Podcast Player – Your Podcasting Companion
by Veda · Content & Feeds
Also makes 2 other plugins · 10K+ installs across the portfolio →
Showcase your podcast only using podcasting feed url. Use widget, shortcode or editor block to display podcast player anywhere on your site.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+127%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “rss feed” for “episodes”. “rss feed” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “episodes” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 64 average across 1,193 Content & Feeds plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.4%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 735K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Content & Feeds plugin keeps 0.8%, across 864 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Content & Feeds plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 21 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 12 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 113 reviews, smoothed to 4.59★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
17%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| podcast your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| podcast player | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| feed to audio your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| podcaster your tag | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| player | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| mp3 podcast player | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| podcasting your tag | #4 | #2 | 0 |
| podcast rss feed | #2 | #1 | down 1 |
| episodes | #4 | #2 | down 1 |
| web player | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| rss feed pause | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| custom player | #4 | #3 | 0 |
| wp player | #4 | #3 | up 1 |
| player block | #5 | #4 | 0 |
| companion | #15 | #6 | 0 |
| player plugin | #6 | #6 | 0 |
| audio player block | #10 | #8 | 0 |
| elementor audio player | #11 | #9 | down 1 |
| wordpress video player block | #12 | #8 | — |
| audio player | #11 | #8 | up 1 |
| rss feed your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
113 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 91 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “rss feed” for “episodes”. “rss feed” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “episodes” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 24.8K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
21
releases in the last 12 months
12d ago
latest release · v8.3.6 · 19 Oct 2026
125
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 4.5 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 25 Jan 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ saeedamnab6mo ago
It does the job as good as (not even better) as paid plugins. And doesn’t pollute the page with branding messages either. Thank you guys!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mohsin Alam7mo ago
Thanks for the player. This player does the basic job.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ podcasthero7mo ago
This is the by far the best podcast player I have found for WordPress sites. It ticks all the boxes for me with a modern customizable podcast player with all the features you need. And it can bring in all your podcast episodes as wordpress posts (or custom post type) which is great for SEO and for having an individual landing page for each episode on your website. Love this plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ pastorrocklyn9mo ago
It’s allowing us to manage podcasts in a convenient way.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ david20511mo ago
Great Player for my website
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hometourjay111mo ago
This plugin displays all of the shows from my spotfiy channel on my website empire. Visitors like listening to the shows that cover Southern California real estate topics in each target market that I have on [my site] This topic was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by Steven Stern (sterndata). Reason: removed URL; links not permitted in reviews
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ paulc12312mo ago
Love plugins like this. Simple and just work as described.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jorge Calle12mo ago
It does that it advertises. Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 8.3.0 New: Use stable episode identity from RSS GUID/Atom ID/fallback fingerprints so episode filters can survive podcast host changes more reliably. New: One-time legacy episode key mapping keeps existing filtered players and 8.3.0
- — Version 8.2.3 New: schema.org/PodcastEpisode JSON-LD output on imported episode posts, with a “Schema.org markup” on/off setting (Optimize settings). New: Auto-suppresses our schema when a known provider is active (Yoast, Rank Math, S 8.2.3
- — Version 8.2.2 New: Replaced MediaElement.js video playback with Podcast Player’s custom audio/video player. New: Added HLS/m3u8 playback support for podcast feeds, including Podcasting 2.0 alternate enclosures. New: Added an advanced 8.2.2
- — Version 8.2.1 Bug Fix: JS loading issue and Ajax timeout issues for captions. 8.2.1
- — Version 8.2.0 Modify: Code Refactoring and Improvements. Modify: Shortcode add current post ID. 8.2.0
- — Version 8.1.0 Modify: Pro compatibility improvements Modify: Admin page improvements 8.1.0
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (8.3.6). Sites still on an older version should update.
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 7 languages, 0 at 90% or more
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
7 of 8 pass · checked 31 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Showcase your podcast only using podcasting feed url. Use widget, shortcode or editor block to display podc..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 11 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 11 of 11 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Elementor.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 3 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 8,511 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "feed to audio", "rss feed" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2022-05-20 9K+ → 10K+ up after 163 days in tier
- 2021-12-08 8K+ → 9K+ up after 182 days in tier
- 2021-06-09 7K+ → 8K+ up after 97 days in tier
- 2021-03-04 6K+ → 7K+ up after 38 days in tier
- 2021-01-25 4K+ → 6K+ up after 169 days in tier
- 2020-08-09 3K+ → 4K+ up after 108 days in tier
- 2020-04-23 2K+ → 3K+ up after 44 days in tier
- 2020-03-10 1K+ → 2K+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Selfhost Podcasting – Create Podcasts Easily 40+ installs · 3.6★ · 4 shared tags -
Captivate Sync 1K+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags B - P Podcast Searcher by Clarify 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags
-
Seriously Simple Podcasting 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags B -
Buzzsprout Podcasting 5K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Seriously Simple Transcripts 900+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Podcast Player – Your Podcasting Companion into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/podcast-player" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Podcast Player – Your Podcasting Companion — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Podcast Player – Your Podcasting Companion: 10K+ active installs, 4.8★ (113 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/podcast-player
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