How to Start a Podcast on Spotify | Complete Upload Guide (2024)

Why Should I List My Podcast On Spotify?

Spotify is a podcast directory, meaning it acts like a phonebook - a place for listeners to find what they’re looking for. While Spotify itself isn’t originally a hosting platform, the company turned Anchor, into their own hosting space, Spotify for Podcasters. 

Having your podcast listed on Spotify is one of the best ways to get your show heard. It’ll help you receive new traffic, boost your legitimacy and reputation, and collect data and reviews from your listeners, especially since it’s one of the top directories in the world.

Spotify is widely recognized as a successful competing podcast directory, to Apple Podcasts, the native app for iOS users (previously iTunes). It's even ahead of Google Podcasts, the native app for Android users. 

• According to BuzzSprout, 28% of podcast fans use Spotify to listen. 
• It has over 500 million monthly active users as of 2023, which is a 22% increase compared to 2022, with paid subscribers also increasing by 15 percent to 210 million. 
• With its podcasting business equally continuing to grow, not listing your show on Spotify, alongside over 3 million others, would be podcast suicide. 
• Plus, with Spotify making big investments into exclusive podcast rights, like The Joe Rogan Experience and Michelle Obama’s podcast, and rolling out support for video podcasts, the growth is expected to continue. The sooner you jump on the bandwagon, the better.

What are Spotify’s podcast requirements? 

Before you submit your podcast to Spotify, there are a few things you’ll need to have ready to ensure you meet Spotify’s podcast requirements. 

Audio Formats

When it comes to audio files, Spotify accepts the following:

• MP3 files with a high bitrate of 128kbps+ are supported, and MP4s with AAC-LC. 
• A recommended maximum episode length of 2GB (roughly 12 hours @ 320 Kbps).

Image Formats

Your podcast cover art should be saved as a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file, with a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio in the highest resolution possible.

Video Files

• If you’re uploading a video to Spotify, you need to make sure it’s a MOV or MP4 file. There should also only be a single audio and a single video track.
• There’s no size limit, but using a smaller file size will guarantee smoother streaming. Your video also can’t be longer than 12 hours.
• You should also use the following formatting settings: H.264 High Profile, Aspect ratio -16:9, Bitrate -Maximum of 25 Mbps for a video with 1080p resolution, or 35 Mbps for a 4K video.

Metadata

• General rule: the consumer-facing elements should not exceed 20 characters to ensure a good fit for all Spotify clients. Note: this doesn’t apply to podcast and episode descriptions.
• Your RSS feed must include a unique podcast title, cover artwork, podcast description for at least one episode recorded, and the audio file uploaded to your host.

Tip: Read Spotify’s complete Podcast Delivery Specification guide

Then, check if your podcast hosting company has a partnership with Spotify (many do, e.g., Podbean and BuzzSprout), in which case you can submit your podcast to Spotify directly through your host and retrieve statistics there, too. 

If not, read on to see how you can submit your podcast to Spotify.

How to start a Podcast to Spotify

If you're more of a visual learner, start with this video. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to submit a podcast to Spotify.

1. Open a Spotify account

Go to the Spotify for Podcasters site and click “Get Started” then select “I want to start a podcast” if you’re creating something from scratch.

Log into your account or create a new account using the same email associated with your podcast host to avoid uploading errors. If you’re creating a new account, you may be directed to Spotify’s main site. Simply go back to Spotify for Podcasters, click “Get Started” again, and log in.

Note that you’ll need to agree to the terms and conditions Spotify stipulates by signing up. 

3. Set up your podcast on Spotify

First, you’ll actually want to set up your podcast on Spotify. 

If you already have an existing podcast on a different hosting platform, skip to the next section. Otherwise, click on “Go to podcast setup” under “Set up your podcast”.

Here you can fill in your podcasts’:

• Name
• Description
• Category, and
• Language

When you’ve completed filling in these details, select “Continue” before moving to the next step and adding your first episode(s).

