How to Upload a Podcast to Spotify (Complete 2023 Guide)
Read on for all you need to know on how to upload a podcast to Spotify.
Before you even think of listing your podcast on Spotify, it’s a good idea to have at least one (or preferably more) episodes ready on your podcast hosting platform. Once that’s sorted, you’re good to go. The great thing about this process, is that generally you only need to do it once.
If you’ve just started a podcast, you’ll definitely want to get it on Spotify. We’re here to show you how to submit a podcast to Spotify in just a few seamless steps.
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Why Should I List My Podcast On Spotify?
Spotify is a podcast directory, meaning it acts like a phonebook – a place for listeners to find what they’re looking for. Spotify doesn’t host your podcast mp3 files; rather, it streams them from your podcast host.
After listing on Apple Podcasts, which acts as the master copy for other directories like Pocket Casts, having your podcast listed on Spotify is one of the best ways to get your show heard, receive new traffic, boost your legitimacy and reputation, and collect data and reviews from your listeners, especially since it’s one of the top directories in the world.
Spotify is widely recognized as a successful competing podcast directory, to Apple Podcasts, the native app for iOS users (previously iTunes). It’s even ahead of Google Podcasts, the native app for android users.
- According to BuzzSprout, 30.7% podcast fans use Spotify to listen.
- It has 381 million monthly active users as of October 2021, which is a 19% increase compared to last year, with paid subscribers also increasing by 19 percent to 172 million.
- With its podcasting business equally continuing to grow, not listing your show on Spotify, alongside over 3 million others, would be podcast suicide.
- Since 2019, the number of Spotify podcast listeners has nearly doubled.
- Plus, with Spotify making big investments into exclusive podcast rights, like The Joe Rogan Experience and Michelle Obama’s podcast, and rolling out support for video podcasts, the growth is expected to continue. The sooner you jump on the bandwagon, the better.
How to prepare your podcast for Spotify
Before you submit your podcast to Spotify, there are a few things you’ll need to have ready:
Audio Formats
- MP3 files with a high bitrate of 128kbps+ are supported, and MP4s with AAC-LC.
- A recommended maximum episode length of 2GB (roughly 12 hours @ 320 Kbps).
Image Formats
Your podcast cover art should be saved as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file, with a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio in the highest resolution possible.
Metadata
- General rule: the consumer-facing elements should not exceed 20 characters to ensure a good fit for all Spotify clients. Note: this doesn’t apply to podcast and episode descriptions.
- Your RSS feed must include a unique podcast title, cover artwork, podcast description for at least one episode recorded, and the audio file uploaded to your host.
Tip: Read Spotify’s complete Podcast Delivery Specification guide
Then, check if your podcast hosting company has a partnership with Spotify (many do, e.g., Podbean and BuzzSprout), in which case you can submit your podcast to Spotify directly through your host and retrieve statistics there, too.
If not, read on to see how you can submit your podcast to Spotify.
How to Upload a Podcast to Spotify
If you’re more of a visual learner, start with this video. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to submit a podcast to Spotify.
1. Create a Spotify account. Don’t use your personal one. Create a new one using the same email associated with your podcast host to avoid uploading errors. Note that you agree to the terms and conditions Spotify stipulates by signing up. Once you’ve signed up, you can log in and add your RSS feed to their platform.
2. Go to Spotify’s podcast website, and click Get Started.
(Image source: Spotify)
3. Paste your podcast’s RSS feed link in the box and click “Next”. Your podcast title, artwork, and description will all appear on the right side of the page.
(Image source: Spotify)
4. Spotify will ask you to verify your podcast and that you are the podcast owner, by submitting a code sent to the associated email address.
5. Add additional details like podcast category (you’ll have a variety of topics to choose from), language, and country.
6. Review the information, and submit!
7. Spotify won’t email you when your show is live, so keep an eye out, and as soon as you see it appear, go crazy sharing it all over social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Take advantage of super handy podcast-specific marketing tools for optimal results.
N.B If you receive an error message when trying to add your RSS feed, there are two common reasons:
Your podcast needs a globally unique identifier (GUID). This means your RSS feed is empty. To fix this, you must upload at least one episode to your host before Spotify can accept your feed.
Your RSS feed is missing an email address, or your email address needs to be verified.
How to upload a video podcast to Spotify through Riverside
Spotify has started allowing creators to upload video podcasts on their platform. With the new Spotify x Riverside integration, it’s even more simple to create and distribute podcasts. You can now record high-resolution video podcasts on Riverside and distribute straight to Spotify’s millions of viewers through Anchor. In this way, you get Riverside’s quality in recording but also all of Anchor and Spotify’s analytical, monetization, and distribution tools.
Get Started
In order to create a video podcast for Spotify on Riverside follow these steps:
- Open a Riverside recording studio. (You can invite up to 7 guests to join your podcast recording.)
