I thought it was about time I did something REALLY helpful and did the research required to tell you exactly – step by step – how to submit your show to every conceivable place you can to increase your podcast’s reach.
I’m talking about Podcast Directories, people!
But the problem is this: every conceivable place is not always the BEST place (in my humble opinion).
Why would I EVEN SAY such a thing?
Two reasons:
#1 – There are many options that require you to use their hosting/advertising/app/whatever-thingie-ma-bobber-they’re-hawking. So unless you are specifically looking for those kinds of opportunities, they’re not much use to you.
#2 – Some of the directories out there don’t appear to be professionally done, which in my mind means it’s likely not truly advantageous for your show to be in them.
So…
THIS episode is a walk through of the many podcast directory-ish places you can list your show that I deemed were worth the time of doing so.
And I should probably ALSO say…
The list and instructions I’m about to share DO NOT contain sites that pull directly from Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes).
Why? – Because if you submit to Apple Podcasts, you’ll automatically be included in those directories or apps.
Which includes MOST IOS or Android podcast apps.
Be it known…
I have done EXACTLY what I’m telling you to do with all 3 of my podcasts. And will be referring BACK to this episode myself to submit all future podcasts I publish.
And before we get too far into this… you can find EVERY directory I mention and the links and processes needed to submit to them, on the show notes page for this episode – www.PodcastFastTrack.com/79 – which is ALSO included in the description of your podcast app or player, in its entirety (as much as I have control over).
And ANOTHER THING… These are in ALPHABETICAL ORDER for your sorting convenience…
That’s enough of that kind of stuff – let’s get to the directories!
LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
Acast:
Acast is a new app that claims to help podcasters with “discovery” issues (which is debated hotly in podcasting circles), but regardless, it’s a pretty cool and functional app.
It includes 3 targets: Listeners – Podcasters – Advertisers. And it does include a hosting option for podcasters who are looking for something different. You can discover more about Acast at www.acast.com
There are two ways to add your podcast to the Acast directory.
Non-hosted
You provide the Acast folks with your RSS feed and they’ll make your show searchable and listenable on their app platform. This means no monetization and no hosting.
Hosted
In this scenario, Acast hosts your show. Yes, you’d have to leave your current host.
When you do, Acast will provide opportunities to monetize your show (ads or sponsorships) and you’ll have access to the Acast publishing tool and stats.
So… if Acast sounds like a place you’d like to list your podcast – or a partner you might connect with for hosting/monetization.
Submit to the Acast Directory
- Scroll down to the “Add Your Show” option near the bottom of the page.
- Choose your adventure (non-hosted, hosted, hosted with a brand new show)
- Give them the info requested
- Hit the “send” button
- Scroll UP on the resulting page to see the confirmation message
That wasn’t too painful, was it?
Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
As you know, iTunes – I mean, Apple Podcasts – is the big dog, 500 pound gorilla, place-to-be when it comes to podcast search. It’s one you definitely want to put high on your priority list.
Many people, including Rob Walch of Libsyn fame (previous guest on my show here, here, and here), say that if your show is not in the Apple Podcast directory you’re really not podcasting.
I don’t know about that – but I do know that if Apple Podcasts is not on your radar – you’ve got the wrong radar.
So get into the directory. Here’s how.
Submitting to Apple Podcasts
Some things you need to know about submitting…
- Your show needs to have at least one episode published and “live” on your feed
- Your cover art needs to meet the minimum 1400px X 1400px requirement
- And if your cover art is over 500kb in size, you’ll likely have problems (you can reduce the size by using a tool like this – https://www.reduceimages.com/ )
To submit
- Go to Podcasts Connect
- Click the plus sign at the top of the dashboard
- Enter your RSS feed URL into the field provided and click the “Validate” button
- If your feed is OK (no errors) a feed preview will appear
- Then click the “submit” button
It typically takes the folks at Apple 6 hours to 48 hours to respond via email to let you know that your show has been approved.
The process for submitting a podcast to Apple Podcast changed in the last year or so (it’s now 10/2017) so it’s good that I didn’t teach you how to do this prior to the change.
Audio-Podcast.fm
No super cutesy logo to represent this podcast directory, just a generic title at the top of the page. BUT the claims made on the homepage are pretty impressive…
“Download from over 6.5 million audio podcast episoded. Choose from over 88 thousand podcasts in one of the largest audio podcast directories worldwide.”