3. Create or upload your podcast to Spotify

If you’re adding or creating a new podcast on Spotify, go to “Make your first episode” and click “Let’s do it”. Here you can either upload an existing audio or video file, or you can record your content using Spotify’s creation tools. 

While Spotify’s recorder could do the trick for a basic podcast recording, it can only capture audio and doesn’t offer too many tools to perfect your podcast. We’d suggest using dedicated podcast creation software like Riverside.

If you’re not sure where to start on the creation process, check out our full guides on recording professional podcasts and podcast editing. We also have a guide that walks you through Spotify’s creation platform. 

When you’re done uploading and recording your first podcast episode, click “Save episode”.

Next, you’ll see a page for you to fill in episode details, such as the episode title, description, and more. (If you’re recording with Riverside, you can save time and get all of this automatically using our AI show notes.)

When you’ve followed the prompts and filled everything in, click “Publish” 

You’ve now created your first podcast episode on Spotify.

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4. Publish and distribute your Spotify podcast

Spotify for Podcasters should automatically publish any of your episodes to the Spotify listening app. However, if you wish to push your podcast on other platforms, you’ll need to set this up using an RSS feed link. 

You can find your Spotify podcasts’ RSS feed URL by clicking on “Settings” from the top right menu, then selecting “Podcast availability”. Here, you’ll see your RSS feed URL under “Spotify for Podcasters”.

Copy this link and paste it into your hosting platform. We have a full directory guide that walks you through how to do this on some of the top platforms. 

How to upload an existing podcast on Spotify

If you already have a podcast on a hosting platform, then you’ll need to link your podcast to Spotify using an RSS feed from your host.

Spotify has a directory guide for various podcast hosts on how to do this, but in general, you’ll need to do the following:

Step 1: Go to the Spotify for Podcasters site and click “Get Started” then select “I have a podcast”.

Step 2: You’ll get asked where you’re hosting your podcast. Click “Somewhere else” if you’re your show is on an external podcast host. 

Step 3: Continue and sign up with your email address and other login details.

Step 4: Once you’ve signed in and accepted the terms of agrement, click “Get Started”.

Step 5:  Go to your hosting platform and copy your RSS feed URL. Paste this URL into Spotify’s entry box.

Step 6:Spotify will ask you to verify your podcast and that you are the podcast owner, by submitting a code sent to the associated email address.

Step 7:  Add additional details like podcast category (you'll have a variety of topics to choose from), language, and country. 

Then, just review the information, and submit!

Note: Spotify won't email you when your show is live, so keep an eye out, and as soon as you see it appear, go crazy sharing it all over social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Take advantage of super handy podcast-specific marketing tools for optimal results.

N.B If you receive an error message when trying to add your RSS feed, there are two common reasons:

Your podcast needs a globally unique identifier (GUID). This means your RSS feed is empty. To fix this, you must upload at least one episode to your host before Spotify can accept your feed.

Your RSS feed is missing an email address, or your email address needs to be verified.

How to upload a video podcast to Spotify through Riverside

Spotify has started allowing creators to upload video podcasts on their platform. With the new Spotify x Riverside integration, it's even more simple to create and distribute podcasts. You can now record high-resolution video podcasts on Riverside and distribute straight to Spotify's millions of viewers through Anchor. In this way, you get Riverside's quality in recording but also all of Anchor and Spotify's analytical, monetization, and distribution tools.

Start recording with Riverside

Easily record high-quality podcasts & videos remotely

Get Started

In order to create a video podcast for Spotify on Riverside follow these steps:

Step 1: Open a Riverside recording studio. (You can invite up to 7 guests to join your podcast recording.)

Step 2: Click the 'Record' button to start recording. You can use the Media Board to add live effects and you can also screen share to record your screen as well.

