How to Publish a Podcast – 5 Super Simple Steps To a Successful Podcast

Do you want to start a podcast? Are you unsure of all the steps involved in starting a podcast?

In this “How to Publish a Podcast” article, I will talk about all the steps involved in starting and publishing a podcast.

Here’s what we’ll cover how you can:

• Record your first high-quality podcast episode
• Create an intro/ outro that you can use for all your podcast episodes
• Edit your podcast episodes and export them as MP3 files
• Choose the right podcast host (podcast hosting service)
• Optimize your podcast and publish it on podcast directories like Apple Podcasts

So, without taking much more of your time, let’s jump straight in!

Disclaimer: If you buy something using the links in this article, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Know that I only promote stuff that I use and trust for the sake of my readers and the reputation of this website.

How To Publish a Podcast

1. Record Your Podcast Audio

There are three ways you can record your podcast audio:

1. Directly on your phone

2. Use podcast equipment and podcast software to record with your computer

3. Convert existing YouTube videos into podcast episodes

Let’s take a look at these one-by-one:

Recording Podcast Media Files With Your Phone

The simplest and fastest way to record your podcast episodes is to do it with your smartphone.

Many podcasters do this, especially when recording podcast episodes outside or on the go.

Photo by Thom Bradley on Unsplash

To record a podcast episode on your phone, you will need:

1. Audio Recording App

There are many audio recording apps both for Android and iPhone (such as Anchor) that you can use to record your podcast episodes for free.

You can check out Anchor here.

2. Headphones

Invest in a basic pair of headphones to hear yourself as you are recording your podcast episode.

Photo by Lee Campbell on Unsplash

The catch here is, though, that your podcast episode may not be of high quality when compared to one that is recorded using specialized equipment.

Recording Podcast Files With Your Computer

The most popular method for recording podcast episodes is through a computer. Many successful podcasters invest in specialized equipment and software to get their highest quality podcast files.

Image Source

There are two main things you will need when recording a podcast episode with your computer:

1. Podcasting Equipment

There are a few pieces of equipment you need to invest in if you are serious about starting a podcast. When you’re just getting started, a beginner podcast equipment setup would suit you well.

A decent pair of podcasting headphones will help you while recording and also while editing your podcast episodes.

A podcast microphone will help you record your episodes with high clarity.

Other pieces of podcasting equipment you may need are listed in this blog post:

Best Podcast Equipment – How To Set Up a Professional Podcast Recording Studio

2. Podcasting Software

The next thing you will need to invest in for your podcast is a podcast hosting platform.

Here is a post that lists all the best podcast hosting software you can use for your podcast:

11+ Best Podcast Hosting Sites For 2021 – 5 Of Them Are Completely Free!

Converting YouTube Videos To Podcast Audio Files

The third way you can create a podcast episode is to convert your YouTube videos (if you already run a YouTube channel or are planning to start one) into audio files.

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

To convert a YouTube video into an audio file, you will need to first download the YouTube video to your computer.

Here’s a blog post that shows you different ways to do it:

How To Download YouTube Videos Without Software – 5 Safe Ways To do It!

A YouTube channel is a great way to gain new podcast listeners if you are starting a new podcast.

2. Create An Intro/ Outro For Your New Podcast

If you look at the most popular podcasts in your niche, you will find that they usually have a catchy intro and outro for each podcast episode.

If you want to create a successful podcast, you must make it memorable. Along with great content, a cleverly designed intro and outro will give your podcast audience something to recognize, keeping you in their memories for longer.

Photo by ConvertKit on Unsplash

To gain loyal podcast subscribers, you need to be relevant to them and give them just the right kind of information they need in your intro and outro.

To create a good intro/ outro, you need to combine different elements such as voice, music, sound effects, etc., and keep it short (about 12-15 seconds max).

A good intro not only introduces a new episode but also brands your podcast. All you need to do is record your voice, include good music and sound effects, and edit them all together to create the perfect intro/ outro for your podcast.

Take inspiration from some of your favorite podcasts – but be sure to make your intro/ outro unique and memorable!

3. Edit Your Audio And Export It As An MP3

The standard form of a podcast episode is Intro – Podcast – Outro. It’s best to stick to this while editing your podcast because most podcast directories prefer this format.

