podiant Ranges from $12,99 to 35,97 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Transistor.fm Ranges from $19,00 to $99 per month Unlimited Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
Simplecast Ranges from $15 to $85 per month Unlimited 20,000 downloads Yes Yes Yes
Speaker Ranges from free to $50 per month Varies from 5 to 1500 hours Unlimited Yes Yes No
Libsyn Ranges from $5 to $150 per month Varies between 50 MB and 80 MB Unlimited Yes Yes Yes
PODOMATIC Ranges from free to $20, 82 per month Limited, depends on the subscription model Limited, depends on the subscription model Yes Yes Yes

Part 1: Top Ten Podcast Hosting Platforms

Building an audience for your podcast can take months, sometimes even years, and for that reason having access to a reliable hosting platform that lets you distribute new episodes of your podcast effortlessly is vital for their success. Factors that range from subscription fees to RSS support can influence your choice of a podcast hosting platform, so let’s take a look at what some of the best hosting platforms for podcasters have to offer.

1. Buzzsprout

Price: Free, pricing options start at $12 per month

The fact that over 100,000 podcasters used Buzzsprout’s services to launch their podcasts, shows how highly esteemed the platform is within the podcasting community. The episode automation feature enables you to just upload an audio file and it takes care of the ID3 tags and bitrates for you. Buzzsprout grants you access to a huge audience by allowing your subscribers to listen to your podcast from Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts, Alexa or Overcast. The platform also provides you with advanced statistics for each episode of your podcast you upload. So, you can easily find out which apps they are using to listen to your podcasts or to learn the location at which your podcast was played.

Pros

  • Unlimited storage space
  • 90-day trial period
  • Grants users access to most popular podcast directories
  • Offers monetization options through affiliate marketing

Cons

  • Bandwidth is limited to 250 GB
  • The free version of Buzzsprout places ads to your podcasts on public sites

2. Blubrry

Price: Pricing options start at $12 per month

Uploading a new podcast and publishing it through Blubrry is a simple three-step process that can be completed in just a few minutes. This hosting platform grants you complete control over the iTunes’ RSS feed and it is optimized for the use on Android devices. In case you are considering moving from another platform like Libsyn or SoundCloud, you can easily migrate all of your content to Blubrry. Even though this podcast hosting platform features analytics tools you must purchase the Podcast Statistics package if you want to have a clear overview of the statistics your podcasts are generating.

Pros

  • The effortless podcast publishing process
  • Offers WordPress plugins
  • Free and easy media migration
  • Unlimited bandwidth

Cons

  • Storage space depends on the subscription plan
  • Access to analytics tools is not free

3. Castos

Price: Pricing options start at $19 per month

If you are searching for a platform that places no limits on your storage space or the bandwidth then you shouldn’t look much further than Castos. The platform lets you create as many new shows as you want and allows you to upload an unlimited number of episodes to each show you create. Podcasts you upload to Castos are automatically shared to all of the most popular podcast directories, including Sticher, iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also transcribe all of your podcasts with a click of a button, but you must pay a small fee for each minute of the podcast you transcribe.

Pros

  • Fully customizable podcast player
  • Offers support for both audio and video podcasts
  • Advanced analytics tools
  • Grants podcasters access to all of the most popular podcast directories

Cons

  • Short free trial period
  • Video republishing to YouTube is only available within the Growth subscription model

4. Podbean

Price: Free, pricing options start at $9 per month

Podcasters who would like to have their own full-featured podcast website and gain access to a website builder can hardly go wrong if they opt for Podbean. Moreover, you’ll be able to use your own domain and your branding if you create an account on this hosting platform. Podbean offers a broad selection of podcast templates and lets you choose the layout. Furthermore, Podbean provides excellent monetization opportunities, either through advertising, crowdfunding or premium content. The free version of the podcast hosting platform offers only limited broadband and storage space, while video support is only available if you purchase Unlimited Plus or Business pricing plans.

Pros

  • Compatible with iPhone and Android apps and embeddable media players
  • Provides RSS and iTunes support
  • Offers a broad selection of podcast themes
  • Allows podcasters to create their own podcast sites

Cons

  • You must upgrade from the free version in order to have unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Running multiple podcast channels is only possible if you have the Business pricing plan

5. Podiant

Price: Pricing plans start at $12,99

Podiant grants you access to all the tools you are going to need to upload and publish a new episode of your podcast. In fact, 22,200 podcast episodes are published through Poidant each day that are delivered to hundreds of thousands of listeners around the globe. The platform lets you choose from a broad range of themes, but it also features a templating engine that allows you to change the code on your podcasting site. Moreover, you can use Poidant to create a blog, embed content from Twitter, Instagram or YouTube in order to extend the reach of your podcasts and broaden their audience.

Pros

  • Allows users to host all their shows on one website
  • No bandwidth and storage space limitations
  • Compatible with all major podcasting directories and apps
  • Supports integrations through Zapier

Cons

  • The quality of the analytics data depends on the subscription plan
  • The free trial period lasts only two weeks

6. Transistor

Price: Pricing plans start at $19,00 per month

Professional podcasters and creatives from every corner of the world are already using Transistor to publish their podcasts. This podcast hosting platform makes all episodes of your podcasts available on Spotify, Overcast, and other popular podcast directories. Moreover, you can create unlimited podcasts and upload as many episodes as you want to the website you created with Transistor. The platform produces analytics reports for each of your podcasts, regardless of the pricing plan you own, but the number of collaborators on a single Transistor account depends on the subscription model. The number of monthly podcast downloads is limited and it varies from one pricing plan to another.

Pros

  • Allows users to create private podcast feeds
  • Supports integrations with email marketing platforms like Drip or MailChimp
  • Embeddable podcast player
  • The functionally organized RSS feed

Cons

  • You must purchase the Business subscription model to remove the Transistor’s branding
  • If you would like to create more than three private podcasts, you must contact the customer support

7. Simplecast

Price: Pricing options start at $15

The distribution, analytics, and sharing tools this podcast hosting platform provides are powerful enough to cater even for the most demanding podcasting needs. Simplecast lets you choose from a variety of themes that are optimized for mobile devices and search engines. It also enables you to customize the colors of each theme with its website builder. All podcasts you upload to Simplecast can be shared on all of the podcast directories that attract millions of listeners. What’s more, the platform makes monitoring the statistics your podcasts generate easy, so that you can discover new ways to reach new audiences.

Pros

  • Websites built with Simplecast are secure
  • Great selection of web-players
  • Provides detailed statistics for all podcasts
  • Doesn’t restrict the bandwidth or storage space

Cons

  • The size of the team using Simplecast can’t exceed eight members
  • Building more than three pages with Simplecast isn’t an option

8. Spreaker

Price: Free, pricing options start at $7 per month

Spreaker is an affordable podcast hosting platform for all podcasters who are just starting out or looking for a new platform they can use to host their shows. In addition, you can also stream your podcasts live, although their maximum duration depends on the subscription plan you have. The storage space you are going to have at your disposal also varies from one pricing plan to another, but even the free version of Spreaker lets you store up to five hours of audio on the cloud. However, there are no limits to the number of listeners which enables you to grow your audience continually.

Pros

  • An inexpensive option for both novice and seasoned podcasters
  • A fully customizable RSS feed
  • Supports content migrations through RSS feed
  • Provides excellent monetization options

Cons

  • The storage space is limited
  • You must purchase the Broadcaster subscription model in order to gain access to the platform’s analytics tools.

9. Libsyn

Price: Pricing options start at $5

This platform integrates with more than twenty podcast apps, social media platforms, and WordPress websites via the OnPublish feature. Libsyin features powerful scheduling tools, which enables you to choose the exact date and time when the next episode of your podcast is going to be published. The RSS is compliant with Apple Podcasts, which makes it easier to add a title, choose a category or write podcast summaries for each new episode you would like to optimize for playback on Apple devices. Libsyn offers Double Opt-in Advertising and MyLibSyn Premium Paywall monetization options so that you can choose the method of earning money through this podcast hosting platform that is the most convenient for you.

Pros

  • Supports audio, video, text and PDF hosting
  • Excellent podcast distribution capabilities
  • Cheaper than most of its competitors
  • Creating a publishing schedule for your podcasts is easy

Cons

  • Very limited storage space, regardless of the pricing plan you purchase
  • Underwhelming statistics tracking options

10. Podomatic

Price: Free, pricing options start at $8,32

The options you will have at your disposal if you opt to publish your podcasts with Podomatic, largely depends on the subscription model you have. Even though anyone can use this podcast platform for free, the bandwidth and storage space that are available on the free version of Podomatic can limit your options. Besides, publishing podcasts, you can also use the platform to listen to podcasts, from browsers or iPhone and Android devices. Podomatic lets you monetize your podcasts by connecting your Patreon account to your podcast website or by adding Podomatic Podcast to Advertise Cast.

Pros:

  • Podomatic app is available for both iOS and Android devices
  • Podcast published through Podomatic can be played directly from Twitter and Facebook feeds
  • Equipped with a powerful drag-and-drop website builder
  • Offers a variety of themes designed exclusively for podcasts

Cons

  • Unlimited storage space and bandwidth are only available in the Enterprise subscription model
  • Offers only basic podcast statistics

Part 2: The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Podcast Hosting Platforms

In order to add episodes of your podcasts to podcast directories, you must meet only three requirements. Your audio file must be saved in the MP3 format, you must have access to the podcast hosting platform, and you must be able to add a podcast to an RSS feed. The hosting platform you selected will utilize its RSS feed to distribute your podcasts to the apps and services your audience is using to listen to them and deliver a new episode of your show to your listeners as soon as you publish it. The reach of your podcasts, your monetization capabilities or whether or not you will be able to create custom domains depends on the podcast hosting platform you choose.

