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Build Guide

Build a Podcast Website Without WordPress

Your podcast deserves more than a WordPress site with a plugin. Build a dedicated podcast site with a custom player and episode pages that rank.

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The Old Way

The WordPress Approach

Required Plugins

1Seriously Simple Podcasting (free/$99/year) — basic podcast features
2PowerPress by Blubrry (free/$100/year) — podcast publishing
3Podcast Player ($39 one-time) — audio player widget
4Simple Podcast Press ($67 one-time) — iTunes integration
5flavor Theme ($39 one-time) — podcast theme

Limitations

Audio player JavaScript loads on every page, not just episode pages
RSS feed generation is basic — missing fields that Apple/Spotify require
Show notes editor is just the WordPress block editor with no podcast-specific features
Transcript handling requires additional plugins or manual work
Episode pages don't include podcast-specific schema markup by default

Typical Cost

$50-200/year in plugins + $15-30/month podcast hosting (Buzzsprout, Libsyn)

The Modern Way

The Modern Approach

Astro (or Next.js) + podcast hosting API + MDX for show notes

Use a podcast hosting service (Buzzsprout, Transistor) for audio hosting and distribution, then build your website with Astro or Next.js. Show notes live as MDX files or in a headless CMS. The audio player only loads on episode pages.

Custom audio player that loads only on episode pages
Show notes as rich MDX content with timestamps, links, and embeds
Episode pages with PodcastEpisode schema markup for SEO
RSS feed auto-generated from your episode data
Fast static pages — no PHP overhead on any page

WordPress vs. Modern Stack

WordPress

  • Audio player JavaScript loads on every page, not just episode pages
  • RSS feed generation is basic — missing fields that Apple/Spotify require
  • Show notes editor is just the WordPress block editor with no podcast-specific features
  • Transcript handling requires additional plugins or manual work
  • $50-200/year in plugins + $15-30/month podcast hosting (Buzzsprout, Libsyn)

Modern Stack

  • Custom audio player that loads only on episode pages
  • Show notes as rich MDX content with timestamps, links, and embeds
  • Episode pages with PodcastEpisode schema markup for SEO
  • RSS feed auto-generated from your episode data
  • Fast static pages — no PHP overhead on any page

Recommended Tools

Transistor

Podcast hosting, analytics, and distribution to Apple/Spotify

$19/month for unlimited podcasts

Astro

Static site with content collections for episodes

Free and open-source

MDX

Rich show notes with timestamps, links, and embedded content

Free

Vercel

Free hosting with automatic SSL

Free hobby tier

Step-by-Step Build Guide

1

Set up Transistor (or Buzzsprout) for podcast hosting and upload your episodes

2

Create an Astro project with a content collection for episodes — title, date, audio URL, guests, and show notes

3

Build episode pages with a custom audio player component, show notes, and guest info

4

Generate a podcast RSS feed from your content collection for submission to Apple Podcasts and Spotify

5

Add PodcastEpisode schema markup to each episode page for search engine rich results

6

Create a homepage with your latest episodes, about section, and subscribe links for all platforms

7

Deploy to Vercel and submit your RSS feed to podcast directories

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need a podcast hosting service?
Yes. Podcast hosts (Transistor, Buzzsprout) handle audio delivery, analytics, and distribution to Apple/Spotify. Your website handles the web presence, show notes, and SEO. They're complementary, not competing.
How do I add transcripts for SEO?
Include transcripts as part of your show notes MDX content. This gives search engines rich text to index. Services like Whisper (OpenAI) can auto-generate transcripts from your audio files.
Can I embed a player from my hosting service?
Yes, but building a custom player is better. Embedded players add third-party JavaScript and give you no design control. A custom HTML audio element with your own styling is lightweight and branded.

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