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14 Best WordPress Plugins for Podcasters

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on WPBeginner. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Learn more about Editorial Process.

Are you looking for the best WordPress plugins for podcasters? WordPress is the most popular blogging platform chosen by top podcasters.

That’s because WordPress makes it super easy to promote your podcast, grow your audience, and increase your podcast revenue.

In this article, we have hand-picked some of the best WordPress podcast plugins for beginner and professional podcasters.

Best WordPress Plugins for Podcasters

How to Start Podcasting With WordPress

As we mentioned earlier, WordPress is popular among top podcasters such as Tim Ferris, Lewis Howes, Michael Hyatt, etc. That’s mainly because WordPress is easy to use and highly flexible, with tons of great templates and thousands of WordPress plugins.

If you’re looking to make your website and start a podcast, then first, you will need to get a domain name and WordPress hosting.

We recommend using Bluehost because they are one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an official WordPress-recommended hosting provider. On top of that, they are giving our users up to 61% off + a free domain.

Bluehost

Once you have signed up for hosting, the next step is to install WordPress. Follow the instructions for how to start a WordPress blog, and you will be up and running in no time.

Now comes the part where you will set up your podcast. To help you with this part, we have created a step-by-step guide on how to start your own podcast.

After that, take a look at our hand-picked list of the best WordPress plugins for Podcasters.

Best WordPress Podcast Plugins to Grow Your Audience

Unlike other WordPress podcast plugin lists, our goal is to share a comprehensive list of podcast plugins that work with all the best podcast file hosting services, such as Podbean, Blubrry, BuzzSprout, Libsyn, etc.

You can use these plugins to not only add a podcast audio player to your site but also manage podcast episodes, automatically upload episodes to iTunes, easily share affiliate links, track podcast downloads, and more.

With that said, let’s take a look at our best WordPress podcasting plugins.

1. PowerPress

PowerPress Podcasting plugin by Blubrry

PowerPress is a powerful WordPress podcasting plugin that helps you manage your podcast files in WordPress.

It creates iTunes and Google Play-supported RSS feeds for your podcast. It also comes with an easy interface where you can add all the information required to submit your podcast to iTunes.

Adding your podcast episodes to your WordPress site is easy with a beautiful HTML5 player. It also includes integrated subscription tools to boost your podcast subscribers. Most importantly, it comes with helpful community support from thousands of podcasters who already use it.

Best of all, it works with the best podcast hosting services, including Blubrry.

Pros:

  • It allows you to embed video and audio players on your WordPress site.
  • You can easily publish to all podcasting apps like Apple, Google, Spotify, and Amazon.
  • You can create a subscribe button or page on your Website.

Cons:

  • PowerPress doesn’t offer many marketing tools.

Why We Recommend Using PowerPress: We recommend PowerPress as our top choice because you can easily upload and publish podcasts. On top of that, you can easily create blog posts by translating the audio into text. You get all the tools needed to easily convert website visitors into podcast subscribers.

2. Fusebox (aka Smart Podcast Player)

fusebox

Fusebox is home to the Smart Podcast Player, one of the best podcast player plugins on the market. It automatically displays your podcast episodes with a beautiful mobile-friendly player.

Unlike other podcast player plugins, it offers a better user experience with a well-designed HTML5 player. You can add a mega player that loops through all episodes, or you can add a single-episode player.

You can choose your own colors with a light or dark theme. It has built-in social sharing features, a download button, speed control, timestamps, and more.

You also get access to the Fusebox Transcript plugin. It allows you to beautifully display podcast notes and transcripts for each episode.

Users can open a transcript in a new tab, download it as a PDF, and, most importantly, get an SEO boost for your episode pages.

Pros:

  • You automatically get episode transcripts, so you can turn them into blog posts.
  • The plugin embeds podcasts, so users can enjoy the episodes right from your site.
  • They offer analytics so you see which episodes receive the most downloads and which ones rank the highest.

Cons:

  • Fusebox does have a paid subscription starting at $9 per month and doesn’t have a free version.

Why We Recommend Using Fusebox: Fusebox provides a wide range of tools designed to support professional podcasting. You get to easily publish your podcasts, turn them into transcripts, and analyze how they performed all in one place.

3. Simple Podcast Press

Simple Podcast Press

Simple Podcast Press makes it super easy to add a beautiful podcast player to your WordPress website.

