Knowing how to submit a podcast to directories is simpler than most beginners expect. You submit your RSS feed once to each major platform, the platform reads it, and from then on every new episode appears automatically. You don’t upload episodes to each directory by hand.
This guide walks through the practical steps: getting your feed ready, submitting to the big platforms, and what to do once you’re listed.
What you need before you submit
Before you submit a podcast to directories, you need three things in place:
- A podcast host that generates an RSS feed (Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Podbean, Spotify for Podcasters, Captivate and similar services all do this).
- At least one published episode — many directories reject empty feeds.
- Valid cover art and metadata — square artwork, a show title, description, author name and a category.
If you haven’t set any of this up yet, start with our complete guide to starting a podcast and our explainer on RSS feeds for podcasts, since the feed is the thing every directory reads.
Get your feed right first
Almost every rejection or delay at this stage comes down to the feed, not the directory. It’s worth a five-minute check before you paste your URL anywhere. The common stumbling blocks are easy to fix once you know them:
- Cover art that’s the wrong size. Most directories want square artwork at a minimum of 1400 x 1400 pixels (3000 x 3000 is the safer target). Artwork that’s too small, rectangular or in the wrong colour space is the single most common reason Apple bounces a feed.
- A missing or invalid category. Pick a category that genuinely matches your show. This is what listeners browse, so a vague or wrong choice quietly costs you discovery later.
- No owner email, or one you can’t access. Several platforms confirm ownership by sending a verification link to the email in your feed. If that inbox is dead, you’re stuck. Make sure it’s an address you actually check.
- An explicit-content flag that doesn’t match reality. Set the explicit tag honestly. Marking a clean show as explicit can limit where it appears, and the reverse can get you flagged.
Most hosts let you edit all of this from a single settings screen, so you rarely touch the raw XML yourself. If anything looks off, fix it in the host and the feed updates automatically.
Submit to Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts is still one of the most important directories, and several other apps pull from its catalogue. You submit through Apple Podcasts Connect: sign in with an Apple ID, paste your RSS feed URL, and Apple validates it. Once it passes review (usually a short wait), your show goes live. See our dedicated walkthrough on getting your podcast on Apple Podcasts for the step-by-step.
Submit to Spotify
Spotify is the other essential listing. You can submit your existing RSS feed through Spotify for Podcasters, or host directly there. Spotify generally lists shows quickly once the feed is verified. Our guide on getting your podcast on Spotify covers verification and claiming an existing show.
Submit to the other major directories
Once Apple and Spotify are live, cover the rest. The process is the same each time: find the platform’s submission page, paste your feed URL, and confirm ownership (often via an email link in your feed). Directories worth submitting to include:
- Amazon Music / Audible — large audience, submit via the Amazon podcast portal.
- iHeartRadio — popular in the US.
- Podcast Index / Podchaser — open directories many third-party apps read from.
- Pocket Casts, Overcast, Castbox and similar apps — many of these index automatically once you’re on Apple or the Podcast Index, so you may not need to submit manually.
Some hosting platforms include one-click submission buttons that send your feed to several directories at once, which saves time.
A sensible order to work through them
You don’t have to do everything in one sitting, and there’s a logical sequence that saves effort. Submit to Apple and Spotify first, because they carry the most listeners and because so many other apps mirror Apple’s catalogue. Add Amazon Music next for reach, then claim your show on the Podcast Index, which feeds a long list of independent apps in one go. Leave the smaller apps until last — by the time you reach them, many will already have pulled you in automatically, and you can skip the ones that have.
As you go, keep a simple note of where you’ve submitted, the email used and whether the listing is confirmed. It’s mundane, but six months later when you want to update your artwork or fix a typo in your description, that list tells you exactly which dashboards to log into.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few avoidable errors trip up most first-time submitters:
- Submitting an empty feed. Publish at least one real episode — even a short trailer counts — before you submit anywhere.
- Changing your feed URL after listing. Once directories are reading one feed, switching hosts without a proper redirect can split your show into duplicates or lose your back catalogue. If you move hosts, use the new host’s import-and-redirect tool.
- Submitting the same show twice. If you accidentally create two listings on the same platform, contact that platform’s support to merge or remove the duplicate rather than leaving both live.
- Expecting instant episodes everywhere. Directories poll your feed on their own schedule, so a new episode can appear on one app an hour before another. This is normal and not a fault in your setup.
What happens after you submit
Approval times vary by directory, from minutes to a few days. After that, you never resubmit — your host updates the RSS feed when you publish, and the directories poll the feed and pull in new episodes on their own schedule. If an episode doesn’t show up, refresh the feed in your host’s dashboard.
With distribution sorted, your next jobs are growth and discoverability. A short podcast trailer gives new listeners something to sample, and our guide to growing a podcast audience covers what to do once you’re listed everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to submit to every directory separately?
You submit your RSS feed to each major directory once (Apple, Spotify, Amazon and so on). Many smaller apps index automatically from those sources, so you rarely have to chase every single app individually.
How long does it take to get listed?
It ranges from a few minutes to a few days depending on the platform’s review queue. Apple and Spotify are usually fast once your feed is valid and has at least one published episode.
Why isn’t my new episode showing up in a directory?
Directories cache your feed and refresh it periodically rather than instantly. Publish through your host, then use the “refresh” or “resubmit feed” option in your hosting dashboard to prompt the directory to re-read it.
Can I change my podcast host after I’m listed everywhere?
Yes, but do it carefully. Use your new host’s import tool to copy your episodes and set up a redirect from the old feed, so directories follow you across without losing your existing reviews or back catalogue. Avoid simply pasting a brand-new feed URL into each directory, which can create duplicate listings.