What is podcast hosting and what are its main benefits?

All podcast hosting platforms let their users store their podcasts online and create an RSS feed for them that is used to add podcast to different podcast directories. Besides sending each new episode of your podcast to your subscribers, podcast hosting platforms also enable you to track their performance and learn which apps were used to access them as well as a plethora of other relevant metrics. Some podcast hosting platforms feature website builders that allow you to create custom domain landing pages, blogs or add widgets.

Why do I need podcast hosting services?

Podcast hosting services simplify the process of storing and publishing podcasts and ensure that each new episode you publish reaches your subscribers. In addition, most platforms offer a quick and easy way to add tags, cover art or podcast descriptions, so that you can provide all the information your listeners need to find your podcasts effortlessly.

How to select the right podcast hosting platform?

The reason why you are creating a podcast can often help you figure out which podcast hosting platform is the best option for you. If you would like to periodically share short interviews or simply have fun with your friends, then choosing a free version of a podcast hosting platform is your best option.

However, if you take podcasting seriously, finding out how much storage space a platform offers or the maximum bandwidth can help you decide if the platform you are considering is the right choice for you. Moreover, podcasters who also create video podcasts should check if the platform they would like to use to distribute their podcasts supports hosting and publishing video files. Ultimately, the amount of money you are willing to spend on subscription will determine which podcast hosting platform to pick since there is no reason to spend vast amounts of money on features you have no intention of using.

Is podcast hosting free?

Even though most podcast hosting platforms either have free versions or free trial, podcast hosting over an extended period of time is never free. Each platform offers different pricing options and lets you choose the one that is best suited for your needs. If you decide to publish your podcasts with a free version of the podcast hosting platform, you should keep in mind that the scope of your options is going to be limited.

What is the average cost of podcast hosting services?

The cost of a monthly subscription for a podcast hosting service can be anywhere between $7 and $99. The majority of basic and pro pricing plans can be purchased for less than $20, but if you would like to utilize all the features a podcast hosting platform has to offer, then your monthly subscription can cost much more than a hundred dollars. Lower priced options often lack advanced file-sharing tools or don’t provide integrations features, which is the reason why you should only consider them if you just need a quick way to publish a podcast.

Conclusion

Each step of the process of creating a podcast is equally important, and the quality of the microphone you’re using to record an episode of your podcast is of no less significance than the hosting platform you’re using to publish a podcast. Each podcast hosting platform we included in this article ensures that your podcasts are delivered to all of your subscribers, but which one you are going to choose depends on a plethora of factors that range from a platform’s storage capacity to the number of podcast directories to which your podcasts are added. Which podcast hosting platform are you using to publish your podcasts? Leave a comment and let us know.

author avatar

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Elevate Your Film’s Soundtrack: Top iMovie Audio Editing Secrets Revealed

All You Need to Know About iMovie Audio Editing

author avatar

Marion Dubois

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

iMovie offers a fantastic platform for video editing where you can merge multiple video clips to create something very phenomenal. Plus, it’s simply here to navigate between different scenes, edit video clips and save results directly to the digital format without making any videotape transformations.

It provides lots of things to beginners and professionals with its easy-to-use interface without any quality loss for your results even after adding lots of transitions, changes, and effects.

However, it is not accessible to master software, precisely when you’re not familiar with it, or you’re not its professional user. So today, we’d like to explore or pay attention to iMovie’s audio editing steps, tips, and tricks to help you become an iMovie master quickly.

What’s more, a practical yet professional iMovie alternative software is also advisable in this guide. So when the iMovie cannot fulfil your editing requirements, why don’t you hop on an iMovie alternative software?

Now, let’s get started!

Part 1: How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie?

To learn how to edit audio clips in iMovie, you can use actions in the menu along with the quick shortcuts to make adjustments to your audio clips in iMovie on Mac. It’s a tip for your convenience!

Trim Audio Clips

There are a couple of options to trim an audio clip in iMovie.

#1. Trim to Playhead

You can place the playhead in your timeline. Now, trim an audio clip to that exact spot. Next, start moving the playhead and do one from the following.

  • Select Modify > Trim to Playhead option in the menu bar.
  • Right-click the audio clip and select the option of Trim to Playhead in the shortcut menu.

#2. Use the Clip Trimmer

You can use the Clip Trimmer to trim an exact section of the clip.

Step 1. Right-click the audio clip and select Show Clip Trimmer in the shortcut menu.

Step 2. After the Clip Trimmer shows, select a section you wish to trim by dragging the arrows right and left while holding the white lines. The area within those lines is what will get entirely deleted.

Move the entire clip but keep the trim area in place if arrows turn to a film strip icon.

Step 3. Click Close Clip Trimmer after you finish this section.

Shorten or Lengthen Audio Clips

You can easily shorten or lengthen an audio clip in iMovie. Just choose the pin in the timeline and drag one of its edges. The duration of the clip change will change as you carry. And a new course will be displayed after you finish in the upper left menu.

You can also set the clip’s duration to an exact time. Select the clip in the timeline and hit the Clip Information (small letter “i”) tab located above the Viewer. Put the value of the time you want in seconds in the Duration box on the right.

Change the Speed of an Audio Clip

You may want to speed up or slow down an audio clip while editing music in iMovie. So, here’s what you need to do!

Method 1. Click the Speed button above the Viewer. Next, select Custom in the Speed drop-down box and enter a percentage next to it. You can also set a different speed in that box if you prefer.

Method 2. Right-click the clip and select Show Speed Editor from the shortcut menu. A slider will then display at the top of the clip that you can move to change the speed.

Adjust the Volume of an Audio Clip

You can set the audio clip’s volume at higher or lower, or even mute it. Just select the clip and then do one of the following.

  • Select the Volume tab above the Viewer option and move the slider to the percentage of volume. Hit the Mute button to mute the audio clip.
  • Tap inside the clip, and when the two-sided arrow appears, drag up or down to adjust the volume.

Fade an Audio Clip

While editing audio in iMovie, you can also fade in or out the clip. Choose a clip in the timeline and then drag the fade handle (small circle) at either the ending or the beginning of the clip to make a fade-out or a fade-in effect.

As you drag, you will see the arcs displaying the shadow for the clips fade in or fade out.

How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie on iOS?

The iMovie timeline is where you sort or organize all your audio clips, such as the special effects and background music. Audio clips are always present below the video clips in the timeline. To edit audio clips in iMovie on your iPhones or iPads, you can follow the guide belo

Move an Audio Clip

You can transfer the whole audio clip, except the background music, to another location.

  • Touch and hold the purple or blue audio clip with your project open in the timeline until it comes over the timeline bar.
  • Drag the clip to another place and release.

Adjust the Audio Clip’s Duration

Step 1. While the project is launched in the timeline, tap the audio clip (in blue or purple) or the background music clip you wish to adjust.

Step 2. Now, you can see the display of yellow trim handles. Drag them either at the end of the clip to the points where you wish the audio to start and end. If a trim handle won’t move left or right, it simply indicates there is no additional audio to work with on that clip’s end.

Step 3. Tap outside the audio clip and let the trim handles disappear.

Split an Audio Clip

There are around two options to split audio clips in iMovie. You can remove unwanted parts or adjust each section’s duration, volume, or speed while you split a clip.

Step 1. With your launched project in the timeline, scroll the timeline to the playhead’s position where you want to split the audio.

Step 2. Click the audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 3. Now, click the Actions button, and select the Split tab.

Or, you can tap the clip (it becomes outlined in yellow), then swipe above the playhead as if you were placing your finger to slide over it.

Detach the Audio Part from a Video

You can detach the video clip’s audio to remove or edit it as a separate video clip.

Step 1. When the project is open in the timeline, select a video clip and display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Tap the Actions button, then tap Detach.

Step 3. A new blue-colored audio clip will then appear below the video project. You can now move, edit, or delete the audio clip separately from its parent video clip.

Move Audio to the Foreground or Background

To ensure the sound in your video clips can listen above the background music, iMovie implies audio “ducking”. Ducking lowers the background music clips’ volume whenever there’s a video clip whose sound is playing simultaneously.

You can select which audio clips are in the foreground or the background.

Step 1. Select the timeline’s audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Hit the Actions tab and proceed with selecting the Foreground or Background.

The clip color changes to indicate whether it’s the background music (green) or foreground audio (blue or purple).

Part 2: An Easier Way to Edit Audio Clips

Windows users might be wandering for an alternative to iMovie as this software tool is only compatible with Mac and iOS devices. You will be thrilled to know that Wondershare Filmora can serve you with all synonymous and extra features more than the iMovie, and it works significantly in the Windows environment.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

This latest software tool also assists users with easy video editing tricks and the intuitive interface that best serves quality editing to beginners and professionals.

Despite the basic video editing features, such as trimming, splitting, merging, cutting, and cropping, Filmora also offers various advanced editing elements that are far better than iMovie. And, with its video editing features, you can make a green screen effect, stabilize your video footage, reverse your video clip, and more.

