Smart Podcast Player Review- Legit? Really the Best Podcasting Plugin in 2022
Disclosure (full version here): Some of the links you’ll encounter are affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I may get a commission. Thank you!
Quick Summary: Did you know that 51% of Americans have listened to at least one podcast episode in their lifetime, and are aware of the concept of podcasting?
And did you know that 31% of Americans listen to podcasts every month? And that said number is rising steeply with no end in sight?
Podcasting is exploding, and as a smart marketer and webmaster, it’s time for you to join in and have a slice of that pie.
In my Smart Podcast Player review (now rebranded as Fusebox Podcast Player), I cover both pros and cons, who should get and should avoid this WordPress plugin.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is Smart Podcast Player?
Smart Podcast Player is a feature-rich WordPress podcast plugin that lets you publish and display your podcast episodes directly on your website or blog.
Fusebox is the brainchild of Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income and Matthew Gartland of Wining Edits.
Pat Flynn built the first version of the plugin in 2015 and named it “AskPat” after his, then-new, podcast.
He developed the plugin to serve his own needs, and because he was deeply dissatisfied with other podcasting plugins on the market at the time.
Initially, he had no intention of monetizing it and selling it to other podcasters.
However, he got encouraging feedback from early listeners and that spurned him to keep reiterating and improving upon this plugin.
And now we have Fusebox Smart Podcast Player, a popular and rapidly improving WordPress podcast plugin.
Here’s a video where Pat Flynn breaks down in detail why exactly he built Smart Podcast Player in the first place (warning- it’s 42m long, but an interesting listen).
Smart Podcast Player Features
This WordPress plugin is feature-rich.
Here are some of the features that make Smart Podcast Player stand out among its competitors.
#1- Multi-Platform Support
Smart Podcast Player used to be a WordPress plugin for displaying your podcast episodes on your WordPress website.
Now, they’ve shifted into being a multi-platform tool that can help you grow your podcast following regardless of the blogging platform.
Fusebox Smart Podcast Player works with:
- WordPress;
- SquareSpace;
- Wix;
- Webflow;
- Weebly;
- Teachable;
- Circle;
- Any HTML website.
#2- Abundant Integrations
You can connect Smart Podcast Player with your visitor’s favorite podcasting platforms.
Fusebox Player easily integrates with:
- Lybsin;
- PodBean;
- Buzzsprout;
- Stitcher;
- Spotify;
- Apple Podcasts;
- Google Podcasts.
Plus ESP providers like:
- MailChimp;
- ConvertKit;
- Aweber;
- etc.
#3- Lots of Customization Options
You can fully customize Fusebox Player to match the look and feel of your website.
For example, you can switch between dark and light modes, use one of the template color schemes provided, or create your own.
The sky is the limit!
And it’s all done quickly and easily in the back-end.
I find that having abundant customization options is very important and helps you differentiate your site from your competitors.
It’s a branding thing, and people trust brands
#4- It Loads Very Fast- And Won’t Bog Down Your Site
Most podcasting plugins are slow to load, and often crash and don’t load at all.
Not Smart Podcast Player. This WordPress plugin is so lightweight that it won’t affect your site speed at all.
In fact, it’ll often seem like you haven’t installed it at all.
Except of course that it’ll always be there and working hard on your behalf 🙂
#5- Mobile Responsive
Fusebox Smart Podcast Player is a fully responsive WordPress plugin.
This means it looks and works great on any device and on any screen size.
Your content will always be very accessible, front and center.
#6- Fully Interactive Player
Pat Flynn built Fusebox Player so as to create a better listening experience for his audience.
And now your audience can benefit too 🙂
They’ll easily be able to:
- Switch between tracks;
- Rewind the track;
- Slow down the recording, or speed it up;
- Jump ahead or backward for 60s;
- and much more.
#7- Download, Share, And Subscription Options Galore
Each podcast episode embed on each of your blog posts helps your marketing in 3 ways.
First, your visitors will be able to share your content with their audience on Twitter, Facebook, and via email…
Second, they will also be able to subscribe to your show on their favorite podcasting platform, be it Apple Podcast, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Buzzsprout, RSS feed…
Third, your visitors will be able to download your episodes so they can listen when it’s most convenient for them.
