You can publish podcast episodes through your publication. Podcasts hosted on Substack can then be submitted to 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 "Get started, and on this page, select the audience list for your new podcast. Choose to nest the podcast in your publication or create a new section. Select "Continue".
Tip: Learn more about how sections work on Substack here.
3. Select whether to start a new podcast or import one that's hosted on a platform different from Substack.
4. Add a few details about your podcast:
- Title (be clear and descriptive so 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 "Create podcast" and your podcast is now set up.
How do I create a new episode and share it with my subscribers?
You can upload your own audio file or record audio directly on your publication.
1. On your Posts page select "Audio" or "New episode" on your Podcast tab.
2. On the draft episode post, select "Add podcast" and a 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 paying subscribers only, you can add a free preview for free listeners. Click on the checkbox following "Add free version". Upload or record a snippet.
4. An AI-generated transcript will automatically be created for your podcast episode. To edit or disable the transcript from appearing on your post, follow these steps here.
5. Click "Done" and return to the draft body. What you enter here will appear as the text of the post.
Tip: To add a background image to the podcast player, select the image icon on the player and upload an image.
6. Select "Continue" and on the Publish page, 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 have payments enabled on your publication, try creating a free preview for free listeners by following these steps.
6. Select the delivery method: check the box to send as an email and to the Substack app or uncheck the box to publish as a web post only.
How does my podcast episode appear to my subscribers?
- If sent as an email newsletter, subscribers can click "Listen" and view your post on a new tab on their browser.
- If subscribers download the Substack app, 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've added a free preview to your paid episode, free listeners can listen to a snippet and upgrade their subscription.
If you want 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 do I distribute my podcast to apps?
