The following information applies to podcast hosts:
Inclusion
Any podcast host that meets these general requirements of inclusion is eligible to be included in the Detailed Host Comparison:
Provides hosting of the RSS feed, audio, and images of a podcast
Has a webpage or website preferably dedicated to displaying its pricing and features, but at the very least, giving contact information
Has a representative or associate that speaks English
Offers its services regardless of the client’s affiliation (cultural, religious, political, etc)Note: requirement (iv) may be waived depending on the host and the nature of their circumstances. To apply for such a waiver, email us. Waivers are most often granted for language and geographic location. We have this requirement to ensure that options in our comparison may be browsed without user concern of needing to meet additional requirements in order to use the services of a podcast host.
Hosts do not have an inherent right to inclusion just because they are eligible. Any host that meets these requirements will be carefully considered, but we will make a final decision as to which hosts should be included in the Detailed Host Comparison.
If any host has been intentionally excluded from the Detailed Host Comparison, they may contact us and we will provide them clear reasoning as to why they were not included.
New podcast hosts, or ones that are just requesting inclusion in the Detailed Host Comparison, should be aware that there are widespread changes that must be made to our databases for each new host we include. Accordingly, inclusion even for eligible hosts will rarely be immediate.
The official method of requesting inclusion is through this form. You may also contact us through email at info@orangefeednetwork.net.
Ordering
The vertical order in which podcast hosts are displayed in our spreadsheet currently consists of the following factors, in order of significance:
Popularity(as determined by Listen Notes)
Length of Existence(hosts that have not been in existence for as long generally may be displayed lower than those who have been around for longer)
Time of Discovery(generally, new hosts are added towards the bottom, while hosts added earlier on have a greater probability of retaining their position closer to the top)
Similarity to Surrounding Options(hosts of similar qualities are often intentionally placed together)
Quality/Reliability/Ease of Use(as determined by us)Please note that this is only a basic generalization of factors that contribute to the order in which hosts are displayed. In some cases, certain of these factors will outweigh others, and it is not our intention to create a 100% predictable method as to how hosts will be displayed, but rather to be transparent in the factors we consider.
Reordering already-included hosts is not done frequently, due to the way in which we assign numbers to hosts in our Personalized Host Recommendation based on their vertical order. When hosts are reordered, we will apply the reorder to as many as we can in one action, to reduce the need for frequent updates to the order.
We currently do not accept compensation or any monetary incentive to change the order in which hosts are displayed. If a host wishes to confront us regarding their order in our Detailed Host Comparison, they are more than welcome to do so, and it is possible that we may decide to change the order of that host based on the confrontation, however that conclusion is one which will solely be based on whether or not the host better meets the factors that we normally evaluate than we knew them to.In the case of this policy changing in the future, we will develop a system to publicly disclose which parties have compensated us for a positional reorder. As of now, this is not applicable.
Removal
If a host stops meeting the eligibility requirements for inclusion, we may remove them from this comparison. Before doing so, we will try our best to notify the host so they have the opportunity to resume meeting the necessary requirements.
Edit Access
Hosts or their representatives will often be given indefinite edit access to certain portions of the spreadsheet in order to facilitate the updating of information. We only allow edit access of a row or group of rows to be granted to someone who:
Represents the podcast host,
Is trustworthy and knowledgeable about the podcast host, or
Is a collaborator within the Orange Feed Network
A podcast host can, at any time, request a list of the outside individuals (meaning anyone not part of the Orange Feed Network) who have edit access to their information in the Detailed Host Comparison.
Information
We reserve the right to include any information about any podcast host in our comparison that can be found through simple research, or through signing up for the host as an anonymous user and identifying features. Our goal is to provide a resource that is as accurate as possible, and that includes as much useful information as possible. If any podcast host spots information correlating to them in our resources that should not be public, they should contact us at info@orangefeednetwork.net immediately so we can act appropriately.Example of a legitimate request:
A podcast host informs us exclusively that they will be launching a special feature in a couple of months. We did not realize that information was private, and include it in our comparison. The podcast host sees this, and asks that we remove this information. We will respect this request.
Example of an illegitimate request:
A podcast host has a free plan that is meant only to be as a free trial, yet is advertised on their website as a plan itself which has no expiration. We include this as a separate plan, and the host asks us to remove this as a plan, even though it is listed on their website as a standalone plan. We likely will not respect this request, since doing so would be misleading to those using our resources.
Our Stance on Inclusion when Contrary to the Wishes of the Podcast Host
Our resource has been carefully constructed for one purpose and one purpose only: to provide as much information as possible to podcasters regarding the pricing, features, benefits, and drawbacks of podcast hosts across the market. We occasionally encounter hosts that do not wish to be classified under the category of a “podcast host” because that is not their main service, or because their main customers are businesses or networks, and accordingly, they do not want to be included in a “consumer-level” comparison of podcast hosts.We will consider all points raised by a podcast host as to why they should not be included in our comparison, however, if a host meets all eligibility requirements for inclusion and provides clear podcast hosting services, they may remain in our comparison regardless, for the benefit of potential customers (whether individuals or businesses/networks) that wish to compare their hosting services with that of another host.
For podcast hosts that are exclusive to paid/private podcasts, such is indicated by a “No” under “Supports Public Podcasts” and/or “Provides RSS Feed”
For podcasts that are exclusive to businesses/networks/churches, we plan on adding an “Additional Eligibility Requirements” column towards the beginning of the sheet to indicate this.
For questions, we can be reached at info@orangefeednetwork.net