Step 3: When you're ready, stop recording and after everything is uploaded open your recordings and select the 'Go to Editor' button to go to Riverside's Text-based Editor. Here, you can edit your video by simply editing a transcript of your recording. You can also customize your videoand make final touches. You can also repurpose your recordings into multiple short shareable clips in just one click with our Magic Clips tool.

Step 4: When you've finished customizing and editing your video podcast recording, press the 'Export' button on the top right. Go through the Export Options and then press 'Export' when you are done. Preparing your file may take a few minutes but you'll be notified once your video is ready so you can preview it.

In the preview tab click the Spotify button on the bottom right and you'll be taken to Anchor where you can log in or sign up to finish uploading your video podcast.

Choose to which podcast you want to upload your video recording to and fill in your video podcast episode's details. When you're done select 'Publish now' and just like that, your podcast will be uploaded to Spotify.

You can watch this video for a thorough walkthrough on how to create video podcasts on Riverside to publish directly to Spotify.

See how easy it is for yourself! Sign up on Riverside today.

Spotify Submission Process: FAQs

How Long Until My Podcast is Live on Spotify?

Getting your podcast on Spotify can sometimes take just a few hours, but it can often take up to five days for your show to go live on Spotify. Somewhat frustratingly, Spotify doesn’t email you to inform you that your show is live, so you’ll have to keep an eye out for yourself.

How Long Does It Take For A New Podcast Episode To Appear on Spotify?

Spotify updates your podcast’s data daily, which means that when you add new episodes, their data will show up one day later.

How Do I Change My Podcast Category on Spotify?

Unfortunately, once you’ve selected your podcast category on Spotify, you can’t change it, although they are hoping to make this possible in the future.

How To Monetize A Podcast On Spotify?

Initially, you couldn’t monetize your podcast on Spotify. However, as of April 2021, Spotify launched new monetization tools. This is available through Anchor, Spotify’s podcast creation app, and includes tools for subscription, allowing podcasters to grow audiences and earn revenue from their listeners. Although, you can make money in many other ways beyond Spotify. You could take sponsorships and read ads during your show or expand your business to include merchandise, e-books, or a Patreon account with exclusive content. If your podcast developed a massive and loyal following (congrats!), then there might be a chance that they would want to make a deal with you to list your show exclusively on their platform.

How Do I See How Many Listeners I Have on Spotify?

If you submitted your podcast to Spotify via your host, you could usually access a handful of statistics there. If you submitted directly to Spotify, all you need to do is go to the podcasting page and log in to see all your stats, including how many listeners you have.

How Do I Find My Podcast’s Listen on Spotify Badge?

‘Listen on Spotify’ badges are available for download through your Spotify dashboard under the ‘DETAILS’ tab. Then, you can create a 'Listen on Spotify' button by adding this image to your website with a hyperlink to your show’s Spotify URL (which can also be found in the ‘Share’ tab).

How Do I Upload New Podcast Episodes to Spotify?

Your podcast hosting service is where you’ll upload all your new content, and Spotify will automatically pull it from there through your RSS feed. Once you submit your RSS feed, you won’t have to do anything to make the new episodes appear on Spotify. Remember, Spotify doesn’t store your media files; it plays them from your host.

How does Spotify’s RSS Feed work?

An RSS feed allows directories, like Spotify, to access and display automatically updated information. The information is fetched by the listener’s RSS feed reader (in this case, Spotify), which distributes it in real-time so that the top results are always the most recent published episodes.

How much does it cost to have a podcast on Spotify?

Listing your podcast on Spotify is free since the platform isn’t hosting your files but rather streaming them from your podcast host.

Does Spotify pay you for podcasts?

Unless you have a massive audience like Joe Rogan and want to buy exclusive rights, no. Spotify will not pay you to list your podcast. Podcasters tend to make money from taking sponsored ad placements in their show or creating other profitable elements like merchandise or a Patreon account with extra or more extended episodes.