What is Storage?
Storage is the disk space used to host your audio files on the podcast hosting platform. A typical 60-minute episode at 128kbps uses about 58MB of storage, and this accumulates with each episode you publish.
Storage Calculation
File Size ≈ (Bitrate × Duration) / 8
Example:
- 128 kbps bitrate
- 60 minutes duration
- Size ≈ (128 × 3600) / 8 = 57,600 KB ≈ 58 MB
Storage by Episode Settings
| Duration | 64kbps Mono | 128kbps Stereo | 192kbps Stereo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 min | 7 MB | 14 MB | 22 MB |
| 30 min | 14 MB | 29 MB | 43 MB |
| 45 min | 22 MB | 43 MB | 65 MB |
| 60 min | 29 MB | 58 MB | 86 MB |
| 90 min | 43 MB | 86 MB | 130 MB |
Storage Growth Over Time
| Weekly Show | 1 Year | 3 Years | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-min (64kbps) | 728 MB | 2.2 GB | 3.6 GB |
| 60-min (128kbps) | 3 GB | 9 GB | 15 GB |
| 90-min (192kbps) | 6.8 GB | 20 GB | 34 GB |
Storage Considerations
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Episode frequency | More episodes = faster growth |
| Episode length | Longer episodes = more storage |
| Bitrate | Higher quality = larger files |
| Back catalog | Historical episodes accumulate |
| Original files | If stored separately |
Archive Strategy
| Approach | Storage Impact |
|---|---|
| Keep all episodes | Full accumulation |
| Archive to separate storage | Reduced hosting storage |
| Delete old episodes | Lowest storage |
| Compress back catalog | Moderate reduction |
Why It Matters
Storage accumulates with every episode you publish. For long-running shows with large back catalogs, storage can become a significant hosting factor.
Why storage matters:
-
Plan limits: Many hosting plans have storage caps—exceeding them requires upgrades.
-
Long-term accumulation: A weekly 60-minute show accumulates ~3GB/year—15GB after 5 years.
-
Back catalog value: Old episodes continue generating downloads; storage makes that possible.
-
Quality decisions: Storage considerations influence bitrate and format choices.
Storage economics:
| Show Type | Storage Pressure |
|---|---|
| Short episodes (15-30 min) | Low |
| Standard (45-60 min) | Moderate |
| Long-form (90+ min) | High |
| Daily show | Very high |
| Network (multiple shows) | Needs enterprise solution |
The trade-off triangle:
Quality
/\
/ \
/ \
Cost ---- Storage
Higher quality files cost more to store and deliver. Find the balance that works for your content and budget.
Storage vs bandwidth:
- Storage is one-time per episode
- Bandwidth recurs with every download
- A single episode might use 58MB storage but 58GB bandwidth (1,000 downloads)
For most podcasters, bandwidth costs exceed storage costs significantly.
How to Use This in Dispatch
View your storage usage in Settings → Account:
Storage monitoring:
- Current storage used
- Storage by episode
- Storage trend over time
- Plan limit and remaining space
Storage management:
- See largest episodes
- Identify optimization opportunities
- Archive or remove old episodes if needed
Original file handling: Your uploaded original files (WAV, high-bitrate MP3) are stored separately and can be accessed for re-processing.