How to build a profitable podcast.
This article will show you EXACTLY, step by step: how to launch a podcast on Apple Podcasts in 2022.
Have you ever dreamt of starting your OWN podcast?
Podcasting is blowing up.
Why?
Because BIG players (like Apple Podcasts) are investing heavily into their products... because they know there is demand.
If there is demand for great audio, and people can consume that audio through their iPhone, then their iPhone becomes more valuable, and they make more money.
As of the first quarter of 2022, there over 420 million podcast listeners worldwide:
These numbers are only growing thanks to streaming services, one of which we will be explaining in this post.
However, setting up your podcast can be challenging to understand at first, making it a hard sell if you’re trying to convince other people to start their podcast.
One of the most popular places to host your podcast is on Apple Podcasts, and it’s elementary to do so as long as you have the right tools and know-how!
Apple Podcasts is the largest podcast directory and home to popular podcasts like Serial, The Joe Rogan Experience, and The Dave Ramsey Show.
With over 125 million users, Apple Podcasts has become one of the most popular ways to consume podcasts over the last few years.
That’s why we created this guide to help you understand how to start your podcast on Apple Podcasts step by step so that you can take action now, no matter where you’re at in your journey.
So, you want to start a podcast?
Congratulations!
Before you sit down and record your first episode, there are some crucial steps you need to take. If you’re serious about starting a show on Apple Podcasts — where 60 percent of all podcasts are consumed — it’s worth looking into how to get an Apple-preferred status for your podcast.
When people search for podcasts on Apple Podcasts on the web or their iPhone or iPad Apple Podcasts application, yours will be at the top of their list.
And since one out of every three Americans listens to a podcast monthly (and almost half listen weekly), getting your show listed as an Apple-preferred podcast is crucial.
It is especially true if you’re hoping to reach new listeners who don’t know what podcasting is yet; otherwise, they may never find your show.
But here’s a little secret: Getting listed as an Apple-preferred podcast isn’t just good for finding new listeners; it can also help you attract sponsorships and advertising dollars.
Why?
Because advertisers look for shows with large audiences, which is what being an Apple-preferred podcast provides.
Moreover, more than 500 million podcast subscriptions each month and over 8 billion episodes have been downloaded.
Apple is currently on track to pay out $20 billion to content creators for 2021, compared to just $4.5 billion in 2018 and $1 billion in 2016. That’s a two-fold increase in just three years.
If you haven’t started your podcast, now is the time to learn how to do so. If you have started but aren’t sure where to go from here, read on.
There are plenty of places to listen to podcasts. However, there’s only one place that matters: Apple’s podcasting app, Apple Podcasts.
Why?
Apple Podcasts is one of the most popular podcast directories, with over 500,000 podcasts. But all of your potential listeners also are there, and it has a more significant user base than any other podcasting platform, and it’s best to put your podcast on it.
The podcast industry is so big that there’s a big and very competitive market out there where it is getting harder and harder to get noticed. If you do not have your podcast on Apple Podcasts, it is as if you don’t exist!
When you first start your podcast, getting people to listen is hard work and requires time and effort. The best way to get started is by using Apple Podcasts as your main distribution point.
Although you can always host your website with your RSS feed, you need a website and some coding knowledge.
Putting your podcast on Apple Podcasts will give you access to millions of listeners and open up opportunities for monetisation without any coding skills or extra expenses on creating a website.
It will help you build an audience quickly and efficiently so that when you do launch your show on another platform, they will already be familiar with your content.
You will be sharing your content with millions of users that listen to podcasts daily on their iPhones, iPods, iPads, or MacBook.
Likewise, it also allows you to get discovered by other big podcasts in your niche, leading to opportunities like being interviewed or being a guest co-host.
The subsequent section will show you how to get started on Apple Podcasts step-by-step to take advantage of its large listener base right from day one!
There are several steps involved in getting your podcast up and ready to be listed on Apple Podcasts. It will take time, but it is worth it! Here is a step-by-step process that you can use to help.
Remember that you need to update your information regularly; otherwise, it may get lost in cyberspace.
If you follow these steps, your show should appear on Apple Podcasts within 24 hours after submitting your feed URL.
In one of our complete podcasting guides, we provided a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to get your show on several services, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify, among others.
We also talked about how to name your podcasts, getting the suitable interesting topics out, creating your podcast artwork, and many more. You should check it out.
Let’s dive right into it!
The first one is to set up an RSS feed for your show.
RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a file format used to distribute content across websites and applications like Apple Podcasts or Google Play Music.
Without an RSS feed, it would be incredibly difficult for anyone but hard-core fans who frequent your website every day to stay up-to-date with new episodes of your podcast.