Moreover, you can enjoy royalty-free music tracks for different themes, such as Young and Bright, Tender and Sentimental, Rock, Folk, Electronic Rock, and Hipster Folk, for selection.

All this will be available with a single program called Wondershare Filmora to take advantage of them for free. You do not have to search the background music files like a needle in a haystack. The program has nicely organized the music themes into six different folders. You can apply it for your video and make advanced editing, such as split/trim the clip, adjust the playback speed, pitch, volume, etc.

How to Edit Audio with Wondershare Filmora?

In Wondershare Filmora, you can insert background music and other files from the audio library or your computer. You can even record your voiceover using it.

Add Background Music

Filmora provides a royalty-free music library you can access or import your music within the program. You can select a song from the royalty-free audio library and use it for free.

The audio library has categorized into: YOUNG & BRIGHT, TENDER & SENTIMENTAL, ROCK, FOLK, and ELECTRONIC. The different kinds of sound effects are also available under the Sound Effects tab.

Once you find a sound effect or a song, either right-click on it and go with the Apply or drag and drop it into an audio track in the timeline.

Or, you can click the Import button above the Media Library panel to browse for audio files in your PC system. Then, select and import it into the Media Library when you find the song or other audio files you wish to add.

Once you place the song in the timeline, double-click to edit it in the Audio editing panel. You can apply fade-in or fade-out effects or adjust the pitch and volume. Filmora lets you add up to 100 audio tracks.

Split Audio Clips

Choose your audio clip and place the playhead where you want to split it, then right-click on the clip and choose the Split tab or click the Split icon right above on the toolbar.

Adjust Audio Settings

Double click on the audio clip to make adjustments to your audio. Open a panel with adjustment sliders in the timeline for pitch and volume.

Another element that you’ll find in this panel is Denoise, which is a feature that can remove background noise from your audio clips.

For a more professional audio editing experience, you can also access the Audio Equalizer from this panel. Select from presets or make manual adjustments by hitting the Customize tab.

Play it when you are done and, if you’re not happy with the results, tap the Reset button to start over.

Audio Equalizer (EQ)

All videos have plenty of sounds like speech, music, or sound effects. Changing the strength of sound waves will help you to mix these sounds within a coherent soundtrack.

Locate your audio clip in an audio track and double-click on it to open the Audio settings menu window. A drop-down menu next to the Equalizer feature will display presets such as Classic, Default, Rock’n’Roll, Techno, Sparkle, Bass, Hard Rock, Pop, Ska, Blues, Folk, Acoustic, Custom, or Country. Choose the preset that best fits your current needs and hit the OK tab to apply it.

Now, hit the Customize tab next to the drop-down bar to adjust the Audio Equalizer manually. Drag the sliders up or down and make the adjustments until you find their ideal value. Finally, hit OK and save your settings.

Besides the included music tracks and sound effects in Filmora initially, you can also find more audio files from Filmora’s effects store – Filmstock, and even get some free music and sound.

Part 3: iMovie Audio Editing Tips & Tricks

iMovie is a great video editor for Mac computers. After understanding the best alternative of iMovie sound editin g, let’s check out some tips on editing audio in iMovie best.

The explanations and screenshots below are for iMovie 10 only. However, the steps are a bit similar to older versions.

So, here we go!

1. Use Waveforms to See What You Hear

To properly edit the audio track in iMovie, you need a good pair of headphones and speakers to hear the sound, but you also need to check the sound.

You can check the sound in iMovie by considering the waveforms on each clip. If the waveforms can’t be seen, go to the View drop-down menu and choose the Show Waveforms option. The clip size for your project can also adjust to get an even better appearance for each video clip.

The waveforms will display the volume level of a clip and give you a good idea of what sections will require to turn up or down. You can also check how the levels of different clips compare to one another.

2. Audio Adjustments

With the help of Adjust tab in the top right, you can access some basic audio editing tools for changing your selected clip’s volume or changing the volume of other relative clips in the project.

The adjustment window of audio also provides basic audio equalization and noise reduction tools, along with a range of effects - from echo to robot - that will change the way people in your video sound.

3. Edit Audio with the Timeline

iMovie assists you in adjusting the audio within the clips themselves. Each pin has a volume bar, moving up and down to decrease or increase the audio level. The clips also contain Fade In and Fade Out tabs at the beginning and end, dragging to adjust the fade’s length.

By adding a short fade effect, whether in or out, the sound becomes relatively smoother and less conflicting to the ear when a new clip begins.

4. Detach the Audio

By default, iMovie keeps the video and audio sections of clips together for convenience. Yet, you want to use the video and audio sections of a clip separately sometimes.

For this purpose, choose your clip in the timeline, visit the Modify drop-down menu, and hit the Detach Audio button. You’ll now have two clips - one with the images and another with the sound.

A lot you can do with the detached audio. For instance, you could extend the audio clip to begin before the video plays, or so that it plays for a few seconds even after the video fades out. You could also cut out pieces from the audio’s middle portion while leaving the video intact.

Conclusion

Coming towards the end of the discussion, after understanding iMovie audio editingand going through an elaborated alternative of iMovie application, we decided that Wondershare Filmora sounds the best out of it. It allows you to flawlessly edit video and audio files on your desktop, with various inbuilt royalty-free music tracks to select from that can further improve your project’s presence.

author avatar

Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

iMovie offers a fantastic platform for video editing where you can merge multiple video clips to create something very phenomenal. Plus, it’s simply here to navigate between different scenes, edit video clips and save results directly to the digital format without making any videotape transformations.

It provides lots of things to beginners and professionals with its easy-to-use interface without any quality loss for your results even after adding lots of transitions, changes, and effects.

However, it is not accessible to master software, precisely when you’re not familiar with it, or you’re not its professional user. So today, we’d like to explore or pay attention to iMovie’s audio editing steps, tips, and tricks to help you become an iMovie master quickly.

What’s more, a practical yet professional iMovie alternative software is also advisable in this guide. So when the iMovie cannot fulfil your editing requirements, why don’t you hop on an iMovie alternative software?

Now, let’s get started!

Part 1: How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie?

To learn how to edit audio clips in iMovie, you can use actions in the menu along with the quick shortcuts to make adjustments to your audio clips in iMovie on Mac. It’s a tip for your convenience!

Trim Audio Clips

There are a couple of options to trim an audio clip in iMovie.

#1. Trim to Playhead

You can place the playhead in your timeline. Now, trim an audio clip to that exact spot. Next, start moving the playhead and do one from the following.

  • Select Modify > Trim to Playhead option in the menu bar.
  • Right-click the audio clip and select the option of Trim to Playhead in the shortcut menu.

#2. Use the Clip Trimmer

You can use the Clip Trimmer to trim an exact section of the clip.

Step 1. Right-click the audio clip and select Show Clip Trimmer in the shortcut menu.

Step 2. After the Clip Trimmer shows, select a section you wish to trim by dragging the arrows right and left while holding the white lines. The area within those lines is what will get entirely deleted.

Move the entire clip but keep the trim area in place if arrows turn to a film strip icon.

Step 3. Click Close Clip Trimmer after you finish this section.

Shorten or Lengthen Audio Clips

You can easily shorten or lengthen an audio clip in iMovie. Just choose the pin in the timeline and drag one of its edges. The duration of the clip change will change as you carry. And a new course will be displayed after you finish in the upper left menu.

You can also set the clip’s duration to an exact time. Select the clip in the timeline and hit the Clip Information (small letter “i”) tab located above the Viewer. Put the value of the time you want in seconds in the Duration box on the right.

Change the Speed of an Audio Clip

You may want to speed up or slow down an audio clip while editing music in iMovie. So, here’s what you need to do!

Method 1. Click the Speed button above the Viewer. Next, select Custom in the Speed drop-down box and enter a percentage next to it. You can also set a different speed in that box if you prefer.

Method 2. Right-click the clip and select Show Speed Editor from the shortcut menu. A slider will then display at the top of the clip that you can move to change the speed.

Adjust the Volume of an Audio Clip

You can set the audio clip’s volume at higher or lower, or even mute it. Just select the clip and then do one of the following.

  • Select the Volume tab above the Viewer option and move the slider to the percentage of volume. Hit the Mute button to mute the audio clip.
  • Tap inside the clip, and when the two-sided arrow appears, drag up or down to adjust the volume.

Fade an Audio Clip

While editing audio in iMovie, you can also fade in or out the clip. Choose a clip in the timeline and then drag the fade handle (small circle) at either the ending or the beginning of the clip to make a fade-out or a fade-in effect.

As you drag, you will see the arcs displaying the shadow for the clips fade in or fade out.

How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie on iOS?

The iMovie timeline is where you sort or organize all your audio clips, such as the special effects and background music. Audio clips are always present below the video clips in the timeline. To edit audio clips in iMovie on your iPhones or iPads, you can follow the guide belo

Move an Audio Clip

You can transfer the whole audio clip, except the background music, to another location.

  • Touch and hold the purple or blue audio clip with your project open in the timeline until it comes over the timeline bar.
  • Drag the clip to another place and release.

Adjust the Audio Clip’s Duration

Step 1. While the project is launched in the timeline, tap the audio clip (in blue or purple) or the background music clip you wish to adjust.