Simply add the iTunes URL of your podcast, and it automatically creates a page for each episode. It also fetches the metadata, images, and notes and adds them to each page with the player displayed on top.

It offers customizable buttons, clickable timestamps, social sharing buttons, a URL shortener, and more. The plugin works with any podcasting service and helps you grow your email list as well.

Pros:

  • They allow you to embed an email opt-in to grow your list.
  • You can customize your call-to-action buttons and gain subscribers.
  • The podcast player has clickable timestamps and updated playlists.

Cons:

  • It’s a paid tool that starts at a one-time fee of $67.

Why We Recommend Using Simple Podcast Press: This is a great plugin for podcasters because it aims to improve the user experience. You can upload your podcasts to your site. It will then show clickable timestamps, updated playlists, and a clutter-free transcript.

4. Seriously Simple Podcasting

Seriously Simple Podcasting

A lot of beginners just want to start their podcast without purchasing dedicated podcast hosting or a media player.

The Seriously Simple Podcasting player can help you do that. It allows you to manage and upload your podcast episodes directly to your WordPress site.

It generates your podcast feed, which is compatible with iTunes, Google Play, and many other services. The plugin also comes with shortcodes and widgets to display podcast episodes easily throughout your website.

Pros:

  • The plugin is free to use.
  • It’s very easy to use.
  • The plugin creates your RSS feed to upload to all podcast directories.

Cons:

  • They charge a pay-as-you model for getting transcriptions.

Why We Recommend Using Seriously Simple Podcasting: If you are just starting out with podcasting, then you can leverage your existing site visitors to grow your podcast with this plugin. It even supports video files, so you can publish the episodes to YouTube or any podcast directory.

5. Smash Balloon YouTube Feed

Smash Balloon YouTube Feeds Pro

Smash Balloon YouTube Feed allows you to beautifully display YouTube videos on your WordPress website. It is the perfect companion plugin for podcasters who upload their video podcasts to YouTube.

Smash Balloon’s YouTube feed supports live streams as well, which allows podcasters to live stream each episode via YouTube and simultaneously broadcast it on their WordPress website.

The plugin supports multiple styles and layouts. You can choose from the masonry grid, list, or carousel to display your latest video podcast episodes.

Pros:

  • This plugin is great for displaying YouTube podcast episodes on your website.
  • It also can display live streams.
  • The plugin is easy to use and requires no technical knowledge.

Cons:

  • It’s only designed for YouTube.

Why We Recommend Using Smash Balloon YouTube Feed: YouTube is a popular social media platform for uploading podcasts. Many podcasters upload their episodes in video format for those who like to watch and listen. With Smash Balloon YouTube Feed, you can automatically upload your episode playlists from YouTube onto your website.

6. Podlove Podcast Publisher

Podlove Podcast Publisher

Podlove Podcast Publisher is created by Podlove, an online community of users who want to improve podcasting standards. The plugin aims to offer cutting-edge solutions for podcasting issues that were not fixed by other available platforms.

Podlove Podcast Publisher makes it easier for you to manage your podcast from your WordPress site. It offers highly compatible podcast feeds with fine-grain control over your feeds. It supports multi-format feeds, different audio and video codecs, enhanced HTML5 player, chapter support, download stats, and customizable templates.

The best part is that you will be part of an active community. They have their own forums where you can ask questions and get help from developers and other users.

Pros:

  • Podlove Podcast Publisher allows for multi-format pushing, embracing all legacy and modern formats.
  • You also receive download analytics.
  • The plugin allows you to create a subscribe button and podcast widget to drive more listeners.

Cons:

  • The plugin isn’t as intuitive as the others mentioned above.

Why We Recommend Using Podlove Podcast Publisher: This plugin is useful for creating an optimized web player compatible with legacy audio formats like MP4, H.264, WebM, Theora, etc.

7. Sermon Manager

Sermon Manager

Sermon Manager is the best WordPress sermon management plugin for WordPress. Made specifically for churches offering online sermons via their podcasts, this plugin has all the features a religious organization will need.

It comes with full-featured iTunes podcasting support with additional features like speakers, series, topics, books, and service types.

It works with any podcast hosting service, and you can use it with your WordPress donations plugin to raise funds.

For detailed instructions, see our tutorial on how churches can offer online sermons with WordPress.

