PowerPress Podcasting by Blubrry
Free Blubrry plugin that builds Apple/Spotify-ready podcast feeds from WordPress posts, with players, Podcasting 2.0 tags and optional hosting.
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Podcast Player
Feed-based podcast player for WordPress: shows any podcast RSS feed in a customisable player, with Pro adding sticky player, episode import and stats.
Free installs10K+WordPress.org, active
Est. Pro installs~1KLikely 500–2K
Vendor claims10K+Vendor's own figure
Rating4.8/5113 reviews
Price from$39.99/yrFreemium
Last updated19 Oct 2026Version 8.3.6
Overview
Podcast Player by Vedathemes (now sold as part of Easy Podcast Pro) is a display plugin rather than a publishing tool. You paste the RSS feed URL from your existing host, such as Buzzsprout, Spotify for Creators or Libsyn, and it renders the latest episodes in a responsive player through a block, shortcode or widget. It does not create a podcast feed or host files, so it pairs with whichever host you already use.
Free version
The free plugin includes several display layouts, accent colour and element visibility controls, live episode search, playback speed, skip and next/previous controls, download and social sharing buttons, subscribe links for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others, and support for video podcasts including MP4 and HLS streams. New episodes appear automatically as the feed refreshes, and you can place multiple players on one page (one feed per player). The plugin sets no cookies itself.
Pro
- Extra player, list and grid layouts and more styling control.
- A sticky player that keeps audio playing while visitors browse.
- Import episodes as WordPress posts or custom post types, with updates and schema.org PodcastEpisode markup on imported posts.
- Filter by episodes, seasons or categories, and approximate search across summaries.
- Single-episode players from MP3 files without a feed, and listen/search statistics.
Pro costs $39.99/year for one site, or $59.95 one-time for a lifetime licence. Refunds are offered within 30 days if a problem makes the plugin unusable.
Limitations
Because it reads feeds, it has no tools for directories, scheduling, private feeds, chapters or monetisation; those stay with your host. Feed caching can delay new episodes by several hours unless you refresh manually, and it is not AMP-compatible.
Who should pick it: podcasters who already host elsewhere and want an attractive, searchable episode player on their WordPress site, or who want to mirror episodes as SEO-friendly posts with Pro.
Best for: Podcasters hosted elsewhere who want a polished, searchable episode player on their WordPress site.
Podcast Player is a strong pick for displaying an existing show, with a generous free version and an inexpensive Pro that adds a sticky player and episode import. It is not a publishing plugin, so pair it with a podcast host rather than comparing it directly with PowerPress or SSP.
Pros
- Works with any podcast host via its RSS feed
- Capable free version with search, speed control, sharing and subscribe links
- Video and HLS stream support
- Pro sticky player and episode import at a low price
- Lifetime licence option
- Sets no cookies itself
Cons
- Does not generate a feed, host files or publish to directories
- Feed caching can delay new episodes unless refreshed
- One feed per player instance
- Analytics and episode import are Pro-only
- No chapters, private feeds or monetisation tools
Key features
What Podcast Player highlights on its WordPress.org page and its own website, split by version.
Free version WordPress.org
- Player from any podcast RSS feed
- Block, shortcode and widget
- Responsive display layouts
- Accent colour and visibility controls
- Live episode search
- Playback speed and skip controls
- Download and social sharing
- Apple, Spotify subscribe buttons
- Video podcasts and HLS streams
- Multiple players per page
- No cookies set by plugin
Pro / paid adds From $39.99/yr
- Sticky player across pages
- Extra player, list and grid layouts
- Import episodes as posts
- Keep imported episodes updated
- PodcastEpisode schema on imports
- Episode, season and category filters
- Approximate search across summaries
- Players from MP3 without a feed
- Listen and search statistics
- Lifetime licence option
Feature checklist
12 of 21 features we track in Podcast Plugins, feature score 50/100
Publishing 3/7
Podcast RSS feed Key
Generates a podcast RSS feed from your episodes.
Reads an existing feed; it does not generate a podcast RSS feed.
Not included
Apple Podcasts & Spotify ready Key
Feed tags and settings needed for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other directories.
No directory submission or feed tags, since it does not publish a feed.
Not included
Multiple podcasts
Run more than one show or feed from one site.
Display several podcasts with separate player instances, one feed each.
Partial
Episode scheduling
Schedule episodes to publish later.
Episodes come from your host's feed; no scheduling tools.
Not included
Transcripts Key
Add transcripts to episodes, in the feed and on the page.
Shows transcript text included in episode descriptions; no transcript tooling.
Partial
Chapters
Chapter markers for episodes.
Chapter markers are not mentioned in features or changelog.
Not included
Video podcasts
Publish video episodes as well as audio.
Plays video podcasts including MP4 and HLS/m3u8 streams.
Included
Player 4/4
Built-in podcast player Key
Embeds a podcast player on episode pages.
Responsive player via block, shortcode or widget.
Included
Sticky player
Player that keeps playing while visitors browse other pages.
Sticky player tool keeps playback going across pages.
Paid version Standard
Player customisation
Colours, layouts and download or speed controls.
Layouts, accent colour, show/hide elements, speed, download and share; more layouts in Pro.
Included
Episode lists & archives
Grids or lists of episodes from a feed or show.
Episode lists with search; Pro adds list and grid layouts and filters.
Included
Hosting & importing 2/3
Podcast media hosting Key
Vendor-hosted audio files with fast delivery, so files are not served from your web host.
Plays files from your existing host; no media hosting.
Not included
Import an existing podcast Key
Import episodes from another host or RSS feed.
Import feed episodes as WordPress posts or custom post types.
