Ultimate Podcast Directories Guide: Where to Submit Your Show

Key takeaways:

• Podcast directories are platforms where your show is published and made available to potential listeners.
• You can upload your podcast to directories using an RSS feed URL from your podcast host. After that, new episodes are automatically published to all directories that have your RSS feed. 
• We suggest listing your podcast in more than one directory to maximize reach. 
• Start with top directories like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music.‍
• Other options include Podchaser, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Pandora Podcasts.

Podcast directories are the bridge between you and your podcast audience. 

That’s why if you’re serious about getting your podcast in front of as many eyes as possible, you need to post it in multiple directories. 

Here, we’ll explain how podcast directories work, and list some of the best podcast directories for maximum visibility.

Best podcast directories: Full overview

Here’s a quick table to compare the best podcast directories where you should list your podcast.

What is a podcast directory?

A podcast directory is a listening app; it’s the place where podcasts and their listeners meet. Podcast listeners search for, subscribe to, and listen to your podcast using their podcast directory of choice. 

Popular podcast directories include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. There are many smaller directories as well. While some of these, like Overcast and Pocket Casts, simply aggregate episodes from Apple Podcasts, many other smaller platforms can still help expand your reach. That’s why we recommend adding your podcast to as many directories as possible.

How directories fit into podcast distribution

For podcasters, the podcast directory is the last step in your podcast creation and distribution journey. After you’ve recorded and edited your show, you’ll upload it to your podcast hosting platform of choice. From there, you’ll need to submit your show’s RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to the podcast directories. 

This is a one-time action; after that, the directory automatically updates with each of your new episodes. If your listeners are subscribed to your podcast, they’ll see each new episode as you publish it to your podcast hosting provider.

We’ll get into specific details about submitting your RSS feed to various podcast directories below.

The top podcast directory platforms to upload your show to 

While it’s a good rule of thumb to get your show listed on as many directories as possible for maximum exposure, we can’t pretend you don’t have limited time and bandwidth. 

Especially if you’re just getting started, it can feel overwhelming to search out and register your podcast with each and every possible directory.

Let’s start with the top 5 podcast directories you should focus on first:

Apple Podcasts (iTunes)

When it comes to publishing your show, Apple Podcasts should be your first priority. It was the first major platform to popularize podcasts. It’s not the biggest one anymore, but it is still the default podcast directory for iOS devices, driving massive traffic in all English-speaking markets. 

Plus, several smaller directories - like Castro, Podcast Addict, and Castbox - pull their content from it. If your podcast isn’t listed here, you’ll be missing out on a massive audience. In fact, you may not even be taken seriously as a podcaster.

Key features: 

• Featured shows: Apple regularly features podcasts on its homepage and category pages. If you manage to get featured here, your traffic will spike.
• Social proof: User reviews and ratings on Apple Podcasts hold some serious weight, and can influence how your show is perceived by audiences.
• Cross-directory reach: Submitting your podcast here means your show will automatically appear in other directories that rely on Apple’s directory without additional effort.

How to submit a podcast to Apple Podcasts:

If you want to publish your podcast to Apple Podcasts, follow these simple instructions or check our detailed guide on how to upload your podcast to Apple directly from your host.

Step 1: Create an Apple ID (if you don’t have one already) and authenticate it on the iTunes app

‍Step 2: Log into Apple Podcasts Connect and follow the steps to set up your account

Step 3: Once you’ve created your account, select the “+” icon in the top left corner of the screen to add your podcast’s RSS feed.

‍Step 4: Just wait! Because Apple manually approves each request, your show may take up to 5 business days to be approved. 

Spotify

Spotify leads the pack as the largest podcast network in terms of its reach, making it an essential directory for podcast distribution. It’s especially popular among younger demographics. Together with YouTube and Apple Podcasts they form the trifecta of podcast directories, making up two-thirds of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. 

The massively popular music-playing app has been investing heavily in the podcasting game in the last few years, buying Anchor and Gimlet Media to position itself as a leader. It’s important to note that Spotify isn’t just a directory. It’s a host and a whole content ecosystem. That means you don’t just distribute here—you can build your audience, monetize, and grow.