Pros:

  • Sermon Manager allows you to embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo.
  • They offer live chat support when you upgrade to their paid version.
  • The plugin is compatible with PowerPress if you do plan on migrating.

Cons:

  • Many of the best features are only available in their paid plans.

Why We Recommend Using Sermon Manager: Sermon Manager is the best option if you are looking to share speeches, sermons, bible studies, and other related topics online. They make it easy to upload all of your audio and video files and can be integrated with your website search bar.

ork. All media files are saved on the Libsyn cloud, so it won’t slow down your site and affect your WordPress performance.

8. Podcast Importer Pro

SecondLine Podcast Importer

Podcast Importer Pro is a handy helper tool for podcasters who want to import their podcast into a new WordPress website.

All you need is your existing podcast feed URL. The plugin works with all podcast hosting services and all podcasting tools, including PowerPress, and can even import podcasts from iTunes feed URLs.

You can select ‘Podcast’ as your post type during the import if you are already using a plugin like PowerPress. You can also import episodes as blog posts and categorize them as podcasts.

The plugin is made by SecondLine Themes, a WordPress theme shop specializing in WordPress themes for podcasts.

Pros:

  • Podcast Importer Pro allows you to import podcasts into your site automatically.
  • Sync episodes with a click.
  • You can create default or custom-featured images and tags.

Cons:

  • The plan costs $24 to get started.

Why We Recommend Using Podcast Importer Pro: We like this plugin because you can automatically import podcasts into your WordPress site with ease. You can set an automatic scheduled upload and resync episodes with a single click. On top of that, you can customize tags and featured images, assign a custom taxonomy, and more.

Bonus Plugins

These plugins aren’t specific to podcasting, but they can be incredibly valuable to growing your podcast and getting more listeners.

9. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights

Want to know how people are discovering your podcast website? MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress users. It helps you find out where your users are coming from, what they do, and how much time they are spending on your site.

MonsterInsights also comes with a link-tracking feature that can help you find out which episodes are downloaded the most.

It also comes with an add-on for Google Optimize, which is a tool to help you conduct content experiments like A/B testing to figure out what works best for your website.

Pros:

  • You can analyze how much traffic you are driving to your podcast pages and whether it’s converting to subscribers.
  • It brings Google Analytics into your WordPress dashboard.
  • You can create unique links for each podcast episode.

Cons:

  • Some podcast plugins may already have reporting features.

Why We Recommend Using MonsterInsights: If you have a WordPress site, you can’t go wrong with MonsterInsights. It lets you easily set up conversion tracking to see how many visitors subscribe to your podcast.

10. OptinMonster

OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best conversion optimization software on the market. It allows you to convert website visitors into subscribers and customers.

It comes with lightbox popups, floating banners, slide-in popups, countdown timers, and more. You can connect it to your email marketing service to grow your email list and social media following.

It’s a great way to ensure you notify people about your podcast, especially using the exit-intent feature. When visitors are about to leave your site, make sure to tell them about your podcast.

Pros:

  • OptinMonster uses pop-ups to help grow your podcast.
  • The plugin is easy to use.
  • It helps to boost conversion rates.

Cons:

  • It may not be useful if you already have other pop-ups on your site, so you don’t want to overload visitors.

Why We Recommend Using OptinMonster: With OptinMonster, there are many ways to grow your audience. Besides the exit-intent technology, you can also create targeted campaigns for different segments of your audience. For example, you can display specific opt-in forms to first-time visitors, returning visitors, or visitors who have visited particular podcast episode pages.

11. WPForms

WPForms Site

User interaction helps you convert more visitors and build a stronger community. WPForms is the best WordPress contact form builder plugin that allows you to create beautiful forms for your website without writing any code.

You can use it to add a contact form, build survey forms, accept payments, create email subscription forms, and more. Due to its ease of use and powerful features, it is a must-have for any podcaster’s toolkit.

There’s also a free version of WPForms available for WPBeginner users. Get WPForms Lite today.

Pros:

  • There are pre-built templates for just about anything, such as creating contact forms, feedback or survey forms, guest booking forms, etc.
  • WPForms is optimized for speed and performance.
  • The plugin integrates the most popular payment gateways, CRM apps, and other third-party tools.

Cons:

  • While WPForms has a free version, the best features and add-ons are paid.

Why We Recommend Using WPForms: You can use WPForms to help collect valuable feedback, get new guests, ask questions, or find other ways to engage your fanbase.

