Distributing your episodes on Apple Podcasts allows you to reach a vast international audience, attracting potential listeners from across the globe.


In this article, we are going to cover:

To have your episodes featured on Apple Podcasts, you need to submit your show for approval.


SoundStack advises initiating the submission process at least a month before your desired launch date on Apple Podcasts. This is because Apple might take up to 24 hours to approve your show, and it could take an additional week for it to become searchable in their store. Moreover, apps that rely on Apple Podcasts for information might take up to a month to update with your show.


Planning a month in advance also allows sufficient time to fix any issues and resubmit in case Apple rejects your show initially.


Preparation


Before submitting, configure your show in SoundStack to ensure your RSS feed functions correctly. Access your show and select Edit.


Apple Podcasts show level details that are added to your RSS feed link are the following:

  • Basic Details -> Subtitle and Author
  • Contact Information -> Contact Name and Contact Email
  • Categories
  • Metadata -> Release Style and Content Rating
  • Cover Art


Note: Categories, Cover Art, and Metadata are mandatory fields.


While it's possible to designate multiple categories and subcategories in your RSS feed, Apple Podcasts only acknowledges the initial category and subcategory.


After saving all the show information mentioned above, your SoundStack RSS link will be updated within a couple of minutes:


The next step is to ensure that your show includes at least one episode, as Apple evaluates it to verify adherence to its content guidelines.


Going to the episode level, the Apple Podcasts will display the episode as it's listed in the Name field under the Basic Details tab from that specific episode.


Your title might include details like the episode number, for example, "Episode 1: Join us for the premiere of My Show”.

The episode subtitle and description are where you can provide your listeners with essential details about the content.


The episode and season numbers you input will be displayed in the iOS Podcast App, ensuring your episode appears in the correct sequence according to the specified episode and season numbers. If you don't categorize episodes by season, you can leave the Season Number field blank.


Specify the type of episode you're uploading to ensure proper organization on Apple Podcasts. Click on the Episode Type and choose from the list of options provided. Here are the available choices:

  • Full Episode - A classic episode of your show from start to finish.
  • Trailer - A brief advertisement for your show, usually no longer than a minute.
  • Bonus Content - A special episode that doesn't match the usual length or content of your show. For instance, a bonus episode could be a brief update related to a previous episode.


Use the Content Rating field to indicate whether the episode you're uploading is clean or explicit. While you initially set up your Content Rating at the show level, this field allows you to override that choice for an individual episode. For instance, if your show is set as clean but you have an episode that contains explicit content, you can mark this specific episode as explicit using this field.


The last dashboard field that will be integrated into your RSS link that is sent to Apple Podcasts is Itunes Title. This optional feature overwrites the RSS title name in Apple Podcasts.


Note: The Tags field, visible at both show and episode levels, is unrelated to the process of submitting the SoundStack RSS link to Apple Podcasts. Instead, it is exclusively related to SoundStack Podcaster Playlists.



Note: Depending on the length of the uploaded episode audio file and cover art, two additional tags are added to the RSS link.


Once you've saved the details of all the episodes mentioned earlier, your SoundStack RSS link will get updated in just a couple of minutes, and it will appear like this:


Submit Your SoundStack show to Apple Podcasts


Here are the basic steps you’ll need to follow when you submit to Apple Podcasts:


  • Use your Apple ID and password to sign in to Apple Podcasts Connect
  • If it's your first time signing in, click Get Started, fill in the fields in the Set Up Account form, and then click Save. The Podcasts page opens.
  • Click the + icon to the right of the Podcasts header and then select New Show within the menu.
  • Select Add a show with an RSS feed and then click Next.
  • Paste your podcast’s RSS feed URL and click Add.
  • Review your show's information in the Show Details section of the page and then fill in any required details.
  • Click Save at the top of the page, and then Submit for Review.
  • Your show is now submitted for review at Apple. Apple Podcasts will contact you directly over e-mail about your show's approval status.


If you have any further questions or concerns regarding the Destinations feature, please do not hesitate to contact our Support Team by using the ticket submission form or by emailing us at support@soundstack.com.