Key features:

• Riverside integration: Thanks to its integration with Riverside, you can record, edit, and publish your show on Spotify in studio quality, all in one place. 
• Global reach: Spotify dominates in regions where other large directories don’t, including Europe and Latin America. If you want international listeners, Spotify is a must.
• Monetization and subscriptions: Spotify allows listener donations and offers monetization programs via podcast subscriptions and dynamic ad insertion.

How to submit a podcast to Spotify

Step 1: Log into your Spotify account. Click the profile icon in the upper-right corner and select “Add a new show.”

Step 2: Click “Find an existing show” and choose whether your podcast is already hosted on Spotify for Podcasters or Somewhere else.

If you want to publish a video podcast, you can do it directly from Riverside. Record in studio-quality, edit, and share your video podcast to millions of Spotify viewers—all in one platform.

Check out our full guide to starting a podcast on Spotify for more details.

Step 3: If your show is hosted on Spotify, simply enter its name or the email tied to the account. If it's hosted elsewhere, paste in your podcast’s RSS feed URL.

Step 4: Verify ownership by entering the confirmation code Spotify sends to the email associated with your feed.

Step 5: Complete your show details, then click “Submit.”

Done! Your podcast is now on Spotify and ready to reach a global audience.

YouTube 

After serving for years as Android’s default podcast app, Google Podcasts was officially retired and replaced by YouTube Music in April of 2024. With the launch of the dedicated “Podcasts” tab in YouTube Music, YouTube has quickly become the most-used podcast platform in the U.S., surpassing both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

That means YouTube is no longer just a place to repurpose your show, but a serious podcast directory with unmatched distribution potential. Thanks to its tight integration with Google Search and its powerful recommendation engine, Youtube could be easily considered the ultimate discoverability engine. YouTube’s benefits for podcasters include:

• Algorithmic discovery: YouTube recommends content to users based on their listening habits, so your show can find new audiences who have never heard of you before.
• Powerful SEO: YouTube channels are privileged by search engines, which means your podcast has the potential to appear in Google search results.
• Community engagement: YouTube is the only directory where your listeners can like, comment, share, and subscribe, creating a two-way interaction channel.

How to submit a podcast to YouTube:

Step 1: Go to your YouTube profile and open YouTube Studio. Click the “Create” button in the top-right corner, then select “New Podcast.”

Step 2: Choose “Submit an RSS feed” and agree to YouTube’s terms. When prompted, paste in your podcast’s RSS feed URL.

Step 3: Check your email for a verification code, enter it, and click “Verify” to confirm ownership of your podcast.

Step 4: Decide whether you want to upload all episodes, new episodes only, or episodes from a specific date onward. Set your podcast’s visibility, then click “Save.”

Need more help? Check out our guide to starting a podcast on YouTube.

Amazon Music and Audible

Audible might be a place best known for its audiobook library, but its parent company, Amazon, is branching into the podcasting space as well. Amazon Music and Audible give podcasters access to a very large digital ecosystem, fueled by Prime subscribers.

One of Amazon’s key advantages is that podcasts are accessible through Alexa-enabled devices and Echo smart speakers. Podcast listeners and audiobook lovers can find and play your episodes with a simple voice command, giving this directory a unique edge.

Key features:

• Search and discovery: Personalized recommendations, category-based browsing, and Alexa voice search help potential listeners find your show.
• Audiobook audiences: Audible listeners already love long-form, spoken-word content, so podcasts are a natural fit.
• Prime subscribers: Podcasts are showcased to all Amazon Prime members, increasing your show’s reach and discoverability.

Other podcast directory platforms you don’t want to miss 

Once you’ve submitted your podcast to the four giants above, there are some other podcast directories that can help you improve your show’s discoverability.

While these platforms may not have the same scale, they’re still large enough to be worth the few minutes it will take to submit your show to them.

Here are four additional directories worth your attention:

TuneIn

TuneIn is one of the largest audio content platforms in the world, and is available in more than 100 countries. The platform primarily functions as an internet radio streaming service, but also works with hundreds of connected devices, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, car dashboards, and smart speakers. 