Step 2. Now, you can see the display of yellow trim handles. Drag them either at the end of the clip to the points where you wish the audio to start and end. If a trim handle won’t move left or right, it simply indicates there is no additional audio to work with on that clip’s end.

Step 3. Tap outside the audio clip and let the trim handles disappear.

Split an Audio Clip

There are around two options to split audio clips in iMovie. You can remove unwanted parts or adjust each section’s duration, volume, or speed while you split a clip.

Step 1. With your launched project in the timeline, scroll the timeline to the playhead’s position where you want to split the audio.

Step 2. Click the audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 3. Now, click the Actions button, and select the Split tab.

Or, you can tap the clip (it becomes outlined in yellow), then swipe above the playhead as if you were placing your finger to slide over it.

Detach the Audio Part from a Video

You can detach the video clip’s audio to remove or edit it as a separate video clip.

Step 1. When the project is open in the timeline, select a video clip and display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Tap the Actions button, then tap Detach.

Step 3. A new blue-colored audio clip will then appear below the video project. You can now move, edit, or delete the audio clip separately from its parent video clip.

Move Audio to the Foreground or Background

To ensure the sound in your video clips can listen above the background music, iMovie implies audio “ducking”. Ducking lowers the background music clips’ volume whenever there’s a video clip whose sound is playing simultaneously.

You can select which audio clips are in the foreground or the background.

Step 1. Select the timeline’s audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Hit the Actions tab and proceed with selecting the Foreground or Background.

The clip color changes to indicate whether it’s the background music (green) or foreground audio (blue or purple).

Part 2: An Easier Way to Edit Audio Clips

Windows users might be wandering for an alternative to iMovie as this software tool is only compatible with Mac and iOS devices. You will be thrilled to know that Wondershare Filmora can serve you with all synonymous and extra features more than the iMovie, and it works significantly in the Windows environment.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

This latest software tool also assists users with easy video editing tricks and the intuitive interface that best serves quality editing to beginners and professionals.

Despite the basic video editing features, such as trimming, splitting, merging, cutting, and cropping, Filmora also offers various advanced editing elements that are far better than iMovie. And, with its video editing features, you can make a green screen effect, stabilize your video footage, reverse your video clip, and more.

Moreover, you can enjoy royalty-free music tracks for different themes, such as Young and Bright, Tender and Sentimental, Rock, Folk, Electronic Rock, and Hipster Folk, for selection.

All this will be available with a single program called Wondershare Filmora to take advantage of them for free. You do not have to search the background music files like a needle in a haystack. The program has nicely organized the music themes into six different folders. You can apply it for your video and make advanced editing, such as split/trim the clip, adjust the playback speed, pitch, volume, etc.

How to Edit Audio with Wondershare Filmora?

In Wondershare Filmora, you can insert background music and other files from the audio library or your computer. You can even record your voiceover using it.

Add Background Music

Filmora provides a royalty-free music library you can access or import your music within the program. You can select a song from the royalty-free audio library and use it for free.

The audio library has categorized into: YOUNG & BRIGHT, TENDER & SENTIMENTAL, ROCK, FOLK, and ELECTRONIC. The different kinds of sound effects are also available under the Sound Effects tab.

Once you find a sound effect or a song, either right-click on it and go with the Apply or drag and drop it into an audio track in the timeline.

Or, you can click the Import button above the Media Library panel to browse for audio files in your PC system. Then, select and import it into the Media Library when you find the song or other audio files you wish to add.

Once you place the song in the timeline, double-click to edit it in the Audio editing panel. You can apply fade-in or fade-out effects or adjust the pitch and volume. Filmora lets you add up to 100 audio tracks.

Split Audio Clips

Choose your audio clip and place the playhead where you want to split it, then right-click on the clip and choose the Split tab or click the Split icon right above on the toolbar.

Adjust Audio Settings

Double click on the audio clip to make adjustments to your audio. Open a panel with adjustment sliders in the timeline for pitch and volume.

Another element that you’ll find in this panel is Denoise, which is a feature that can remove background noise from your audio clips.

For a more professional audio editing experience, you can also access the Audio Equalizer from this panel. Select from presets or make manual adjustments by hitting the Customize tab.

Play it when you are done and, if you’re not happy with the results, tap the Reset button to start over.

Audio Equalizer (EQ)

All videos have plenty of sounds like speech, music, or sound effects. Changing the strength of sound waves will help you to mix these sounds within a coherent soundtrack.

Locate your audio clip in an audio track and double-click on it to open the Audio settings menu window. A drop-down menu next to the Equalizer feature will display presets such as Classic, Default, Rock’n’Roll, Techno, Sparkle, Bass, Hard Rock, Pop, Ska, Blues, Folk, Acoustic, Custom, or Country. Choose the preset that best fits your current needs and hit the OK tab to apply it.

Now, hit the Customize tab next to the drop-down bar to adjust the Audio Equalizer manually. Drag the sliders up or down and make the adjustments until you find their ideal value. Finally, hit OK and save your settings.

Besides the included music tracks and sound effects in Filmora initially, you can also find more audio files from Filmora’s effects store – Filmstock, and even get some free music and sound.

Part 3: iMovie Audio Editing Tips & Tricks

iMovie is a great video editor for Mac computers. After understanding the best alternative of iMovie sound editin g, let’s check out some tips on editing audio in iMovie best.

The explanations and screenshots below are for iMovie 10 only. However, the steps are a bit similar to older versions.

So, here we go!

1. Use Waveforms to See What You Hear

To properly edit the audio track in iMovie, you need a good pair of headphones and speakers to hear the sound, but you also need to check the sound.

You can check the sound in iMovie by considering the waveforms on each clip. If the waveforms can’t be seen, go to the View drop-down menu and choose the Show Waveforms option. The clip size for your project can also adjust to get an even better appearance for each video clip.

The waveforms will display the volume level of a clip and give you a good idea of what sections will require to turn up or down. You can also check how the levels of different clips compare to one another.

2. Audio Adjustments

With the help of Adjust tab in the top right, you can access some basic audio editing tools for changing your selected clip’s volume or changing the volume of other relative clips in the project.

The adjustment window of audio also provides basic audio equalization and noise reduction tools, along with a range of effects - from echo to robot - that will change the way people in your video sound.

3. Edit Audio with the Timeline

iMovie assists you in adjusting the audio within the clips themselves. Each pin has a volume bar, moving up and down to decrease or increase the audio level. The clips also contain Fade In and Fade Out tabs at the beginning and end, dragging to adjust the fade’s length.

By adding a short fade effect, whether in or out, the sound becomes relatively smoother and less conflicting to the ear when a new clip begins.

4. Detach the Audio

By default, iMovie keeps the video and audio sections of clips together for convenience. Yet, you want to use the video and audio sections of a clip separately sometimes.

For this purpose, choose your clip in the timeline, visit the Modify drop-down menu, and hit the Detach Audio button. You’ll now have two clips - one with the images and another with the sound.

A lot you can do with the detached audio. For instance, you could extend the audio clip to begin before the video plays, or so that it plays for a few seconds even after the video fades out. You could also cut out pieces from the audio’s middle portion while leaving the video intact.

Conclusion

Coming towards the end of the discussion, after understanding iMovie audio editingand going through an elaborated alternative of iMovie application, we decided that Wondershare Filmora sounds the best out of it. It allows you to flawlessly edit video and audio files on your desktop, with various inbuilt royalty-free music tracks to select from that can further improve your project’s presence.

author avatar

Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

iMovie offers a fantastic platform for video editing where you can merge multiple video clips to create something very phenomenal. Plus, it’s simply here to navigate between different scenes, edit video clips and save results directly to the digital format without making any videotape transformations.

It provides lots of things to beginners and professionals with its easy-to-use interface without any quality loss for your results even after adding lots of transitions, changes, and effects.

However, it is not accessible to master software, precisely when you’re not familiar with it, or you’re not its professional user. So today, we’d like to explore or pay attention to iMovie’s audio editing steps, tips, and tricks to help you become an iMovie master quickly.

What’s more, a practical yet professional iMovie alternative software is also advisable in this guide. So when the iMovie cannot fulfil your editing requirements, why don’t you hop on an iMovie alternative software?

Now, let’s get started!

Part 1: How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie?

To learn how to edit audio clips in iMovie, you can use actions in the menu along with the quick shortcuts to make adjustments to your audio clips in iMovie on Mac. It’s a tip for your convenience!

Trim Audio Clips

There are a couple of options to trim an audio clip in iMovie.

#1. Trim to Playhead

You can place the playhead in your timeline. Now, trim an audio clip to that exact spot. Next, start moving the playhead and do one from the following.

  • Select Modify > Trim to Playhead option in the menu bar.
  • Right-click the audio clip and select the option of Trim to Playhead in the shortcut menu.

#2. Use the Clip Trimmer

You can use the Clip Trimmer to trim an exact section of the clip.

Step 1. Right-click the audio clip and select Show Clip Trimmer in the shortcut menu.

Step 2. After the Clip Trimmer shows, select a section you wish to trim by dragging the arrows right and left while holding the white lines. The area within those lines is what will get entirely deleted.

Move the entire clip but keep the trim area in place if arrows turn to a film strip icon.

Step 3. Click Close Clip Trimmer after you finish this section.

