Podcasts are becoming popular sources of entertainment and education today. As of January 2020, there were 30 million podcast episodes — a number that grows every day — and 50% of all U.S. homes are podcast fans.
If you're interested in growing your brand by hosting a podcast, you'll want to ensure your podcast is accessible to all mobile users. Here's how to get your podcast listed on both Google Play (for Android) and iTunes (for iPhone).
[Read: How an Ex-21st Century Fox Executive is Going Big in the Podcast Space]
How to get your podcast on Google Play
To reach your listeners who use Android devices, you’ll want to ensure you make your show available on Google Play. To do so, Shortwave instructs:
- Create a Google account from the Google Play Podcast Portal.
- Log into your account and select “Add podcast” which is located in the upper right corner of the portal.
- Next, add your podcast’s RSS feed. Depending on the podcast provider you use, the location of your feed will vary. After you locate the feed, you will need to select “Submit RSS feed.”
- Make sure the email address you submitted your RSS feed with is correct -- you’ll need to verify that you own the podcast you’ll be adding.
- Select “Send verification” code to verify your ownership of the podcast.
- Wait for Google to review and accept your submission. Google’s Team will verify that your podcast complies with their terms of service. Be patient — the review process can take several days.
- Get accepted and view your URL in your Google Play Podcast Portal.
If your podcast did not get accepted, utilize Google’s Podcast Support. A common and simple reason why many podcasts are rejected is if the owner’s email is not in the field of the podcast’s RSS feed. According to Buzzsprout, if your podcast does not show up in Google’s Direct Link generator, you can reach out to Google to ask them to crawl your website, which expedites the process. Additionally, you can ask Google to index your site via Google’s Search Console to increase visibility.
[Read: 5 Steps to Creating a Successful Podcast]
If you're interested in growing your brand by hosting a podcast, you'll want to ensure your podcast is accessible to all mobile users.
How to get your podcast on iTunes
iTunes has been a hotspot for podcasts since the platform introduced mainstream support in 2005. To get your podcast listed on iTunes, Adorama outlines the following steps:
- Complete your podcast details, which include title, description, summary, categories, contact information and artwork saved in a JPG or PNG format that has a minimum resolution of 3,000 x 3,000 inches. It’s important to get these details right, as iTunes uses this information to validate accounts.
- Select a podcast hosting platform such as SoundCloud, Buzzsprout or Amazon S3. When considering which hosting platform to use, examine the features offered that will meet your needs best.
- Pull your RSS feed URL — it’s required when submitting your podcast to iTunes.
- Visit the iTunes website or download iTunes on Google Play to create an account, ideally with your ID name that comes from the title of your show.
- Send your podcast to Apple’s dedicated podcast portal called iTunes Podcasts Connect.
- Wait approximately 24 hours to two weeks for approval in the form of an email from Apple. The typical wait time is two to three days.
For additional assistance, the Podcast Host offers a step-by-step guide with photos.
If your podcast is not approved, don’t fret: you can always resubmit. Simply go back over your RSS feed and content and ensure it’s in compliance with Apple’s terms and conditions.
[Read: Is a Podcast Right for Every Business?]
Whether you’re planning on podcasting multiple times a week, a few times a month, or even just once every quarter, get out there and do it. When it comes to marketing tactics, podcasting is a powerful brand awareness building tool.
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