TuneIn also offers podcasts, which makes it a popular choice for users who want to listen to all of their sports, news, and other talk radio content in one place. By uploading your show to this directory, it will appear alongside major radio stations and content providers, offering an added layer of credibility and exposure.

Key features:

• Extensive device reach: Your podcast can be played on connected cars, Sonos systems, smart TVs, Xbox, and Alexa/Google Assistant devices.
• Global reach: TuneIn has 75 million monthly active listeners across 100+ countries and supports streaming in multiple languages.
• Radio-style placement: Appearing alongside live stations can give your podcast a “broadcast” vibe, making it feel more authoritative and trustworthy with new audiences.

iHeartRadio

You may recognize this online radio streaming platform for its music content, but it’s popular for podcasts too, especially among older audiences. iHeartRadio is accessible on hundreds of devices, from smart speakers to smartphones and wearable tech. It’s a great way to make a new podcast more discoverable, since the app displays both personal recommendations and top charts for various content genres.

Key features:

• North America-specific: iHeartRadio has a huge traction with U.S.-based audiences. If your show caters to American listeners, it should absolutely be part of your distribution strategy.
• Editorial highlights: iHeart curates featured podcasts regularly, giving your show a chance to gain massive exposure.
• Home to top charting shows: iHeartMedia produces and promotes many high-profile podcasts promoted by big-name media, increasing the network’s credibility and cross-media exposure.

Podchaser

Podchaser is a large podcast database with 500,000 monthly active users. This platform is often referred to as the “IMDb of podcasts,” because just like IMDb (the Internet Movie Database), Podchaser is a crowdsourced database. Podchaser is less of a listening app and more of a podcast database and discovery engine. Here listeners rate, review, and help each other find podcasts according to individual interests. 

Podchaser’s database includes social media-like features like profile pages for each podcast, and the ability to share curated podcast lists, add friends, and leave ratings and reviews. It even includes user activity feeds that foster interaction between listeners, podcast creators, and brands.

Key features:

• SEO enhancement: Podchaser listings are indexed by Google, so listing your show here can improve your search engine presence.
• Listener reviews and ratings: The ratings and reviews system helps you build social proof by collecting public feedback from your audience.
• Detailed creator credits: You can add yourself and your team to episodes, improving visibility and making networking and cross-promotion with co-hosts much easier.

Pandora Podcasts

Pandora is mostly known as a music streaming giant powered by its Music Genome Project. A subsidiary of SiriusXM, it caters to a huge audience of music listeners since it’s integrated into many smart devices. Thanks to its personalized recommendations system, Pandora is perfect for reaching large passive audiences who are looking for algorithm-driven suggestions.

Check our guide to find out how to submit a podcast on Pandora.

Key features:

• Algorithmic discovery: Pandora uses one of the most powerful recommendation engines to categorize your podcast and recommend it to listeners who like similar shows.
• Massive music audience: Pandora is consistently one of the biggest music service providers in the U.S., right after Spotify, Apple, Youtube and Amazon.
• Curated environment: Pandora’s team reviews each submission, meaning higher-quality placement and fewer spammy competitors.

Additional podcast directory platforms to consider

Once you’ve submitted your show to all the top directories, it’s worth submitting your RSS feed to smaller directories too. What these platforms lack in size, they make up for in niche audiences, which are perfect for starting a new show. You will face less fierce competition, and these listeners are more likely to become loyal fans and form the foundation of your audience.

Many of these directories also pull your RSS feed just once, so it’s truly a “set it and forget it” kind of strategy that can pay off in the long term.

Pocket Casts

‍

Pocket Casts is a top-rated podcast app known for its seamless cross-device syncing. Once your show is listed, listeners can access it across all kinds of devices—iOS, Android, web, smart speakers, and car dashboards. Users can pick up episodes exactly where they left off, whether they’re commuting or switching from phone to desktop. 

