Submitting your show to Apple Podcasts is probably THE most frustrating thing that new podcasters experience. Apple Podcasts is one of the most popular podcast listening platforms. If you're a new podcaster, it's important to submit your show to Apple Podcasts so that people can find and listen to it. You're in the right place if you want to learn the steps to submit your show to Apple Podcasts with ease.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:
- The exact steps you need to take to submit your show to Apple Podcasts
- Tips to set you up for success the first time you submit your show
- Why you should have at least one episode live in your RSS feed before submission to Apple Podcasts
TUNE IN TO THE EPISODE
Listen & follow the show on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon
According to Buzzsprout as of May 2021, Apple Podcasts was number one in download numbers with 29.3% of podcast users and 23.2 million downloads. Having your show listed on Apple Podcasts is a no-brainer.
Here are the steps you need to submit your show to Apple Podcasts
- First, check there are no issues with your RSS feed by using the Cast Feed Validator. Add your RSS feed in the box and click start validation. The results will highlight any areas that need your attention. If so, you can rectify them in your hosting platform before moving to the next step. I recommend carrying out this additional step before submitting to Apple Podcasts as you can iron out any kinks beforehand.
TOP TIP: You need to have at least one episode live in your RSS feed. This should ideally be a trailer, which I’ve talked about in episode four, so be sure to take a listen.
2. The next step is to look at your iTunes account. If you're not an Apple user or you’d like to keep the podcast separate from your personal account, you’ll need to create an iTunes account. You will need these details to create your Apple Podcasts account. You can do this via the App store on your iPhone. If you do create a new Apple ID, please ensure that you have added payment information to your account. No money will be taken but by doing this, you are validating your new account.
3. Log in to Apple Podcasts Connect. For security reasons, you’ll receive a six-digit code that you will need to enter into your Apple Podcasts Connect account and then you'll be granted access.
TOP TIP: It can be helpful to see what your cover art will look like on different platfroms in all the different sizes. You can preview and check your cover art before launching your show via the OnlyPod website.
4. Once you're in, click the plus sign in the top left-hand corner and select new show. Then select, add a show with RSS feed and copy and paste your RSS feed from your host.
5. Click 'make my feed publicly available' which can be found under the RSS feed access section and in the user access section, choose whether you'd like to restrict access. This will only apply if you set up users in your account, as only the users you choose will be able to see the show within the account. So if you have no users I’d leave that blank.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and where it asks for your name, number and email address, make sure that information is up to date. You should consider using an email that you’re happy to be in the public domain rather than your main business email.
7. On the left-hand side where it says availability, select that and you'll be able to set where you'd like to show to be available i.e what countries. Also choose how often your show will release new episodes.
8. In the content rights section, make sure this box is ticked if your podcast contains any third-party content.
9. Hit submit and you're done. Look out for an email confirmation from Apple when your account is approved and look out for any emails that require you to take action.
Whenever you upload new episodes to your host, they will also appear in your Apple Podcasts Connect account. You’ll also be able to check your analytics and view your reviews.
A few other things to note:
- You can have up to 4,000 characters for the podcast description but choose your words wisely. Be succinct. Be concise. You want your listeners to be able to read it and come away with the answers to these questions: who is the podcast for, what is it about and what makes you the person to talk about this specific topic?
- The type of show is either episodic or serial. Serial shows are consumed in sequential order i.e. you have to start at number one and work your way through the episodes numerically. The oldest episodes are displayed first. Choose which one best suits your podcast.
- You should tick explicit content if applicable as explicit materials cannot be distributed in some countries and regions.
- If you have a website, enter the URL in the box provided.
- Add your copyright information and choose up to three categories or sub-categories. I recommend using all three but your first one is the most important. It's your main category and will be the one you chart in.
Conclusion
So, that’s it! You now know how to submit your show to Apple Podcasts. I hope this article helped clear up any questions or concerns you had about the process. Once your podcast is live on Apple Podcasts, don’t forget to let us know so we can start promoting it for you. And be sure to keep an eye out for our next blog post, where we’ll share tips to launching your podcast successfully. Thanks for reading!
Resources mentioned in this episode
Related episodes
Connect with Rosemarie
Are you subscribed to the podcast? I hope so but if not, why not head on over to your favourite podcast listening app and hit that follow button so you don’t miss out on any future podcast episodes? Click here to follow the show on Apple Podcasts.
And if you’re loving the podcast, I would love it if you could leave a rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts. I personally read every review and will even give you a shoutout on the next episode.
And it's super easy! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to leave a rating and select “write a Review.” And that’s it! Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
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