Great opportunity for you to expose them to your brand even when they’re not in front of their computers.
#8- Built-in Email Capture Tool
Smart Podcast Player is the only podcasting plugin on the market that can help you build your email list and generate new leads.
When you customize the plugin you can embed an opt-in form into the podcast player.
And when users click on the button, a popup appears and they can subscribe to your newsletter.
Here’s what it looks like on Pat Flynn’s website.
Note- Smart Podcast Player integrates with all popular email marketing services, including the likes of Aweber, ConvertKit and Mailchimp.
#9- Sticky Player
Do you know what Sticky Bars are?
Here’s one at the bottom of this AgoraPulse review from Lisa Sicard.
Sticky bars “stick” to top or bottom of the page and move with the user as they scroll up or down.
So they never leave their sight and are PERFECT for subtle, but persistent promotion.
You can achieve the same with Fusebox Smart Podcast Player.
It’s a wonderful feature that helps you promote your podcast episodes in a non-obtrusive fashion.
What’s more, each page on your site can have its own dedicated sticky podcast episode that thematically ties into the page.
This is a wonderful, strategic, and passive way of promoting your best content!
#10- 3 Different Players
Did you know that Smart Podcast Player is actually 3 players rolled into one product?
You probably didn’t, because here you are reading my Smart Podcast Player review.
But it’s true!
First, there is the Fusebox Full player (also called Archive player) which lets you display all your podcast episodes in one place.
On the right, there are episodes (which you can order the way you like, btw) and on the left are episode title, descriptions, tags, etc.
The feature I particularly like is the search function above the episodes list. It makes finding a particular episode you want to listen to a breeze.
Finally, the newly introduced feature to Archive Player is the Full Page View feature, which lets your web visitor open your podcast episode in a new tab so they can listen while browsing your site.
Because earlier you had to stay on the same page as that podcast episode and if you left, the episode stopped playing.
Very annoying.
Second, there is Fusebox Track Player which lets you embed and showcase individual important episodes on any page on your site.
You can also use it highlights new episodes as they roll out.
Thirdly, there is a Site-Wide Sticky Player. It’s similar to Track Player, but the difference is that this one sticks to the bottom of the page and follows your visitors, as they scroll.
Try Fusebox Smart Podcast Player Now!
60-day money-back guarantee available!
#11- SEO Friendly Transcripts
Here’s the truth:
Most transcripts are not SEO-friendly.
Google cannot parse them easily and as such, they don’t contribute to SEO one iota.
With Smart Podcast Player, things are different, very different.
It’s because you get another plugin called “Fusebox Transcript” to install and create SEO-friendly podcast transcripts.
Here’s what it looks like.
With the help of Fusebox Transcript you’ll serve up SEO-friendly transcripts to Google, and in turn, they’ll index and rank your podcast episodes for a bunch of natural, long-tail keywords.
Another clear benefit is letting your auditory-impaired visitors consume your content.
Did you know that 3.6 percent of Americans are auditory impaired?
By giving them a way to easily consume your content, you’ll be both making their life easier, and building appreciation and good equity for your brand.
It’s a win-win.
Try Smart Podcast Player today!
#12- Customer Support
Smart Podcast Player offer an excellent customer support. It’s done via chat on their website or email (help@fusebox.fm)
However, before contacting support, I suggest you explore their extensive knowledge center, where you can learn pretty much everything you need to know about SPP plugin.
Note: do know that if you contact support via chat to get help, your conversation with them will get recorded and a transcript will be sent to your email address of choice.
This is very helpful as you don’t really need to try and remember what someone said. Instead, look it up in your email inbox.
For example, a while back I asked whether the Fusebox Podcast team was planning to offer special discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
I got my answer in a span of a few hours.
Very fast and responsive support.
Smart Podcast Player Pros and Cons
My Smart Podcast Player review would be incomplete without a pros and cons section.
Enjoy 😀
PROS
#1- Simple To Use
Smart Podcast Player is yet another WordPress plugin.
This means it’s easy to install it, easy to set it up, easy to use it. And all done through your WordPress back-end, which is super convenient.