I’m not exactly sure HOW to go about verifying that kind of claim. I guess I’ll just have to take their word for it! 😉
I’m not absolutely sure but I suspect this directory does NOT pull from Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes). The reason I think that is because I did a little experiment with my 3 podcasts.
All 3 of my podcasts are listed in Apple podcasts – so I searched for each of them in turn, by name, on Audio-Podcast.fm.
NONE of them came back in the search results.
So I decided to submit them.
Here’s how you can submit your show(s) to Audio-Podcast.fm
If you go to the home page you have to scroll WAYYYY to the bottom of the page and find the TINY LITTLE TEXT LINK at the bottom (see the image).
But if you use the link I provided in the title above, you’ll go right to the submission page.
Here’s what you do…
- Paste in your RSS feed URL
- Choose 3 categories for your show
- Tick the box saying you’re the producer and have read and agree with the terms and conditions (I DARE you to actually read it)
- Provide your contact email address
- Enter the infamously-troublesome CAPTCHA code
- Click the green “Submit your podcast” button
You’ll be taken to a greenish page that promises your show will be reviewed within 24 hours.
The site will also give you the opportunity to embed an icon on your website that links to your podcast on their directory. A clever way to get backlinks from a reputable website like yours, don’t you think?
Blubrry Podcast Directory
The good folks at Blubrry are most widely known for their podcast hosting services and the PowerPress plugin used on many WordPress sites.
However, they have a pretty impressive podcast directory too.
Here’s what they say about it…
The creators of Blubrry are podcasters as well, and recognize the importance of other podcast directories including iTunes. Blubrry podcast directory does not try to compete with other directories, our main goal is to offer additional distribution points that otherwise are not available to podcasters. With this philosophy, we believe the Blubrry Podcast Directory fills the void where iTunes and podcasting is otherwise unavailable.
Did you notice that bolded section?
THAT is why the Blubrry directory is significant in my mind. Some of the places the Blubrry directory can list your show are…
- ROKU TV
- GOOGLE TV
- Android
- Samsung SmartTV
For just a few examples…
So, how do you get your show into the Blubrry podcast directory? I’m glad you asked 😉
Submit your show to the Blubrry directory
- Create an account on the Blubrry Platform
- Once that’s done, add your podcast at this link
- You’ll be asked for you RSS feed URL
- You’ll be asked to create a “web friendly” name for your show
- You’ll be asked to choose one category for your show
- And you’ll have to agree to the terms and conditions
- Then you can hit the blue “Submit” button
Not too difficult that can get your podcast onto TV boxes and the like. Well worth the effort.
doubleTwist
This one is not exactly a podcasting app or directory. It’s a media player.
BUT, it’s also got a directory you can submit to so that people who use it can easily find your podcast.
I’ve long been recommending to people that they submit to doubleTwist. And it’s an easy process.
How to submit your show to doubleTwist
- Go to the contact page on the doubleTwist.com website
- Enter your name
- Enter your email address
- In the drop-down for “subject” choose “Request New Podcast”
- Enter the title of your podcast
- Enter the CAPTCHA stuff and hit the blue “Submit” button
You’ll get a message that says the following…
They seriously have JEDIS working for them? That’s way cool… 😉
Google Play Music
After a very long time of NOT supporting or listing podcasts, Google Play Music is finally onboard with podcasting.
Sort of.
The app still has MUCH to be desired when it comes to being good for podcast search and use (as of 10/2017) but I’m hopeful Google will get the importance of podcasting and create something native to Android that works for podcasts. Maybe a rework of Google Play Music. Maybe something new.
I don’t care what. Just do something Google.
So… if you’re ready to submit your show to Google Play Music, I think it’s a good idea.
Submit your podcast to the Google Play Music directory
- You’ll have to create a Google account, first
- Go to the Google Play Music podcast page
- Click the orange “Publish Button”
- Click on the blue “ADD A PODCAST” button.
- Supply your information – including your RSS Feed URL and all requested info
A brief word of caution on this one:
Rob Walch, Podcaster Relations guy at Libsyn says that he wouldn’t be surprised if some day Google and Apple go toe to toe and make it hard for the other’s stuff to be used on their platforms.
