The Ins and Outs Of Podcast Uploads
By Tom Seest
How Does Podcast Upload Work?
At PodcastBig, we help new podcasters develop strategies to create content, traffic, and revenue from podcasts based on our experiences and experimentation.
Your podcast is ready, but making it available on major directories such as Apple/iTunes and Spotify can be daunting for new creators. Don’t let this step scare you away from reaching your goals!
Don’t worry; it is easier than you think to submit your RSS feeds to directories with most hosting providers offering simple submission forms for this.
How Does Podcast Upload Work?
Table Of Contents
What makes a great podcast hosting provider?
Hosting providers are essential components of every podcast. They store your audio files and generate an RSS feed that informs other directories of the show’s existence; additionally they distribute it across platforms like iTunes and Spotify so listeners can easily find you. Some hosting services may be free; others provide additional features and advanced tools – the right host could help increase traffic and build an engaged listener base.
Most of the best podcast hosts provide newcomers with a free plan to test out, though these plans may have limited functionality. These plans are ideal for people wanting to test how the service works before investing their hard-earned dollars in it – some services even provide free domains and email accounts! Some hosts even provide a podcast advertising marketplace so you can monetize your show and earn revenue!
Podbean is one of the leading podcast hosting providers, making it simple and straightforward to get your podcast underway with its free plan. Offering five hours of storage and unlimited bandwidth – enough for most new podcasts – as well as marketing and analytics tools that can help expand it further, Podbean makes podcasting accessible and enjoyable!
Blubrry is another top podcast hosting provider, known for their customer-first approach and IAB compliance (following official podcast measurement guidelines). Their Powerpress plugin makes creating podcast websites effortless.
Podcasting involves large audio files that need to be downloaded quickly, which regular web servers aren’t equipped to manage. A good podcast hosting provider will have a server specifically dedicated to this purpose; providing high-quality mp3s as well as an online player and statistics dashboard.
Some podcast hosts offer mastering tools that can make your audio sound even better, which fall under production category and can be extremely beneficial to any podcaster’s toolbox. For example, Libsyn offers many production tools which can help edit and optimize podcast so it works better on different devices.
What makes a great podcast hosting provider?
What Makes RSS Feeds Vital for Your Podcasts Reach?
Your podcast needs to be available across as many platforms as possible for it to gain maximum exposure and achieve greater reach and exposure for its show. In order to do this, it’s essential that you create an RSS feed. An RSS feed is an XML file containing information about episodes as well as links that lead directly to audio files containing them. Specifically, an RSS feed must include details like episode title, date, description, artist, category contact email website language explicit rating etc. Once created you can submit this RSS feed with podcast directories
Manually creating an RSS feed with a free program such as RSS Builder can also be accomplished easily using its intuitive user-friendly interface. With this tool, it’s simple and requires no coding knowledge – plus multiple media formats are supported! To ensure optimal results with RSS feed updates regularly – for example when publishing new episodes – keep checking back in with your website content to update regularly as well.
Your podcast’s RSS feed is essential in building listenership and developing a dedicated following. It allows listeners to subscribe directly to your show so they don’t miss any episodes, similar to newsreaders; subscribers can listen directly via these newsreaders instead of visiting your website or iTunes directly.
An effective way to create an RSS podcast is through using a hosting provider with this capability built-in. Some services, like bCast, even offer an RSS podcasting plugin which makes managing and providing your feed easy. With a single dashboard dashboard you can upload episodes, view analytics and customize players.
If your podcast does not host itself, an RSS feed can still be created with Feedburner or Feedly using an aggregator such as Feedly or Feedburner. These aggregators will create an RSS feed of your podcast that you can share through directories and social media networks.
What Makes RSS Feeds Vital for Your Podcasts Reach?
What are the benefits of submitting to Directories?
Directory submission is one of the best ways to increase listenership for your podcast. They often cater to specific genres or other factors that help listeners find shows they enjoy, so getting on most aggregators only requires you to submit an RSS feed automatically updated when new episodes come out – which you can do through either your hosting platform or manually.
Some directories require you to log into Apple ID to submit your podcast; others allow it via an email address. Either way, the process should be relatively painless; allow a week for it to go through before becoming visible to listeners.
Many podcast apps also include their own directories for shows; for example, iHeartRadio allows podcasters to submit their shows for consideration to be added to its directory. They also have other features for creators that may help monetize through their app.
Castbox is an app and creator studio toolkit designed specifically to support podcast creation. While this option costs money, they offer a directory for free content which may feature your podcast if it meets certain criteria. Apple Podcasts also offers free accounts which will submit it to iHeartRadio as well as various directories.
Apple Podcasts is one of the leading podcast directories and commands an impressive market presence. As Apple devices default listening option for podcasting consumption, this directory serves a vast majority of listeners – it also serves as content provider to various smaller directories.
Spotify is another major podcast directory and boasts a significant audience, too. After losing ground to iTunes and Amazon Music, they have attempted to regain market share by making podcast submission more challenging; but once your podcast makes the cut it can pay dividends! Using their Single Promo Link service provides an effective means for promoting it across different directories where your show may reside.
What are the benefits of submitting to Directories?
How Can You Make Your Website Stand Out with Your Podcast?
Websites are essential tools for podcasters, helping to attract new listeners and promote your episodes. Furthermore, it will serve as the central hub for your podcast as well as tracking its performance across platforms and websites. To begin building one yourself quickly and cost effectively use HostGator as a hosting provider with WordPress hosting capabilities – ideal!
Before creating a podcast blog page on your website, create one with an URL slug that you plan on keeping for the foreseeable future. Any changes may cause irreparable harm to the RSS feed and may exacerbate existing problems associated with its syndication.
After you have created a dedicated blog page for your podcast, it is time to start filling it with relevant content that resonates with listeners. Add descriptions for every episode so they are easily searchable, and link back to other websites where your show can be found.
Your podcast can draw more visitors and open doors for potential advertisers, while at the same time collecting emails from listeners that can be valuable in future marketing campaigns. Furthermore, podcasting provides an ideal way of building trust and becoming an expert in your field.
Submitting your podcast to directories such as Apple Podcasts can also help promote it. To do this, all that’s required to submit it are an MP3 file of each episode and an RSS feed; the latter will update Apple Podcasts with all the information about your show, such as episode titles and descriptions.
Submitting your podcast to iTunes requires having an RSS 2.0-compliant feed that you can verify using a validator such as Podbase. In addition, ensure your episodes contain relevant keywords and are enough for iTunes Store recommendations. Furthermore, expand your reach by listing it with other directories like Stitcher or TuneIn.
How Can You Make Your Website Stand Out with Your Podcast?
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