Video streaming platforms like YouTube are on-trend and high-speed internet connection makes it super easy. But you would be surprised to know that audio form content like podcasts continues to grow.
According to an industry study report, podcast episode creation increased 27% from last year. According to Edison Research, more than half of the U.S. population over age 12 has now listened to a podcast.
Thanks to this growing listener base, and encourages big companies to start paying attention to space. If are doing podcasts then you can showcase them on a website.
When it comes to showing podcasts in a WordPress-based blog/website then Fusebox comes into play. In this Fusebox review, we will analyze everything related to this.
So let’s get started.
What is Fusebox?
Fusebox is an advanced WordPress plugin that comes with a garden of features. It is the best example of how a plugin should be for showing podcasts on a WordPress-based website.
It is a successful product of Pat Flynn, owner of the Smart Passive Income Blog. Flynn developed this plugin along with Matthew Gartland (owner of Winning Edits).
The initial version of Fusebox was released publicly in January 2019.
Pat Flynn was frustrated with the existing plugins and the limited features offered by podcast players. So he launched Fusebox as the most feature-rich plugin for podcasts.
It helps you launch awesome podcasts on your WordPress blog which your listeners will surely love.
One of the most interesting features of Fusebox is the level of design customization. It gives you a color palette option for your audio track bar. It helps you to design a podcast player to feel like a native part of your website.
Another appealing feature that puts Fusebox a step ahead is podcast transcription. You can use it to create an understandable transcript that boosts podcast SEO and improve user engagement.
Fusebox is fully-responsive in nature so that your podcasts will look awesome on all devices and screens. You can also implement a speed control feature to add multiple speeds for your podcasts.
Features of Fusebox [Smart Podcast Player]
Fusebox comes with a lot of amazing features. Pat developed this plugin as an all-in-one for podcasts. So let’s check some of the interesting features.
1. Ease of Use
After you sign up for the Fusebox, you would have access to the dashboard. There will be an option to download the player and transcript plugins.
After installing the plugins in your WordPress-based website, you can modify various aspects and the appearance of the player.
All the options are just drop-down lists and you need to set one option from it.
Managing the plugin is very easy and you need to set all the options once. Then you can show the podcasts in all the places like the bottom of each page.
2. Match Color Scheme of Your Brand
The fusebox plugin allows you to customize the whole appearance of the player. You can change the color scheme and match your website theme.
If you are using podcasts for branding purposes then this can be a good option. Unlike other plugins, you have full control over the plugin and design aspects.
You can add a call to action button on the podcast player like “Join our newsletter” or “Subscribe to our podcast” to build a community.
Fusebox also allows you to add your images and description to the podcast player.
3. Capture Emails
Fusebox allows you to receive emails from website visitors or podcast listeners. This is one of the most advanced plugins for showing podcast episodes on your website.
In that podcast player, you can embed a CTA button to encourage your listeners to subscribe to your newsletter.
Usually, you need to add a third-party plugin to show a signup form on the website. But no need for that in the presence of Fusebox. When a user clicks on the button, a popup opens with a sign-up form.
Collecting emails is a good practice and you should definitely try this. Fusebox also allows you to store the emails in email marketing services like MailChimp.
When you release a new podcast episode or publish a new blog post, you can send a notification to that email list.
4. Advanced Podcast Player
Fusebox podcast player is the most advanced option available in the market. Basically, you would get three podcast play options.
- Site-wide Sticky Player
- Full Player
- Single Track Player
With the free plan, you would get the Site-wide Sticky player only. This allows you to embed a podcast player in the top/bottom of your website. It is sticky and doesn’t move on scrolling.
After you purchase the paid plan, the remaining two options would be unlocked. If you want to put a podcast player on a single webpage then a Singletrack player would be the best choice.
The full player allows users to see all the podcast episodes. The search option would be there for quick access.
You can design the podcast player according to your branding color. So it feels like a part of your website.
5. Forward/Backward Buttons With Speed Control
I have repeated the term that it is the most advanced podcast player available now. To provide a better listing experience, the player comes with forwarding and backward options.
These options allow users to jump to a particular section or listen to something once again. Sometimes we can’t listen to a bit due to external noise. In that case, these options would be helpful.
The speed control option allows users to listen to podcasts at a slower or faster speed. You have seen this option in YouTube that fast-forward the video.
6. Powerful Transcript Plugin
If you have ever come across any transcript plugin then you would find that most of them operate like a robot. They hardly generate meaningful text.
But the Transcript plugin that comes with Fusebox is a robust and efficient tool for this. After installing this plugin to your WordPress website, you can get meaningful transcripts.
Image Source: Fusebox
There would be an option to show the transcript on your website. After enabling this option, this plugin will generate SEO-friendly transcriptions.
This is one of the best options to get more organic visitors to your podcast episodes. It is also beneficial for hearing impaired people.
If you want to read the transcript later then there is a download option. This will provide you a downloadable PDF file for future uses. Readers will also get social sharing options to spread it.
7. Social Sharing & Download
If you want that your podcast listeners to share your hard work on social media platforms, then Fusebox has also options for this.
You would get several checkbox options to enable social sharing options. Social network buttons include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Email, and more.
Visitors can also download podcast episodes directly from the player. If you want so, then enable the option in your WordPress dashboard. This could be the best option for the people who want to listen to the podcast later.
8. Responsive Player
The Fusebox player is responsive in nature. No matter which device you are using, the player will resize accordingly.
Nowadays most users access websites through smartphones. So this is a good option to get more podcast listens.
Loading speed is also a major ranking factor of Google. Fusebox players will not affect the loading speed. As soon as your website loads the player will be seen in the appropriate position.
9. Great Support
Your service provider should always be ready to give answers. Fusebox customer support team is very responsive and responds within a few times.
You can fallout the contact us form mentioned on the website. Beyond that, you would get access to an extensive knowledge base. This is where you would get most of the answers.
Fusebox [Smart Podcast Player] Pricing
Fusebox comes with both Free and Paid plans. The paid plan is also named as Pro Plan.
1. Free Plan
The free plan came with lots of limitations. You will sitewide sticky player only and lots of important features like Email capture, Social Sharing, Playback speed controls, and customizations options are missing.
Free is a great option for those, who just getting started with Podcasting.
2. Pro Plan
With the Pro plan, you would get a sitewide sticky player, full player, single-track player, transcription, and many more features that are listed here.
This plan costs $8 per month with annual billing. This is the only paid plan you will find in the Fusebox plugin.
Things to Consider Before Buying
Before you jump into the website and purchase the plan, you need to consider various things.
The first and foremost question should be, do you really need a plugin to feature podcasts on your website? Otherwise, you can easily publish podcasts on platforms like iTunes, Spotify, etc.
If your blog readers are really curious to listen to your next podcast, then you can consider buying this. The biggest advantage of Fusebox is that you can show all your podcasts on your website. Visitors can directly listen to podcasts without living your website.
If you publish podcasts consistently and your blog has enough traffic then you can invest your money on Fusebox.
Pros & Cons of Fusebox [Smart Podcast Player]
Pros
- The most advanced podcast plugin for WordPress
- Great features like email capture, podcast download button, sticky player, etc.
- Listener friendly features like speed control and forward/rewind buttons.
- Clean user interface with responsive design
- Appearance customization option
- Fast customer support with the compressive knowledge base
Cons
- Only compatible with WordPress based websites
- No live chat support
End Note On Fusebox Review
So these are some of the things you need to know about Fusebox. This is a great way to feature podcasts on your website.
If you are looking for a WordPress plugin that makes your podcasts look appealing then you should try Fusebox. You can sign-up for the free plan to test the plugin.
