The podcasting industry has undergone significant transformations over the years, with a surge in globally popular shows and a remarkable increase in daily listenership. Similarly, the tools podcasters rely on have evolved to meet the demands of a growing audience and stiffer competition.
As Fusebox continues to grow, we feel it’s essential to keep you informed about upcoming changes regarding the availability of our free plan.
After careful consideration, and to consistently deliver high-quality products, the free version of Fusebox will be discontinued effective on February 28, 2024.
We want to stress that this decision was not made lightly. Offering a free version of Fusebox has been a part of our product lineup since 2015, and for that, we are incredibly grateful to those who entrusted their podcasts to our free players.
We recognize that this decision may raise questions among our customers—especially among those who currently use the free plan. As such, here are all of the most common questions across all of our customer types.
Why is Fusebox making this change?
Over the years, we have invested significantly in the development and enhancement of our products. Through this change, we are committed to delivering even better, feature-rich products that Fusebox is known for.
To maintain the level of quality and support you expect and deserve, we had to make the difficult decision to eliminate our free plan. While the popularity of our free plan was encouraging, continuing to offer it is no longer economically feasible when considering our exciting plans for the future of Fusebox.
What version of Fusebox am I using?
It’s important to know this change only applies to customers using the free plan on the new Fusebox (aka Fusebox 2.0). Customers using Fusebox Classic (aka Fusebox 1.0) will not be impacted by this change.
Below is an example of what the new, Fusebox 2.0, dashboard looks like. If your dashboard does not look like the picture below, you’re most likely using Fusebox Classic.
If you’re still not sure, email help@fusebox.fm and we’ll help determine which version you’re using.
I’m using Fusebox 2.0 — What plan am I using?
As of February 28, 2024, we offer two plans—Starter, and Pro. Each of these comes with a free two-week trial at the beginning of a new subscription.
To find out which plan you’re currently subscribed to, log into your Fusebox account by clicking here. Once inside, click on Shows on the left-hand side to see a list of all the shows you’ve added to Fusebox.
Below the cover art will be a plan indicator (as shown in the picture below)—If one or more of your podcasts is labeled “Free”, these changes apply to you.
I only have free shows on my account, what do I need to do?
With the removal of the Free plan, customers with only free shows will be provided a 90-day window to choose between (1) upgrading to a Starter or Pro plan, or (2) removing the Free show from their account.
If you decide to upgrade to a paid subscription during the 90-day window:
- We will provide 2 months’ worth of credit at the beginning of your new subscription to help ease into this transition.
- Instructions and the 2-month coupon code can be found below.
If you decide to switch to another podcast player software:
- There are no other steps you need to take.
- However, we recommend removing the Fusebox players from your website by June 1, 2024, to avoid outages.
If no action is taken by June 1, 2024, all Free shows on the account will be removed.
I have both Paid and Free shows, what do I need to do?
Similar to customers who only have Free shows, customers with a mixture of Paid and Free shows will be provided a 90-day window to choose between (1) upgrading the extra Free show(s) to a Starter or Pro plan, or (2) removing the Free show(s) from their account.
If you decide to upgrade to a paid subscription during the 90-day window:
- We will provide 2 months’ worth of credit at the beginning of your new subscription to help ease into this transition.
- Instructions and the 2-month coupon code can be found below.
If you decide to switch to another podcast player software:
- You must request any affected Free show to be deleted from your account by emailing help@fusebox.fm.
- Any Free show left on your account after June 1, 2024, will automatically convert to a paid plan to match your existing subscription.
How do I upgrade to a paid subscription?
As an affected customer, if you’ve decided to upgrade to a paid plan before June 1, 2024, please follow the instructions below:
- Determine which paid plan best suits your needs. Review available plans here.
- Click here to log into your Fusebox dashboard, and select the desired plan.
- Enter the code, “free60“, during checkout to receive 2 months’ worth of credit off your new subscription.
I want to remove any Free show from my account. How do I do that?
If you’ve decided to remove the Free show from your account, email help@fusebox.fm and let us know the name of the show you’d like to be removed. However, make sure to submit this request before June 1, 2024.
Is there more to Fusebox to justify upgrading?
Absolutely!
Even though Fusebox made a name for itself with our powerful players, we offer much more than that now by upgrading to a paid subscription—such as podcast hosting and analytics, customizable CTAs, and brand-matching HEX select.
Since you’re most likely paying for podcast hosting elsewhere, upgrading to a paid Fusebox subscription can potentially save you money by taking advantage of our included podcast hosting.
I want to add a new show later — Can I still do that?
Indeed!
When adding or starting a new podcast after February 28, 2024, every show will receive 14 days of trial access to either one of our paid plans—giving you time to fully evaluate everything Fusebox has to offer.
At the end of the trial, you will be charged for the plan you selected during the initial show setup unless canceled before the trial expiration.
I don’t have any shows on my account — Does this affect me?
Immediately, no.
This change will only affect customers with a podcast on a Free plan. If you do not have any Free shows inside your account—then there are no changes you need to make.
However, it is worth noting that if you were to add a podcast to your account anytime after February 28, 2024, the Free plan would no longer be available. Instead, you (and any new customer) will be provided a 14-day trial of either one of our paid subscriptions.
I use Fusebox Classic (Fusebox 1.0) — What do I need to do?
Currently, nothing.
This change only applies to customers subscribed to the Free plan on the new Fusebox, aka Fusebox 2.0.
However, it is worth noting that if you were to upgrade to the new Fusebox anytime after February 28, 2024, the Free plan would no longer be available. Instead, you (and any new customer) will be provided a 14-day trial of either one of our paid subscriptions.
