- Contest Factory
- September 21, 2022
Making Your Podcast Successful Through Distribution
You finally took the leap. You created a podcast that you hope will contribute something unique and meaningful for the masses (or at least those in your targeted niche). And if you have not gotten your podcast off the ground yet, our friends at Forbes have the perfect guide to starting your podcast here.>>
Now, for the next challenge: actually reaching your targeted listeners, preferably on a mass scale.
This is where getting your podcast on Spotify becomes your mission — the perfect platform to spread your content far and wide, reaching new listeners while also boosting your credibility. In fact, Spotify has quickly become the go-to platform for podcast listeners across the globe, now consisting of 389 million listeners and counting.
Even better, it’s quick and easy to broadcast your podcast, with no advanced tech skills or fancy equipment required.
Whether you’re a well-established podcaster or planning your debut, here’s what you need to know to leverage Spotify’s ever-expanding platform.
How to Meet Spotify’s Podcast Requirements
To be clear, Spotify doesn’t host your podcast, it streams your episodes from your podcast host. However, Spotify recently developed its own hosting platform Anchor.fm, allowing you to produce and share your podcast in the same location if you choose.
But there are numerous other hosting platforms (with free and premium options) offering varying degrees of storage capacity, analytic features and monetizing capabilities— Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Rss.com, and Podbean ranking among the top favorites.
Regardless of which platform you go with, you need to make sure your podcast meets the following requirements:
- A high bitrate MP3 audio format (128 kbps+) or MP4 with AAC-LC uploaded to your host
- An episode length that doesn’t exceed 2GB (roughly 12 hours)
- An original podcast title, podcast description, and high-resolution cover art (with 1:1 ratio) saved as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file
For more specifics, check out Spotify’s official Podcast Delivery Spec guide.
Upload your new podcast on Spotify in 5 steps
Now that you’ve set everything up, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to list your podcast- in just a few steps and a matter of minutes, your episode will be ready to launch!
1. Create a Spotify account.
This goes without saying, but if you’re new to Spotify, you’ll need to create an account. You can sign up in seconds using this form.
2. Open Spotify for Podcasters page
Once you’re logged in, go to Spotify for Podcasters and click the icon, “Your Dashboard.” This will take you to the following page, where you’ll click, “Get Started.”
3. Copy/paste your RSS feed link.
Your RSS feed is essentially the host address for your podcast, which Spotify will prompt you to submit. Make sure to read the guidelines, then click “Next.”
Spotify will send you a code via email to verify that you own the podcast (most likely using the same email registered on your hosting site).
Note: You only need to go through this process once, after which Spotify will automatically pull from your RSS feed each time you upload new content on your hosting service.
4. Fill in your podcast info
After your podcast is verified, you can add all the essential information—including country of origin, primary language, hosting provider, primary category, etc.—then hit “Next.” Remember to be very descriptive and use your keywords well here – after all, it’s this copy that will be used to match with your target audiences search terms. Also remember you are meeting new folks, be sure to show your personality here and provide the value and benefits your listeners will get. This is your marketing platform, use it!
5. Review and submit your podcast.
Just like that, you’re ready to launch! Just double-check your entries and hit “Submit.”
Assuming everything is in line with Spotify’s guidelines, your podcast will be available for the masses, usually within a few hours.
Important side note: For whatever reason, Spotify doesn’t notify you when your episode goes live, so you’ll have to keep checking back to confirm.
Closing thoughts & Bonus step…
And that’s it, in 5 easy steps, you’re up and streaming! Now for the fun part—promoting your content with a vengeance. Be sure to leverage Spotify’s “Listen on Spotify” badge bolster your promo efforts on your website and social channels. You can easily add a hyperlink to your Spotify URL to give your followers a visual reminder and easy access to your new content.
To download your “Listen on Spotify” badge, go to the “Details” tab located on your Spotify dashboard page. And finally, don’t forget all your existing channels as each of your current listeners are a free amplification tool. Be sure to share on social media that your podcast is now available on Spotify (This also acts as social proof to your existing listeners, elevating your position in their minds). Ask your followers to like and share your Spotify announcement on social for an opportunity to be featured on your show. Be sure to send an email blast to your followers letting them know to enter the contest on social and follow you on Spotify.
You are well on your way to growing your following and elevating your audience listenership to the next level.
