It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Radio Republic, the podcast hosting platform I have used, is shutting down on March 31st, 2024. As a podcaster, I am disappointed to see them go, as Radio Republic offered an easy-to-use platform for hosting my show. Their free plan provided all the basic tools needed - a site to host my episodes, stats on downloads, and simplicity in publishing new episodes. While the platform had its limitations, it was perfect for hobbyists and smaller shows just starting out like mine.
In the email announcing their closure, Radio Republic recommended moving podcast hosting over to Acast. After exploring the platform, I can see why they suggested it. Acast provides robust tools for podcast creation, including options to monetize episodes, create a customizable website, and distribute shows widely across directories and apps. They also provide valuable analytics on listener demographics and engagement. While their free tier is fairly limited, the features in the paid plans are on par with leading podcast hosts like Libsyn or Podbean. The simple transition tools they provide to transfer shows and maintain subscriber lists makes shifting over from Radio Republic a breeze.
For those looking to make money directly from a podcast, hosts like Captivate may be a better fit. They enable podcaster to charge subscription fees to listeners. And while Anchor FM is free, they offer options to monetize through advertisements, donations, and more. Blubrry strikes a nice balance - an easy-to-use dashboard, detailed stats, and monetization through their podcasting network.
While it is always hard to see a platform that has served our community shut down, this shift provides podcasters using Radio Republic a chance to re-evaluate hosting needs. Take time to see what features matter most - whether it be price, customization options, or monetization tools. Be sure to utilize Radio Republic’s OPML export to easily transfer subscribers as you transition to a new host. Wherever we all land, I wish the Radio Republic team all the best and thank them for providing great service to podcasters over the years. Onward and upward as we find new homes to continue creating the conversations so vital to our world.
The following email had been sent to previous users:
Hi ,
Thank you for being such a valued supporter of RadioPublic over the years.
We’ve taken the decision to shut down RadioPublic on March 31st, 2024. This means we will be closing all user accounts, websites and delisting the RadioPublic Android > app from the Google Play Store (the iOS app has already been removed.)
Your current RadioPublic free plan provides you with a basic podcast website which will also be removed. Our recommendation is to move your podcast to Acast, where > you can create your own custom website via the Acast tools.
Our app users can maintain access to their favorite shows by going to the app settings, exporting their subscriptions as an OPML file, and then importing this file into > > other podcast apps for uninterrupted listening.
Please do let us know if you have any questions and thank you for being a part of RadioPublic.
The RadioPublic Team