Knowing how to post your podcast on Spotify correctly takes less than an hour if you know the two available paths and what each one requires.
This guide walks through both options: direct upload through Spotify for Podcasters, and RSS submission through a podcast hosting platform. It also covers the technical requirements that trip up new shows, which hosting platforms work best for B2B podcasts, and the seven mistakes that delay or kill Spotify submissions.
Whether this is your first episode or you are moving an existing show to Spotify, here is everything you need.
Spotify accepts shows through two distinct paths. Understanding both helps you pick the right one from the start.
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) lets you upload episodes directly to Spotify and a handful of other platforms without a separate hosting service. You record or upload audio, add your metadata, and publish.
This path works for new shows that want the simplest possible setup. The tradeoff: Spotify for Podcasters is a basic tool. The analytics are limited, the RSS feed portability is weaker than dedicated hosting platforms, and the editing tools are minimal.
Best for: Individual creators starting out, shows that do not need enterprise-level analytics, and situations where simplicity outweighs flexibility.
The more common path for professional B2B shows: set up your podcast on a dedicated hosting platform, upload your episodes there, and submit the generated RSS feed URL to Spotify.
This gives you ownership of your RSS feed (you can move platforms without losing subscribers), better analytics, more distribution options beyond just Spotify, and better technical controls over your feed.
Best for: B2B podcasts, any show with growth ambitions, teams that need detailed analytics, and any brand that might want to change hosting platforms in the future.
Step 1. Go to the Spotify for Podcasters dashboard and create an account or log in with your Spotify credentials.
Step 2. Click "New podcast" and fill in your show details: title, description, category, language, and cover art (3000x3000 pixels, JPEG or PNG, under 500KB).
Step 3. Upload your first episode. File requirements: MP3 format, 320kbps recommended, maximum file size 200MB per episode.
Step 4. Add episode metadata: title, description, episode number, season number (optional), and explicit content tag.
Step 5. Publish. Spotify reviews new shows, which typically takes 24-48 hours. Your show goes live once approved.
Step 1. Choose a podcast hosting platform and create an account (see platform recommendations below).
Step 2. Set up your podcast: show name, description, cover art, and category. The platform generates your RSS feed URL at this point.
Step 3. Upload your first episode. Follow the same technical requirements: MP3, 320kbps, metadata complete.
Step 4. Copy your RSS feed URL from the hosting platform dashboard.
Step 5. Go to the Spotify for Podcasters dashboard, select "Add existing podcast," and paste your RSS feed URL.
Step 6. Spotify sends a verification email to the contact address in your RSS feed. Click the verification link.
Step 7. Submit. Spotify reviews and approves within 24-48 hours.
Before submitting, confirm your show meets these specs:
Audio format: MP3 (required). WAV and other formats are not accepted.
Recommended bitrate: 128kbps minimum; 192kbps or 320kbps for higher quality. Spotify re-encodes audio, so starting higher is better.
Cover art: Square image, 3000x3000 pixels minimum, JPEG or PNG, under 500KB. Cover art without this exact spec gets rejected.
Episode descriptions: Plain text or basic HTML. No special characters that break RSS parsing.
RSS feed: Must be publicly accessible (no password protection). Must include an itunes:email field with a valid address for verification.
If you are going the RSS route, here are the hosting platforms that work well for B2B podcast production:
Transistor.fm is the go-to for B2B teams. Multiple shows on one account, solid analytics, private podcast support (useful for internal communications), and clean embed players. Plans start around $19/month.
Buzzsprout is beginner-friendly with good Spotify integration and automatic episode optimization. Strong directory submission support out of the box. Plans start free (with limits) and scale from $12/month.
Podbean handles high-volume shows well and offers monetization features. The analytics are solid. Plans start free; business features at $29/month.
Libsyn is the industry veteran: reliable, widely supported, and used by many enterprise podcasts. The interface is dated but the infrastructure is proven. Plans from $7/month.
For most B2B shows, Transistor offers the best combination of analytics depth, multi-show support, and professional positioning.
1. Cover art does not meet spec. This is the most common rejection. If your image is not exactly square, is under 1400x1400 pixels, or is over 500KB, Spotify rejects the submission. Resize and compress before submitting.
2. RSS feed URL is not publicly accessible. Some hosting platforms require a paid plan to make your RSS feed public. Spotify cannot crawl a protected feed.
3. No verification email received. The verification email goes to the address in your RSS feed's itunes:email field, not necessarily your Spotify account email. Check both, and check spam.
4. Episode descriptions contain restricted HTML. Spotify strips most HTML from descriptions. Stick to plain text or basic paragraph tags.
5. Categories not set correctly. An uncategorized or miscategorized show is harder to discover and may not pass Spotify's content review quickly. Match your category to the actual show topic.
6. Explicit content flag missing. If your show includes adult language or themes, the explicit flag must be set. Spotify reviews flagging issues carefully.
7. Submitting with only one episode. Spotify does not technically require more than one episode to approve a show, but submissions with a trailer episode and at least one full episode process more reliably and are indexed better immediately after approval.
Getting on Spotify is step one. For B2B shows, distribute to all major platforms from the start:
All four are free to submit. A hosting platform like Transistor or Buzzsprout often handles these submissions automatically when you add your RSS feed.
For the full pre-launch checklist for B2B podcasts, including distribution, production setup, and content strategy, see our B2B podcast launch checklist.
For a step-by-step guide to launching a B2B podcast from strategy through first episode, see How to Launch a Company Podcast.
The technical submission is the easy part. The hard part is producing episodes consistently, distributing them to the right audience, and building a B2B show that does something for your pipeline beyond accumulating downloads.
Podsicle Media handles the full production and distribution workflow so your team focuses on the conversations, not the logistics. Schedule a Call to see how it works, or grab a Free Podcasting Plan and we will walk through the setup for your show.
