Transistor.fm
Professional podcast hosting with unlimited shows per account. Multi-show support, analytics, private podcasting, and distribution to all directories.
What should journalists know about Transistor.fm?
Transistor is the indie podcast host built for people who take podcasting seriously but don't want to be locked into a platform's ecosystem. Founded in 2017 by Jon Buda and Justin Jackson, it's bootstrapped — no VC funding, no acquirer's agenda. The standout feature for newsrooms is unlimited shows per account at every pricing tier. Most competitors charge per show or cap the number. With Transistor, a newsroom running five podcast feeds pays the same as someone running one — pricing is based on total monthly downloads, not show count. Other features: analytics (downloads, subscriber trends, listening apps), one-click distribution to all major directories, automatic podcast website generation, embeddable players, AI transcription, dynamic ad insertion, and private podcasting for subscriber-only or internal feeds. The private podcasting feature is worth noting: you can create members-only audio feeds, which some journalism outlets use for premium content or internal newsroom communication. Transistor supports multiple user logins per show, which matters for team-based production. The trade-off versus Spotify for Creators is cost for features: Spotify is free but you're on their platform; Transistor costs $19-99/month but you own your distribution and aren't feeding someone else's recommendation algorithm. Compared to Buzzsprout, Transistor's unlimited shows and private podcasting are the differentiators. Compared to Megaphone (Spotify-owned, enterprise-priced), Transistor is affordable and independent.
Newsrooms with multiple podcast shows. Publishers who want professional hosting without platform dependence. Private podcast feeds for subscriber content or internal distribution. Team-based podcast production with multiple collaborators. Journalists who prioritize owning their distribution infrastructure.
Journalists who need free hosting (use Spotify for Creators). Shows that need Spotify-native features like video podcasts or Spotify-specific monetization. Operations exceeding 250K monthly downloads without enterprise pricing. Creators who want built-in audience discovery — Transistor distributes to directories but doesn't have its own listener network.
Security & Privacy
Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers
Data is scrambled when stored on their servers
Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data
Privacy policy summary
Transistor collects account information, podcast analytics (downloads, geographic data, listening app data), and standard web analytics. Download analytics are based on IAB 2.1 compliant measurement. Listener data is aggregated — Transistor shows you trends, not individual listener identities. No advertising on the platform. Data is not sold to third parties. Government terms available for public sector clients.
How to protect yourself:
Maintain local backups of all episode files — Transistor hosts your content but you should always have your own copies. Your RSS feed is portable: if you leave Transistor, set up a 301 redirect to your new host. Understand that download analytics are based on IAB standards, which count RSS feed requests — not unique listeners. Private podcast feeds use unique RSS URLs per subscriber; revoke access promptly when subscribers cancel. If using Transistor for sensitive internal newsroom podcasts, assess whether US-hosted infrastructure meets your organization's data handling requirements.
Bootstrapped indie company with straightforward business model — revenue from subscriptions, not advertising or data. No known data breaches. IAB 2.1 compliant analytics. US-hosted infrastructure. No advertising trackers on the platform. The simplicity of the business model is a security positive: Transistor has no incentive to monetize your listener data. Adequate for journalism podcast hosting. The main consideration is that it's a small independent company — no SOC 2 certification mentioned, and long-term viability depends on continued subscription revenue.
Who Owns This
Pricing
Starter: $19/month (20K monthly downloads, 50 private subscribers). Professional: $49/month (100K downloads, 500 private subscribers). Business: $99/month (250K downloads, 3K private subscribers). Enterprise: $199+/month (custom). Annual billing gives two months free. No free tier.
This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-11, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.
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