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There are many things to consider when choosing the best podcast hosting platform. Aside from pricing, you also need to look at the different features, such as the amount of storage, bandwidth, or downloads allowed on the plan. 

For serious marketers, you want a platform with robust data analytics and a handy mobile app to take care of all your podcasting tasks on the go. 

One platform that provides you with all of these features and more is Firstory.

Find out more about the Firstory podcast hosting platform by reading this Firstory review which contains information about the tool, including who it is good for, its functionalities, pros and cons, pricing, integrations, and more.

Firstory Summary

Firstory logo

9.6 out of 10

Ron’s Thoughts

Firstory is one of the best podcasting platforms in the world due to its features and price. Both amateur and professional podcasters enjoy a couple of affiliate program benefits, including an impressive 25% commission for every customer and user you refer! On top of that, the platform is very easy to use and features a quick and simple ‘One-Click Automation Distribution’ function that lets you distribute your podcast to all major platforms with just one click of a button.

  • Biggest Pro:

    Large Collection of Royalty-Free Music

  • Biggest Con:

    Free and Basic Plans Have Limited Features

  • Annual Discount:

    Yes - Up to 20% Off

  • Price:

    Starts at $15/Month

  • Promotion:

    Free Version Available

Is Firstory Worth it?

Firstory

Let’s start off this Firstory review by discussing whether or not this podcast hosting platform is worth it.

Firstory is undoubtedly worth it for podcasters who want an affordable platform with unlimited storage and bandwidth.

Launched in 2019, the platform has helped creators publish over 10,000 podcasts and 300k episodes in 190 countries. In addition, it boasts some pretty impressive engagement rates, re-comment rates, and conversion rates through FLink. 

helped creators

You, too, can leverage this software to easily manage your show and take your podcasting experience to the next level. This tool will quickly acquire new listeners while strengthening audience relations through interaction, engagement, and audience feedback.

Its features will help you grow without restrictions, and you also get robust data analytics and reports to give you the insights you need to optimize your show through data. 

Furthermore, you get an auto-generated personal website when you sign up. You can dedicate a webpage for your podcast show, making it easier to market and promote your content. 

Is Firstory worth it

These are just a few of the many features that we will explore in this Firstory full review you get when you sign up for one of Firstory’s plans, and it’s pretty clear to see that the software offers a ton of value for the price.

Who is Firstory Good For?

This podcast platform is among the most popular hosting services out there and is used by a number of major media companies and influencers.

Thanks to its creator focus culture, the platform is perfect for a wide range of creators, including the following:

  • Beginner Podcasters on a Budget: The “Free Forever” plan makes Firstory perfect for broadcasters who are just getting started and aren’t ready to invest in a premium subscription. However, even with creator focus culture, your podcast and episode descriptions will have the platform’s Powered by Firstory branding.
  • Large Organizations: Firstory is also great for large organizations and even major media companies that want to connect with broader audiences with as much traffic without having to worry about their plan hindering their growth or limiting their potential. 
  • Small Businesses: Businesses that need affordable podcast hosting services will love this platform. It offers a wealth of features, all for a highly affordable price. 

Firstory Functionality

It’s time to take a deeper look into this Firstory review by analyzing the platform’s features and functionality.

1. Ease of Use

Firstory aims to make podcasting simpler and less confusing for creators. 

Every feature is designed for ease of use, and even complete beginners will find it easy to navigate the dashboard and use the different tools to manage their show and get to know their audience better.

Check out the video below to learn how easy it is to use Firstory.

To get started on Firstory, first sign up for an account on the platform and log into your Firstory Studio dashboard, which looks like the image below: 

sign up for an account

To create a new podcast, click the “Upload New Episode” button in the top right corner of the page. 

You’ll be prompted to enter your podcast title, upload audio, and enter the description.

Upload New Episode button

Next, select a cover for your podcast that meets the required image dimensions. Input the season and episode number, as well as the episode type.

Finally, state whether or not your show contains explicit language.

Once you’re done, click “Submit” to create your show. 

Once you’ve uploaded at least one show, you’ll be able to get your play on Spotify, Apple, and other directories.

To get your show out to the world, go to “Promotion,” and you’ll be able to share your podcast on the many integrated social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

You can also submit your show to a number of directories with a single click. 

go to Promotion

Other features include: 

  • Auto-Generated Personal Website: This feature generates a website for you automatically so you can dedicate a webpage for your podcast show.
  • Embeddable Player: The embeddable player allows you to insert and play your podcast from your website.
  • Chapters and Schedules: This feature allows you to time your shows and episodes perfectly.
Chapters and Schedules

This fantastic feature allows you to grow your show without restrictions. Even on the free plan, you can upload as many files as you want and get as much traffic to your shows and pages without incurring additional costs on your plan.

This means you are free to access and grow your podcast to any level you want – all on the same affordable plan. 

