If you plan to record and produce a podcast or, if you already do it, you must probably know that the second most important step after recording and producing the audio part, is to distribute it properly.
Now, in these days, proper distribution means more than just selecting a network. In most of the cases, podcasters submit to multiple networks and streaming services in order to get access to the highest number of potential listeners.
What can you do to maximize your audience? Which networks should you choose and how to do it properly?
Well, with this article, I will try to pinpoint you the best such networks and at the same time, give you enough data about who they are and how to submit a podcast in order for you to get an informed opinion and make your best choices.
Here is my list of podcast submission networks, updated to 2020:
Acast is a commercial professional network that streams all of the most popular podcasts that exist today and offers a series of subscriptions based on the needs of the listener.
At the same time, Acast offers to podcasters a simple and easy way to submit their own original content and make it available to their fans easier than ever.
Things are very simple when it comes to Acast.
All you need is the RSS feed of your podcast which can be submitted directly to the platform, right here.
Push the submit button and you will be prompted with a message informing you that the feed has been submitted successfully.
If you want to be part of one of the biggest and most popular podcasting networks provided by Apple Podcast, you can do it for free.
Considering that Apple Podcast is a popular service as well and that most of the people who own iPhones and iPads use it, the choice comes as a logical and practical one for easy access to these audiences.
In order to proceed, you first need an Apple ID. Implicitly, you will need an Apple device that allows you to create the account.
The next step is to go to iTunes Connect and login as a podcaster with your Apple ID.
Next, you can submit your podcast by providing your feed to the service. Click on the “plus” button in the top left corner on the screen and add you feed into the submit page. It will be immediately displayed in your dashboard along with the “Submitted for Review” status.
(Image source: Help.Apple.Com)
Breaker is a social podcasting network powered by its own social community of podcasters and podcasting fans. It enables you to easily share your content and gives you easy access at the same time, to all the other streams submitted via the Breaker App.
And yes, Breaker is a mobile app available for Android and iOS that allows you even to sell your episodes individually or sell monthly subscriptions to your podcast.
You have three options here. You can send your feed via email or, more easily, you can use the iOS or Android app in order to submit your podcast.
The iOS app: Download it from the App Store and register right away. Login in and search for your podcast (someone may have submitted it already). If it does not show, go at the bottom of the search results list. There, you will find a link that says “Can’t find a podcast? Add it by URL.” Thus, you get to the import screen where you can add your RSS.
You can do the same thing from the settings panel by tapping “Add show by RSS feed URL”, then the + button available in the “Subscriptions” area of the Library menu tab.
The Android app: The process is similar to the one described above.
All you need is to subscribe and provide a working RSS feed to your podcast.
According to its own official description, “Castbox is the best free podcast app with over 95 million volumes of content on Android, Apple iPhone, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Carplay and Android Auto”.
Similarly to the apps presented above and below, this one provides you with a network capable to publish your podcast in a way that allows you to share and promote it easily.
First, you need to sign up with the service and login into the app.
You can do it on the CastBox official website, here. Once you are logged in, click on your icon available on the top right corner and go to “Creator Studio”.
Then, click on the “claim ownership” button.
A new window will pop up.
Paste your podcast RSS feed and your email address and click on the “submit” button.
The app will eventually send you a link to claim ownership via email.
Click on the link received by email and go to the page that allows you to confirm the claim and take ownership of your podcast just as you see in the screenshot below:
That’s it. You are good to go.
From now on, your podcast is available on CastBox.
Castro is a service designed especially for podcast lovers, for people to subscribe to multiple streams.
It facilitates access to new episodes, or to find and enjoy their favorite shows. It’s practically a network that brings together all the relevant podcasts and delivers them to the audience in an organized environment with easy access to the content.
In order to submit your podcast to Castro, you will need to previously submit it to Apple Podcasts. There’s no other way because you need the Apple Podcasts ID in order to create a Castro Link to your podcast.
Otherwise, the app is free and can be installed easily from AppStore.
While Castro was designed with the audience in mind, Chartable is the go-to place for podcasters who need analytics and other useful data in order to asses their work and improve their services.
All you need to do in order to get your podcast on Chartable is to submit it here.
Once you do it, you will get access to a series of analytics and other useful data that will help you become a better marketer and promoter for your audio content.
iHeart Radio is a podcasting aggregator network that facilitates the access of the audience to all their favorite podcasts and topics of discussion. It features a simple interface with search features and catalogs based on several criteria that may be useful to the listener.
