How To Publish a Podcast on iTunes

Want to join the ever-growing podcast community? Have interesting things to say or a unique viewpoint on something? Want to publish your podcast on iTunes for the world to enjoy? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this tutorial is for you!

iTunes is still dominant in the streaming space and is used by millions of people to access their media. While music may be the most popular media used, podcasts must come a close second. There are thousands of them on iTunes that are listened to by many millions of people. I don’t have a podcast but I know someone who does so this tutorial uses their efforts for our gain.

This guide assumes you have the podcast already as we’re about publishing it to iTunes, not creating it. You will also need an Apple ID in order to upload the podcast to iTunes.

Understanding the Basics

For a successful submission to iTunes, you will need your podcast, a cover image of 1400 x 1400 px in JPEG or PNG format, and a label or description.

Apple and iTunes are well known for having high barriers to entry into their ecosystem and podcasts are no different. There are a series of publishing requirements that Apple mandate for anyone wanting to publish a podcast on iTunes.

It makes sense to learn those requirements before you begin. Most of the requirements are sensible. The podcast should be original, not incite hate, not be racist, or include any copyrighted content. The page linked above tells you all about it.

Once you know what is expected of you and you can abide by those rules we can get your podcast ready. Apple has a helpful page on podcast best practices if you want to do some research beforehand.

Publish a podcast on iTunes

You will need to host the podcast somewhere accessible to the internet. Lots of people host it on a WordPress website but you can host it on a cloud service such as SoundCloud. Wherever you host your podcast, you will need the RSS feed that links to it in order to add it to iTunes. You will also need an image, description, and any further information you want to add to the listing to hand.

Then:

Navigate to Podcast Connect and log in.

Paste your podcast RSS feed URL into the box and select Validate.

Check the Validate option then select ‘Submit’

Apple Podcasts are manually moderated and can take up to 10 days to be checked and approved. Apparently it rarely takes that long and usually completes within 3-4 days depending on the time of year. Once approved, Apple will email you to let you know.

That’s it!

Managing Apple Podcast validation errors

In the beginning, it is very easy to submit a podcast that won’t pass the initial validation checks. Here are some simple ways to make sure yours passes the first time.

Avoid a Bad RSS feed URL

The RSS feed URL you submit to Apple Podcasts needs to work in order for your submission to be validated. Once you copy the feed URL, you can check it yourself in advance with the W3C Feed Validation Service.

Paste your RSS URL into the box and select Check. If all is well, the feed URL is fine.

Inaccessible feed

If you check the RSS feed URL as above, you shouldn’t see this error. This is another error that indicates the RSS URL isn’t correct.

It could be a misspelling, extra space, or something else. Check again with the Feed Validation Service if you see an inaccessible feed error.

Incorrect Artwork

The image you upload with your podcast has to meet three standards. It has to be a JPEG or PNG image, have identical width and height, and have a width and height greater than or equal to 1400 and no greater than 3000 pixels.

If these settings are correct and the artwork still won’t validate, save it as a PNG if it’s a JPG and try again.

How can I check my submission status?

Once you’ve submitted your podcast, Apple will keep you updated on the submission website. Simply login and check for the status of your most recent uploads.

Your status can include anything from error to failed review, and ‘Prepared for Submission.’ There are several status options the company offers to keep you updated on your content.

Apple has my podcast set to delete, what can I do?

If you’ve logged into the submission website and see the ‘Delete Pending’ status Apple has scheduled your podcast for deletion. There is no option to stop this from happening once it’s begun.

You may be able to get more help if this happens by visiting the Podcast help page.

Is it free to publish a podcast on iTunes?

Yes, it is free to publish your podcast on iTunes.

Can I monetize my podcast on iTunes?

Monetization is tricky with iTunes. The app does not allow creators to charge listeners for enjoying their content. The only way to monetize your podcast using this platform is to grow followers with engaging content and let advertisers pay you for the exposure.

That’s all you need to publish a podcast on iTunes. As long as your content is suitable for the public, your RSS URL works, your description does you justice, you have hosted your podcast somewhere and can read the Apple Podcast rules, you’re ready to go. Good luck with it!