Shorten or Lengthen Audio Clips

You can easily shorten or lengthen an audio clip in iMovie. Just choose the pin in the timeline and drag one of its edges. The duration of the clip change will change as you carry. And a new course will be displayed after you finish in the upper left menu.

You can also set the clip’s duration to an exact time. Select the clip in the timeline and hit the Clip Information (small letter “i”) tab located above the Viewer. Put the value of the time you want in seconds in the Duration box on the right.

Change the Speed of an Audio Clip

You may want to speed up or slow down an audio clip while editing music in iMovie. So, here’s what you need to do!

Method 1. Click the Speed button above the Viewer. Next, select Custom in the Speed drop-down box and enter a percentage next to it. You can also set a different speed in that box if you prefer.

Method 2. Right-click the clip and select Show Speed Editor from the shortcut menu. A slider will then display at the top of the clip that you can move to change the speed.

Adjust the Volume of an Audio Clip

You can set the audio clip’s volume at higher or lower, or even mute it. Just select the clip and then do one of the following.

  • Select the Volume tab above the Viewer option and move the slider to the percentage of volume. Hit the Mute button to mute the audio clip.
  • Tap inside the clip, and when the two-sided arrow appears, drag up or down to adjust the volume.

Fade an Audio Clip

While editing audio in iMovie, you can also fade in or out the clip. Choose a clip in the timeline and then drag the fade handle (small circle) at either the ending or the beginning of the clip to make a fade-out or a fade-in effect.

As you drag, you will see the arcs displaying the shadow for the clips fade in or fade out.

How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie on iOS?

The iMovie timeline is where you sort or organize all your audio clips, such as the special effects and background music. Audio clips are always present below the video clips in the timeline. To edit audio clips in iMovie on your iPhones or iPads, you can follow the guide belo

Move an Audio Clip

You can transfer the whole audio clip, except the background music, to another location.

  • Touch and hold the purple or blue audio clip with your project open in the timeline until it comes over the timeline bar.
  • Drag the clip to another place and release.

Adjust the Audio Clip’s Duration

Step 1. While the project is launched in the timeline, tap the audio clip (in blue or purple) or the background music clip you wish to adjust.

Step 2. Now, you can see the display of yellow trim handles. Drag them either at the end of the clip to the points where you wish the audio to start and end. If a trim handle won’t move left or right, it simply indicates there is no additional audio to work with on that clip’s end.

Step 3. Tap outside the audio clip and let the trim handles disappear.

Split an Audio Clip

There are around two options to split audio clips in iMovie. You can remove unwanted parts or adjust each section’s duration, volume, or speed while you split a clip.

Step 1. With your launched project in the timeline, scroll the timeline to the playhead’s position where you want to split the audio.

Step 2. Click the audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 3. Now, click the Actions button, and select the Split tab.

Or, you can tap the clip (it becomes outlined in yellow), then swipe above the playhead as if you were placing your finger to slide over it.

Detach the Audio Part from a Video

You can detach the video clip’s audio to remove or edit it as a separate video clip.

Step 1. When the project is open in the timeline, select a video clip and display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Tap the Actions button, then tap Detach.

Step 3. A new blue-colored audio clip will then appear below the video project. You can now move, edit, or delete the audio clip separately from its parent video clip.

Move Audio to the Foreground or Background

To ensure the sound in your video clips can listen above the background music, iMovie implies audio “ducking”. Ducking lowers the background music clips’ volume whenever there’s a video clip whose sound is playing simultaneously.

You can select which audio clips are in the foreground or the background.

Step 1. Select the timeline’s audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Hit the Actions tab and proceed with selecting the Foreground or Background.

The clip color changes to indicate whether it’s the background music (green) or foreground audio (blue or purple).

Part 2: An Easier Way to Edit Audio Clips

Windows users might be wandering for an alternative to iMovie as this software tool is only compatible with Mac and iOS devices. You will be thrilled to know that Wondershare Filmora can serve you with all synonymous and extra features more than the iMovie, and it works significantly in the Windows environment.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

This latest software tool also assists users with easy video editing tricks and the intuitive interface that best serves quality editing to beginners and professionals.

Despite the basic video editing features, such as trimming, splitting, merging, cutting, and cropping, Filmora also offers various advanced editing elements that are far better than iMovie. And, with its video editing features, you can make a green screen effect, stabilize your video footage, reverse your video clip, and more.

Moreover, you can enjoy royalty-free music tracks for different themes, such as Young and Bright, Tender and Sentimental, Rock, Folk, Electronic Rock, and Hipster Folk, for selection.

All this will be available with a single program called Wondershare Filmora to take advantage of them for free. You do not have to search the background music files like a needle in a haystack. The program has nicely organized the music themes into six different folders. You can apply it for your video and make advanced editing, such as split/trim the clip, adjust the playback speed, pitch, volume, etc.

How to Edit Audio with Wondershare Filmora?

In Wondershare Filmora, you can insert background music and other files from the audio library or your computer. You can even record your voiceover using it.

Add Background Music

Filmora provides a royalty-free music library you can access or import your music within the program. You can select a song from the royalty-free audio library and use it for free.

The audio library has categorized into: YOUNG & BRIGHT, TENDER & SENTIMENTAL, ROCK, FOLK, and ELECTRONIC. The different kinds of sound effects are also available under the Sound Effects tab.

Once you find a sound effect or a song, either right-click on it and go with the Apply or drag and drop it into an audio track in the timeline.

Or, you can click the Import button above the Media Library panel to browse for audio files in your PC system. Then, select and import it into the Media Library when you find the song or other audio files you wish to add.

Once you place the song in the timeline, double-click to edit it in the Audio editing panel. You can apply fade-in or fade-out effects or adjust the pitch and volume. Filmora lets you add up to 100 audio tracks.

Split Audio Clips

Choose your audio clip and place the playhead where you want to split it, then right-click on the clip and choose the Split tab or click the Split icon right above on the toolbar.

Adjust Audio Settings

Double click on the audio clip to make adjustments to your audio. Open a panel with adjustment sliders in the timeline for pitch and volume.

Another element that you’ll find in this panel is Denoise, which is a feature that can remove background noise from your audio clips.

For a more professional audio editing experience, you can also access the Audio Equalizer from this panel. Select from presets or make manual adjustments by hitting the Customize tab.

Play it when you are done and, if you’re not happy with the results, tap the Reset button to start over.

Audio Equalizer (EQ)

All videos have plenty of sounds like speech, music, or sound effects. Changing the strength of sound waves will help you to mix these sounds within a coherent soundtrack.

Locate your audio clip in an audio track and double-click on it to open the Audio settings menu window. A drop-down menu next to the Equalizer feature will display presets such as Classic, Default, Rock’n’Roll, Techno, Sparkle, Bass, Hard Rock, Pop, Ska, Blues, Folk, Acoustic, Custom, or Country. Choose the preset that best fits your current needs and hit the OK tab to apply it.

Now, hit the Customize tab next to the drop-down bar to adjust the Audio Equalizer manually. Drag the sliders up or down and make the adjustments until you find their ideal value. Finally, hit OK and save your settings.

Besides the included music tracks and sound effects in Filmora initially, you can also find more audio files from Filmora’s effects store – Filmstock, and even get some free music and sound.

Part 3: iMovie Audio Editing Tips & Tricks

iMovie is a great video editor for Mac computers. After understanding the best alternative of iMovie sound editin g, let’s check out some tips on editing audio in iMovie best.

The explanations and screenshots below are for iMovie 10 only. However, the steps are a bit similar to older versions.

So, here we go!

1. Use Waveforms to See What You Hear

To properly edit the audio track in iMovie, you need a good pair of headphones and speakers to hear the sound, but you also need to check the sound.

You can check the sound in iMovie by considering the waveforms on each clip. If the waveforms can’t be seen, go to the View drop-down menu and choose the Show Waveforms option. The clip size for your project can also adjust to get an even better appearance for each video clip.

The waveforms will display the volume level of a clip and give you a good idea of what sections will require to turn up or down. You can also check how the levels of different clips compare to one another.

2. Audio Adjustments

With the help of Adjust tab in the top right, you can access some basic audio editing tools for changing your selected clip’s volume or changing the volume of other relative clips in the project.

The adjustment window of audio also provides basic audio equalization and noise reduction tools, along with a range of effects - from echo to robot - that will change the way people in your video sound.

3. Edit Audio with the Timeline

iMovie assists you in adjusting the audio within the clips themselves. Each pin has a volume bar, moving up and down to decrease or increase the audio level. The clips also contain Fade In and Fade Out tabs at the beginning and end, dragging to adjust the fade’s length.

By adding a short fade effect, whether in or out, the sound becomes relatively smoother and less conflicting to the ear when a new clip begins.

4. Detach the Audio

By default, iMovie keeps the video and audio sections of clips together for convenience. Yet, you want to use the video and audio sections of a clip separately sometimes.

For this purpose, choose your clip in the timeline, visit the Modify drop-down menu, and hit the Detach Audio button. You’ll now have two clips - one with the images and another with the sound.

A lot you can do with the detached audio. For instance, you could extend the audio clip to begin before the video plays, or so that it plays for a few seconds even after the video fades out. You could also cut out pieces from the audio’s middle portion while leaving the video intact.

