How do I listen to paid episodes on Spotify?

If you're a paying subscriber to a Substack podcast, you can now listen to both free and paid episodes on Spotify. For a more convenient listening experience, learn how to link your Substack and Spotify accounts to listen to access paid episodes on Spotify. 

You can link your Substack account to Spotify:

Tip: Once you link your Substack account to Spotify, you will get access to all your paid Substack podcasts in Spotify. Linking these accounts will also automatically follow and save any subscribed podcasts in Spotify.

From your Substack account

Linking a Substack subscriber account to Spotify for The Flow State podcast

1. Click on your profile picture and select Manage Subscription from the drop-down menu.

Alternatively, you can access a complete list of your Substack subscriptions at https://substack.com/settings

Click on your profile picture and select Manage subscription from the drop-down menu

2. Scroll to the Private podcast feeds and click on Set up podcast

On the manage subscription page, you can change your plan notification settings and edit your profile.

Scroll to the Private podcast feeds and click on Set up podcast

3. Click Listen on Spotify. Linking your Spotify account does not mean adding a private RSS feed.

Click 'Listen on Spotify'

Tip: If you don't see the Listen on Spotify button, the Substack publication hasn't synced to Spotify yet. You can still listen to free episodes by following the show on Spotify or the Substack app, or add your private RSS feed to Apple Podcasts and listen to paid episodes there.

4. A new browser will open where you can click Link Account. You can connect your accounts to start accessing paid episodes.

A new browser will open, click Link Account

5. Enter your Spotify login details and click Log in. Substack will not have access to your Spotify login details. If you're having trouble logging in, we recommend contacting Spotify.

Enter your Spotify login details and click Log in

6. Click on the Substack podcast which will open your Spotify player

Click on the Substack podcast which will open your Spotify player

7. Paid episodes are now unlocked and you can listen to current and past episodes on Spotify.

From the Spotify app

Subscribing to the Flow State podcast on Spotify

1. Click Get access on a paid episode. A lock icon on an episode indicates that it's for paying subscribers only.

Click Get access on a paid episode

2. Select Link account.

Select Link account

3. Sign in to your Substack account and click Subscribe. If you're already a paying subscriber, you can skip to Step 5.

Sign into your Substack account and click Subscribe

4. Select a monthly, annual, or founding member plan. 

Select a paid subscription plan

5. After subscribing to a paid plan or signing into your Substack account, enter your Spotify login details.

Once you subscribe to a podcast, enter your Spotify login details

6. Review the Spotify access details and click Agree.

Review the Spotify access details and click Agree

7. Click on the podcast and the show will open on the Spotify app.

Click on the podcast and the show will open on the Substack app

8. Paid episodes are now unlocked, and you can listen to current and past episodes on Spotify.

Paid epsidoes are now unlocked and you can listen to current and past episodes on Spotify

What happens if I cancel my Substack subscription?

Your paid subscriber benefits will continue until the end of the time period you've paid for, so you can still listen to paid episodes on Spotify. Once your paid subscription ends, you'll become a free subscriber, and paid episodes will be locked.

How can I unlink my Substack account from Spotify?

Head to https://content-access.spotify.com/ and click "Unlink" next to Substack.

Screenshot 2024-04-04 at 1.32.19 PM.png

Once you unlink your Substack account from Spotify, you’ll no longer have access to paid subscriber only episodes.

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