Distribution sounds fancy; for beginners it means: copy your podcast’s RSS feed URL from your host and paste it into Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you want to be found. You only do the heavy setup once per directory.
Before you submit anything
- You already followed hosting basics and have at least one episode or trailer uploaded.
- You can open your feed URL in a browser (you may see XML—that is normal).
- Your show has a title, description, and cover art set in the host.
1. Confirm your feed is public and valid
Use your host’s “validate” tool or a public podcast RSS checker. You need a working link to each audio file (called an enclosure), plus show and episode titles. Fix errors in the host—do not hack the XML by hand unless you know what you are doing.
2. Apple Podcasts (still the default for many listeners)
Create an Apple Podcasts Connect account, add a new show, paste your RSS URL. Apple may take from a few hours to a few days to approve. If they reject it, read the message, fix the issue in your host, and try again—keep the same feed URL.
3. Spotify and other large apps
Spotify for Podcasters (and similar) also ask for your RSS URL. After you claim the show, new episodes appear when you publish to your host. Amazon Music, YouTube Music (where RSS is supported), and regional apps work the same way: one feed, many doors.
4. Your website, email signature, and niche lists
Add a “Listen on…” page or link tree with Apple, Spotify, and your raw RSS link for nerds and apps. Submit to small directories in your topic—they still send engaged listeners.
5. After you go live
Keep a realistic schedule. If an episode file breaks, fix it fast—apps cache failures. Do not change your feed URL on a whim; if you must move hosts, use redirects or your host’s migration tools.
Still fuzzy on feeds? Read what is a podcast RSS feed.