How can a podcast be distributed?
Once your podcast has been created, and you added a few episodes, you will want to make it known to the world. This is called podcast distribution.
Distribution through your website
As you are using Joomla and 4Podcast, distributing your podcast is as easy as publishing the menu item for your podcast category.
From there, Search Engines will find your podcast and index it. The structured data 4Podcast created for you will help them understand what your podcast is about, and how to present it in search results.
In addition, you should start sharing your podcast URL (your category page) on your social media channels, and with your audience in general.
All that's built-in and 4Podcast responsive audio player will ensure your visitors have an excellent listening experience, either on desktop or mobile.
Distribution through podcast platforms
But podcasts are a little bit different from regular web content because most people listen to podcasts through a podcast app, not through a web browser.
So you will want to make sure your podcast is also available through the most popular podcast apps, as this is where people will search for new podcasts.
That's usually a simple - and free of charge - process, where each platform has their own requirements. 4Podcast makes the grunt work, by providing you automatiicaly with an RSS feeds compatible with most if not all platforms.
You can find your podcast RSS feed URL in the podcast show custom fields configuration options.
Main distribution platforms
Here is a list of the most popular podcast platforms, with links to their submission process. That process varies from one platform to another, but is usually straightforward.
| Platform | Registration or documentation URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/ | Not the easiest if you don't use Apple already |
| Google Podcasts | https://podcastsmanager.google.com/ | Will take several days |
| Spotify | https://podcasts.spotify.com/ | Easy and fast |
| Amazon Music | https://podcasters.amazon.com/ | |
| Stitcher | https://www.stitcher.com/ | |
| Deezer | https://www.deezer.com/ | |
| iHeartRadio | https://www.iheart.com/ | |
| Podchaser | https://www.podchaser.com/ |
You will need in all cases:
- your podcast name
- a podcast description
- your podcast RSS feed URL
- a banner image (large and square, 1400x1400 pixels or more, jpg or png)
- a podcast category - from the iTunes category list
- a confirmed email address to receive notifications from the platform
Again the registration process varies from one platform to another, and may take from a few hours to several days.
Once your podcast has been accepted by a platform, it will be listed in their directory and available for search and discovery by their users.