Conclusion

Coming towards the end of the discussion, after understanding iMovie audio editingand going through an elaborated alternative of iMovie application, we decided that Wondershare Filmora sounds the best out of it. It allows you to flawlessly edit video and audio files on your desktop, with various inbuilt royalty-free music tracks to select from that can further improve your project’s presence.

author avatar

Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

iMovie offers a fantastic platform for video editing where you can merge multiple video clips to create something very phenomenal. Plus, it’s simply here to navigate between different scenes, edit video clips and save results directly to the digital format without making any videotape transformations.

It provides lots of things to beginners and professionals with its easy-to-use interface without any quality loss for your results even after adding lots of transitions, changes, and effects.

However, it is not accessible to master software, precisely when you’re not familiar with it, or you’re not its professional user. So today, we’d like to explore or pay attention to iMovie’s audio editing steps, tips, and tricks to help you become an iMovie master quickly.

What’s more, a practical yet professional iMovie alternative software is also advisable in this guide. So when the iMovie cannot fulfil your editing requirements, why don’t you hop on an iMovie alternative software?

Now, let’s get started!

Part 1: How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie?

To learn how to edit audio clips in iMovie, you can use actions in the menu along with the quick shortcuts to make adjustments to your audio clips in iMovie on Mac. It’s a tip for your convenience!

Trim Audio Clips

There are a couple of options to trim an audio clip in iMovie.

#1. Trim to Playhead

You can place the playhead in your timeline. Now, trim an audio clip to that exact spot. Next, start moving the playhead and do one from the following.

  • Select Modify > Trim to Playhead option in the menu bar.
  • Right-click the audio clip and select the option of Trim to Playhead in the shortcut menu.

#2. Use the Clip Trimmer

You can use the Clip Trimmer to trim an exact section of the clip.

Step 1. Right-click the audio clip and select Show Clip Trimmer in the shortcut menu.

Step 2. After the Clip Trimmer shows, select a section you wish to trim by dragging the arrows right and left while holding the white lines. The area within those lines is what will get entirely deleted.

Move the entire clip but keep the trim area in place if arrows turn to a film strip icon.

Step 3. Click Close Clip Trimmer after you finish this section.

Shorten or Lengthen Audio Clips

You can easily shorten or lengthen an audio clip in iMovie. Just choose the pin in the timeline and drag one of its edges. The duration of the clip change will change as you carry. And a new course will be displayed after you finish in the upper left menu.

You can also set the clip’s duration to an exact time. Select the clip in the timeline and hit the Clip Information (small letter “i”) tab located above the Viewer. Put the value of the time you want in seconds in the Duration box on the right.

Change the Speed of an Audio Clip

You may want to speed up or slow down an audio clip while editing music in iMovie. So, here’s what you need to do!

Method 1. Click the Speed button above the Viewer. Next, select Custom in the Speed drop-down box and enter a percentage next to it. You can also set a different speed in that box if you prefer.

Method 2. Right-click the clip and select Show Speed Editor from the shortcut menu. A slider will then display at the top of the clip that you can move to change the speed.

Adjust the Volume of an Audio Clip

You can set the audio clip’s volume at higher or lower, or even mute it. Just select the clip and then do one of the following.

  • Select the Volume tab above the Viewer option and move the slider to the percentage of volume. Hit the Mute button to mute the audio clip.
  • Tap inside the clip, and when the two-sided arrow appears, drag up or down to adjust the volume.

Fade an Audio Clip

While editing audio in iMovie, you can also fade in or out the clip. Choose a clip in the timeline and then drag the fade handle (small circle) at either the ending or the beginning of the clip to make a fade-out or a fade-in effect.

As you drag, you will see the arcs displaying the shadow for the clips fade in or fade out.

How to Edit Audio Clips in iMovie on iOS?

The iMovie timeline is where you sort or organize all your audio clips, such as the special effects and background music. Audio clips are always present below the video clips in the timeline. To edit audio clips in iMovie on your iPhones or iPads, you can follow the guide belo

Move an Audio Clip

You can transfer the whole audio clip, except the background music, to another location.

  • Touch and hold the purple or blue audio clip with your project open in the timeline until it comes over the timeline bar.
  • Drag the clip to another place and release.

Adjust the Audio Clip’s Duration

Step 1. While the project is launched in the timeline, tap the audio clip (in blue or purple) or the background music clip you wish to adjust.

Step 2. Now, you can see the display of yellow trim handles. Drag them either at the end of the clip to the points where you wish the audio to start and end. If a trim handle won’t move left or right, it simply indicates there is no additional audio to work with on that clip’s end.

Step 3. Tap outside the audio clip and let the trim handles disappear.

Split an Audio Clip

There are around two options to split audio clips in iMovie. You can remove unwanted parts or adjust each section’s duration, volume, or speed while you split a clip.

Step 1. With your launched project in the timeline, scroll the timeline to the playhead’s position where you want to split the audio.

Step 2. Click the audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 3. Now, click the Actions button, and select the Split tab.

Or, you can tap the clip (it becomes outlined in yellow), then swipe above the playhead as if you were placing your finger to slide over it.

Detach the Audio Part from a Video

You can detach the video clip’s audio to remove or edit it as a separate video clip.

Step 1. When the project is open in the timeline, select a video clip and display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Tap the Actions button, then tap Detach.

Step 3. A new blue-colored audio clip will then appear below the video project. You can now move, edit, or delete the audio clip separately from its parent video clip.

Move Audio to the Foreground or Background

To ensure the sound in your video clips can listen above the background music, iMovie implies audio “ducking”. Ducking lowers the background music clips’ volume whenever there’s a video clip whose sound is playing simultaneously.

You can select which audio clips are in the foreground or the background.

Step 1. Select the timeline’s audio clip to display the inspector at the screen’s bottom.

Step 2. Hit the Actions tab and proceed with selecting the Foreground or Background.

The clip color changes to indicate whether it’s the background music (green) or foreground audio (blue or purple).

Part 2: An Easier Way to Edit Audio Clips

Windows users might be wandering for an alternative to iMovie as this software tool is only compatible with Mac and iOS devices. You will be thrilled to know that Wondershare Filmora can serve you with all synonymous and extra features more than the iMovie, and it works significantly in the Windows environment.

Download Filmora Win Version Download Filmora Mac Version

This latest software tool also assists users with easy video editing tricks and the intuitive interface that best serves quality editing to beginners and professionals.

Despite the basic video editing features, such as trimming, splitting, merging, cutting, and cropping, Filmora also offers various advanced editing elements that are far better than iMovie. And, with its video editing features, you can make a green screen effect, stabilize your video footage, reverse your video clip, and more.

Moreover, you can enjoy royalty-free music tracks for different themes, such as Young and Bright, Tender and Sentimental, Rock, Folk, Electronic Rock, and Hipster Folk, for selection.

All this will be available with a single program called Wondershare Filmora to take advantage of them for free. You do not have to search the background music files like a needle in a haystack. The program has nicely organized the music themes into six different folders. You can apply it for your video and make advanced editing, such as split/trim the clip, adjust the playback speed, pitch, volume, etc.

How to Edit Audio with Wondershare Filmora?

In Wondershare Filmora, you can insert background music and other files from the audio library or your computer. You can even record your voiceover using it.

Add Background Music

Filmora provides a royalty-free music library you can access or import your music within the program. You can select a song from the royalty-free audio library and use it for free.

The audio library has categorized into: YOUNG & BRIGHT, TENDER & SENTIMENTAL, ROCK, FOLK, and ELECTRONIC. The different kinds of sound effects are also available under the Sound Effects tab.

Once you find a sound effect or a song, either right-click on it and go with the Apply or drag and drop it into an audio track in the timeline.

Or, you can click the Import button above the Media Library panel to browse for audio files in your PC system. Then, select and import it into the Media Library when you find the song or other audio files you wish to add.

Once you place the song in the timeline, double-click to edit it in the Audio editing panel. You can apply fade-in or fade-out effects or adjust the pitch and volume. Filmora lets you add up to 100 audio tracks.

Split Audio Clips

Choose your audio clip and place the playhead where you want to split it, then right-click on the clip and choose the Split tab or click the Split icon right above on the toolbar.

Adjust Audio Settings

Double click on the audio clip to make adjustments to your audio. Open a panel with adjustment sliders in the timeline for pitch and volume.

Another element that you’ll find in this panel is Denoise, which is a feature that can remove background noise from your audio clips.

For a more professional audio editing experience, you can also access the Audio Equalizer from this panel. Select from presets or make manual adjustments by hitting the Customize tab.

Play it when you are done and, if you’re not happy with the results, tap the Reset button to start over.

Audio Equalizer (EQ)

All videos have plenty of sounds like speech, music, or sound effects. Changing the strength of sound waves will help you to mix these sounds within a coherent soundtrack.

Locate your audio clip in an audio track and double-click on it to open the Audio settings menu window. A drop-down menu next to the Equalizer feature will display presets such as Classic, Default, Rock’n’Roll, Techno, Sparkle, Bass, Hard Rock, Pop, Ska, Blues, Folk, Acoustic, Custom, or Country. Choose the preset that best fits your current needs and hit the OK tab to apply it.

Now, hit the Customize tab next to the drop-down bar to adjust the Audio Equalizer manually. Drag the sliders up or down and make the adjustments until you find their ideal value. Finally, hit OK and save your settings.