Luckily, setting up an RSS feed isn’t too tricky.
Once you have an RSS feed in place, all you have to do is fill out some information about your podcast on Apple’s submission page and wait for approval from their team.
It typically takes less than 24 hours to get back to you once they receive your submission. Your podcast will be available on iTunes within two weeks!
Let's assume you have created your first episode and exported it to MP3 – MP3 is an audio format that you can listen to on any device that plays audio files. The next thing is to find a host for your podcast, establish your RSS feed, and proceed to learn how to upload on Apple.
We need a host. Finding a great place to host your audio is essential. You can start distributing your podcast through an RSS feed. We will touchpoint that later.
Luckily, we have the perfect hosting company for you - bCast!
bCast provides multiple hosting tiers, including a starter, growth, and legendary option. It is a tool that makes it incredibly easy to publish your podcast on Apple Podcasts.
The service takes care of all of the technical details for you, including setting up an RSS feed and submitting your podcast to Apple Podcasts.
It also provides analytics about your listeners to see what they’re listening to and when they stop listening.
If you want to start a professional-looking podcast but don’t have much time or technical expertise, bCast is worth checking out.
Sign up for an account on bCast and select which option works best for you.
Select the plan that works best for you from the three options above - add your first name, last name, email address, card number, expiry date, and CVV for payment ( this Includes a 14-day trial before billing begins).
When this is completed, proceed to create an account. After successful account creation, it takes you to a personal dashboard where you can upload your already recorded audio files.
Creating a podcast on bCast is pretty straightforward; you can either create one from your bCast account setting or import it from another directory. For this post, we will be picking the former option.
After clicking the “create a podcast” button, you will land on a screen where you can upload the following assets: a unique podcast name, the name of the author(s), and a podcast description. These are required for Apple Podcasts submission.
Apple uses the author field and podcast name or title field to search Apple Podcasts, so make sure you don't stuff your bCast information with so many keywords, or there is a chance that your podcast gets rejected.
On the right-hand side of the page, you will see the button to upload a podcast artwork. Provide a unique cover art for your listed Apple Podcasts account. Please note that this cover art must meet Apple Podcast’s requirements:
While entering your podcast information, don’t forget to pick the right primary category. Apple Podcasts splits its charts and directory into several categories. Apple uses your primary podcast category, so make sure it's the right one.
Moreover, inputting a secondary category will help you rank higher and gain new subscribers.
Once you are done filling in the text boxes, you can now save your podcast, and you can now go back to the main page to view it, just like the image below:
For the podcast to be "live", you must click the "Live" option on the podcast setting screen. And now we’re done creating a podcast; congratulations.
Next, click the podcast you just added and proceed to upload your first episode.
The next thing is to publish at least one episode with an Apple Podcasts (iTunes) supported file format. The first episode can be a trailer, a teaser to what listeners should look forward to, or even a full first episode with a guest if you can.
Side note: Apple Podcasts don’t host podcasts, so you need a hosting platform like bCast to upload your episodes.
You can add and edit your episodes on the episode tab within a podcast:
Here is how to add an episode to your podcast:
Get your podcast RSS feed by going to your podcast under "overview". Your podcast RSS feed includes all information about your show, cover arts, and audio files.
bCast will provide the RSS feed URL after inputting all of the required information above and at least an audio file.
Proceed to copy the RSS feed URL and save it somewhere to be used later.
The next step is to create an Apple ID. You need the Apple ID to submit your podcast to Apple Podcasts Connect. If you already have an Apple ID, proceed to sign in or sign up for a new account.
Go to Podcasts Connect, Apple's Podcast management area:
You can view and manage all the podcasts you've submitted there on Apple's Podcasts management area. The next step is to add your RSS feed to display in the podcast management area.
After submitting for review, you might have to wait for some hours or days for approval because these podcasts are reviewed by humans, hence the delay.
Be that as it may, you will get a notification via email after it has been approved. Typically, you should get approval notification in 72 hours, but it can take more than that sometimes.
If that is the case, please contact Apple Podcasts support for enquiries. Once your show has been approved, it will show on Podcasts apps on all Apple devices and Apple Podcasts website.
*Please note that there are sometimes delays with Apple Podcasts updating, which we cannot control. If you have subscribers on Apple Podcasts, they will get your latest podcast, but slight delays may appear on the platform.
There you have it... how to start a podcast on Apple Podcasts 🎤
Our team is always available to cater to your needs. Go through each step and follow them to the letter.
You can also email us at support@bcast.fm if you need support with Apple Podcasts and/or bCast.
