This article is part of an ongoing series that focuses on features provided by Blubrry Podcasting.
Podcasts are typically published on the open web and distributed through many apps and directories. This works well for most podcasts. But, sometimes, it’s necessary to keep a podcast private so it’s only available to a select audience. Private podcasts usually require a combination of services working in concert: media hosting, user authentication, playback tools, and more. It can be challenging to get these different pieces to run smoothly together. That’s where Blubrry Private Podcasting comes in.
Who Can Use Private Podcasting?
Private podcasts are great for many different use cases. Here are some examples:
- Podcasters who’d like to provide courses to paying listeners. Blubrry also has a Premium Podcasting offering with its unique features.
- Educational institutions can provide courses for students.
- Businesses can distribute training materials, internal announcements, meeting recordings, and more to employees.
- Families can share oral histories and other personal messages to specific groups of family members.
Safe. Secure. Private.
Blubrry Private Podcasting provides total control. Private podcasts are invitation-only. Invitees can be assigned to specific groups based on what content they should have access to. This is useful for podcasters who want to provide tiers of content for different users. For example, a business may want to create dedicated groups for trainees, sales staff, or management. Schools could create groups for different grade levels or course tracks. Indie podcasters could create tiered episode levels based on supporter contributions.
Shows created with Blubrry Private Podcasting are not publicly accessible. Listeners invited to access a private podcast are authenticated with encryption through Blubrry servers. Blubrry Private Podcasts can be integrated with existing OAuth2 or SAML providers so participants can use existing credentials.
Episodes published through Blubrry Private Podcasting are available for playback only within the Private Podcasting system. No direct download options could be used to share episodes outside of the private podcasting system.
Simple, Familiar Playback
Private podcasts alone don’t mean much if they’re difficult to access. That’s why Blubrry Private Podcasting provides different options for consuming private podcasts:
- Web Interface: audience members log in to a customized, dedicated URL and see their available content. Playback controls are immediately familiar and easy to use.
- Progressive Web App: audience members can install private podcasts directly onto their devices as standalone apps.
- Mobile Apps: Blubrry Private Podcasting provides dedicated iOS and Android apps, making it easy to listen/watch on mobile devices.