Which podcast provider? What else do I need to know?
November 4, 2022 4:40 AM
My client has some audio "webinars" on their Wordpress site now that they would like to convert to podcasts- currently users can only listen to the audio file directly on the website from the basic Wordpress audio player which of course no one does. I may not be asking Google the right questions because I can't figure out the best way to do this. Specifics about requirements within:
The audio files in question are currently behind validation (not a paywall, we just check their national healthcare provider ID via a regex before they access the area of the site where these files currently sit- It would be easier to just have it all open to everyone but this is a legal requirement for pharma marketing content in this site's country).
The podcasts will need to:
-Show a player that is embedded in the Wordpress site (using a plugin and/or embed code) so if you do want to listen to it "in your browser" you can still do that, but also be openable in your podcast player on your phone or computer.
-Be "private", in that you can't just go to Apple Podcasts or whatever and search for it- but if you open the podcast FROM the link on the website, or if the client shares the link with you directly in a marketing email or whatever, that's fine, you can listen to it through your favourite podcast app right away or save it to listen to later
-No third party advertising inserted at any point
-Free is ideal, but of course that might preclude "no advertising" so paid is fine, too.
I'm looking for recommendations of specific providers and would also appreciate any general clarification on how podcasts might work in this situation and how to ask the right questions and describe what I'm looking for.
The audio files in question are currently behind validation (not a paywall, we just check their national healthcare provider ID via a regex before they access the area of the site where these files currently sit- It would be easier to just have it all open to everyone but this is a legal requirement for pharma marketing content in this site's country).
The podcasts will need to:
-Show a player that is embedded in the Wordpress site (using a plugin and/or embed code) so if you do want to listen to it "in your browser" you can still do that, but also be openable in your podcast player on your phone or computer.
-Be "private", in that you can't just go to Apple Podcasts or whatever and search for it- but if you open the podcast FROM the link on the website, or if the client shares the link with you directly in a marketing email or whatever, that's fine, you can listen to it through your favourite podcast app right away or save it to listen to later
-No third party advertising inserted at any point
-Free is ideal, but of course that might preclude "no advertising" so paid is fine, too.
I'm looking for recommendations of specific providers and would also appreciate any general clarification on how podcasts might work in this situation and how to ask the right questions and describe what I'm looking for.
A while back I forked someone's easy podcast feed generator script to make it a bit simpler. If you put your audio files in the same folder as that PHP file it'll generate a podcast RSS feed. It's pretty barebones, but it's really easy. You could put the link for that file behind your regex and tell people to add it to their podcast app.
I haven't used this WordPress plugin, but it seems like if you gave it the RSS feed from above it would at least make a prettier interface than the standard WordPress embedded audio player.
posted by gregr at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2022
I haven't used this WordPress plugin, but it seems like if you gave it the RSS feed from above it would at least make a prettier interface than the standard WordPress embedded audio player.
posted by gregr at 9:41 AM on November 4, 2022
This is a good overview of how private podcasting works.
In private podcasting, there are generally three different approaches:
1. Generate a single unlisted RSS feed shared with all subscribers. These generally contain "block" tags that will stop them from being indexed by public podcast directories. The feed can be manually added to most podcast players (except for Spotify). Most podcast hosting companies will also have an embeddable player that you could use on a private/password-protected page on WordPress.
2. Generate a unique RSS feed for every subscriber. In this case, each subscriber will generally get a custom RSS feed emailed to them (with 1-click options for adding to their listening app). Some providers also have a feature that will notify subscribers by email when there's a new episode and allow them to play it in their browser. (This is what Transistor.fm offers)
3. Enterprise-grade private podcasts use a custom podcast app is built that ensures nothing is shareable/downloaded. Advantage: secures the transmission of the audio. Disadvantages: It doesn't disable people from recording and sharing the audio. It's also expensive and can have low employee uptake. (This is what Ustudio and Storyboard offer)
Regarding security and privacy, I recommend that companies treat private podcasts the same way they treat internal email: folks should know not to share it, but nothing is stopping them from doing so.
That's because anything published on the public internet risks being discovered and shared by non-intended recipients. (Even when it's password protected). This is especially true for podcasts because audio files are downloaded by individuals to their podcast players.
Furthermore, using simple screen recording applications, anyone could capture your audio (even if it was encrypted). There is, essentially, no way to make audio on the internet completely private - so your client should understand that beforehand. š
posted by mijustin at 12:04 PM on April 6, 2023
In private podcasting, there are generally three different approaches:
1. Generate a single unlisted RSS feed shared with all subscribers. These generally contain "block" tags that will stop them from being indexed by public podcast directories. The feed can be manually added to most podcast players (except for Spotify). Most podcast hosting companies will also have an embeddable player that you could use on a private/password-protected page on WordPress.
2. Generate a unique RSS feed for every subscriber. In this case, each subscriber will generally get a custom RSS feed emailed to them (with 1-click options for adding to their listening app). Some providers also have a feature that will notify subscribers by email when there's a new episode and allow them to play it in their browser. (This is what Transistor.fm offers)
3. Enterprise-grade private podcasts use a custom podcast app is built that ensures nothing is shareable/downloaded. Advantage: secures the transmission of the audio. Disadvantages: It doesn't disable people from recording and sharing the audio. It's also expensive and can have low employee uptake. (This is what Ustudio and Storyboard offer)
Regarding security and privacy, I recommend that companies treat private podcasts the same way they treat internal email: folks should know not to share it, but nothing is stopping them from doing so.
That's because anything published on the public internet risks being discovered and shared by non-intended recipients. (Even when it's password protected). This is especially true for podcasts because audio files are downloaded by individuals to their podcast players.
Furthermore, using simple screen recording applications, anyone could capture your audio (even if it was encrypted). There is, essentially, no way to make audio on the internet completely private - so your client should understand that beforehand. š
posted by mijustin at 12:04 PM on April 6, 2023
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Iām not familiar with Wordpress, but perhaps there is a plug-in that can display RSS feeds of podcasts?
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 7:14 AM on November 4, 2022