- Click the ‘Record’ button to start recording. You can use the Media Board to add live effects and you can also screen share to record your screen as well.
- When you’re ready, stop recording and after everything is uploaded open your recordings and select the ‘Edit & Export’ button to go to Riverside’s Magic Editor. Here, you can customize your video, make final touches, and create short shareable clips in a few clicks.
- When you’ve finished customizing and editing your video podcast recording, press the ‘Export’ button on the top right. Go through the Export Options and then press ‘Export’ when you are done. Preparing your file may take a few minutes but you’ll be notified once your video is ready so you can preview it.
- In the preview tab click the Spotify button on the bottom right and you’ll be taken to Anchor where you can log in or sign up to finish uploading your video podcast.
- Choose to which podcast you want to upload your video recording to and fill in your video podcast episode’s details. When you’re done select ‘Publish now’ and just like that, your podcast will be uploaded to Spotify.
You can watch this video for a thorough walkthrough on how to create video podcasts on Riverside to publish directly to Spotify.
See how easy it is for yourself! Sign up on Riverside today.
Spotify Submission Process: FAQs
How Long Until My Podcast is Live on Spotify?
Getting your podcast on Spotify can sometimes take just a few hours, but it can often take up to five days for your show to go live on Spotify. Somewhat frustratingly, Spotify doesn’t email you to inform you that your show is live, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for yourself.
How Long Does It Take For A New Podcast Episode To Appear on Spotify?
Spotify updates your podcast’s data daily, which means that when you add new episodes, their data will show up one day later.
How Do I Change My Podcast Category on Spotify?
Unfortunately, once you’ve selected your podcast category on Spotify, you can’t change it, although they are hoping to make this possible in the future.
How To Monetize A Podcast On Spotify?
Initially, you couldn’t monetize your podcast on Spotify. However, as of April 2021, Spotify launched new monetization tools. This is available through Anchor, Spotify’s podcast creation app, and includes tools for subscription, allowing podcasters to grow audiences and earn revenue from their listeners. Although, you can make money in many other ways beyond Spotify. You could take sponsorships and read ads during your show or expand your business to include merchandise, e-books, or a Patreon account with exclusive content. If your podcast developed a massive and loyal following (congrats!), then there might be a chance that they would want to make a deal with you to list your show exclusively on their platform.
How Do I See How Many Listeners I Have on Spotify?
If you submitted your podcast to Spotify via your host, you could usually access a handful of statistics there. If you submitted directly to Spotify, all you need to do is go to the podcasting page and log in to see all your stats, including how many listeners you have.
How Do I Find My Podcast’s Listen on Spotify Badge?
‘Listen on Spotify’ badges are available for download through your Spotify dashboard under the ‘DETAILS’ tab. Then, you can create a ‘Listen on Spotify’ button by adding this image to your website with a hyperlink to your show’s Spotify URL (which can also be found in the ‘Share’ tab).
How Do I Upload New Podcast Episodes to Spotify?
Your podcast hosting service is where you’ll upload all your new content, and Spotify will automatically pull it from there through your RSS feed. Once you submit your RSS feed, you won’t have to do anything to make the new episodes appear on Spotify. Remember, Spotify doesn’t store your media files; it plays them from your host.
How Do I List My Podcast On Spotify Using Anchor?
First, you’ll have to submit your podcast for distribution on your Anchor account, after which it could take up to 24 hours to be available on Spotify. Once you’ve done this, all future episodes published through anchor will automatically appear in Spotify!
If you’ve submitted your podcast to Spotify manually and want your Spotify show link to appear on your Anchor profile, follow these steps:
- Copy the link to your show on Spotify.
- Head to your anchor account and click ‘Settings’ then ‘Podcast Availability’ on the top right of your screen.
- Scroll down to ‘Available listening platforms’, and paste the link in the box for Spotify
- Scroll back up and click save.
- Your Spotify listing will now show up on your public Anchor page!
If you want to know more about how to make a podcast on Spotify’s Anchor, you can go to their site.
How does Spotify’s RSS Feed work?
An RSS feed allows directories, like Spotify, to access and display automatically updated information. The information is fetched by the listener’s RSS feed reader (in this case, Spotify), which distributes it in real-time so that the top results are always the most recent published episodes.
How much does it cost to have a podcast on Spotify?
Listing your podcast on Spotify is free since the platform isn’t hosting your files but rather streaming them from your podcast host.
Does Spotify pay you for podcasts?
Unless you have a massive audience like Joe Rogan and want to buy exclusive rights, no. Spotify will not pay you to list your podcast. Podcasters tend to make money from taking sponsored ad placements in their show or creating other profitable elements like merchandise or a Patreon account with extra or more extended episodes.