With advanced playback features like silence trimming, speed control, and chapter navigation, Pocket Casts caters to true podcast enthusiasts, making it a valuable directory to reach highly engaged listeners.

Goodpods

Goodpods is a social podcast app that combines listening with discovery and community. Similarly to Podchaser, on Goodpods users can follow friends and creators to see what they’re listening to. It also fosters interactions between users, allowing them to recommend their favorite shows to others or to talk and chat with other fans.

Best of all, Goodpods gives smaller shows a better chance of appearing since rankings are updated constantly based on listens rather than downloads.

PodLP

PodLP is a podcast directory specifically designed for KaiOS phones, which are widely used in emerging markets like India, Africa, and Southeast Asia. KaiOS is the third most popular operating system, counting millions of users. This means that your potential audience is huge, but the competition will likely be very low.

RadioPublic

While much smaller today, RadioPublic has been around for a long time. It offers some interesting features to increase the discoverability of your podcast, like “Podsite” landing pages and curated editorial selections. Plus, you can monetize your show with a very transparent pay-per-view program.

Acast

Acast is one of the largest hosting platforms and podcast networks, with more than 60 million active users and its own discovery directory. If you’re wondering why we didn’t list it earlier, it’s because they don’t crawl or pull in external RSS feeds. In other words, your show will be listed in their ecosystem only if you host with them. 

However, if you're part of their network, they offer strong monetization and analytics tools, and you can then distribute your show to major directories like Spotify and Apple.

The Podcast Index

Created by Dave Jones and Adam Curry, one of the pioneers of podcasting, the Podcast Index is a decentralized, open-source directory that fights to preserve the independence of indie podcasting. It powers independent podcasts, and rejects any form of advertising to remain completely free from external influences. It’s a very interesting niche, especially if you’re a fan of open podcasting or emerging tech.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is technically not a directory, but a music-focused hosting platform with built-in social network and discovery features. What this means is that you can’t submit an RSS feed, but will need to manually upload each podcast episode to SoundCloud one by one unless you host it there. However, if your podcast overlaps with music, culture, or creative topics, it might be worth tapping into SoundCloud’s very large global user base.

Other directories pulling from Apple

As we already mentioned, many directories simply pull their lists from Apple Podcasts. Submitting your RSS feed manually isn’t necessary in these cases. However, claiming your listing can still be worthwhile, as it allows you to update show details faster and enhance your metadata (like cover art, links, or episode descriptions).

Here’s a quick list:

• Castbox
• Podcast Addict
• Overcast
• Breaker
• Castro
• Player FM
• Listen Notes

FAQs about podcast directories

How do you distribute podcasts?

To distribute your podcast, you first need a host to generate an RSS feed for you. Then, you’ll

need to submit your show’s RSS feed to podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. You need to follow this process just once. When your show is accepted in a directory, it will keep fetching new episodes from your feed automatically.

What’s the difference between a directory and a host?

A host stores your audio files and generates the RSS feed that powers your podcast. In other words, it’s where your podcast lives. A directory is a listening platform where people can find and listen to your show. You can (and should) list your podcast in as many directories as you can to ensure it’s discovered by as many people as possible. Some platforms, like Spotify, are hosts and directories at the same time.

Should I submit to every directory?

There are many podcast directories. And while it can take a bit of time and effort, getting listed on as many of them as possible helps ensure maximum engagement and visibility for your podcast. At the very least, make sure your show is listed in the four major ones: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon Music.

Why does your podcast need to be listed on multiple directories?

Not all podcast listeners use the same app. Some prefer Spotify, others Apple Podcasts, and some might be loyal to Pocket Casts or Goodpods. Being listed on multiple directories means you're meeting your audience wherever they are, which increases your discoverability and total reach.

What are the best free directories?

All the major directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Amazon Music) are completely free to submit to. Many large ones like Podchaser, TuneIn, Pandora, and iHeartRadio are also free and can increase your exposure even more.

Do I need a host before I submit?

Yes, you do. A podcast host is the place where your audio files reside and it’s required to generate your RSS feed, which is what you’ll submit to directories. You can’t submit a podcast to any directory without a host.