There are different podcast editing software you can use to edit your podcast audio files like Audacity.

Here are a few steps you need to follow to make your audio files ready to publish.

1. Save your audio in WAV format

Once you’re done editing your podcast audio file, save it in a WAV format so that you can level out the audio later.

2. Level out your podcast episode audio

‘Leveling’ your audio means making sure that the volume of your audio file is consistent throughout the episode and across previous episodes.

You can use a tool such as The Levelator to do this.

The Levelator goes through your entire podcast episode to see if there are discrepancies in the volume. The free tool then balances out the audio so that it is consistent throughout.

The Levelator only accepts WAV file formats, which is why we needed to convert your podcast audio file to WAV format in the previous step.

3. Export your podcast audio in MP3 format

Before you export your podcast audio file in MP3 format, it is a good idea to open the file again in your editor and listen to it to make sure everything is fine.

Once you’ve done that, you can go ahead to the next step of exporting the podcast file into MP3 format.

If this is your first podcast, all this may seem new to you. But don’t worry – there are tons of video tutorials that you can check out in case you get stuck at any point. You can also reach out to me in the comment section below and I’ll be more than happy to help you out! 🙂

It is important to keep your MP3 files at an optimum size so that you don’t get charged unnecessarily by your podcast hosting platform for uploading bigger files.

However, you need to make sure that you don’t compromise on your audio quality just to make your files smaller. It’s important to hit that ‘sweet spot’ when you’re sizing down your podcast audio files.

4. Choose a Podcast Host

You will need a podcasting platform to host your podcast.

This is because podcast audio files are generally huge, and it is not practical to upload them onto your own website if you have a WordPress site.

Podcast hosts allow you to rent out ‘space’ for your podcast episodes to live on the internet.

There are a ton of options to choose from, but I personally recommend Buzzsprout.

Buzzsprout has excellent features for all podcast creators – both beginners and experts. They also have affordable pricing plans and a free plan to help you get started with your podcast ASAP!

Here are some reasons why Buzzsprout is a good podcast host to start with:

• Buzzsprout is designed for use by both beginners and professionals.
• It has a simple user interface with an intuitive dashboard.
• You can start with the free plan if you just want to test out Buzzsprout.
• Buzzsprout has a simple yet beautiful podcast website that your podcast listeners would love!
• Buzzsprout has a great email newsletter that helps subscribers make the most of the platform and become better podcasters.
• With Buzzsprout’s analytics, you can get deep insights into the performance of your podcast.

To check out other podcast hosts, you can read this blog post:

11+ Best Podcast Hosting Sites For 2021 – 5 Of Them Are Completely Free!

5. Publish Your Podcast

If you decide to use Buzzsprout, uploading your podcast is a breeze.

All you need to do to upload new episodes is this:

1. Go to the Episodes page and click ‘Upload New Episode’

2. Select your audio file

3. Enter the podcast details of the episode such as the title, description, etc.

4. Select when the podcast needs to be published

5. Click ‘Save Episode Details’

Here’s a quick video from Buzzsprout that walks you through the process:

6. [Bonus Step] Create And Publish Show Notes For Your Podcast

You can skip this step if you want to, but show notes are very helpful when you publish a podcast.

The Benefits of Show Notes:

• Podcast show notes help you promote or market your podcast and gain new listeners. They give readers more details about the podcast and help them recap the podcast episode.
• Podcast show notes help you improve SEO, thus enabling you to increase your organic reach and thus, more listeners.
• Writing good podcast show notes help you repurpose your podcasts into another format that will help you reach an entirely new audience!

Here’s how you can create and publish high-quality show notes for your podcast:

• Include only the main points of each episode.
• Include a list of resources.
• Share your show notes on social media.
• Make show notes templates to help you save time when writing.

And that’s it!

You’ve got your podcast uploaded!

You’ve even promoted your podcast to a new audience to help you gain more listeners!

As you can see, there’s nothing too complicated involved when you want to get your podcast published on podcast hosting services like Buzzsprout.

