Submitting your podcast to Apple Podcasts places your show in one of the world’s largest podcast directories, where millions of listeners can discover and follow it. The process involves preparing your podcast with the required information, copying your RSS feed URL from the plugin, and submitting that URL through Apple Podcasts Connect. This tutorial walks you through each step.
Contents
- Before You Submit
- Copy Your RSS Feed URL
- Submit Through Apple Podcasts Connect
- Add an Apple Podcasts Subscribe Button
Before You Submit
Apple Podcasts validates your RSS feed before approving your submission. Make sure each of the following is in place before you proceed.
Podcast artwork
Go to Podcasts → All Podcasts, open your podcast, and check the Podcast Artwork field on the Podcast Details tab. Apple Podcasts requires a square image between 1400×1400 and 3000×3000 pixels in JPEG or PNG format. The image must be hosted at a publicly accessible URL.
Podcast description and category
Make sure your podcast has a title and a description entered in the main content editor fields at the top of the podcast edit screen. Also assign at least one podcast category using the Podcast Categories panel on the same screen. Apple Podcasts uses these to list your show in the correct section of the directory.
RSS feed settings
On the Distribution tab of your podcast, fill in the Author Name, Author Email, Podcast Language, and Podcast Type fields under RSS Feed. These fields populate required tags in your feed. The author email is used by Apple for verification and is not shown publicly. See the Configuring Your RSS Feed tutorial for full details on each field.
At least one published episode
Apple Podcasts requires your feed to contain at least one published episode with a valid audio file before it will approve the submission. Make sure you have published at least one episode with an audio file attached.
Copy Your RSS Feed URL
Go to Podcasts → All Podcasts and open the podcast you want to submit. In the Podcast Info panel below the content editor, click the Distribution tab. The RSS Feed URL field at the top of that tab shows your podcast’s feed address. Click Copy RSS Feed to copy the URL to your clipboard.
Keep this URL ready — you will paste it into Apple Podcasts Connect in the next step.
Submit Through Apple Podcasts Connect
Apple Podcasts submissions are handled through the Apple Podcasts Connect portal at podcastsconnect.apple.com. You will need a free Apple ID to sign in. If you do not have one, create it on the Apple website before continuing.
Once signed in, click the + button to add a new show and select Add a show with an RSS feed. Paste your RSS feed URL into the field provided and click Next. Apple will validate your feed and display a preview of your podcast information pulled from the feed — the title, artwork, description, author, category, and first episode.
Review the preview to make sure all information is correct. If anything is missing or incorrect, return to your podcast in the plugin, update the relevant fields, click Update, and then re-validate the feed in Apple Podcasts Connect. Once the preview looks correct, click Submit.
Apple typically reviews submissions within one to five business days. You will receive an email at the address associated with your Apple ID when the review is complete. Once approved, your podcast will be listed publicly in the Apple Podcasts directory and listeners will be able to find and subscribe to it.
Add an Apple Podcasts Subscribe Button
Once your podcast has been approved and is live on Apple Podcasts, you can add a subscribe button to your podcast page so that visitors can jump directly to your show in the Apple Podcasts app.
Go to Podcasts → All Podcasts and open your podcast. On the Podcast Details tab, expand the Subscribe Buttons accordion and click Add Subscribe Button. A new row will appear with two fields.
- In the first field, open the platform dropdown and select Apple Podcasts.
- In the second field, enter the URL of your podcast on Apple Podcasts. You can find this URL in Apple Podcasts Connect under your podcast’s details, or by searching for your show in the Apple Podcasts app and copying the link from the share menu.
Click Update to save. The Apple Podcasts subscribe button will now appear on your podcast page, and visitors to your website can click it to open your show directly in the Apple Podcasts app.