  • Never outgrow your budget.
  • No need to worry about limited capacity for your show
  • No bottlenecks if your show happens to go viral, you’ll still be able to accommodate all your fans.

3. Studio App for Podcaster

Stay up to date and mobilize through Firstory’s Creator App. This platform with Firstory studio apps will enable you to experience real-time sync, and you can use the FLink QR Code integration to expand your reach and get your podcast in front of your target audience. 

Studio App for Podcaster

All you have to do is download the app from Google Play or the App Store, and you’ll be able to keep track of all your podcast dynamics on the go.

Here’s what you’ll get: 

Real-Time Updates for Audience Feedback

Get your podcast stats automatically updated and receive notifications on audience feedback, comments, monetization updates, etc.

FLink Sharing

Get FLink with a twist: QR codes help you scale your reach, promote your content, and make it visible when people search Google podcasts using Flink QR Code integration.

Customer Service System

The app is integrated with the platform’s customer service systems so that you can get in touch with them from anywhere.

4. Universal FLink Tool

Universal FLink Tool

Before the advent of this amazing technology, podcasters had to publish an episode and wait for the podcast platforms to display it before they could start gathering links.

Firstory gets rid of this time-consuming process thanks to its universal FLink tool that allows you to scale your reach and promote your episode in one link.

The universal FLink tool is a self-updating solution to your links across different major platforms. It’s tried and tested with an impressive 20% conversion rate.

With FLink self-updating solution, you get one link, auto-updates, and performance tracking for your show.

FLink stats

Being able to market your private episodes in one link directs your audience exactly where they want to go, thereby helping to lower your audience churn rate. 

Here are the core benefits of Firstory’s FLink tool:

  • Self Updating: This lightning-fast technology handles itself. All you need to do is simply paste it and leave it alone to do its work.
  • Precision Marketing: Show your listeners exactly where they need to go, and you’ll effectively reduce your audience churn rate.
  • Receive Feedback: Your listeners can leave feedback in one click with no app download required.

With FLink, you can also:

Customize Your FLink

Choose a style that’s aligned with your brand.

Add Other Links

You can also add any links you like, including YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitch, Instagram, etc.

Private Podcast Episodes

This feature will help you in such a way that it enables you to create exclusive podcasts or podcast episodes for VIPs and select audience members. 

5. Data Analytics

The best way to optimize your show is through data, and the platform provides you with in-depth reports on a wide range of areas to optimize the show. 

With robust data analytics and overall benchmarking statistics, you can make data-driven decisions to maximize your return on your money and effort investment. 

6. Cross-Platform Comment (like Apple Podcast reviews)

If you want to grow your show, you have to get to know your audience.

The cross-platform comment space allows you to effortlessly gather feedback from your audience across all of your directories using a comment link with real-time sync and automatic distribution.

According to Firstory, current users of the platform have a 67.51% engagement rate, and the re-comment rate is 27.44%.

Cross-Platform Comment

Cross-platform commenting is a powerful feature that helps you know your audience by allowing you to gather feedback and interact with listeners. This will improve your content, thereby growing your podcast as you provide more relevant content and make deeper connections with your listeners.

With this feature widely used by Firstory current users, you’ll never miss out on any of your episode-related comments that might otherwise become buried beneath social media traffic.

You’ll also get detailed and precise additional information, so you know exactly which episode the comment, rating, or feedback refers to so you don’t have to guess. 

This feature is inclusive and convenient for all users, allowing your fans who aren’t on social media to interact with you quickly.

Thanks to the built-in integration, non-iOS creators can view Apple Podcast reviews.

7. Built-in Monetization Features

Firstory allows users to accept one-time donations from users payable through Google Pay, Apple Pay, or credit card. 

You can also offer users the option to sign up for a monthly subscription in exchange for specific rewards set by you and manage user monthly subscriptions. Subscribers will then be charged via credit card each month.

However, as of writing this article, this feature is only open to some regions of Asia, although the platform is currently working to make the function available globally.

8. Voicemail

This feature lets you collect voicemail to give your audience a voice. Easily receive voice messages from your fans and download their voice messages using the one-click distribution feature.

You can use this to increase user and audience interaction and engagement, and you can even use the voicemails you collect to enrich some of your podcast’s subsequent episode uploads.

Voicemail

The voicemail feature helps strengthen the bond between podcasters and listeners and enables you to get to know your users and audience to understand their needs by listening to the things they have to share.

Here’s why the voicemail feature is so great:

  • Downloadable Content: You can download and insert voicemails into your episodes to help spark interest and boost audience retention.
  • Flexible and Versatile: With voicemails, you have unlimited possibilities. For instance, you can host Q&A sessions, discussions, or share stories in addition to gathering feedback.
  • Inclusive and Convenient: This feature makes it easy for fans who would rather speak than type and podcast hosts who would rather listen than read text. Better yet, you can choose both for added convenience and accessibility.
voicemail feature

Firstory Pros and Cons

Firstory has pros and cons like any other software. 

