Podcast Directories: How to Submit to Apple, Spotify, and More

Podcast directories are the distribution layer between a finished audio file and the ears of a potential listener. Without a presence in at least the major platforms, a show is technically published but practically invisible. This page covers what directories are, how the RSS-based submission process works, where most podcasters succeed or stumble, and how to decide which platforms are worth the effort.

Definition and scope

A podcast provider network is a searchable index that aggregates podcast feeds and makes them browsable or searchable by listeners. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and Google Podcasts (now merged into YouTube Music) are the most widely recognized examples. These platforms do not host audio files — that's the job of a podcast hosting platform — they index the content by reading an RSS feed provided by the host.

The distinction matters more than it might appear. A hosting platform stores the MP3 and generates the RSS feed. A provider network reads that feed, ingests the metadata (title, description, artwork, episode list), and presents it to listeners within its own interface. Submit once, update continuously: every new episode published to the RSS feed propagates to every connected provider network automatically.

Apple Podcasts indexes approximately 4.6 million podcast feeds as of 2024 (Apple Podcasts Connect). Spotify reported hosting over 5 million podcast titles in its 2023 annual filing (Spotify Investor Relations). These numbers include dormant shows — which is worth remembering when worrying about competition.

How it works

The submission process follows a consistent pattern across all major directories:

1. Publish a valid RSS feed. The feed must conform to RSS 2.0 standards and include required elements: <title>, <description>, <itunes:image> (minimum 1400×1400 pixels, maximum 3000×3000 pixels per Apple's specification), and at least one published episode. Apple's technical requirements are documented at Apple Podcasts for Creators.
2. Create a platform account. Apple requires an Apple ID connected to Apple Podcasts Connect. Spotify uses Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor's infrastructure). Amazon Music/Audible uses its Podcasters portal.
3. Submit the RSS feed URL. Paste the feed URL into the provider network's submission interface. The platform crawls the feed, validates the metadata, and either approves or flags errors.
4. Verification and review. Apple's review process typically takes 24 to 72 hours. Spotify's automated validation is often faster — approvals in under an hour are common. Amazon Music generally takes 24 to 48 hours.
5. Confirmation and ongoing sync. Once approved, the provider network polls the RSS feed on a schedule (often every few hours) to pick up new episodes automatically.

The underlying technology is the same RSS feed that has powered podcast distribution since the early 2000s — a deliberately open architecture that no single company controls.

Common scenarios

New show launch: The standard approach is to submit to Apple Podcasts and Spotify simultaneously, then add Amazon Music and iHeartRadio in the same week. Waiting on Apple's approval before submitting elsewhere is unnecessary — the feeds are independent.

Migrating between hosting platforms: When switching hosts, the RSS feed URL changes. Most hosting platforms support a 301 redirect from the old feed URL to the new one, and Apple Podcasts honors this redirect natively. Spotify requires a manual feed URL update inside Spotify for Podcasters. Skipping this step causes episodes to stop updating on Spotify — one of the more common and avoidable distribution failures.

Episode not appearing after publishing: The most frequent cause is a feed validation error introduced by a metadata change (special characters in episode titles, missing artwork at the required resolution, or an <enclosure> tag with an incorrect MIME type). Tools like Podbase Feed Validator or Cast Feed Validator can identify these issues before they reach a provider network.

Spotify-exclusive vs. open RSS: Spotify previously pursued exclusive content deals that bypassed RSS entirely. That strategy has largely been unwound as of 2024, and open RSS distribution is once again the default expectation on the platform (Bloomberg, April 2024).

Decision boundaries

Not every provider network warrants immediate submission. The calculation depends on audience geography and listening habits.

Apple and Spotify together account for roughly 58% of US podcast listening. Submitting to those two first is defensible prioritization. Amazon Music and iHeartRadio add meaningful coverage without significant effort. Smaller aggregators like Pocket Casts and Overcast pull from Apple's index and do not require separate submission.

Podcast Addict (Android-dominant, significant in European markets), Deezer, and TuneIn serve specific audience segments where a show's listener demographics may justify the extra submission steps.

One provider network that surprises podcasters: YouTube. YouTube Music absorbed Google Podcasts in 2024, but video podcast presence on YouTube proper — as a separate channel — is increasingly treated as distribution strategy rather than optional extra. The considerations around that are covered separately in video podcasting.

For any show building a long-term presence, maintaining a clean RSS feed and monitoring provider network sync status is less glamorous than content creation but significantly more consequential. An episode that fails silently in a provider network is an episode that simply didn't exist for that platform's listeners. The full scope of what podcast distribution involves extends well beyond submission day — directories are the beginning of the distribution relationship, not the completion of it.