So there’s no extra hassle of using some cloud app to access Smart Podcast Player, since it’s right there on your site.
And no need to do any coding because you can manipulate pretty much everything with a set of shortcodes you can find here.
For example, you can hide the tags, the podcast description, the download, and RSS subscription buttons.
You can change color and do many other things by adding different elements into your main shortcode.
And you don’t need to memorize shorthcodes as the button for them will appear right within your WordPress dashboard.
#2- Fusebox Smart Podcast Player Enhances Your Marketing
Fusebox Smart Podcast Player is built for marketing.
It can help you get:
- more shares;
- more downloads;
- more email subscribers;
- and more podcast subscribers across various podcasting platforms.
It’s like a machine working on autopilot on growing your brand.
#3- Universal Podcast Host Compatibility
I hope you’re not hosting your podcast directly on your WordPress site.
If you are, you better stop ASAP as it’ll eat through your storage and bandwidth like hungry mice eat through Swiss cheese.
Instead, you need to purchase decent podcast hosting.
As for which one?
Whichever one you like and can afford.
Note: My Blubrry coupon article can furnish you with a discount for Blubrry podcast hosting.
The good news is that Smart Podcast Player works with all podcast hosting platforms. You just need to add in your podcast feeds.
#4- Integrates With PodPage
As of recently, Pat Flynn’s Smart Podcast Player integrates with PodPage.
PodPage is an innovative platform that lets podcaster create simple websites in 10m or less.
The platform works by creating sites out of podcast RSS feeds and those are completely functional and customizable as per the podcaster’s taste.
PodPage is the answer for those podcasters who just want to podcast and need a simple website to represent their brand.
Perfect for those who don’t want to fumble about with WordPress, Weebly, Wix, or even worse, hand-coded HTML sites.
And now that Smart Podcast Player integrates with PodPage, it’s a double whammy.
Here’s a simple tutorial to making podcasting websites with PodPage
#5- 60-Day Money Back Guarantee
60 days is plenty of time for you to see if you gel with Fusebox Smart Podcast Player or not.
If you decide you don’t like it, simply ask for a refund and it will be given to you.
#6- The Plugin Won’t Stop Working If You Decide To Not Renew License
If you use the plugin for a while and then you decide you don’t want or need it anymore, you can safely cancel your subscription and the plugin will still work just fine.
That said, if you cancel, you won’t get any more updates as new and better versions roll out.
This could leave your site vulnerable to hackers, and outdated WordPress plugins are the easiest entry point for them.
#7- Awesome Customer Reviews
Smart Podcast Player has gotten some awesome reviews from satisfied customers.
Take a look at what people say over at ProductHunt (click the image to visit the site)
Smart Podcast Player CONS
#1- It’s a WordPress-Exclusive Plugin
Fusebox SPP is a plugin built for WordPress sites.
So it won’t work with free websites and Web 2.0’s (for example SquareSpace and Tumblr).
Again, if your blog is built with any other CMS besides WordPress, you won’t be able to use this plugin.
Update: starting from 2021- Fusebox Smart Podcast Player DOES work on other blogging platforms and it’s no longer a WordPress-exclusive tool 🙂
#2- Support Could Be Better
Fusebox support is handled by FPP Labs, who’re the parent company behind Fusebox Podcast Player.
They support you via email and you can contact them here help@fusebox.fm.
Not bad, but I would’ve preferred a live chat system because that’s always much faster than even the fastest email support.
Update!
Fusebox have recently added an extensive knowledge center where you can learn pretty much everything you need to know to use Fusebox on your site.
There’s also a hybrid live chat option. It’s not truly live, but from experience, I can tell you answers come through typically in a few hours.
4 Reasons Why You Should Use Smart Podcast Player Instead of Other Podcasting Plugins
There are more than 4 but I want to keep my Smart Podcast Player review lean, informative, and not overbearing. I know you don’t have time to read novels here 🙂
#1- Platform Exclusivity
What I mean is, SPP Smart Podcast Player lets you display your podcast episodes on your website.
See what I’m getting at?
On your site, you’re in control and you have zero competition for your visitor’s attention.
Whereas on platforms like Spotify, Stitcher or Podbean you get competition from all sides and it’s very easy to lose those would-be listeners.
