Distributing Your Podcast to Apple Podcasts

Learn how to distribute your podcast to one of the largest listening platforms!

Apple Podcasts is one of the more popular podcast players in the world. Be sure to take advantage of this audience and set up your distribution with them!

Before we begin, make sure you have an active Apple ID and at least one (1) published episode in your RSS Feed.

Follow this link to sign up for an Apple ID. If you own an Apple product, then you more than likely have an Apple ID already.

Setting Up Distribution
Already Distributing
Common Errors

Setting Up Distribution

We’ve compiled a list of step-by-step instructions to help you distribute your show to Apple Podcasts:

1. Sign in to Apple Podcasts Connect.
2. You’ll be prompted to set up an Apple Podcasts Connect account if you haven’t done so yet. Simply click Get Started and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Once you’re on the Apple Podcasts Connect dashboard, click the plus sign (+) button next to “Podcasts” and select New Show. (You also may see a purple Add Show button on the homepage.)
4. Select the Add a show with an RSS Feed option from the pop-up and click the Next button.
   
   
5. Copy your RedCircle RSS Feed URL into the text field and click the Add button.
   
   
6. You’re then taken to the “Show Information” page. Enter all appropriate information and click the Save button near the top right of the screen to save all changes.
7. You should see on the “Show Information” page that your show is in a Draft state (this does NOT mean that your show has been approved by Apple. It may take a few days for Apple to process and approve your show.)
8. After waiting, check your Apple Podcasts Connect account and look for the Publish button near the top-right area of the page. This means that your show is ready to be published on their platform!
9. Review your “Show Details” and click the Save button before clicking the Publish button.
10. Your RSS Feed will be validated before being sent to Apple. 

That’s it! Apple typically takes a few days to review and list your podcast. You can then add your Apple Podcasts distribution link to RedCircle’s Distribution Page. 

To do so, search for your show in the Apple Podcasts app, click the 3 dots (...) next to your show’s name, and click on Copy Link. From there, simply paste the link into the Apple Podcasts section on the Distribution Page and click the confirm button:

Already Distributing

If you moved your podcast over from another hosting platform, then Apple Podcasts should automatically update to your new RSS Feed. Visit the RedCircle Distribution page and paste in your show’s link from Apple Podcasts in the provided text field:

Common Errors

While we genuinely hope there are no issues when setting up distribution, sometimes hiccups can occur along the way. Here are some of the more common issues and how to go about resolving them.

Authorization Code Required

Apple may require you to add a “six-digit authorization code” to your RSS Feed. This can be done by entering the code to the copyright field in your Podcast Settings. See this Help article for information on how to edit your Podcast Settings.

Can’t Read Your RSS Feed

This error can happen for one of two reasons:

• You haven’t uploaded and published your first episode yet. Apple requires at least one (1) episode to exist on your Feed before a podcast can be registered.
• You pasted an incorrect or partial RSS Feed URL in the provided text field. Double-check that you copied and pasted the full URL. It should look like https://feeds.redcircle.com/a-bunch-of-letters-and-numbers

Podcast Artwork Error Message

If you see the following error, then your artwork may not be in the required format:

Error: Podcast artwork must be between 1400 x 1400 and 3000 x 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG, in RGB color space, and hosted on a server that allows HTTP head requests.

If you imported your podcast from another host, then RedCircle may also import images that don’t meet Apple’s requirements. Podcast artwork must be at least 1400x1400 and less than 3000x3000. You may have to go back and edit the artwork, both show and episode artwork, to ensure they’re compliant.