Directory FAQs

How long does it take for a directory to approve a podcast submission?
Each directory is completely different and works on its own timeline. Some, like Spotify, approve podcasts fairly quickly within just a couple of days. Others, like Apple Podcasts, can take up to 2 weeks to review and approve a new show. So you can expect the majority of directories to approve your podcast within 2 weeks of submission. 

Do I have to submit my feed every time I publish a new episode?
Nope! Once your podcast is approved through Apple, Spotify, or any other major directory, you won't need to submit any new episodes. Going forward all new episodes published in your Buzzsprout account will automatically be added to your listings.

How often do my listings update?
Directories, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, refresh their podcast listings several times throughout the day. So sometimes they will see new episodes or change to the feed quickly, and other times they can take several hours. It will all depend on when they check your feed for changes. You can typically expect to see a new episode or change show in your listing within 24 hours!

Where do I make changes for my listings?
All the information that populates in your podcast listings is pulled from your Buzzsprout account. So any info you want to change can be done in your Buzzsprout account. Most of the info you will want to change will be located either on your Podcast Info page or in the individual episode's details. 

How do I link my listings in my Buzzsprout account?
Most of the time, as soon as you are approved on a new listing we will automatically update your Directories page to show that you are listed. In some cases, we don't see the listing right away, so we give you the opportunity to add the listing yourself. 

When you are approved by a directory they will (most likely) email you directly to let you know. In that email, they will include your public listing URL. Once you get that URL, log into Buzzsprout and go to the Directories page. Then click into the directory and scroll down, you will see a field to add your listing URL manually. Paste the URL into your account there and then you will see that reflected on your Directories page and website!

My podcast was rejected by a directory, what can I do?
Email our support team! We can review your rejection message and podcast to try to locate the issue on our end. If we cannot find the problem, then we will give you contact info to reach out to the directory directly.

Why is my podcast not in the search results?
When you are listed in a directory you may not see your podcast when searching for it right away. Don't worry! It can take a couple of days after you are listed, for your podcast to show in the search results of that directory. If it doesn't show up after a week, shoot our support team an email.

Why am I not showing in all the podcasting apps?
Most of the major podcast apps pull their information from Apple Podcasts. So if you are listed on Apple Podcasts you can expect to show in other podcasting apps as well. But don't expect it to happen right away! It usually takes a week or so, for them to find your podcast and add it to their search. 

Why did my Spotify listing disappear?
Spotify has a tendency to accept podcasts very quickly and then upon second review notice missing information and deactivate the listing. Don't worry! Usually, fixing this is easy, by making a simple change on your Podcast Info page. 

We typically see that podcasters who run into this are missing an Artist, Description, Artwork, or Website Address. All you have to do is add in the missing info on your Podcast Info page and save it. Then Spotify will update your listing within a couple of hours!

Why can't I log into Podcast Connect?
Logging into Podcast Connect can be tricky and more often than not, you will see an error when first getting logged in. If you are having trouble getting logged into Podcast Connect, you may need to activate your Apple ID. This will help Podcast Connect to recognize your account. You can activate your Apple ID by logging into Apple Music with your Apple ID. This should force it to activate! Then, you can return to Podcast Connect and log in. If you do run into any issues, check out this article for more on how to fix that and access your account with Apple! 

Do I need an Apple ID and Apple Music account to submit a podcast?
Yes. Listing your podcast with Apple is free but you do have to have an Apple ID and you need to have billing information within your Apple account. You will also want to make sure your Apple ID is enabled so you don't run into any issues logging into Podcast Connect.

There isn’t a submission process for the New & Noteworthy section of Apple Podcasts, but there are some things you can do on your end to give yourself the best chance of landing on that page! This video will give you some great tips: How To Get Your Podcast into Apple's New and Noteworthy

How do I change my RSS feed in Apple Podcasts without losing subscribers?
Podcasts Connect has a step-by-step guide for updating your RSS feed URL within Apple. If you run into any questions during this process email us and we will help! 

If you have any other questions related to your listings email our support team at support@buzzsprout.com.