Rachel Garner, Author at BeaconInside

After doing everything you have done to create your podcast, the remaining task is pretty easy – uploading it to Spotify. Listing your new show across main podcast directories is one of the ways to grow an audience. You can increase your chances for success by uploading your show to the most popular directories, such as Spotify. For many years, Spotify has been one of the top streaming platforms on the web. According to stats, the platform has 43% monthly podcast listeners, which is why submitting your podcast to Spotify is so important. In this article, we have prepared a step-by-step guide on how to upload your podcast to Spotify. You will learn all the important things you need in order to successfully submit your podcast to this platform. Create a Podcast If you are starting from scratch, there are a few things you need to do to successfully launch a podcast. The first thing you need to do is picking a niche. This shouldn’t be hard because I am sure you have a subject you enjoy, be it entrepreneurship, finance, health, or relationships. When picking a niche for your podcast, focus on your strength so that you can keep passionate about the work. But also make sure you choose a topic that people will enjoy listening to and will engage. Having said that, don’t pick niches with high levels of competition. Once you have selected a niche, write down your podcast plan and assemble your equipment and software. You Need a Podcast Hosting Company Another thing you will need is podcasting hosting to host your audio files. There are plenty of podcast hosting companies to choose from. But not all of them are the same, and that is why we have selected the most suitable for you. PodBean Hosting more than 540,000 podcasts, PodBean has been providing hosting services to podcasts for over ten years. It is one of the best podcast hosting companies on the market, offering unlimited podcast hosting plans with infinite bandwidth. With easy to use interface and beautiful design tools, PodBean also allows you to embed a podcast player into your WordPress pages and posts. Moreover, the platform also has promotion tools that submit your episodes automatically to all major podcast directories, allowing your listeners to use the tools of their choice to listen as well as download your episodes. Main Features Unlimited storage option5 hours storage free planAuto-uploads to YouTubeAuto-posting to Twitter and FacebookMobile app Libsyn Another great podcast hosting company you should consider. The platform features an easy-to-use design that prioritizes the needs of your brand and helps you market your podcast across multiple apps, devices, and platforms. Libsyn has been in business for more than 15 years, making it one of the first podcast hosting companies. Their plans come with diverse storage limits monthly, though each plan has unlimited bandwidth. Libsyn also offers detailed analytics, monetization options, as well as WordPress integration through the Libsyn Publisher Hub plugin. Main Features Geographic heat mapSocial media statsDestination statsDate range selectorDownloadable stats reporting BuzzSprout BuzzSprout is among the easiest to use platforms for hosting podcasts, especially if you are a beginner. Having been in business for more than 10 years, the company has built a pretty robust community of podcasters. If you are new to podcasting, you will find this platform to be incredibly easy and intuitive to use. All you need to do is upload your episode and it will take care of everything else. The platform will also submit your audio files automatically to all major podcast directories, ensuring that your episodes are available on all apps and devices. Additionally, you can use their embedded podcast player, which works on all screen sizes. It displays the cover art, rewind and forward controls, and social sharing options among many others. The platform also provides a free plugin for WordPress that makes it easier to embed. Main Features Sharing and publishingWebsite managementVideo and audio file uploadAudience engagementSpeech recognition How to Submit to Spotify with PodBean Follow these simple steps to upload your podcast to Spotify using PodBean or watch this video. Step #1: Go to Podcast Dashboard and click Distribution and then Podcast Apps. Click “Add” to link to Spotify. You can access this feature if you subscribed to unlimited and above plans. Step #2: Agree to Spotify T&C before submitting by checking the two boxes below the submission page. Note that all audio files should be in MP3 format and you must publish at least 5 shows with images 1400 by 1400 to 2048 by 2048 px and can be PNG or JPEG. Once you agree to the T&C, your podcast will be submitted to Spotify and you will receive an email from PodBean containing the URL for your show. How to Submit to Spotify with Libsyn Submitting your podcast to Spotify using Libsyn is a bit different from PodBean. Step #1: Log into Libsyn and go to “Destinations” Step #2: Click “Add New” and choose Spotify from the list of destinations Step #3: Click “Add” and then complete the form provided Step #4: Click “Advanced” and fill in the “Show Title Override”. Step #5: Click “Approve” to agree to T&C of Spotify Step #6: Click “Save” to complete the process. How to Submit to Spotify with BuzzSprout You can use submit your podcast to Spotify with BuzzSprout using the following steps: Step #1: Go to the "Directories" tab and sub-tab once you are in your BuzzSprout dashboard. Click “Get Listed” under the Spotify logo. Step #2: Complete the required fields in the settings section to proceed. Step #3: Select Submit Your Podcast to Spotify and you are done! Get Approval Your podcast must meet Spotify’s requirements in order to be published. The requirements include: Cover art must be in the ratio of 1:1 and be in JPEG, TIFF, or PNG formats at HD.MP3 must be in the format of ISO/IEC 11172-3 MPEG-1 Part 3 (MP3) audio with 96 to 320 kbps bitrates.The RSS feed must contain cover art, title as well as relevant details of the episodes.Titles of the episodes or any other consumer-facing texts should not be void ‘…’ or exceed 20 characters.Special characters must be coded in HTML within the descriptions and titles.Episodes should not exceed 200MB, which is around 83 minutes at 320 kbps or 200 minutes at 128 kbps. Share the Link to Spotify One of the requirements to get approval on Spotify is RSS Feed. To share this link to Spotify, click the RSS Feed below the description of your show and copy the feed to your clipboard. Paste this link into Spotify’s form. FAQ Can I Monetize My Podcast on Spotify? Yes, the platform has announced a new feature involving paid subscriptions to help podcasters to monetize their shows. The new feature also includes access to Spotify Audience Network and Open Access Platform. Should I Include my Podcast on Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts? You should include your podcast on Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts to reach a wider audience and promote your episodes. These two apps provide the best way for your audience to listen to your podcast.