How to publish a podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Transistor Team

2 min
How to start a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, etc.

To upload a podcast, and have it distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and others, you’ll want to follow these steps:

  • Record your audio using a microphone connected to your computer, tablet, or phone. (If recording a guest remotely, use Riverside.fm, SquadCast, or Zencastr)

  • Edit your audio with software like GarageBand, Descript, or Audacity.

  • Export your finished audio as an MP3.

  • Sign up for a podcast hosting service (Transistor, Simplecast, Libsyn).

  • Upload your MP3 to your podcast hosting provider.

  • Your podcast hosting platform will generate a podcast-ready RSS feed for you. Example: feeds.transistor.fm/build-your-saas

  • Next, if you haven’t already, you’ll want to submit your podcast to the various directories and players (Apple, Spotify, Google). You can find a list here. You only need to do this once!

  • Now, when you publish your episode on your hosting platform, it will update your podcast’s RSS feed.

  • The directories and podcast apps (like Apple Podcasts) will detect when you have a new episode in your RSS feed, and will automatically update.

The whole process looks like this:

How does your podcast get on Apple Podcasts and Spotify?

Some people think you upload your podcast directly to Apple Podcasts / iTunes. That's not how it works! Apple (and the other podcast players) read your RSS feed and point to your audio files. It's up to you to host them.

That's why you need a podcast hosting platform. It's the hub for your podcast. For example, Transistor will store your MP3 files, generate your RSS feed, host your podcast's website, and help you distribute your show to the world.

Additionally, a good podcast host will give you statistics on your podcast. They look like this:

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