There’s a 60-day money-back guarantee so it’s a no-risk deal for you.
#2- Website-Podcast Synergy
What do I mean by this?
I mean that Smart Podcast Player gives you a unique ability to grow your site AND podcast at the same time.
Think about it, people that listen to your podcast episodes on your site obviously like it and will want to subscribe to your list.
Once subscribed they’re firmly on the road to becoming your future customers and brand evangelist. The money that you make from your list you can later reinvest into your site’s SEO helping it rise faster in the SERPS.
I know it seems far fetched, but it’s actually a quite realistic, long-term game, and it’s you intelligently using your podcast to get people into your funnel.
No other podcasting plugin on the market does that.
#3- Fast Email List Building
Smart Passive Income Player is the only WordPress plugin that lets you collect emails from your listeners. No other plugin offers this feature and it alone makes SPP plugin worth it.
It’s because… well you know perfectly well why.
Money is in the list! But so is security.
Owning a big email list is like having a non-perishable asset you can use again and again.
Big email list means having full control of your financial situation at all times.
And Smart Podcast Player helps turn it into reality.
#4- SEO Benefit
This sounds like a bit of a stretch, but it’s actually not.
Google like to see people stay on your site for longer. That means your site is of sufficiently high quality. And it also means they as a search engine did a good job of displaying your site in the SERPS.
And when your visitors listen to your podcast episodes, that automatically makes them stay longer and boosts your average session dwell time.
In other words- higher dwell time can help with your rankings in Google SERPS.
Who Should Avoid Getting This Plugin For their WordPress Site?
Here are 2 reasons why you should NOT buy Smart Podcast Player WordPress plugin for your site.
First, It doesn’t make sense to invest your money in this plugin if you have a new site with zero traffic. Or an older site that’s still struggling to get organic traffic from Google.
In that case, it’s much better to use that money to buy a decent keyword tool (I recommend SEMrush).
Second, if you’re not serious about podcasting; and you plan to publish episodes here and there and when you get around to it. Then you shouldn’t get this plugin.
You simply won’t find much value in it.
Fusebox is best suited for pro podcasters, and also for people who want to become pros.
Smart Podcast Player Pricing- What Does it Cost?
Smart Podcast Player pricing plans are:
- Free– $0/mo
- Pro– Monthly- $19/mo;
- Yearly– $15.83/mo
| PLANS | MONTHLY PRICE | YEARLY PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Free | / | / |
| Pro | $19/mo | $15.83/mo (billed annually) |
Monthly Fusebox Pro plan is best for people who want to test out the plugin and see if it’s the right choice for them.
Yearly plan is for people who already know Smart Passive Income player is perfect for them and can’t wait to get started with professional podcasting.
There is also a free version of Smart Podcast Player, However, the best features this plugin is renowned for are missing from the free version.
Try Fusebox Smart Podcast Player today!
You get a 60-day refund guarantee available, so you risk nothing!
Note: you may also take advantage of my Smart Podcast Player discount code– get 33% off price today!
Fusebox Smart Podcast Player FAQ- All Your Questions Answered!
And if not all, then most of it 🙂
#1- Is Smart Podcast Player Free? Is there a Free Trial?
Smart Podcast Player is a premium plugin and product.
They also offer a free version of their plugin which you can download from their website.
But free plugin lacks important features like the ability to collect emails.
There is no free trial available, but there is a 60-day money-back guarantee.
#2- Is Smart Podcast Player a Popular Plugin?
Yes it is.
It’s the best and most widely used WordPress plugin for podcasting.
Besides Pat Flynn, other podcasting powerhouses using it are John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur on Fire, Loz James of Content Champion, Jeff Sanders of 5AM Miracle and thousands more.
#3- Does Fusebox Smart Podcast Player Work With Free Website Platforms?
Yes, it does.
With the launch of Fusebox 2.0 earlier this year the plugin supports:
- WordPress;
- SquareSpace;
- Wix;
- Webflow;
- Weebly;
- Teachable;
- Circle;
- Any HTML website.
This is a major update because earlier, Fusebox Podcast Player was a WordPress plugin and nothing more. And now it’s a multi-platform tool for podcast growth.