Paid version Standard
Auto-sync new episodes
New episodes from your host appear on your site automatically.
Player fetches new feed episodes automatically; Pro can update imported posts.
Included
Growth & analytics 3/5
Download analytics Key
Downloads and listener stats per episode.
Listen tracking and stats charts in the Pro version.
Paid version Standard
Subscribe buttons
Links to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps.
Subscribe buttons for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps.
Included
Podcast SEO & schema
Episode schema and SEO settings for episode pages.
PodcastEpisode schema on imported episode posts, off when an SEO plugin covers it.
Paid version Standard
Private & premium feeds
Members-only or paid podcast feeds.
No private or members-only feed features.
Not included
Monetisation
Ads, sponsorships or listener support built in or integrated.
No ads, sponsorship or listener support tools.
Not included
Guests & booking 0/2
Guest booking & applications Key
Guest application or booking forms, or integration with a scheduling tool.
No guest forms or booking integration.
Not included
Guest & host profiles
Profiles for guests and hosts linked to episodes.
No guest or host profiles.
Not included
Pricing
Free
$0On WordPress.org
Free
Freeper yearUnlimited
Feed-based player with layouts, search, subscribe and sharing buttons.
Standard
$39.99per year1 site
All Pro features, one year of updates and support.
Lifetime Pro
$59.95lifetime1 site
One-time payment; all Pro features with lifetime updates and support.
Prices are list prices from the vendor's site, checked 14 Oct 2026. Many vendors discount the first year.
How many sites use Podcast Player?
Free installs from WordPress.org, the vendor's own claim, and our estimate of paid installs.
Free version (WordPress.org)
10K+
Active installations reported by WordPress.org.
Vendor claim
10K+
Sites/users claimed on the vendor's website. source
Estimated Pro / paid installs
~1K
Our estimate, see method below.
How we estimated this: WordPress.org shows 10K+ free installs, which could mean anything from 10K to 20K. The vendor says 10K+ sites, so we put the free count halfway between the middle of that range and the vendor figure, at about 13K. About 13K free installs x 8% (the usual share of free sites that also run the paid version when some key features are paid) gives 1K. Likely range: 500 to 2K. This counts sites running the paid version, including sites whose licence has lapsed. Estimates are rough and based on public figures as of 14 Oct 2026.
Stats & health
Weekly downloads
1,755 downloads last week, 735.4K all time
Rating breakdown
| Version | 8.3.6 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 19 Oct 2026 (15 days ago) |
| Tested up to | WordPress 7.1.4 |
| Requires | WordPress 4.9+, PHP 5.6+ |
| Support threads (2 months) | 1 of 1 resolved |
| On WordPress.org since | 6 Feb 2019 |
Company & policy
| Refund policy | 30-day money-back (conditional) (source, 13 Oct 2026) Full refund within 30 days if an issue makes the plugin unusable and support cannot fix it. |
|---|
Podcast Player compared
Alternatives to Podcast Player
Seriously Simple Podcasting
Free podcast plugin by Castos that publishes episodes and feeds from WordPress, with players, blocks and optional Castos hosting and analytics.
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show.fm
Podcast hosting and production platform with a free WordPress plugin for players, episode lists, transcripts and auto-posting episodes as posts.
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Podlove Podcast Publisher
Open-source WordPress podcast publisher with precise feed control, chapters, transcripts, contributors, built-in download stats and the Podlove Web Player.
85
Buzzsprout Podcasting
Official Buzzsprout plugin with Player and Episode List blocks that stay in sync with your Buzzsprout-hosted show. For Buzzsprout customers.
79
Fusebox Player
Podcast players (single track, archive and sticky) plus Easy Hosting and a transcript plugin, sold as a subscription by SPI Labs. Formerly…
74
FAQ
Is Podcast Player free?
Yes. Podcast Player has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $39.99/yr.
How many sites use Podcast Player?
WordPress.org reports 10K+ active installations of the free version. The vendor claims 10K+ sites in total. We estimate around 1K sites run the paid version.
Does Podcast Player have podcast rss feed?
No: not included. Reads an existing feed; it does not generate a podcast RSS feed.
Does Podcast Player have apple podcasts & spotify ready?
No: not included. No directory submission or feed tags, since it does not publish a feed.
Does Podcast Player have transcripts?
Yes: partial. Shows transcript text included in episode descriptions; no transcript tooling.
Does Podcast Player have built-in podcast player?
Yes: included. Responsive player via block, shortcode or widget.
Does Podcast Player have podcast media hosting?
No: not included. Plays files from your existing host; no media hosting.
Does Podcast Player have import an existing podcast?
Yes: paid version (Standard). Import feed episodes as WordPress posts or custom post types.
Does Podcast Player have download analytics?
Yes: paid version (Standard). Listen tracking and stats charts in the Pro version.
Does Podcast Player have guest booking & applications?
No: not included. No guest forms or booking integration.
Does Podcast Player create or host my podcast?
No. It displays an existing podcast from its RSS feed. You still need a podcast host (or a publishing plugin) to create the feed and store files.
What does Pro add?
Pro adds a sticky player, more layouts, importing episodes as WordPress posts with schema markup, season and episode filters, feed-free MP3 players and listening statistics.
How much is Podcast Player Pro?
$39.99 per year for one site, or $59.95 one-time for a lifetime single-site licence, with a conditional 30-day refund.
Why aren't my newest episodes showing?
WordPress caches feeds for up to about 12 hours. Use the feed update tool in the plugin settings to refresh immediately.
Can I show more than one podcast?
Yes, by adding separate player instances; each player shows one feed.
Last updated 13 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit.