Audio player plugins for WordPress give you the chance to offer audio files, audio books and podcasts to your website. This adds variety to blog content and can also take the burden off busy business owners, who might not have the time or writing skills to produce lots of posts to keep their blogs filled with the kind of interesting items that will keep their target audiences coming back for more.
Some audience members will enjoy a podcast a lot more than having to read an article. Some people love audiobooks and are always on the lookout for new and interesting ones related to their niche or industry.
Podcasting is ideal for people who love to listen to the radio, and want to learn more about their niche. Allowing site visitors to download audio files means they can take the content they love with them everywhere with the help of their MP3 player.
If you aren’t already offering audio content in your marketing mix, here are a few of the best plugins that can help.
PowerPress Podcasting by Blubrry
PowerPress Podcasting is one of the most highly-rated WordPress plugins for podcasting, for good reason. It was designed by podcasters, for podcasters, and is easy enough for even a beginner to use. The Simple mode offers all of the essentials. The Advanced mode is perfect for more experienced podcasters.
This plugin also features full support for getting your content onto iTunes, which is a must for marketers wanting to gain greater brand awareness. It support Google Play, as well.
Users love the interface and can subscribe to your channel easily via the landing page created. Podcasters will appreciate all the tools that will help them gain listeners through their podcasts being more discoverable through search engine optimization. Best of all, it’s free.
S3 Media Maestro
S3 Media Maestro isn’t just for audio, but for your video files and documents in order to protect them from unauthorized access. Any content you have stored on Amazon S3 hosting can be managed and made accessible at your WordPress site via this plugin.
It allows your audience to access your content easily from any device, but keeps thieves out. The interface is easy to use and offers customizable templates. This is a paid plugin, however, and only useful if you are already using Amazon S3.
CP Media Player
The CP Media Player plugin creates players for both audio and video. It supports multiple file types, browsers and devices. The basic version is free and offers everything you need to set up a player at your WordPress site. The paid version offers multiple players and will integrate with PayPal so you can get paid for your content.
Smart Podcast Player
They claim this is the best plugin for podcasters, with multiple views of your podcasts and playlists. Smart Podcast Player integrates with SoundCloud and other audio file hosting services easily. The plugin pricing can be monthly, or annually. Annually will offer a substantial discount over the monthly price. They offer good support videos with everything you need to start sharing your podcasts.
Seriously Simple Podcasting
Seriously Simple Podcasting has simple settings. It can create players for audio and video. There is only one player that can not be customized. The player can be inserted automatically or using a shortcode. The media files can be uploaded to WordPress or you can provide a url to media hosted elsewhere.