Things are very simple with the submission part. Unfortunately, you can not do it directly but instead, if you want your podcast to be part of the iHeart Radio network, you’ll have to submit a form just like the one featured in the screenshot below:
You can access this form here.
Listen notes is one of the most popular podcast search engines of today. People use it to discover new podcasts, to listen t their favorites or to subscribe to them easily. The shows are discoverable via search or by topics.
You need to be here if you want to expand your audience, considering that Listen Notes is available via a web browser, mobile app or any other source that uses their API.
Just like we’ve seen in the previous example, submission to Listen Notes can be easily done by completing a form. However, there is no waiting time here as once you submit your RSS, your podcast will immediately be available and discoverable via search.
Access the submission form here.
Overcast is a simple and easy to use podcast player for Apple devices including smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets.
It’s a free service that allows you to search, subscribe and listen to your favorite shows which can be turned into a paid service if you want to remove the ads that help the app to economically sustain itself.
Well, this part is the easiest so far. As in, you do not need to do anything.
Just submit your show to Apple Podcasts and in a day or two, it will automatically be integrated into the app.
More details here.
Pandora is a podcasting network that is more than else, recommended to podcasters since it offers a series of features such as analytics and monetization options to maximize their success. At the same time, after submission, podcasters can benefit from Pandora’s Podcast Genome Project which helps them reach the proper audience by recommending their show to the right listeners on the platform.
The first thing you need to do in order to get your podcast integrated with Pandora is to follow this link.
Click on the “get started” button in order to get to the account setup page. Click on “Register” and fill in the required information.
Once you set up your account, you will be prompted to log in. No confirmation is required, you can proceed to add your podcast.
Next, you will be prompted to add your feed and you will finalize your inclusion request by filling in finally, the form that contains all the details available for your podcast.
Pocket Casts is a full-featured podcasting app that facilitates the user’s access to his or her favorite shows and content creators. It is available for both, Android and iOS and it is very easy to manage even by the most inexperienced members of your audience. Moreover, you can get your show on the featured section and get promoted in order to expand your pool of fans.
Submission to Pocket Casts is very easy to complete. All you need is your stream RSS which can be submitted via this link.
Podbean is a great place if you are looking for a hosting service when you want to start podcasting for the first time. The set up is easy, the interface accessible and most of all, it comes with a lot of features that could help you get started and improve yourself as you go further.
There’s easy access to your files, you get statistics in real-time and for a small monthly subscription, unlimited hosting space.
All you have to do is register with Podbean and get into your personal Dashboard. On the right side of the page, you will see a menu item called “podcast channels” from where you can access your own.
Click again on the “New Episode” button in order to get to the following page on which you can actually upload your media, a page that looks similar to the screenshot below:
Podcast Addict is one of the most popular podcasting apps available for Android with almost 500k installations up to this date and an average rating of 4.7/5. It helps listeners to manage the podcasts they subscribe to and of course, find new shows they like.
It also helps you get to that specific audience, those 500k users that have already installed and use the app on a daily basis.
Submitting your podcast to Podcast Addict could never be easier. All you need to do is access their submission form, fill in your RSS link and click on “Submit Query”.
Spotify is one of the most popular services for audio streaming with millions of fans and subscribers all over the world.
What we need to know here, however, is that the platform allows podcasters to share their content as well and their audience, to easily subscribe and listen to their shows.
Well, for once, you need to get to this link and click on the “Get Started” button.
The next step is to log into your account (or create a new one) and start your submission process.
Finally, you get to provide the service with your podcast’s RSS link.
Spreaker is a platform that allows you instant submission to a series of other podcasting/audio services in an easy and intuitive way.
With an interface that gets together everything you need in order to transform your podcasting hobby into a profession, Spreaker comes with a full dashboard that includes auto-sharing, distribution, advertising, statistics and the option to choose between multiples intros based on your own needs.
Well, once you sign up for a Spreaker account, you need to go and access your personal dashboard from the drop-down menu available next to your profile picture in the upright corner of the screen.
Once you get there, you can create a new podcast or easier, click on RSS feed submission:
There’s only one step left, to actually submit your feed and get started.
Stitcher is a simple platform that aggregates some of the most popular podcasts and helps the audience access the content and consume it with ease especially when they are mobile-based, through an intuitive and professional app.
It’s an app that is available for iOS, Android but at the same time, you can listen to your favorite shows on the web-based platform, as long as you subscribe and create a personal account.
First of all, you need to become a member, a part of the community.
And, you can do it by accessing this link where you are prompted to provide the service with the RSS feed to your podcast.
It’s as simple as that.