It’s not an inconceivable idea since Apple is already pretty proprietary in the things it does. (Just try to charge an iPhone with a non-iPhone charging cord to see what I mean).
For that reason, the good folks at Libsyn have devised a way that users of their interface can create a “Google Play Music” only feed – so you can submit to Google Play Music in a way that won’t be influenced in any way by the big Apple gorilla should it decide to throw its weight around as regards your podcast feed.
If you’re a Libsyn user, just go to the “Destinations” tab in your dashboard and create a new one. You’ll see the button for “Google Play Music.” Click it and do the dance.
The result is a new RSS feed URL you can submit directly to Google Play as I’ve just instructed.
iHeart Radio
iHeart Radio is a podcasting app and SO MUCH MORE. It’s actually (as the name implies) a way to stream internet radio of all kinds, including events of various sorts.
Here’s the scoop on iHeart Radio. You can’t submit your show to it directly and it does NOT pull from the Apple Podcast ecosystem.
So how do you get into iHeart Radio?
You have to have a relationship with someone (a company) who CAN get you into iHeart Radio.
At this point, I only know of two options.
#1 – Libsyn
If you are a Libsyn user, you’re in – almost. Your show has to be regularly publishing for at least 2 months before you are eligible to be submitted to iHeart Radio.
You also have to be using the Libsyn destination feed functionality to make it work.
Once you’ve been publishing long enough, you’ll see iHeart Radio as an option in the destinations tab.
Click the “Add” button and jump through the hoops.
#2 – Spreaker
I have to say right up front that I’m not a Spreaker customer or user so the following instructions could be a bit wonky.
But after researching things this is what I understand you need to do to submit to iHeart Radio through Spreaker…
- From your show’s settings, go to Spreaker’s Content Management System.
- Choose your show, and click the yellow EDIT button.
- Select iHeart in the menu that appears on the left and click the SUBMIT button.
After clicking it, you’ll be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions, and then submit your show to iHeartRadio.
And if you’re a visual type person, here’s a great screencapture-style tutorial of how to do it from the good folks at Spreaker.
So that’s how to use your connections to get into iHeart Radio.
Lisn
This is a pretty interesting directory. It’s been described as Podcast Directory meets Pinterest.
Interesting indeed.
And from first glance it has a TON of well-known and popular shows in the directory.
And I didn’t even know about this one until I began researching.
And the submission process couldn’t be simpler.
Submitting your podcast to Lisn
- Go to the Lisn homepage
- Click on the top right-hand “hamburger” menu
- Choose the “Upload” option
- In the big, black field that says “Paste URL here” – paste your RSS feed URL there 😉
- Click on the upload cloud icon below the field
- You should see a green text success thingie that tells you to wait 12 to 24 hours for your show to appear
Lisn up – that was EASY!
Listen Notes
I checked out the ListenNotes.com page during October, thus the site had a pumpkin in its logo. Funny. Reminds me of stuff Libsyn does around holidays.
Anyway…
Listen Notes is a fairly new podcast search engine that claims to be “…like Google, but for podcasts.” A self-funded software engineer from San Francisco, Wenbin Fang created the directory and it appears to be working fairly well (the site touts over 380,000 podcasts listed as of October, 2017).
So, it seems beneficial to me to get listed on the directory. Who knows, it could become my #1 means of being discovered!
How to get your podcast listed in the Listen Notes directory
- Go to www.Listennotes.com
- Choose the “submit” option way at the bottom (see image
- Once the page that opens, add your ITUNES URL for the podcast you want to submit (and be sure to copy over the http:// that’s already in the field so you don’t have problems)
- Enter your email address if you want to be notified when your podcast is added to the directory
- Click the blue/green-ish “submit” button
That. Is. it.
Player.FM
Player FM is a multi-platform app for podcasting that even works offline. You can connect it to your TV. You can access its curated catalogue (not sure exactly HOW its curated) to find niche topics and interesting stuff.
And the app costs nothing. Zilch. Nada. With no ads. There is an upgrade but with a free app this good, there are already tons of subscribers.
But you’re a podcaster… so it would be great for you to get your show in front of all those people.
Here’s the submission process for the Player.FM directory.
- Go to this link: https://player.fm/importer/new
- Enter your RSS feed URL in the big box (see image below)
- Hit the “Import” button.
That was the easiest thing I’ve done all day.
