Tess s a free and easy podcast creation, hosting, distribution, and listening service. The app is now available to download on the App Store and on Google Play. The Tess team includes three people: Tony Faieta, Nick Ruspantini and Taylor Shrum. Tess is located in Gainesville, Florida.

How is it that we can upload 8k videos onto YouTube for free but creators are still charged for podcast hosting and distribution?

Weird, right? We thought so too. The dream is simple, we feel that in order to help move podcasts forward we must break the cost barrier and provide easy and free creation, hosting, and distribution to all creators.

Tess explains how they will make money: “We make money by having strong creators who align with our mission come onboard our products. We need attention, buzz, hype, love of our product, once that happens, not only do will we make money but so will our creators.”

The phrase “once that happens” implies that Tess is not, at this moment, in the position to pay the podcast creators who put their podcast on Tess.

There are four podcasts listed on Tess as “Active Shows”. The Best Ideas Podcast is hosted by Taylor Shrum, who uses the tool of conversation with guests to analyze ideas that influence us today and have been valued across time. There is a link on the Tess website that brings you to Apple Podcasts.

IDK Podcast is described as: “There is something about a podcast studio that can make four friends feel the need to record a conversation about the things we want to talk about with each other. IDK is just that, a podcast where four friends dive deep into their favorite thoughts and opinions about their favorite and least favorite topics.” There is a link on the Tess website that brings you to Apple Podcasts.

Green Light Sports is described as: “Green Light Sports talk offers inside looks at all things sports, offers different perspectives on the hottest currents events and sports and aims to entertain whilst focusing on all of your favorite facets of the game.” Best of Gainesville Weekly has a “placeholder description.” Both of these podcasts appear to have a link that will take you to Apple Podcasts, but when you click on it, nothing happens.

Tess is clearly a new product, and is in the process of building itself up. I haven’t been able to find any clear information about what advertisers they are working with. Perhaps Tess can add that important information to its website in the future.