Besides the included music tracks and sound effects in Filmora initially, you can also find more audio files from Filmora’s effects store – Filmstock, and even get some free music and sound.

Part 3: iMovie Audio Editing Tips & Tricks

iMovie is a great video editor for Mac computers. After understanding the best alternative of iMovie sound editin g, let’s check out some tips on editing audio in iMovie best.

The explanations and screenshots below are for iMovie 10 only. However, the steps are a bit similar to older versions.

So, here we go!

1. Use Waveforms to See What You Hear

To properly edit the audio track in iMovie, you need a good pair of headphones and speakers to hear the sound, but you also need to check the sound.

You can check the sound in iMovie by considering the waveforms on each clip. If the waveforms can’t be seen, go to the View drop-down menu and choose the Show Waveforms option. The clip size for your project can also adjust to get an even better appearance for each video clip.

The waveforms will display the volume level of a clip and give you a good idea of what sections will require to turn up or down. You can also check how the levels of different clips compare to one another.

2. Audio Adjustments

With the help of Adjust tab in the top right, you can access some basic audio editing tools for changing your selected clip’s volume or changing the volume of other relative clips in the project.

The adjustment window of audio also provides basic audio equalization and noise reduction tools, along with a range of effects - from echo to robot - that will change the way people in your video sound.

3. Edit Audio with the Timeline

iMovie assists you in adjusting the audio within the clips themselves. Each pin has a volume bar, moving up and down to decrease or increase the audio level. The clips also contain Fade In and Fade Out tabs at the beginning and end, dragging to adjust the fade’s length.

By adding a short fade effect, whether in or out, the sound becomes relatively smoother and less conflicting to the ear when a new clip begins.

4. Detach the Audio

By default, iMovie keeps the video and audio sections of clips together for convenience. Yet, you want to use the video and audio sections of a clip separately sometimes.

For this purpose, choose your clip in the timeline, visit the Modify drop-down menu, and hit the Detach Audio button. You’ll now have two clips - one with the images and another with the sound.

A lot you can do with the detached audio. For instance, you could extend the audio clip to begin before the video plays, or so that it plays for a few seconds even after the video fades out. You could also cut out pieces from the audio’s middle portion while leaving the video intact.

Conclusion

Coming towards the end of the discussion, after understanding iMovie audio editingand going through an elaborated alternative of iMovie application, we decided that Wondershare Filmora sounds the best out of it. It allows you to flawlessly edit video and audio files on your desktop, with various inbuilt royalty-free music tracks to select from that can further improve your project’s presence.

author avatar

Marion Dubois

Marion Dubois is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Marion Dubois

5 Essential No-Cost Music Amplitude Scaler Tools

When you are listening to music, or to podcast, or some other type of audio files, would it make it enjoyable if the volume was so low at some point that you couldn’t understand anything? Now add another possibility to this very unpleasant imagination – what if the volume was so high at another point that your ears can’t handle it? – Of course, you would stop listening, and you would also not think high of the creator of this content. In other words, this will become the reason why this creator might lose their audiences. Well, sad story for the creator, isn’t it? And, what if YOU were the creator? A little laziness or a failure in paying attention to detail and your content goes to waste!

So, what is the solution? Of course, a little editing! Even if your voice doesn’t sound like it’s worth listening, you can make it happen by normalizing the volume. This actually is the process when a constant amount of gain is applied to the audio recording, bringing the amplitude to a desirable level, which is “the norm” for the project. When this tool is applied to the volume, the whole recording has the same amount of gain across it, every piece is affected the same way, and the relative dynamics are not changed.

With this tool, you have an extra guarantor that people will want to convert to being loyal subscribers, viewers and listeners, because simply, their user experience is now favored, they enjoy a good, edited content.

Actually, we might use audio normalizing when we need to get the maximum volume, but another reason is is when we need to match different volumes.

As in most cases, there is not only one type of audio normalization, so let’s explain what each of them represents: one is a so-called peak normalization, helping adjust the recording based on the highest signal level present in the recording; another is called loudness normalization and it adjusts the recording based on perceived loudness. RMS (Root-Mean-Square), changes the value of all the samples, where their average electrical volume overall is a specified level.

With this knowledge in mind, let’s now move to the topic we are going to cover in this article: let’s discuss 5 best free MP3 volume normalizers. Knowing about them will save you time and equip you with the right ways so that when you are going to need audio normalization, you will choose one of them, bypass exhausting process of the research, and find the free, easy-to-use programs that will help you master your sounds!

So, we chose the following programs as 5 best free MP3 normalizers: Wondershare Filmora X, Adobe Premiere Pro, VLC Media Player, MP3 Gain and Movavi.

Wondershare Filmora X

Now, even though we already know how to normalize audio in VLC in the simplest, as well as in the more advanced way, it might be even better if we know some more about normalizing audios in different programs. Something worth discussing is a software called Wondershare Filmora X , which carries out the same task wonderfully. Although, unlike VLC Media Player, it is a real video editor, but don’t panic if you have never laid your hand on editing – it is one of the easiest to use ini the word, operating also both on Mac and Windows, and its interface is utterly understandable for beginners right away. And, actually, it is a qhile that Wondershare Filmora X introduced the feature to normalize the audio for the first time. What to say more - you might want to stop now and download the latest version of Filmora X because now we are about to learn how to normalize audio from the video there – so, tune in!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

When it is done installing, open the software. Now, click and drag the video of which the audio you want to normalize. Now you can select the clip you have chosen – if there are multiple, select all of them, then right-click and choose Detach Audio.

wondershare filmora x

Now if you have this kind of graphic before your eyes, you can be pretty sure without even listening, that the noises are really, really different from each other, which highlights once again how useful audio normalization can be:

noises are different from each other

Select these files, right-click and choose Adjust Audio. New panel will be opened on left top and there, you will see Audio Normalization – check the box there.

select files

choose adjust audio

After you have clicked on it, wait until the normalization completes.

complete normalization

Soon, all audio will be normalized, and you will already be able to see on the graphics that the volumes are almost on the same level and when you listen to it, you will make sure that there is no longer apparent difference between how they sound. And from there on, you can save the file you just normalized!

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry-leading video editing software, and it is a timeline-based. Premiere Pro always tries to make its use easier and easier, as new features are rolling out regularly to simplify steps and save time. The very same can be said about normalizing audio files, which is actually pretty easy once mastered in a very short time. That is actually why it used by beginners and professionals alike.

To normalize audio Adobe Premiere Pro, first, import your MP3 there. In the timeline, you will see your files in the sequence, in the sound section. Now, the best way to work on them is increase the track height – for that, you need to double-click on the empty space there, next to the little microphone icon.

import mp3

increase track height

Now, the track is high, and you can see more of your track. So, say that one of your MP3’s seems very loud, and another is much quieter. Speaking of the loud one, if you can see on the right that there is some red light, it is not a good sign – meaning that audio went above zero (so-called clipping), so you need to avoid it.

avoid clipping

(If you can not see your audio meters, just go to Window menu and choose Audio Meters).

So, here, our goal is to bring our audio clips around -3 – and for it, it’s possible to bring up and down the white line on the track, but it can be pretty time-consuming actually.

bring audio clips around-3

So a better way to do it would be next: click on the track and then right-click, find Audio Gain, and choose Normalize Max Peak to…:

click on track

Max Peak is basically the loudest, highest peak in the audio clip. So, you can write in -3 and click OK, which will ensure the entire audio waveform will have the gain of it adjusted so that the max peak is at -3. You can proceed to the next track and carry out the exact same process on it too. Then, on Audio Meters on the right again, you will be able to see that both tracks (or more, if you have them) peak at -3. In case you have a lot of clips on the timeline, you can select them all, then go to Audio Gain and normalize all of their max peaks simultaneously, which will save you so much time and help you enormously!

VLC Media Player

VLC is a well-known media player, it is a free-to-use, robust, and feature-packed software that plays a wide range of audio, image, and video files. It is worth noting that it can also play multimedia files directly from extractable devices or the PC and can stream from the most successful websites such as Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and so on.

But there is another magic a simple media player can actually do - we can also normalize volume in VLC Media Player. It is a very handy feature and it works on Windows as well as on Mac. It is very simple, so follow these steps:

You need to have VLC Media Player installed on your device. Once you have it installed, open VLC. Go to the Tools and Preferences and there, check the single box which is next to Normalize volume in Effects. Now, set the level to the one that works best for you. Then, when you are happy with the result, click on Save.

What VLC does is just let adjust the general volume, leaving the specifics out of our control.

vlc

If you are not so satisfied with the simple editing and want a little more to get from the editing process on VLC, you can do more with the Audio Effects menu:

Find Tools and in the menu, go to Preferences. The window will open, and you need to select All in Show settings – on the bottom left corner of the window. Then, navigate to Audio, and a little below, click on Filters and highlight it. You also need to check the checkbox next to the Dynamic range compressor.

get more editing on vlc

In the left panel, find Compressor and select it. From now, you can make the changes to the levels as you wish.

find and select compressor

Here, concentrate the most on Makeup gain, Threshold, and Ratio. The first one is by which you adjust in quiet sequences to raise the volume, the second will help you reduce louder sequences to even things out, and ratio is the maximum level of all audio within a movie, let’s say.

