Spotify can help podcasters increase their reach and grow their audience through a number of different methods. Here are a few ways that podcasters can use Spotify to increase their visibility and reach:
Submit your podcast to Spotify
If your podcast is not already on Spotify, you can submit your podcast RSS feed to the platform through a podcast hosting service, such as Captivate.fm, Podbean, Spreaker, and Anchor.fm, and Google Podcasts. This will make your podcast available to Spotify users, increasing your potential audience. It will cost you less than $20/month to use a podcast hosting company, but the analytics and services they provide are well worth it. Our recommendation for which podcast hosting platform you should use is always going to be Captivate.fm. Most podcast hosting providers will give you a small amount of audience data as well.
There are many reasons why Captivate.fm is our preferred choice of all the podcast hosting sites, but the main reason is because you can have more than one podcast feed per account, and the fact that they offer true dynamic ad insertion capability in the preroll, midroll and post roll positions. Those 2 things put them head and shoulders above any other podcast hosting platform.
The only other podcast directories that even compare to Spotify in the size and scope of reach is Apple Podcasts. It’s definitely worthwhile to be on as many of the major podcast directories as you can for free, but over time you will find that Apple Podcasts and Spotify will account for the bulk of your podcast downloads.
To submit your podcast to Spotify, you will need to follow these steps:
Create a Spotify account on Spotify for Podcasters at https://podcasters.spotify.com/signup . It’s important to mention that even if you aren’t a Spotify user, it’s beneficial to have a Spotify account because it will give you some data on your podcast listeners. You can find all your information on the Spotify desktop.
Verify your email address by clicking on the link in the confirmation email that Spotify will send you.
Sign in to your Spotify account and click on the “Add a show” button.
Enter the name of your podcast and your podcast’s RSS feed URL. The RSS feed is a special file that contains all the information about your podcast, such as the title, description, and episode files. You will definitely need a podcasts hosting provider to create this RSS feed (our favorite is Captivate.fm). If you try to undertake this task without a hosting provider, you are just inviting problems that you don’t need.
Click the “Continue” button.
Review the information for your podcast and make sure your podcast info is correct.
Click the “Submit” button to get your podcast on Spotify.
It may take a few days for your podcast to be reviewed and approved by Spotify after you create a Spotify account. You will receive an email notification when your podcast has been approved and is live on Spotify.
Then each time you publish new episodes, they will automatically appear on Spotify.
Note: In order to submit your podcast to Spotify, you must own the rights to the content and be authorized to distribute it on the platform. Spotify also has specific content guidelines that you must follow in order to have your podcast accepted. You can find more information about these guidelines at https://podcasters.spotify.com/guidelines.
Promote your podcast in Spotify on social media
Use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote your podcast and encourage your podcast audience to follow and subscribe on Spotify. Not all social media users listen to podcasts, but it definitely pays to expose your social media audiences to your podcast content.
There are several ways you can promote your podcast on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Share links to your podcast episodes on Spotify to your social media profiles. This will allow your followers to easily become part of your podcast audience by accessing and listening to your podcast.
Use hashtags related to your podcast topic to reach a wider audience. For example, if your podcast is about technology, you might use hashtags like #tech, #podcast, and #innovation. You can customize these hashtags for each podcast episode.
Collaborate with other podcasters or influencers in your niche. This can help to expose your podcast to a new audience and potentially lead to new subscribers.
Use social media to engage with your podcasts audience and build a community. Consider creating a Facebook group or Twitter account specifically for your podcast, where you can share updates, answer questions, and get feedback from your audience.
Consider running paid social media ads to promote your podcast. This can be a effective way to reach a targeted audience and increase your listener base. Use this tip with a bit of caution because we don’t recommend spending money on social media platforms in hopes that the ad spend will turn into downloads. In our experience, it doesn’t actually work that way.
By following these tips, you can effectively promote your podcast on social media and reach a larger audience.
