TPU131 – Top 10 Best Podcast Directories to Submit Your Podcast

What are the best podcast directories out there?

Podcast directories are one of the ways podcasts are distributed and discovered and every podcast needs to be on these directories if you want to grow.

But then which directories are the most important and how do you submit to these directories?

That’s what we will discuss in this episode!

In the last episode, we discussed some very simple techniques to get your podcast discovered.

And one of the things that we touched upon was “Podcast Directories”.

If you want your podcast to be discovered, getting listed in the major podcast directories is an absolute must. And that is what you will hear most podcast coaches talking about when it comes to podcast discovery.

But with new platforms emerging constantly, how do you know where to focus your submission efforts?

In this episode, I’m sharing the top 10 best podcast directories that provide maximum visibility and opportunity to find new listeners.

Plus 5 bonus directories that are up-and-comers.

But before we dive in, let us quickly understand how this entire podcasting ecosystem works.

Podcast Directories and How the Submission Works!

Unlike blogging or, vlogging (I will use the term YouTube instead of vlogging because YouTube is in many ways synonymous with vlogging), where you have control over the hosting and you know how your content is going to be distributed, where it can be found and how to get it found, podcasting is a little tricky.

While you can pick a host, you don’t have control over anything other than submitting your audio file. Distribution, circulation, and discovery all happen through that one RSS feed that is generated by the podcast-hosting company.

So, a slight problem with that RSS feed because the hosting company is not compliant with the requirements can mean that your podcast is not found by your listeners.

And if their distribution network is not good, then you are stuck with the massive work of submitting your podcast to all the major directories.

About 10 years back none of the hosts had that great distribution system. So I ended up submitting my podcast manually to a lot of these directories.

Even for this podcast I had to do a manual submission to a lot of directories.

But with all of the competition in podcast hosting, most hosts are offering these submission services for FREE. And it is a single click in most cases.

Some of them also distribute to quite a few directories.

Anyways, the point I was trying to put across is the first and foremost thing to do, if you are serious about your podcast’s circulation is to pick a good podcast host.

Don’t fall for FREE or, Cheap just because they will save you a few dollars. You might end up paying a lot more in the long run.

Before we get into today’s episode, let’s quickly go over what you’ll need to have ready for you to submit your podcast to these top podcast directories.

1. Your podcast cover art
2. Title and description
3. Categorization tags – There are two things you need to keep in mind here. The first one is picking the right category. We will discuss this in more detail in another episode. But for now, go through the categories and pick the one that most suits your niche. Another aspect is to pick about 5-7 tags that describe your podcast and the niche. You will need these in some of the cases.
4. Website URL, if you have one.
5. RSS feed address – This is the most important one and if this is incorrect or, non-compliant, you will have a tough time getting your podcast accepted on these directories.

Got all that? Great!

Then let’s get your podcast submitted.

Best Podcast Directories to Submit Your Podcast

You will have heard about these directories in most podcasts and from most podcast coaches too.

Almost all of the top podcast hosting companies offer automatic submission to at least the top 5 amongst these, so that should automatically be taken care of.

But in these cases, there are a couple of things you might want to take care off which I will discuss towards the end of the episode.

The Top 10 Podcast Directories Are:

1. Apple Podcasts – The 800-lb gorilla with over 75% market share. Top of mind for most iOS listeners.
2. Spotify – Brought podcasting mainstream with over 30% market share. The key for younger demographics.
3. iHeartRadio – Built-in audience of 129 million music fans. Great for crossover discovery. Only available for The United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand users
4. Podchaser – A database of over 2 million podcasts makes it ideal for search.
5. Castbox – Fastest growing podcast app with 80 million users. The key to international reach.
6. Blubrry – Powers over 100K+ podcasts. Source for many niche shows discoveries.
7. Listennotes – Advanced search and curated recommendations for avid listeners.
8. Player FM – Discovery-focused app with over 20 million installs. Ideal for Android users.
9. Podcast Addict – One of the most installed 3rd party podcast apps with wide global usage.
10. Pocket Casts – A simplified interface provides another great discovery source.

Out of these Apple Podcasts and Spotify are obvious must-haves and the most trickiest as well.

With over 100 million combined listeners, they are the giants of the industry and if you can rank on these for the respective categories, then you are sure to get a good number of listens.

iHeartRadio also has a broad reach.

The rest, though they are not very huge in terms of the network size, provide expanded discovery potential and access to niche listener groups.

Listen Notes for example offers you a unique ranking. They also offer various services like social media shareable audio clips that you can easily share on various social media platforms. It also embeds a player for the clip, so that your listeners can listen to it directly on the social media app itself.

They also have some monetization options and even transcription services.

I highly recommend getting set up on each platform.

Their submission processes do vary slightly. But most require your podcast cover art, title and description, categories, website URL, and RSS feed.

Some will review and approve your listing. Others are more automated systems.

