Anchor is a podcasting application designed to make recording and creating podcasts as simple as possible.
Anchor’s simplicity makes it an excellent choice for instructors who wish to educate students how to build their own podcasts. It’s also designed to aid in the monetization of the podcast, which may someday benefit older students.
This completely free website allows you to make and listen to podcasts made by other Anchor users. Due to the fact that this is a web-based application as well as an app, it is easily accessible and can be utilized both inside the classroom and outside it.
The platform was acquired by Spotify and, as such, integrates seamlessly with it. However, it may also be shared outside of Spotify while staying completely free to use and host.
This Anchor education review will cover everything you must learn about Anchor to get started.
What is Anchor?
Anchor is an app for podcast creation. It is designed for mobile devices but also functions as a web-based platform. The key is that it is designed to be very simple to use, making recording a podcast and distributing it a breeze. Consider what YouTube does for video; this is what this platform hopes to accomplish for podcasts.
Anchor is cloud-based, which means that a podcast session may be started and stored in the classroom using a school computer. The student may then return home and pick up where they left off on the podcast assignment using their home computer or smartphone.
According to the app’s terms of service, users must be at least 13 years old to utilize the platform. Additionally, parental and school approvals may be required, since this is only released publicly through a connected social media and email account.
How does Anchor work?
Anchor is available for download on iOS and Android devices or may be accessible online by establishing a free account. Once logged into the application, you may begin recording by pressing the record symbol once.
While getting started is straightforward, editing and refining the podcast takes a little more time and effort. A plethora of editing tools are accessible here that may be used as required, with everything automatically saved as you work.
Anchor has a drag-and-drop structure for adding sound effects and transitions. This makes it very easy to use, even more so on a smartphone. The critical point here is that no sophisticated or costly recording equipment is necessary; all that is required is connection to the internet and a device equipped with a microphone and speaker.
The difficulty is that only minimal cutting and editing are feasible, which means that sections cannot be re-recorded. That does add pressure, since the project recording must be done correctly the first time, as if it were going live. Thus, although this is the simplest podcast creation tool available, it comes at the cost of critical capabilities such as audio refinement and track layering.
What are the best Anchor features?
Anchor is collaborative in nature, since it may be utilized in conjunction with up to ten more users in the same project. This is ideal for assigning group-based projects or classwork that may be communicated back to the larger class in a novel and interesting manner by the group. It may also be used by instructors, for example, to generate a bulletin for other teachers that focuses on a single student yet spans many disciplines.
Anchor may be used in conjunction with a Spotify or Apple Music account, allowing students and instructors to share their podcasts more effortlessly. This may be handy for a regular message that is accessible to parents and students in the same location without requiring you to provide links – they can get it directly from their Apple Music or Spotify app.
Anchor’s web-based platform includes metrics that enable you to track the success of your podcast. You may check how many times each episode has been listened to, how many times it has been downloaded, the average length of time spent listening, and how it is being played. Using the example above, this may be beneficial for determining how many parents are listening to the weekly broadcast you send out.
The podcast is compatible with “all major listening applications,” which means it may be shared as you or your students choose. This might be an excellent opportunity to represent the school on a national and international level.
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How much does Anchor cost?
Anchor is completely free. You can download and use it without paying a dime. Once your podcast attains a particular degree of popularity, you may begin earning money using the Ads for Anchor system. In essence, this integrates targeted advertisements into the podcast and compensates the originator depending on listenership. While this is unlikely to be utilized in school, it may be used to offset the cost of an after-hours session on podcasting, for example.
To be clear, this is an extremely uncommon and completely free podcast platform. Not only is the software free to use, but the podcast’s hosting is also included. As a result, there are no charges, EVER!
Anchor best tips and tricks
Debate with podcasts
Arrange for groups of students to debate a subject and produce podcasts to express their perspectives or to catch the full debate live.
Bring history to life
Create a historical play with students reading the roles, including sound effects, and transport listeners to that era as if they were there.
Tour the school
Create an audio tour of your school led by kids. Ideal for students who are new to the school, but also an excellent tool for students to practice podcasting on a wide scale.
General FAQ
Anchor streamlines the process of connecting podcasters with sponsors. When sponsorship becomes available, Anchor will notify the user through email. In most cases, the sponsor supplies the talking points. The podcaster just needs to record the commercial in the Money tab, determine where to place it in the show, and collect payment.
Anchor announced an improved version of the platform in February 2018 that is optimized for making and distributing podcasts. Anchor was bought by Spotify in February 2019 and now operates as a subsidiary of the streaming business.
Anchor provides two methods for monetizing your podcasts. You may earn money by obtaining sponsorships and soliciting listener support. Anchor connects you with a variety of companies via sponsorships. You may record advertisements for your brand sponsors and then include them into your podcasts as ad breaks.
Anchor, given to you by Spotify, is the simplest way to create a podcast. Now, you can make a podcast, host it online, distribute it to your preferred listening channels, increase your following, and monetize your episodes all from the convenience of your phone or tablet.
While the majority of podcasting sites demand a fee to host and broadcast your program, Anchor is completely free. Anchor’s objective is to make podcasting accessible to everyone. As a result, the platform is entirely free—there are no setup fees, trial periods, or paywalls. Liberation entails the capacity to create.
Create an account by downloading the free Anchor mobile app for Android or iOS. To add audio to your episode, tap any tool. Create a caption for the section and post it to your podcast. Continue adding parts to complete your episode.
Although Anchor is rated as safe for all ages by iTunes, it is suggested for mature teenagers. Because the platform does not censor users’ material, hosts may record whatever they want, regardless of whether it is sexual, violent, inappropriate, or intimate. So, if you are using it for school, make sure that you make the students focus on the specific channel(s).