Utilize Spotify’s promotional tools for podcasters
Spotify offers a number of promotional tools for podcasters, such as sponsored content and sponsored playlists. These can help to increase the visibility of your podcast and attract new listeners. It’s time to get the word out about your new podcasts.
Spotify offers a number of promotional tools that you can use to promote your podcast. Here are a few options:
Promote your podcast on Spotify’s “Browse” tab: This tab allows you to promote your podcast to listeners who are looking for new content to listen to. You can use this feature to highlight your podcast and attract new listeners.
Use Spotify’s “Podcast Boost” feature: This feature allows you to promote your podcast to a targeted audience through sponsored ads. You can use this feature to reach listeners who are interested in your podcast’s topic or genre.
Utilize Spotify’s “Podcast Playlists”: These playlists feature a selection of popular podcasts in various genres. You can submit your podcast to be included in these playlists and reach a larger audience.
Use Spotify’s “Anchor” platform: Anchor is a free platform for podcasters that is owned by Spotify. It provides a range of tools and resources for podcasters, including the ability to distribute your podcast to multiple platforms, including Spotify.
Create a “Listen on Spotify” button on your website: It’s easy to do and can link directly to your podcast page in Spotify.
By using these promotional tools, you can effectively reach a larger audience and promote your podcast on Spotify.
Engage with your podcast listeners
Interacting with your listeners and responding to comments and reviews can help to build a loyal audience and encourage more people to listen to your podcast on Spotify.
There are several ways a podcast host can engage with people who listen to their podcasts:
Encourage listeners to subscribe and leave reviews and ratings on platforms where the podcast is available. This helps give the podcaster an idea of what people like or dislike about their show. By encouraging listeners to subscribe, it means they will automatically have new podcast episodes downloaded on their device and added to their playlist.
Encourage listeners to leave comments or ask questions on social media platforms or on the podcast’s website. This can help the podcast host get feedback and ideas for future episodes.
Host a Q&A session or ask listeners to send in their questions for the podcast host, which can then be answered in a future episode.
Host a live event or meet-up where listeners can meet the podcast host and other fans of the show in person.
Encourage listeners to share the podcast with their friends and on social media. This can help the podcast reach a wider audience and increase engagement.
Encourage listeners to join a private group or forum related to the podcast, where they can interact with the podcaster and other fans of the show. This can create a sense of community and provide an opportunity for more in-depth discussion.
Overall, the key is to make it easy for listeners to engage with the podcast and the podcaster, and to create opportunities for meaningful interaction and discussion regardless of what podcast directory they are listening on.
Collaborate with other podcast creators
Collaborating with other podcasters and promoting each other’s content can help to increase your reach and bring in new listeners.
There are several ways a podcaster can collaborate with other podcasters:
Cross-promotion: One way to collaborate is by promoting each other’s podcasts on your own show. This can help both podcasts reach a wider audience and can also lead to new ears for both shows.
Guest appearances: A podcaster can invite another podcaster to be a guest on their show. This can be a great way to bring new perspectives and ideas to the show and can also help the guest podcaster reach a new audience. Find other podcasts to target for guest appearance on Apple Podcasts.
Joint episodes: Podcasters can collaborate on a joint episode where they discuss a specific topic or theme. This can help both podcasts reach a new audience and can also provide an opportunity for more in-depth discussion.
Co-hosting: Podcasters can collaborate by co-hosting a show together. This can be a great way to bring new perspectives and ideas to the show and can also help the show reach a new audience.
Joint ventures: Podcasters can collaborate on a joint venture, such as creating a new podcast or hosting live events. This can be a great way to bring new ideas to the table and can also help both podcasts reach a new audience.
Overall, the key is to find ways to collaborate that make sense for both podcasts and that provide value to both audiences. Collaborating with other podcasters can help both shows reach a wider audience and can also lead to new listeners for both shows.
By utilizing these strategies, podcasters can effectively increase their reach and grow their audience on Spotify.