You can publish podcast episodes through your publication. Podcasts hosted on Substack can then be submitted to podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Pocket Casts.
If you're starting a brand new podcast on Substack:
1. When logged into your Substack account, click on the Podcast tab.
2. Select "Start a new podcast".
3. Add a few details about your podcast:
- Title (be clear and descriptive so that it'll be easy to search for on Substack and other podcast platforms).
- Description (to tell listeners what your podcast is about).
- Categories (platforms like Apple Podcasts will use them to sort and recommend your show).
- Podcast artwork (square image at least 1400px wide).
- Podcast tab (checking this box will add a podcast tab to your publication).
4. Click "Done" and your podcast is now set up.
How do I create a new episode and share with my subscribers?
You can upload your own audio file or record audio directly on your publication.
1. Click on "New episode" in the Create section on your Posts page or "New episode" on your Podcast tab.
2. On the draft episode post, select "Click to add audio" and a new dashboard will appear on the right. Upload an audio file or select "Record".
Note: We support the following file types: mp3, mp4, aac, aiff, x-aiff, amr, flac, ogg, wav, and x-wav.
3. If the podcast episode is for paid subscribers only, you can also add a free preview for free listeners. Click on the checkbox next to "Add free version". Upload or record a snippet.
4. Click done and add some text to your post– this will be sent in your newsletter to subscribers and also appear as "Episode details" on the web post.
5. Select "Continue", you'll be able to select the audience for your post and also add a description of your podcast episode in the "Social Preview" section.
Note: If you select to allow comments from no one i.e. disable comments, the post will not display the Episode details or Comments tab. It will appear as a regular post with the audio at the top and text below it.
6. Select the delivery method: check the box to send as a newsletter post and to the Substack app or uncheck the box to publish as a web post.
How does my podcast episode appear to my subscribers?
If sent as a newsletter via email, subscribers will be able to click on "Listen" and view the post and listen to the audio on a new tab on their browser.
If subscribers have the Substack app downloaded, they'll get a notification on the Substack app or be able to see the post in their Inbox and listen to the episode directly on the app.
If your podcast post is for everyone (not a paid post), listeners can click play and listen directly to the audio on the web version of your publication.
If you're looking to move an existing podcast to Substack, you can find step-by-step instructions for importing episodes here: How do I move my podcast to Substack?
If you'd like to submit your podcast to a podcast app, you can find instructions here: How to I distribute my podcast to apps?
