(Updated June 2019) iTunes, first introduced by Apple in 2005, was the first smartphone app to host podcasts. ITunes is not only the premier podcasting outlet, it’s also the most popular. In the world of podcasting, you can’t tell you’re a podcaster without submitting your podcast to iTunes. Although recently new syndication points on platforms such as Google and Spotify (and it seems that Pandora will be joining the game soon Apple remains the most important and popular distributor for podcasts. In fact, it was renamed Apple Podcasts in 2018. With an all new iPhone app, it now holds 500,000 podcasts available and has reached over 50 billion downloads.
Can someone get a podcast on Apple Podcasts?
Yes! Anyone can create a podcast and Publish it on Apple Podcasts. Posting a podcast on Apple Podcasts is completely free and the process has been very easy since we launched ours One click distribution Method.
There are just a few steps to get your podcast on Apple Podcasts:
- Visit your CMS dashboard
- Select the show that you want to publish
- In the left pane of your show, select the “Distribution” option.
- To the right of Apple Podcasts, select the drop-down arrow and click Submit.
In the next few steps, we’ll walk you through exactly what you need to do right through the CMS – don’t worry, although it’s very simple. Once your show has been submitted all you have to do is wait. In both cases, once your show has been accepted or rejected, you will receive an email confirming the result.
However, if you don’t want to use our one-click system, you can also upload your podcast directly using your RSS feed. We’ll automatically create your RSS feed for you, making the submission process extremely straightforward.
What are the requirements for a podcast to be approved by Apple Podcasts?
Before submitting your podcast, do a quick check to make sure that all of these items are crossed out:
- Your podcast graphic must be formatted as a square JPG or PNG image and have a size of at least 1400 x 1400 to 3000 x 3000 in the RGB color space. We recommend an image with a size of 1400 x 1400 JPG. Remember to design your podcast graphic for scalability. This way, every text is still legible even if your cover is reduced or enlarged. First, create your artwork using the smallest size, e.g. B. 125 x 125 or 55 x 55. If it still looks good and you can clearly see what’s there, then it’s perfect!
- Your podcast shouldn’t violate any copyright or trademark laws. Any artwork that you use to market your podcast must either be your original work or be licensed for use by the author / copyright holder. If you’re not artistic, you can browse websites like Creative marketwhere you can license a finished graphic, or Dribbblewhere the source and artist can create custom artwork for you. As with any agency work, make sure that your agreement with the designer or artist gives you full rights to register the copyright on the art.
- When submitting an RSS feed, you need to make sure that it is publicly available. ITunes does not accept password-protected feeds.
Here are some additional steps that we recommend as wellTo make your podcast as successful as possible on iTunes:
- Choose a unique title for your podcast to avoid confusing your show with others. The best podcast names engage your audience, let them know the purpose of your podcast, and encourage them to keep listening. One of our favorite podcasts, The morning toastfollows these principles in their own title. As a daily morning newscast, the title implies that listeners can tune in in the morning and expect a new episode every day.
- Choose catchy artwork for your podcast – it’s the first thing people will see. As the old saying goes, first impressions only come once. Your podcast artwork is the first thing your audience will see. So make sure it is enticing and unique. Read our suggestions here for great podcast covers.
This is how podcasts are listed in the iTunes app.
Test the RSS feed and submit your podcast to Apple
If you are sending with an RSS feed, you need to make sure that all metadata is displayed correctly. You can use a podcast RSS feed validator to do this. Reviewing a podcast feed ensures that any other website or app can read your feed. For example, your podcast feed might work fine in Apple Podcasts, but it might not be readable by other websites. Run your RSS feed through a podcast RSS feed validator, like this one, helps troubleshoot your feed’s readability issues.
Apple has a specific format that must be followed in order to submit a podcast. Go to first Connect podcasts, Apple’s portal for podcast creators. It is important to note that you must have an Apple ID to sign in to the portal. If you’re a Mac or iOS user, you probably already have one. Unless, You can create one here. Once you are logged into the portal, you will find your Podcasts Connect dashboard. You can use the plus sign in the top left corner to add a new show to our directory.
You will then be asked to enter and validate your RSS feed address. When your RSS feed is validated, you are ready to submit your podcast for review.
After your podcast is submitted for review, you will be banned and unable to make changes. The verification process is not long, usually takes a maximum of 24-48 hours. When your podcast is approved, you will receive an email from Apple.
ITunes errors appear while checking
When submitting your podcast to Apple Podcasts, you may encounter some delivery errors that will result in your podcast being rejected. Here are some other common validation problems:
- Invalid RSS Feed URL: This error occurs when your podcast is hosted on a platform that is not HTTP compliant. You need to contact your web hosting provider for assistance.
- Inaccessible feed: carefully review your feed. Make sure you wrote everything correctly. Podcast Connect does not allow spaces in a URL. Make sure to replace them with underscores. If you’re using WordPress, you may need to reset permalinks.
- Bad Graphics: When you upload a podcast to Apple Podcasts, the graphics are very important. Verify that your artwork meets the requirements to be submitted to Apple Podcasts.
- Timeouts: Podcast Connect will display this error message if your feed is taking a long time to load. You need to reduce the size of your RSS feed. 1 MB feed size is fine. However, try to keep it under 512KB for better results.
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