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 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" to set up your podcast.
Note: If you already have a podcast on Substack but would like to create multiple podcasts, head to the Podcasts section on your publication's Settings page. Click "Add podcast" and choose or create a new section to which your podcast will be attached. A section is like a distribution list of where the posts or episodes will be delivered.
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 audio post, choose from "Select file" to upload your own audio file or "Record" to record audio directly on your device. In the Audio Settings tab, you can replace/upload a new audio file or search and add guests by their Substack profile letting your listeners know who's appearing in the episode.
Note: We support the following audio file types: MP3, WAV, and AAC.
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. You can also upload your own transcript in the Transcript tab. If you'd like to edit or disable the transcript from appearing on your post, please follow these steps here.
5. 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 it as an email and to the Substack app or uncheck it to publish it as a web post only.
How does my podcast episode appear to my subscribers?
- If sent as an email newsletter, subscribers can click on the audio player 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.
How do I change how my podcast homepage appears to my subscribers on the web?
If you have a podcast, you can choose between three different header options:
- Default: Your podcast logo and description will be showcased
- Podcast: Your podcast logo, description, and optional external podcast players links will appear
- Feature media: Your latest podcast episodes will be headlined
In the Body section, select if you want your podcast episodes to appear in a list or a grid (Latest, Top, Discussions) layout.
More tips and resources
At this time, a Substack podcast cannot be embedded into an external site or webpage. However, you can distribute your podcast to external podcast players such as Spotify and embed an episode into a site like Wordpress.
If you'd like 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?