Anchor

In this Anchor review we cover what Anchor is today, its key features, what it costs, how Anchor podcasters make money, where it shines and falls short, and how it compares with other podcast hosting sites. Anchor (anchor.fm) started as a simple app to create your very own podcast from a phone. Spotify bought it in 2019, renamed it Spotify for Podcasters in 2023 and now calls it Spotify for Creators; anchor.fm still redirects there. The platform is free: you post audio or video episodes, the platform hosts them, publishes the show on Spotify and gives you an RSS feed to distribute it to Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and other listening apps.

What is Anchor used for?

Anchor is used to launch and host a podcast without paying for hosting, which makes it a common first stop among podcast hosting sites for beginners. Typical users are first-time podcasters, hobby shows, churches and community groups, small businesses, and teachers who run a class podcast with students. Creators post finished episodes, manage the show from a web dashboard or the Spotify for Creators app on Android and iOS, and track how many listeners play each episode. Because the show is hosted on the same platform where many users already listen, it can use Spotify-only features such as video podcasts, comments, polls and the Spotify Partner Program.

Anchor is no longer a recording studio. On July 9, 2024 Spotify retired the old creation tools: Record with Friends, Music + Talk, voice messages and the episode builder with recording, editing, background music and the sound library (Spotify support). You now record and edit elsewhere, on your computer or through the built-in Riverside integration on the web, and upload the finished audio tracks or video.

Key features

• Unlimited hosting: free, unlimited hosting for audio and video podcasts, with no paid tier.
• Distribution: automatic publishing to Spotify, plus an RSS feed you submit to Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and other podcast apps (distribution guide).
• Video podcasts: upload video episodes that play on Spotify, with custom thumbnails and clips.
• Analytics: plays, consumption hours, audience age, gender and location, and episode charts in the dashboard, so you can see which episodes stand out with listeners.
• Audience engagement: comments and polls that help creators engage fans on Spotify, with notifications when your audience responds.
• Monetization: the Spotify Partner Program, podcast subscriptions, sponsorships and Open Access for Patreon-style memberships.
• Riverside integration: record and edit audio and video in the browser, then publish to Spotify in one flow.
• Import: switch an existing show from another host to the platform by moving its RSS feed, with a dedicated guide for the move.

Anchor pricing

Anchor is free. As of September 2026 Spotify for Creators has no paid plans: hosting, distribution, analytics and monetization tools cost nothing (Spotify for Creators). There is no usage metric to watch, no storage to buy and no seat price for users on your team. Note that hosting is free for everyone, but the tools to monetize depend on where you live.

The cost surprise to check is how Spotify earns instead. In the Spotify Partner Program creators earn a 50% share of the revenue from ads that Spotify monetizes in their episodes (Spotify Partner Program), so half of that ad money stays with Spotify. Video episodes and features such as comments work only on Spotify, so a show that grows there becomes more tied to one platform, and the listener data stays in Spotify's dashboard. Paid hosts such as Transistor or Simplecast charge a monthly fee but leave the ads, sponsorships and data with you.

How to monetize with the Spotify Partner Program

Spotify for Creators offers flexible monetization options, each with its own rules (Spotify support):

• Spotify Partner Program: host on Spotify for Creators, live in an eligible market, publish at least 3 episodes, and reach 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience members on Spotify in the last 30 days. You earn a share of ad revenue plus premium video revenue when Spotify Premium members watch your video episodes.
• Sponsorships: manage host-read ad segments in video episodes; this requires Partner Program membership.
• Subscriptions: offer subscriber-only episodes for a monthly fee once you have 2 episodes and 100 listeners on Spotify in the last 30 days.
• Open Access: let paying members from a platform such as Patreon listen to paid content on Spotify.

Spotify expanded the Partner Program to more countries in 2026, so check the current list of eligible markets before you count on ad money.

Anchor is now Spotify for Creators: what changed

Anchor FM still exists as Spotify for Creators, and podcast hosting is still free. Shows created on Anchor kept their feeds, episodes and listeners through both renames. What changed is the focus: the simple phone recording app became a hosting, video and monetization platform built around Spotify. For many podcasters that is a good trade; people who loved Anchor for recording a conversation on a phone need a separate recording app now. For example, a teacher who used Anchor to create class podcasts can still post episodes and track the audience, but records them in another tool first.

How to start a podcast on Spotify for Creators

To create your very own podcast, sign up for a free account at creators.spotify.com with a Spotify login or email. Add the show name, description, category and cover art, then upload your first episode from your computer or the mobile app. Record the audio tracks or video in any tool you like, or connect Riverside to record a conversation and invite guests from the browser. Set a release date or publish right away. The show goes live on Spotify, where listeners can discover, follow and listen to it; enable the RSS feed on the Availability screen to distribute it to Apple Podcasts and other listening apps. From the dashboard you then track plays, manage episodes, reply to comments and apply to monetize when the show qualifies. Spotify's support site and blog are the main resources for new podcasters.

Where Anchor shines — and where it falls short

Strengths:

• Completely free, unlimited hosting for audio and video.
• Easy to start: upload an episode and your podcast is live on Spotify.
• Video podcasts, comments and polls reach fans inside Spotify.
• Built-in ways to monetize once the show has an audience.

Trade-offs:

• The built-in recording and editing tools are gone.
• Video episodes and engagement features work on Spotify only; other apps get audio through RSS.
• Spotify keeps half of the ad revenue it sells into your episodes.
• Fewer advanced features than paid hosts, such as private team podcasts, custom websites or dynamic ad insertion with your own ad partners.

How Anchor compares

• Transistor: a paid podcast host with unlimited shows, private podcasts and detailed analytics, for businesses and networks.
• Simplecast: a paid host for professional shows and brands, with advanced analytics and distribution.

Is Anchor worth it?

Anchor, now Spotify for Creators, is worth it if you want to start a podcast for free, want video podcasts on Spotify, or plan to grow mainly on Spotify and use the Partner Program. It suits hobby shows, classes and new creators who want to launch fast, create a show with no monthly bill, grow fans on a platform where millions of users already listen, and monetize later. It is less of a fit if you need recording tools in the same app, want to own every ad deal, publish private podcasts for a company, or care most about Apple Podcasts and other listening apps. If you need help to launch a branded podcast, set up distribution or connect your show to your website and marketing tools, the agencies and developers on LowCodeDevs can take it on.

Sources

• Evolving how you create on Spotify for Creators: the creation tools retired on July 9, 2024.
• Spotify Partner Program: eligibility, the 50% ad revenue share and premium video revenue.
• Monetizing your show: sponsorships, subscriptions and Open Access.
• Distributing your show to other platforms: RSS distribution to Apple Podcasts and other apps.
• Podcast hosting, Spotify for Creators: free hosting and features.
• Anchor.fm review, Riverside: hosting overview and downsides (written by a partner and competitor in recording).