Introduction
: So, today, we are going to talk about how to upload your podcast to iTunes. And I know what you're thinking, maybe, is that you don't actually upload your podcast to iTunes. Well, not the actual MP3 files. And if you didn't know that, now, you do.
Submitting your podcast RSS feed to iTunes
: You submit your podcast RSS feed to iTunes. And then, they will read that file, and basically display that file points to where your audio files are located, which will be on a podcast host, like I mentioned in the last episode. And then, people will play them from iTunes or any other podcast app. And it will actually play the files that are stored on the podcast host. I hope that makes some sense.
: So, I actually created a post called How to Upload a Podcast to iTunes or Any Other Directory. And that's what we are going to be talking about here because that's what I have done recently, and I feel like it's a good starting point.
Adding title and description
: So, you'll need to upload your MP3 that you've created to a podcast host. And in the article, I referenced Buzzsprout. So, we'll just use them as an example. You'll upload. They have a big upload button. You click that. And after that is done, you'll add a title, and some description, any notes you want to add. If you have a different author, you can put that in.
: And then, keep in mind that you only have to do the submission one time. After that, it will automatically happen in the background for you every time you upload a new episode. So, you will add in your show notes, and your title, and description, and all that info. And then, you can embed a player.
Instructions when using WordPress
: If you're using a third-party website like WordPress, the next step is to submit your RSS feed to iTunes. And there are some things that you'll need to make sure are set up before you do that. You will need, one, an Apple ID. And it's free. You'll need a title, description, artwork with a minimum size of 1400 x 1400 pixels and a maximum size of 3000 x 3000 pixels.
: You'll need to choose a category, but I actually recommend choosing three different categories, so that you can be found in three different places. And then, you'll need to choose a language, and explicit or not explicit. So, the cursing, if that's included or not in your podcast.
: And then, if we're using Buzzsprout, they have a little tab to click on iTunes. Copy your RSS feed. Then, you'll hop over to Podcasts Connect with your new Apple ID, if you didn't have one already. And you'll put in your RSS feed URL. You will click validate.
: And if everything is set up correctly, and you put in all the info that is required, you'll see a little status that says, "Prepare for submission" with a green light. If it's red, and it says that anything is missing, it will highlight what you are missing from your feed. And just make sure you go in and update that to comply with their guidelines. And then, you will click submit.
How long does it take?
: And I know Apple says that it can take a few days to a few weeks to approve your podcast. But when I submitted this podcast you're listening to, it took 31 minutes for them after I clicked submit for them to, basically, make it live. And it took me another day for it to be searchable.
: So, be prepared for it to happen quickly if you've done everything correctly, so that you can hop in and start promoting your podcast. I would just be ready. I was planning on having an extra day, at least, to kind of prepare some images and stuff for the launch, but I did not. So, that's life.
Recommendation on other podcast directories
: And then, after you submit to iTunes, I highly recommend submitting to some other podcast directories. And some big ones are Google Play, they have their own separate portal, and you'll submit, basically, the same way as iTunes, and Stitcher, and Tunein, or a couple of others.
: And you'll see on this post that you can find at SetSailPodcast.com/3, at the bottom, there'll be a link to a list of other podcasts directories. And then, from there, there'll be links to those different directories to submit to. So, check that out.
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