Let’s now look at how you can publish your podcast on popular podcast directories

Uploading Your New Episodes on Podcast Directories

Once you have uploaded your podcast on the best podcast hosting service, you can upload it onto various podcast directories.

Podcast directories do not host your podcast episodes, but they allow your audience to find your podcast after you have uploaded it on one of the podcast hosting platforms.

Here are some of the popular podcast apps or directories:

Apple Podcasts (Previously iTunes)

Here’s how you can submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts:

1. Publish at least one podcast episode on a podcast hosting provider in one of these file formats that are supported by the Apple Podcasts app: mp3, m4a, mov, mp4, m4v, and pdf.

2. Set your podcast’s details such as title, description, logo, cover art, etc.

3. Create a new Apple ID for your podcast. You can do it here.

4. Log in to Apple’s Podcast Connect (click here).

5. Log in to your podcast hosting account and get your Podcast’s RSS feed.

6. Copy and paste your RSS feed URL in Apple Podcast Connect. Then click ‘Validate’.

7. Review and submit your podcast to iTunes (now Apple Podcasts).

Google Podcasts (Google Play Music)

Google Podcasts is one of the best podcast directories.

Here’s the step-by-step process to submit your podcast to Google Podcasts:

1. Go to your podcast host account and retrieve your RSS feed URL.

2. Go to Google Podcast Manager (click here).

3. Enter your podcast’s RSS feed in Google Podcast Manager.

4. Verify your RSS feeds.

Once this is done, you will see your podcast in Google’s podcast index in 24 hours or a few days.

Spotify

Here’s how to submit your podcast to Spotify:

1. Log in to your Spotify account (you can log in here).

2. Copy and paste your RSS link.

3. Add your podcast’s details like the title, description, language, and country.

4. Review and click submit.

Stitcher

Here’s how you can upload your podcast files on Stitcher:

1. Go to https://partners.stitcher.com/join.

2. Click ‘Join Us Today’.

3. Enter your RSS feed URL.

4. Confirm your email address and click ‘Next Step’.

5. Sign Up for a Stitcher Partner account.

Once approved, it will take about an hour for it to reflect.

TuneIn

Here’s how to upload a podcast on TuneIn:

1. Go to TuneIn and sign up for the podcast app.

2. Go to the Podcasters page and select ‘Publish a Podcast’.

3. Enter your details (email address, podcast RSS feed, title, language, etc. and click ‘Send Email’.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you will receive an email notification in a few days confirming that your podcast has been added to the directory.

Amazon Echo

If your podcast is listed on popular podcast directories like Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, it is already available to new listeners via Amazon Echo.

Podcast Optimization Tips

Here are some tips that will help you make the most out of each of your podcast episodes:

1. Add tags related to your podcast content.

2. Include an SEO-optimized brief podcast episode description.

3. Add links to a relevant blog post on your own website or a video on your YouTube channel.

4. Embed your podcast into your blog so that your readers can listen to it as well.

5. Publish podcast show notes.

FAQ’s

What is an RSS Feed?

An RSS feed (RDF Site Summary)allows users to access regular updates to websites. When users subscribe to various RSS feeds, they can keep track of many different websites in a single source.

When your podcast listeners subscribe to your podcast’s RSS feed, they will receive updates whenever you publish a new podcast episode.

RSS feeds help users keep track of the latest episodes of multiple podcasts in a simple way.

What is a podcast directory?

A podcast directory is a podcast listening app that allows your audience to search for your podcast, subscribe to it, download episodes, listen, review and rate it.

Podcast directories do not host your podcast episodes, but they give you a distribution channel so that you can reach people who are looking for your podcast.

What do I need to submit my podcast to a podcast directory?

To upload a podcast on a podcast directory, you will need to:

• Have at least one episode of your podcast published
• Have your podcast’s details such as the title, description, cover art/ logo, and category published

Conclusion

So, there you have it!

I hope you enjoyed this post on how to publish a podcast and found it useful.

It’s pretty simple and straightforward to publish a podcast on a podcast hosting platform and get found by your target audience.

Podcasting is fast becoming a popular form of media that is consumed by listeners of all demographics.

So, have you published your podcast yet? If you have, share it down in the comment section so that we can have a listen! 🙂