Podbean
If you don’t know about Podbean, you’re in for a treat. I have met a person or two who works over there and they are doing some great things for the Podcast-o-sphere.
Podbean is a podcast publishing service that offers both free and pay-for podcast publishing packages, so if you’re in the market for free check them out. Just keep in mind, free means there are things you might want that you won’t get. 😉
Like any podcasting service or media host, Podbean offers publishing tools, stats, and more. But they also have their own directory, which anyone can get into. The benefit is that anyone who uses the Podbean App would then have access to your show – even though it’s not hosted with Podbean.
Sounds smart to me. And it’s not that difficult.
Here’s how to get your show listed in the Podbean Directory
- Click this link to create a free account (you can do so by creating a login or using Facebook or Google Plus)
- Create a Username for yourself
- The page should redirect to the submission page
- Enter your RSS feed URL in the space provided (be sure to remove the https:// stuff – Podbean includes it by default
- Your show is included immediately – yes, I mean immediately. Check out the image below
Wow. Those Podbean folks aren’t playing around!
Podcast Blaster
As far as I can tell, the Podcast Blaster site has been around for a while. Their last blog post was published in 2007… so, that’s a sign of longevity, but I’m not sure what it says for the site’s ability to keep up with the times.
Anyway… I debated about whether to include Podcast Blaster in this list or not. So I decided to peruse the site a bit. What made me decide to include it was two things:
#1 – Submitting a podcast is easy, immediate, and trouble-free (once you figure out how to do it)
#2 – This…
I don’t know if it’s true… I just know it’s a number that got my attention. So I thought I’d include Podcast Blaster just in case it IS true (and is being updated).
So here’s how to get listed in the Podcast Blaster Directory
- Go to this URL to add a podcast
- Paste your RSS feed URL into the field where it says, “Add podcast feed to directory”
- Hit the “Add Podcast” button.
- You’re done.
It was so easy, I did it 3 times! And when I clicked on the link for “Latest Podcasts,” here’s what I saw…
So something is being updated regularly…
RadioPublic
RadioPublic is both an app and a directory.
It claims to have over 250,000 podcasts listed. That’s impressive. So it appears to me it’s a decent place to get your show listed.
Nothing more to say about it than that – and that they have a pretty snazzy looking submission form – that requires you to enter a lot of stuff other forms don’t.
But, so it is.
Submit your podcast to RadioPublic
- Visit this page to start filling out the form
- Enter the name of your podcast
- Enter your email address
- Enter your RSS feed URL (be sure to copy over the default http:// stuff if you need to
- Then the form asks for the link to your podcast in iTunes (now Apple Podcasts) – that could be a problem for you if you don’t know how to find it. So here you go…
Search for your podcast in iTunes – then hover over the cover art image and right-click (see below)
Copy the link
So back to the submission instructions…
- Paste in your iTunes link (again, copy over the http:// if you need to)
- Type in your website address. If you don’t have a website, it might blow up 😉
- Answer the question about the best way to order your episodes (interesting)
- Hit the submit button.
That’s it. A bit long and belabored, but worth it.
I think.
Spotify: It’s possible, but you have to be patient – and it’s not guaranteed
You’ve likely heard that Spotify is now including podcasts in its listings.
And you’d be absolutely right to think it would be a good thing to get your podcast into their directory of audio resources.
It is a big player when it comes to streaming audio.
As of 2016 Spotify accounted for 40% of all streaming audio subscriptions. Wow, that’s a big bite of the pie!
So, you tell ME – do you want your show to be in Spotify?
That’s what I thought.
Now I have to pause for a moment and thank Todd Cochrane, CEO over at RawVoice, the parent company of Blubrry for making me aware of the fact that Spotify has a way for pod casters to submit their shows.
Thank you Todd. You’re a peach.
So, let’s talk about submitting your show to Spotify…
Before we get too far into this, you need to know there’s a catch. OK, it’s not quite a catch, it’s more of a caveat.
Unlike the other directories or services, the powers-that-be at Spotify make it clear right up front that you can submit your show to them, but that your submission doesn’t guarantee that your show will indeed be chosen for inclusion in Spotify.
IMAGE HERE
So there’s that.
But I think it’s worth a try anyway. Here’s how to do it.