12. SeedProd

SeedProd Website and Theme Builder

SeedProd is the best drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress. If you are looking to grow your audience and boost your subscriber count, then SeedProd is a must.

That’s because you can create podcast landing pages with this plugin to promote podcast episodes and encourage visitors to subscribers. Basically, the landing page will tell people about your show and is specifically designed to convert passing-by website visitors into listeners and leads.

The plugin comes with all kinds of advanced features. In the drag-and-drop editor, you can easily add a subscribe button, countdown timers, social proof, a newsletter form, and more.

On top of that, you’ll be able to connect your page to an email marketing service like Constant Contact. It even seamlessly works with just about any WordPress theme, so you won’t face loading speed problems or compatibility issues.

Pros:

  • The drag-and-drop editor makes SeedProd extremely easy to use.
  • You can build just about any type of web page you want without writing a single line of code.
  • It comes with an AI assistant to automatically generate engaging text and original images for your web pages.

Cons:

  • You need access to the pro version if you want the best features.

Why We Recommend Using SeedProd: If you are looking to get more listeners to tune into your podcast, then SeedProd can help. You can build all types of custom pages for your podcast site, like landing pages, thank you pages, and more.

13. Pretty Links

PrettyLinks

Pretty Links is the best WordPress URL shortener plugin. It allows you to create branded short URLs and easily share them in your podcast episodes, transcripts, and descriptions.

It also allows you to manage all your affiliate links from one dashboard. You can use these shareable URLs in your email campaigns, podcasts, social media, or on your website.

Pros:

  • The plugin lets you create shortened branded links.
  • All links are trackable, so you can see their performance.
  • You can even set up redirect options.

Cons:

  • It might not be as important if you have a small podcast and don’t have sponsors yet.

Why We Recommend Using Pretty Links: Tracking affiliate revenue can be difficult, especially if you have multiple sponsors. This plugin will help track and provide analytics for the performance of your links, such as click-through rates, conversions, and other metrics. That way, you know which links and offers resonate most with your audience.

14. All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

All In One SEO - AIOSEO

AIOSEO is a leading WordPress SEO plugin used by over 3 million websites.

This plugin helps optimize your podcast website for search engines by allowing you to easily customize meta titles, meta descriptions, and other important SEO elements for your podcast episodes, pages, and posts. This can help improve your website’s ranking in search engine results, making it easier for potential listeners to discover your podcast.

Aside from all the essential on-page SEO tools, it also comes with a video sitemap and other helpful tools for podcasters to rank higher in search.

Pros:

  • All in One SEO helps you optimize your podcast site for more visitors.
  • You can create schema markup for podcasts to provide search engines with structured data like titles, descriptions, and so on.
  • It generates XML sitemaps so search engines can crawl and index your podcast content.

Cons:

  • There’s a learning curve if you are new to the world of SEO.

Why We Recommend Using All in One SEO: AIOSEO can help you handle all things SEO without knowing all the ins and outs of search engine optimization. While there’s still a learning curve, many of the features are plug-and-play.

We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress plugins for podcasters. You may also want to see our guide on how to start an email newsletter and these practical tips on getting more traffic to your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us. Here's our editorial process.

Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

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Reader Interactions

5 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. Syed Balkhi says

    Hey WPBeginner readers,
    Did you know you can win exciting prizes by commenting on WPBeginner?
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  2. Pamela says

    Hi there, can you help me? I’m looking for a plug-in where I can very quickly record *my own* voice reading my blog posts, and readers can then press a “listen” button at the top of each post to hear me read the post.
    I don’t want to make it complicated where I have to record audio files elsewhere and then upload them, etc. Just something quick and easy. I hope this makes sense. Is this what your listed plug-ins above do? I am not interested in “official” podcasting persay.

    • WPBeginner Support says

      While we don’t have a recommended plugin for that at the moment we will certainly keep a look out for one.

      Admin

  3. Craig Hewitt says

    Thanks so much for including Seriously Simple Podcasting in this resource on best podcasting plugins for WordPress. I’m the owner of the plugin, and our integrated podcast hosting platform, and would love to hear from podcasters out there as to their feedback on our tools. We work very hard to make it the easiest to use and most powerful solution in WordPress for all podcasters. If anyone has questions for us we’ll be following in the comments here, just drop us a line.

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