#4- Is Smart Podcast Player a Suitable Replacement for Podcast Hosting?
No it’s not.
Fusebox is a suite of podcasting tools, and not a hosting platform.
So you’ll still need to host your podcast with some podcast hosting platform. I recommend Blubrry (get the discount).
#5- Can I Use Smart Podcast Player With Multiple Podcasts?
Yes you can.
As long as those podcasts are on the same WordPress website.
But you cannot install one plugin on two separate sites.
For that you’ll need two Fusebox licenses.
#6- Do Smart Podcast Player Have An Affiliate Program?
Yes they do.
Here are some points worth knowing.
- Affiliate program is served over LinkMink platform;
- Commission rate is 30% of every sale that came from your link.
- You can promote your paid link without restrictions and on any platform;
- Cookie duration is 90 days.
- Payment is via PayPal.
If you’re an affiliate marketer looking to earn money, then you should join the Smart Podcast Player affiliate program as they’re legit.
Click here to join their affiliate program now!
#7- What’s the Customer Support Like?
Support is active from Monday to Friday and is done via email.
Their staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and professional, and you can reach them on this email address-help@fusebox.fm.
There’s also a live chat feature on the website itself and I recommend you go there first because most problems can be solved with a simple chat:)
#8- How To Change Smart Podcast Player Appearance?
Learn how to change Smart Podcast Player appearance with my tutorial here.
Note: I did my best to answer all questions you might have in my Fusebox Smart Podcast Player review.
However, it’s probable that I missed some and if that is so make sure you tell me all about it in the comment section below.
Let’s have a conversation!
Concluding my Smart Podcast Player Review 2022… Worth it or Not?
Look:
If you’re going to start podcasting for real and not just dabble in it, then I suggest you get equipped with the best tools that can help you reach the success you crave sooner, rather than later, or NEVER.
Besides physical gear (like a good mic) Smart Podcast Player is at the top of that list of helpful tools.
Smart Podcast Player can help you build your brand.
It can help you grow your email list.
It’ll keep people on your site longer, so they engage with your business some more.
It’s an invaluable plugin to have and it’s only getting better with age.
So let me conclude my Smart Podcast Player review by asking you a simple question:
are you going to buy it?
Remember, there’s a 60-day refund guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.
Here’ the link to get it now!
You’ll thank me later that you did.
Related: Grammarly discount for students
Hi Nikola,
Podcast listeners are increasing regularly and I’m also one of them. Fusebox is the new name for me but I will surely try it. Thanks for telling us about this awesome plugin
Thanks
Ayush Mishra
Huh, interesting. I remember looking over this plugin before when I was trying to embed audio posts on my blog, but I can’t remember why I looked over it. Maybe there was something I didn’t know about?
It seems to have all the same features with the one I’m using now (Simple Podcast Press) and a few that I’m missing, like the sticky player.
I’m going to be revamping my podcast to a more traditional format here pretty soon, so I may have to look into this more. If there’s a time for me to switch, it’s soon!
– James McAllister
That’s great, James.
if you decide to switch to Fusebox Podcast Player, do let us know your experience with it.
Hey Nikola,
Thanks a lot for your Fusebox review! I was looking for a podcasting plugin that lets me embed episodes directly inside my blog posts.
Glad I found it here!
Cheers,
Nancy
Nikola,
Do you have a podcast? I found your review via BizSugar. Lisa Sicard had posted an entry with a link to your blog post.
I have been podcasting since 2006. I have been thinking of adding the Fusebox smart podcast player on my upcoming “last” site, for my services as a new media advisor.
All the Best,
Martin
Hi Martin,
no I don’t have a podcast, but I’m a podcast junkie and almost every podcast I listen to I see the same plugin again and again. It got me curios and I investigated and found Fusebox Podcast Player.
So I wrote my review as it’s product with a lot of potential.
Hi Nikola, Wow, I never knew there was a plugin for podcast players. This is a very cool tool as I was thinking about getting back into my Podcast over on Anchor. Would Anchor be able to be integrated with it? I have a contributor who does all kinds of podcasts so I’ll be sure to share this with her.
Thanks for the mention that caught me by surprise, nice! I love the Agorapulse reports.
