Podcast directories: Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts

·20 min·1 clip

Apple Podcasts is “really just a listing of all the podcasts,” like a phone book.

1. How to Start a Podcast: Podcast directories: Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts focuses on how to get a show listed where listeners search for it. 2. Jelan hosts with Alvin, and their Buzzsprout support experience matters because the episode walks through Buzzsprout’s submission tools. 3. The episode asks what a “directory” is and answers that it is a listing system, not a host for podcast files. 4. Apple Podcasts is presented as the oldest major directory, with iTunes allowing podcasts around 2006. 5. Buzzsprout global stats put Apple Podcasts at 37.2% of downloads and Spotify at 20.8%. 6. The hosts also mention Google Podcasts at 2.3%, web browsers at 2.8%, and a long tail of smaller apps. 7. They name Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Podcast Index as the “big four.” 8. The default recommendation is to submit everywhere unless there is a specific reason not to. 9. They note that some Buzzsprout shows are not on Spotify because of concerns about how Spotify is trying to consolidate the industry. 10. The Apple submission checklist includes title, author, description, artwork, category, and a published first episode. 11. They say cover art problems often cause delays when Apple reviews a submission. 12. Apple Podcasts Connect requires the RSS feed from Buzzsprout and an Apple ID before a show can be added. 13. Apple uses a human review, and approval can take about four days but up to two weeks. 14. Spotify submission is described as much faster, often taking two to three minutes after a one-click submit. 15. Spotify checks for copyrighted music, and the hosts warn that DJ mix shows can disappear if the rights are not licensed. 16. Google Podcasts used to rely on discovery, but Google Podcasts Manager now allows manual submission and email verification. 17. Podcast Index is described as a backup centralized directory that other apps can use to find approved shows. 18. The tone is instructional and conversational, with repeated back-and-forth jokes about the phone book analogy. 19. Listeners launching a first podcast and using Buzzsprout would get the most value from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting entertainment without setup or platform logistics could skip this one.

As heard by us

A practical directory guide that makes first-time podcast submission feel manageable.

The episode gives a clear, practical look at podcast directories, treating them as listings rather than places that host audio files. That distinction is the key takeaway, and it makes the submission path easier to follow.

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Why you'd press play

Get your show listed without mistaking directories for hosting.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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