Go to this weblink: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKJ76t_tPV2jugdX14NeajSfp7EV0hcgjVki1GEGuoeyJvDw/viewform
It’s a Google form. Interesting, I don’t recall another submission process being done with a Google form.
And you’ll notice right away that Spotify is making it clear that your submission may or may not be included in their directory of shows.
The cool thing about this submission process is that you can submit more than one podcast at the same time.
So rather than go through every form I’m just going to tell you that it’s fairly simple to do and it’s definitely worth your time. Should the Spotify authorities deem your podcast worthy enough for inclusion, your show would be exposed to all kinds of potential new listeners.
Submit your podcast to Spreaker – even if you aren’t a Spreaker user
Spreaker is doing some very interesting things in the podcasting space. Including a pretty cool desktop and mobile app for recording called Spreaker Studio. It’s pretty impressive.
And typically, if you want to be included in the shows listed in the Spreaker App, you need to be a Spreaker customer.
But… I know a way. 🙂
Rob Greenlee is a podcasting veteran – podcasting before podcasting was even a thing. Seriously.
He now works for Spreaker as Head of Content, and he’s been a guest on my podcast (episode 64).
Rob told me he’d be willing to do some “additions” to their directory – to be listed in their Android and IOS Spreaker apps. He calls them “Pass Through Submissions”
Here’s how to submit your podcast to Spreaker as a Pass Through Submission
- Send a kind email to Rob.Greenlee(at)Spreaker(dot)com
- Ask him to kindly include your podcast(s) in Spreaker as a “pass through” submission
- Include your RSS feed URL
That’s it. Rob’s a peach of a guy.
Stitcher
Stitcher is likely the main directory for Android devices, though it is available on IOS devices and PCs as well. Over 65,000 shows are available to stream.
Stitcher’s process is a bit different and a lot the same.
You’ll have to sign up to be what they call a “Content Provider” and then follow a few additional steps.
Sign up to submit your podcast to Stitcher
- Go to the Content Provider page and scroll to the bottom to sign up
- Once you are signed up – you’ll need to go to the Partner Portal to submit your show
- In the blue-ish form (see below) you’ll enter your show name
- Enter your RSS feed URL
- Choose your language
- Choose a category
- Tell how many listeners you currently have
- Include your Twitter handle
- Include your Facebook page
- And enter your desired keywords
- Tick the box to agree to the Terms of Use
- Click the blue “Continue” button
- A window will pop up for you to review your submission
- Click the “Submit Application” button
The Podcast Source (Libsyn’s Podcast Directory)
Most of you know Libsyn as an amazing podcast host. But they also have their own directory that feeds their Libsyn app exclusively.
Here’s the good news: If you’re a Libsyn customer, you can likely skip this one. But I suggest you check to see if your show is included – one of my shows hosted on Libsyn was not.
If you are not a Libsyn customer, you can still get into the directory. And it’s well worth your time to be included.
That’s some good news, right?
How to submit your podcast to The Podcast Source Directory
- Go to the Podcast Source App submission page
- Enter your RSS feed URL
- Enter your email address
- Click the green “Submit” button
You’re all done. Now you can just wait eagerly for the email from the fabulous Libsyn team that tells you that your show is now included in their app directory.
Tunein
Tunein is another of those apps that has tons of content, including audio books. It’s becoming more and more popular from what I can tell so it’s worth the effort to make sure your show is included in their directory.
And getting into the Tunein directory takes a bit more form-filler-outing than I like, but it’s their process so you have to do it their way.
How to get your podcast listed in the tunein directory
- You’ll need to navigate to this contact page for tunein
- Enter your email address
- Enter your podcast title
- Enter y our host name
- Enter your RSS feed URL
- Enter your podcast logo (1200px X 1200px)
- Enter a banner image (1224px X 300px)
- Select your country
- Select your language
- Enter your website address
- Enter 3 genres (I wasn’t sure what they wanted here, so I guessed)
- Enter your “station” email (????)
- Enter your phone number
- Enter your Twitter handle
- Enter comments if you wish
- Tick the box to accept the terms
- Click the black-ish “Submit” button
Wow. Just wow.
That is a LOT of Podcast Directories to submit to
My suggestion…
Take your time.
Maybe do one submission a day.
Or one a week.
In time, you’ll get them all done and have your show out where people can find it.
Thanks for listening/reading.
Recent Comments