Be sure to follow the individual requirements for each site.

Now in addition to the top 10, here are 3 More podcast Directories Worth Submitting To:

1. Samsung Podcasts
2. Amazon Music and Audible
3. Overcast

Again these extend your visibility and chances of being discovered by new listeners.

It is well worth the time investment to pursue expanded distribution.

So there you go – the top platforms providing the opportunity for podcast discovery and growth.

Things to keep in mind when using Automatic Submission:

If you are using the automatic submission from your podcast hosting company, here are 3 things that you might want to keep in mind –

1. Once the submission is confirmed, check each podcast directory to see if your podcast is available or, not.
2. Most podcast hosting companies either mask your email address and use a masked email ID or, their email ID to submit your podcast. This can create a problem later if you decide to switch hosts. Hence, always ensure that your email ID is being used. In the case that it is not, ensure that you get it changed.
3. Check if your podcast is playing fine on each of the podcast directories. The last thing that you want is a broken link and a show that is listed but doesn’t play for some reason.

Show Notes:

Here’s what we discussed in the episode on the best podcast directories –

1. The 10 best podcast directories you should submit your podcast to.
2. Things you will need to submit your podcast to these podcast directories
3. Things to keep in mind when using the automatic submission

This episode is sponsored by Zencastr. Use my special link here to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. 

Thank You for Joining

Thank you all for joining me on the show today.

If you enjoyed this episode then I am sure you will love some of the previous episodes as well. Pick your favorite ones and give them a listen.

The podcasting university is available on all podcasting platforms. You can pick your favorite one to listen to the show there. The links to some of the prominent ones are mentioned below.

CASTBOX: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/castbox
STITCHER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/stitcher
TUNEIN: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/tunein
GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/googlepodcasts
APPLE PODCASTS: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/itunes
PLAYER.FM: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/playerfm
SPOTIFY: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/spotify
HUBHOPPER: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/hubhopper
AMAZON PRIME: https://thepodcastinguniversity.com/prime

Recommended Resources for Podcasting

Here are some of the recommended resources for Podcasting. These are the ones that I personally use and am satisfied with and hence am recommending them.

• Acast Podcast hosting – Acast is my favorite podcast hosting company. They have excellent customer support, have a pocket-friendly plan, and even have a free option with no limits.
• Behringer Audio Interface – You will need an audio interface if you are using an XLR microphone. This is my recommended audio interface.
• Zencastr – Zencastr is the easiest option to record interviews, both audio-only and audio+video. This is a must for an interview podcast. Go to zencastr.com/pricing and use my code “thepodu” You’ll get 30 percent off your first three months of Zencastr professional.
• Audacity – This is the best and the most feature-rich free audio editing software. It gives you a lot of options while editing your interviews.
• Blue Yeti USB Microphone – My recommended microphone
• Tidycal – My recommended calendar and booking solutions
• Fusebox – Embeddable Podcast Player
• Descript – Audio Editing, Transcription and Video editing software

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Podcasting University is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

MICROPHONES –

1. ATR-2100x
2. MAONO AU-HD300T : https://geni.us/ro48q
3. Maono AU-WDM01 : https://geni.us/PhZ3V2v
4. Samson Q2U – https://geni.us/k9cuk
5. Audio Technica AT 2035 – https://geni.us/g2URDI
6. Rode NT USB – https://geni.us/O6b65K
7. Shure MV7X – https://geni.us/w7rZ4

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1. Boya ByM1 Auxillary Lavelier Microphone – https://geni.us/boyabym1lav
2. Boya ByM1 Pro Lavelier Microphones – https://geni.us/boyabym1prolav
3. Digitek Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/R3cGd
4. Boya – BYXM6 Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/OS6gq
5. Vook Dual Channel Wireless Microphone – https://geni.us/V9YBO1i

PORTABLE RECORDERS –

1. Zoom H5 Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/rVTAIAV
2. Zoom H1N Portable Recorder – https://geni.us/dOaDg

AUDIO INTERFACE –

1. Behringer U-PHORIA UM2 – https://geni.us/gBCjm
2. M-Audio M-Track Solo – https://geni.us/RnhHr
3. HAYDEN HY-229 – https://geni.us/c80KbWB

MIXERS –

1. HAYDEN 4 Channels – https://geni.us/cXQ0
2. Behringer Q502USB

MONITORING HEADPHONES –

1. Oneodio Studio Pro-10 : https://geni.us/IQI88Se
2. Maono AU-MH501 : https://geni.us/AbNrU
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M20X : https://geni.us/eEUf9

POP-FILTER –

1. JEYANG Metal Pop Filter – https://geni.us/JMfuY
2. Wright WP 101 – https://geni.us/OcOAzj

DESK-STAND/BOOM ARM –

1. MY-STANDS MC 18 : https://geni.us/Lwnb
2. Bulfyss Professional Recording Microphone Stand: https://geni.us/mV4S

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