Don’t worry if you’re not quite at the ‘sharing to the world’ stage yet. If you’re still working on creating your podcast, check out our Launch a Podcast for your Business in 7 Easy Steps eBook for a step-by-step guide on what you should do to ensure ultimate podcast success!
A podcast directory, or a Podchaser as they are also known, is how your listeners will consume your podcast, where they will find it, subscribe to it, and listen to each new episode.
There are many podcast directories out there, with many possible ways for listeners to get their podcast fill. There are apps, desktop-only sites, video podcasts, and combinations of each. There are the big names like Spotify, Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) and Google Podcasts, to more niche, lesser-known options.
The more podcast directories you distribute to, the more potential places for audiences to find you, no matter what their favourite way to consume podcasts is. It is also easier for your audience to listen to and follow your podcast if you are already on their favourite platform!
It is a good idea to do some research on what podcast directories your target audience uses most and make sure to get your podcast submitted there.
We’ve compiled a list of the Top 15 Podcast Directories where we think you should consider submitting your podcast.
Listeners are not only going to Spotify for their music content - Spotify became the most popular place for podcasts in 2021 and is now raking in a whopping 32.5 million podcast listeners per month in the US alone in 2022. Despite being involved in a podcast-related controversy earlier in the year, they are still a powerhouse in the podcast directory world. Their heavy investments in purchasing production houses and exclusive rights to highly popular podcasts show us they are not going anywhere any time soon.
Podcasting started off with iPods and has always been one of Apple’s central components. While Apple Podcasts may have been trumped last year by Spotify in terms of monthly users, they still boast an impressive 28.5 million monthly listeners in the US as of 2022. It is still regarded as the most important podcast directory to list with. A lot of smaller directories pull their content from Apple Podcasts, so you would also be missing out on their audiences if you opt not to submit to Apple Podcasts.
You can’t forget to cater to Android users too. Google Podcasts is the only way to listen to podcasts on the Google platform, now that Google Play Music is no more. You have the added features of getting analytics for your podcast using their Google Podcasts Manager, and since your podcast will appear in Google search results, you have a better chance of being discovered by listeners who might not have even been searching for a podcast at the time!
While YouTube is not technically a podcast directory, you should consider taking advantage of the platform’s massive popularity. There is a large audience whose preferred podcast form is video. YouTube is the go-to place for many of these podcast lovers to consume their video podcast content.
Check out our Launching a video podcast for your business blog post on why you should consider video podcasting and a comprehensive guide on how to do it!
Again, while technically Tune In is a radio platform and not a podcast directory, it is very popular for podcast content too. With 75 million active listeners in 2020, this is a great place to find the listeners for your podcast who want to listen to all their radio content and podcasts in the same place. It is also the default radio platform for Alexa to draw its content from, so be sure to get your podcast up there.
Another big player in the podcast world is Stitcher. Until Google released Google Podcasts, Stitcher was the go-to for Android users. A benefit of submitting to Stitcher is their Stitcher Partner Portal where you can see how your show is performing and learn about your audience. They are also the parent company of Midroll, a podcast advertising network, which is a great way to monetise your podcast through Stitcher.
Podchaser is a massive database of podcasts. Their podcast pages allow your audience to discover your podcast and everything about it. It is an opportunity to connect with your audience, where they can learn more about you through your creator profile page. Listeners can review and rate individual episodes which help other users discover your content and grow your audience further.
When we think of Amazon and audio content, we tend to think of audiobooks. They have also branched into the world of podcasts and have been growing listenership rapidly. With Audible’s dedicated listeners who already consume long-form audio, AmazonMusic’s 55 million listeners, and its integration with Alexa and Amazon Echo products, be sure to upload your podcast to Amazon Music and Audible to reach this massive potential audience.
Another radio platform that doubles as a podcast streaming service is iHeartRadio. It can be a good place for new listeners to discover your show with their personalised listener recommendations and weekly Top Podcasts chart. This is a particularly good option for you if your target audience is in the older demographic.
Overcast is one of many platforms that aggregate episodes from Apple Podcasts. When you submit to Apple Podcasts, you will also automatically appear on Overcast. Why do you want to appear on Overcast? The “Featured Podcast” section is user-generated by Overcast users who ‘star’ their favourite shows, rather than editor-approved charts or algorithms. This could come in very useful if your listeners love your show and can help you to grow your audience!
Another directory that simply uses the Apple Podcasts directory to pull its content from is PocketCasts. New and emerging podcasts can do very well on PocketCasts as they hand-pick podcasts from across the directory. Get your podcast discovered by checking out their criteria.
Castbox is also a great podcast directory for getting your new podcast discovered by your audience. Their advanced search features, using a combination of SEO and AI, make it very easy for listeners to discover new podcasts.
For more ways to feature in searches, check out our post “Podcast SEO tips: How to rank your podcast on search engines”.
Another directory with excellent search functionality is Listen Notes. They go as far as to call themselves “The Best Podcast Search Engine”, allowing users to search all podcasts and episodes by people, places, or topics. While it may not be a popular place to listen to podcasts, as far as discoverability goes, you need to make sure you are on Listen Notes.
Pandora also boasts a powerful recommendation engine and is particularly good for showing results for podcast searches that other apps might not showcase. Their algorithm ‘The Podcast Genome Project’ looks at listeners’ likes, dislikes and listening history.
With over 10 million downloads, the PodcastAddict app is another go-to app for Android users. The app tends to attract highly engaged listeners and podcast enthusiasts. It also supports private RSS feeds which is great if your podcast includes exclusive episode content.
Decide for yourself which podcast directories suit you and your podcast goals. As we said, the more the better to give yourself every opportunity to grow your audience and find your listeners.
Once you have chosen which directories you want your podcast to appear on, you need to get your podcast onto the directory. How do you do that?
You need to submit your RSS feed. This is easier than it sounds, and you will only need to do this one time for each directory. You will find your RSS feed in the podcast hosting platform you use, such as Buzzsprout or Simplecast, and it is often as simple as copying and pasting the RSS URL from one site to the other. You do it once, and then the directory will automatically update with each new episode release.
Check out our Top 10 Podcast Hosting Platforms here.
Be mindful if you’re working towards a release date or deadline. It can take up to two weeks to get your RSS feed approved and your podcast uploaded! Don’t leave it to the last minute.
Follow our proven 10 Best Podcast Promotion and Marketing Strategies!