Here they are:

Pros:

  1. Robust Audience Relations Tools: The platform understands that interaction and engagement are the secret behind every successful content creator and provides tools to help you build strong relations with the audience.
  2. One-Click Automatic Distribution: You can automatically distribute your podcast to every major platform with a single click. Also, all subsequent episode uploads are automatically updated.
  3. Podcast Hosting Affiliate Program: Firstory also has a lucrative affiliate program where you receive a commission of 25% for every customers and users you refer.
  4. Royalty-Free Music: Embellish your podcasts with high-quality sounds from a wide collection of royalty-free music.

Cons:

  1. Limited Features on Basic Plan: The free and basic plans have limited features, such as limited data analytics. Also, the plans have Firstory branding on the pages

Firstory Competitors

Here’s a quick look at the top three Firstory alternatives:

1. Firstory vs. Acast

Firstory vs. Acast

Acast is a great Firstory alternative that offers many of the same features. However, one main difference is that Firstory offers online chapter editing, whereas Acast does not.

Also, Acast lacks integrations with Apple Podcasts Comments, Spotify, royalty-free copyright music, etc. While Firstory provides a studio app for creators, Acast does not. 

Other features that are notably missing from Acast include cross-platform comments, voicemail, private episode links, and customer support.

Acast also doesn’t offer FLink sharing (episode level) for users, although it does offer show-level FLink sharing.

2. Firstory vs. Transistor FM

Firstory vs. Transistor FM

The most obvious difference between Firstory and Transistor FM is the pricing right off the bat. 

Firstory offers a free forever plan for users, making it perfect for aspiring podcasters who aren’t ready to invest in a paid platform.

Transistor FM offers a free 14-day trial for each of their subscription plans which start at $190/year for unlimited storage and 15,000 downloads per month. 

Firstory, on the other hand, offers unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth on the free plan.

3. Firstory vs. Captivate

Firstory vs. Captivate

Much like the other competitors listed here, both Firstory and Captivate have many of the same features you’ll find on Firstory.

However, where Firstory offers unlimited bandwidth, online chapter editing, and integrations to Apple Podcasts comments and royalty-free music, Captivate does not. 

Captivate’s other missing features include a creator app for users, user cross-platform comment space, voicemail, and private episode links.

The platform also doesn’t offer episode-level link sharing, which seems to be a feature unique to Firstory.

Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list of competitors. Platforms like LibsynRedcircleRss podcast hosting, and many more are quality competitors.

Pricing

Firstory Pricing

Firstory has a free plan with all the essential tools you need to start your podcast.

However, if you want to unlock more features to empower your show, you can upgrade to the Pro plan.

Larger brands, companies, and institutions can opt for the Enterprise plan.

The pricing structure for Firstory’s plans is as follows:

Free Plan: $0/month

  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth (downloads)
  • Unlimited shows under one account
  • One-click distribution
  • Data and location analytics (overall)
  • Integrations with Spotify and Apple Podcasts Comments
  • Automatic podcast website
  • Smart FLink (show level)
  • Cross-platform comment (with comment link) and voice messages
  • Firstory Studio App
  • 2FA

Pro Plan: $15/month

  • Everything in the “Free” plan +
  • FLink sharing (episode level)
  • Custom link preview image size/style
  • Customizable Podcast theme colors
  • Remove Firstory branding
  • Data analytics (by category)

Enterprise Plan: $159/month

  • Everything in the “Pro” plan +
  • 24-hour live support
  • Onboarding guide

Product Support

Firstory product support

Firstory offers support via email and live chat. 

Integrations

The platform has one-step distribution functions to all major podcasts platforms like Apple Podcast reviews and rating and Spotify. It also provides a number of integrations to enrich your podcasting experiences. 

These major platforms include:

  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcast reviews and ratings
  • Royalty-free music and audio files library 
  • Studio App

Is Firstory Legit?

Firstory’s mission is to empower all podcasters (beginners and experienced podcasters) to distribute their content everywhere, efficiently connect with their audiences, and gather audience feedback. 

The company’s motto is “Simple, Better, Unlimited,” which they follow through on in their free forever plan with unlimited storage and downloads, so there’s no limit to your creativity. 

There’s no denying that Firstory is a powerful software with all the essential tools for managing your show. Podcasting will never again feel like a chore with these features at your disposal.

Check out what this user had to say about Firstory:

user had to say about Firstory

If you’re ready to try this podcast hosting service, sign up for a free 14-day trial and get your podcast published in minutes.

I hope my Firstory review helped you understand the platform’s capabilities and decide whether or not this is exactly what you’re looking for.

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