TuneIn is a popular multimedia platform that deals with audio content by bringing together everything the audience wants and could want from such a service including live news, music, podcasts and Internet radio.
Submitting to TuneIn will not be a direct process. Instead, you will need to access the official submission form available here and fill in the required information. Once you are done, you can hit the submit button and wait for your podcast to be integrated on the platform.
Unlike many of the platforms presented so far, Anchor is not just a simple app where you get to submit your podcast.
Instead, it’s more like a hosting platform, where you get to create a podcast from scratch. You are provided with all the tools needed to host, manage and promote that podcast including an RSS feed that you can use for submitting it to other platforms and services.
The first thing to do is to get on Anchor and create your account. It’s a one-step process.
Next, you get access to a personal dashboard from where you can immediately start uploading your first episode and setting up everything that you want to be done concerning your show.
I have written about this in detail in a previous post entitled “How to start a podcast” therefore if you need further guidance, you can always consult it for reference.
There are yet another two services for podcasting hosting I have written about in the article mentioned in the previous chapter: Buzzsprout and Libsyn. Unlike Anchor, Buzzsprout and Libsyn provide you with paid hosting for your podcast.
They are highly popular among podcasters due to the fact that they provide professional services with all the tools they need in order to start talking professionally to their audiences. While Buzzsprout was already chosen by 50k podcasters, Libsyn hosts over 50k shows for all topics and categories.
How much do they cost?
Well, Buzzsprout has paid plans that start from $12/mo. Libsyn, on the other hand, starts with a $5/mo plan which you can increase in order to get more storage.
Another paid hosting provider you can check with before deciding where to host your show is Simplecast. Just like the previous ones, Simplecast provides you with everything you need to start your life as a podcaster, including professional management and statistics.
Moreover, it allows you to publish your shows directly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms you think you may have listeners on.
Once you have signed up with Simplecast, right after confirming your email address, you will be prompted with a message. You can either start from scratch or, upload an existing show.
Since we’ve already covered the start from scratch idea and this article is rather about submission, we’re going to choose the first option.
Paste in your RSS feed and click on “Import”. That’s it.
Deezer is an audio hosting platform similar to Spotify where people can upload their own content using it as a hosting service or subscribe and listen to music and podcasts and use it as a premium streaming service.
Being a popular platform, it’s important to make sure you are here as well, in order to reach out to audiences that use Deezer but not other services.
All you need to do is follow this link and follow the three steps required for podcast submission.
Step 1: Provide your feed.
Step 2: Fill in the details about your show.
Step 3 is to submit your request. That’s it.
Soundcloud is one of the most popular audio hosting platforms among podcasters and musicians for two reasons: It offers free and paid services based on your own requirements and secondly, it is simple to use in combination with other digital platforms such as blogs and websites.
Its popularity is close to that of Spotify and this is due mostly to the fact that on Soundcloud, you can discover way lot more indie artists and bands than on any other platform, a feature that makes it the best platform for newcomers and people who like to discover new music.
Soundcloud is a fairly intuitive and easy to use platform for everybody regardless of how advanced the technical knowledge is. In fact, you don’t even need any technical knowledge in order to submit your works and publish them on this platform.
All you need to do is access this link and upload your episodes which later you can share or embed anywhere you want.
Of course, you need a Soundcloud account before that and if you don’t have it, I suggest you create one.
If you have an account, just click on the Upload button and you will get to a page where you can drag and drop your content.
It’s as simple as that:
Last but not least, YouTube, the most popular streaming platform in the whole world, can prove to be quite effective not only for video producers but also for podcasters.
Instead of streaming your podcast as an audio feed, YouTube provides you with a good opportunity to promote your content to an entirely new segment of the audience: the video-based audience.
To this end, you can create audio streams with behind the scene images for every episode and upload them on YT or, you can film your entire audio sessions and mix them into professional videos.
A good example, in this case, comes from Gary Vee who always promotes his podcasts on every available platform, including YT.
Podcasting is popular these days and whether you are a blogger or a marketer, you might consider this option for disseminating information to your audience. People, especially younger generations, are more mobile than the elders and often get informed while otherwise being involved in other activities, hence, the need for audio content.
If you are a podcaster or think about starting an audio show, you will most probably need to be exactly where your targeted audiences are. Unfortunately, there are so many streaming services out there today that people are most likely disparate.
Fortunately, however, I tried to come up with a thorough list of all the places you can go to and services you can subscribe to in order to make sure you are discoverable and accessible.
What other streaming/hosting services for podcasts do you know and how do you appreciate them?
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