Attack time and release time can also be very helpful. You can play around with them set them to your liking, and see if it’s better sounding, because actually this will ensure that you have a fluid transition in and out of the scene and there are less sudden, unexpected volume changes.

MP3Gain

MP3Gain is actually the only one in this list which is developed exactly for the task we are discussing in this article. It is an audio normalization software tool. The tool is available on multiple platforms and is free software. It analyzes the MP3 and reversibly changes its volume. The volume can be adjusted for single files or as album where all files would have the same perceived loudness. When applying the tool, there is no quality lost in the change because the program adjusts the mp3 file directly, without decoding and re-encoding.

So, to use this software, go and download MP3Gain. Install and open it when it is ready. You will see that your program is absolutely empty and it has a lot of space inside, waiting for you to upload some file(s)…

mp3gain

Now, you can either choose adding files manually, with you choosing each of them, but let’s say you have an album (which would be more comfortable, needless to say) in which you want to change the volume of all MP3’s. So, in this case, you can choose Add Folder, and when the window opens, choose the folder full of your MP3’s – all your files will be added in the program.

choose to add files

Now, find the Target “Normal” Volume above the files, and fill in the gap, if you will, or just use default dB. Then, click Album Analysis, and the process will start.

find and target normal

The software will show you the volume of each of the file, and then you will need to just click on Track Gain.

click on track gain

Now, wait for the process to be completed, and then you will see that the volumes changed for each of your files – so, it’s done!

volumes changed for each files

Movavi

Powerful multimedia software for creating and editing videos – this is Movavi. It packs lots of video and audio editing power into a simple interface. On their official web-site, the program is described as: “An all-in-one video maker: an editor, converter, screen recorder, and more. Perfect for remote work and distance learning.” So, you can go and download the program, and learn audio normalization there very easily!

Install and open the program and then proceed directly to Adding Files. After having chosen your file, you drag and drop it in the timeline sequence.

install and open program

If the audio is uneven, now double-click on the audio track, which will open the Clip Properties window. You will see the Normalize box, which you need to check. Doing this will even out the sound level for the whole track.

double click on audio track

To save the result, click Export, choose the format, folder and name for your file, and then click Start, so your file can be exported.

So, it’s done – now you know a whole lot more about audio normalization, its types, why and when should we use it, and which are the 5 best free MP3 normalizers, along with the detailed guidelines on how to work with those tools to have your desired results. Let’s hope that you will be able to choose from Wondershare Filmora X, Adobe Premiere Pro, VLC Media Player, MP3 Gain and Movavi, and make your user experience so wonderful, and shareable!

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

When it is done installing, open the software. Now, click and drag the video of which the audio you want to normalize. Now you can select the clip you have chosen – if there are multiple, select all of them, then right-click and choose Detach Audio.

wondershare filmora x

Now if you have this kind of graphic before your eyes, you can be pretty sure without even listening, that the noises are really, really different from each other, which highlights once again how useful audio normalization can be:

noises are different from each other

Select these files, right-click and choose Adjust Audio. New panel will be opened on left top and there, you will see Audio Normalization – check the box there.

select files

choose adjust audio

After you have clicked on it, wait until the normalization completes.

complete normalization

Soon, all audio will be normalized, and you will already be able to see on the graphics that the volumes are almost on the same level and when you listen to it, you will make sure that there is no longer apparent difference between how they sound. And from there on, you can save the file you just normalized!

Adobe Premiere Pro

Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry-leading video editing software, and it is a timeline-based. Premiere Pro always tries to make its use easier and easier, as new features are rolling out regularly to simplify steps and save time. The very same can be said about normalizing audio files, which is actually pretty easy once mastered in a very short time. That is actually why it used by beginners and professionals alike.

To normalize audio Adobe Premiere Pro, first, import your MP3 there. In the timeline, you will see your files in the sequence, in the sound section. Now, the best way to work on them is increase the track height – for that, you need to double-click on the empty space there, next to the little microphone icon.

import mp3

increase track height

Now, the track is high, and you can see more of your track. So, say that one of your MP3’s seems very loud, and another is much quieter. Speaking of the loud one, if you can see on the right that there is some red light, it is not a good sign – meaning that audio went above zero (so-called clipping), so you need to avoid it.

avoid clipping

(If you can not see your audio meters, just go to Window menu and choose Audio Meters).

So, here, our goal is to bring our audio clips around -3 – and for it, it’s possible to bring up and down the white line on the track, but it can be pretty time-consuming actually.

bring audio clips around-3

So a better way to do it would be next: click on the track and then right-click, find Audio Gain, and choose Normalize Max Peak to…:

click on track

Max Peak is basically the loudest, highest peak in the audio clip. So, you can write in -3 and click OK, which will ensure the entire audio waveform will have the gain of it adjusted so that the max peak is at -3. You can proceed to the next track and carry out the exact same process on it too. Then, on Audio Meters on the right again, you will be able to see that both tracks (or more, if you have them) peak at -3. In case you have a lot of clips on the timeline, you can select them all, then go to Audio Gain and normalize all of their max peaks simultaneously, which will save you so much time and help you enormously!

VLC Media Player

VLC is a well-known media player, it is a free-to-use, robust, and feature-packed software that plays a wide range of audio, image, and video files. It is worth noting that it can also play multimedia files directly from extractable devices or the PC and can stream from the most successful websites such as Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and so on.

But there is another magic a simple media player can actually do - we can also normalize volume in VLC Media Player. It is a very handy feature and it works on Windows as well as on Mac. It is very simple, so follow these steps:

You need to have VLC Media Player installed on your device. Once you have it installed, open VLC. Go to the Tools and Preferences and there, check the single box which is next to Normalize volume in Effects. Now, set the level to the one that works best for you. Then, when you are happy with the result, click on Save.

What VLC does is just let adjust the general volume, leaving the specifics out of our control.

vlc

If you are not so satisfied with the simple editing and want a little more to get from the editing process on VLC, you can do more with the Audio Effects menu:

Find Tools and in the menu, go to Preferences. The window will open, and you need to select All in Show settings – on the bottom left corner of the window. Then, navigate to Audio, and a little below, click on Filters and highlight it. You also need to check the checkbox next to the Dynamic range compressor.

get more editing on vlc

In the left panel, find Compressor and select it. From now, you can make the changes to the levels as you wish.

find and select compressor

Here, concentrate the most on Makeup gain, Threshold, and Ratio. The first one is by which you adjust in quiet sequences to raise the volume, the second will help you reduce louder sequences to even things out, and ratio is the maximum level of all audio within a movie, let’s say.

Attack time and release time can also be very helpful. You can play around with them set them to your liking, and see if it’s better sounding, because actually this will ensure that you have a fluid transition in and out of the scene and there are less sudden, unexpected volume changes.

MP3Gain

MP3Gain is actually the only one in this list which is developed exactly for the task we are discussing in this article. It is an audio normalization software tool. The tool is available on multiple platforms and is free software. It analyzes the MP3 and reversibly changes its volume. The volume can be adjusted for single files or as album where all files would have the same perceived loudness. When applying the tool, there is no quality lost in the change because the program adjusts the mp3 file directly, without decoding and re-encoding.

So, to use this software, go and download MP3Gain. Install and open it when it is ready. You will see that your program is absolutely empty and it has a lot of space inside, waiting for you to upload some file(s)…

mp3gain

Now, you can either choose adding files manually, with you choosing each of them, but let’s say you have an album (which would be more comfortable, needless to say) in which you want to change the volume of all MP3’s. So, in this case, you can choose Add Folder, and when the window opens, choose the folder full of your MP3’s – all your files will be added in the program.

choose to add files

Now, find the Target “Normal” Volume above the files, and fill in the gap, if you will, or just use default dB. Then, click Album Analysis, and the process will start.

find and target normal

The software will show you the volume of each of the file, and then you will need to just click on Track Gain.

click on track gain

Now, wait for the process to be completed, and then you will see that the volumes changed for each of your files – so, it’s done!

volumes changed for each files

Movavi

Powerful multimedia software for creating and editing videos – this is Movavi. It packs lots of video and audio editing power into a simple interface. On their official web-site, the program is described as: “An all-in-one video maker: an editor, converter, screen recorder, and more. Perfect for remote work and distance learning.” So, you can go and download the program, and learn audio normalization there very easily!

Install and open the program and then proceed directly to Adding Files. After having chosen your file, you drag and drop it in the timeline sequence.

install and open program

If the audio is uneven, now double-click on the audio track, which will open the Clip Properties window. You will see the Normalize box, which you need to check. Doing this will even out the sound level for the whole track.

double click on audio track

To save the result, click Export, choose the format, folder and name for your file, and then click Start, so your file can be exported.

So, it’s done – now you know a whole lot more about audio normalization, its types, why and when should we use it, and which are the 5 best free MP3 normalizers, along with the detailed guidelines on how to work with those tools to have your desired results. Let’s hope that you will be able to choose from Wondershare Filmora X, Adobe Premiere Pro, VLC Media Player, MP3 Gain and Movavi, and make your user experience so wonderful, and shareable!

Also read:

  • Title: In 2024, Top Podcast Hosting Services A Comprehensive Ranking
  • Author: Kate
  • Created at : 2024-05-05 07:39:42
  • Updated at : 2024-05-06 07:39:42
  • Link: https://audio-editing.techidaily.com/in-2024-top-podcast-hosting-services-a-comprehensive-ranking/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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