Hi Lisa,
thank you for all your support and for sharing my Fusebox review on BizSugar.
Yeah, I believe Fusebox will integrate with Anchor no problem.
Fusebox Smart Podcast Player seems like a really good plugin. I might get it to show podcast episodes on my website.
I’ll see.
Thank you!
Emman,
Fusebox Player is good and getting better as the founders are investing more and more into this plugin.
If you do get it, I trust you won’t be disappointed.
Hi Nikola, if I buy a yearly subscription, will I get regular product updates?
Hi Rosey,
yes, if you purchase a yearly Fusebox plan you get updates and maintenance for a year.
If you buy a monthly plan, then you get the same for a month.
Hi Nikola,
really enjoyed reading your review of Fusebox Podcast Player. I have a question.
Can we customize this player to represent our brand better? I’m talking about color scheme especially.
Hi Trisha,
Fusebox Smart Player is completely customizable and you can fine tune the color scheme to match your brand’s style no problem.
Refer to my guide below for more details.
http://nikolaroza.com/set-up-fusebox-smart-podcast-player/
Hi Nikola,
loved your review of Fusebox Podcast Player. So informative.
But I think you missed something.
You didn’t mention how to buy and install this plugin on our sites.
Katrina,
thanks for the reminder, I thought it was obviously, but was obviously struck with the curse of knowledge. Just because it’s obvious to me, doesn’t mean it’s the same with other people.
So, here are the steps.
First, go and buy FPP. Then download it to your computer. Finally, upload the plugin to your WordPress and activate it.
That’s it, very similar to what you do with normal WordPress plugins, only here you first need to buy it to get access to it.
I don’t listen to podcasts much even though I know quite a lot of fantastic ones. This is very helpful information to know and worth keeping for future reference. Especially since I have a friend who’s thinking of starting a podcast. Maybe Fusebox Podcast Player can help him achieve his dream?
Hi Katrina,
if your friend want to display his podcast episodes on his site then Fusebox Smart Player can definitely help. But he’ll still need to buy Podcast hosting somewhere. I recommend Blubbry (coupon)
This is interesting. I enjoyed listening to podcasts and your review really caught my attention. First time I hear of Fusebox Podcast Player. But I think I recognize it on a few of the sites I visit regularly.
Hi Gervin,
glad you enjoyed reading my Fusebox Podcast Player review. Yeah, this WordPress plugin is hot with podcast host across the globe and in all niches.
I’m sure you’ve seen it before even though you had no idea what it’s called:)
Hi Nikola,
quick question.
I have a site built on Wix. Can I use Smart Podcast Player on my Wix-built site or not?
Hi Ivana,
yes, you can use Fusebox Podcast Player on a Wix site. You can also use it on pretty much any other site builder besides self-hosted WordPress.
I don’t listen to podcasts, I admit it. But the fact remains that I can always start! Also, my brother is a musician and a blogger and he’s is thinking about starting a podcast on contemporary music. Maybe I should recommend him Fusebox Podcast Player?
Hi Christina,
yeah, podcasts are great. You can get college-level education just by learning in your spare time. I like to listen to podcast while I run…
As for your brother, if he’s trying to build an email list then Fusebox Player can help him a ton there.
I have actually never listened to a podcast… I am around people that are talking all day at work, so I just want quiet time when I get home 😀
Hey I get it.
Maybe your co-workers are talking nonsense all the time, and it might be beneficial to tune in to some podcast episode for a dose of intelligent conversation.
Just sayin…:)
Hi Nikola,
quick question.
Does Smart Podcast Player work with Gutenberg editor in WordPress?
Pati,
Smart Podcast Player does work with the Gutenberg editor. To use it simply click on the add block button, search for “Fusebox” and pick either Fusebox Full Player or Fusebox Track Player
Fusebox Player plugin sounds very interesting. I’ve been toying with the idea of a podcast, but I was hesitant due to lag. I’ve seen so many sites get terribly laggy after installing a podcasting plugin. Judging from your review, I gather FPP won’t do that?
Kathy,
no, Fusebox Podcast Player will not slow down your site in the slightest. It’s so well coded that it blends in seamlessly with any site.