Starting & Growing a Podcast on Spotify

As of 2022, there are more than four million podcasts on Spotify, according to the company itself, along with 10s of millions of listeners (Podnews 2022). Furthermore, Spotify is very much on an upward trajectory.

As a podcast publication platform, we at ZenCast understand what it takes to start and maintain an effective podcast. If you’re interested in launching your own Spotify podcast, you’ve come to the right place.

Today we’ll discuss the steps involved in starting a podcast on Spotify, the benefits it offers, and what else you should know about uploading and promoting your podcast. Let’s go!

Pre-production and production

Once you’ve fully developed the concept for your podcast, you can move on to the pre-production phase. This involves working on the scripts for your first podcasts. You’ll also need to determine what format you want to use.

Here are some of the most popular podcast formats:

  • Solo commentary.
  • Group discussion.
  • One-on-one interview.
  • Storytelling.
  • Combination of formats.

Of course, if you want guests on, you’ll need to secure these guests in advance and have back-ups if applicable. As for producing your podcast, you’ll need the necessary equipment and software for recording and editing each episode.

Here is what a podcaster generally needs:

  • Computer/laptop.
  • Software to record podcasts.
  • Decent quality USB microphone with a connection for your laptop.
  • Pop filter for your microphone(s).
  • Podcasting headphones.
  • Memory storage devices for backing up files (e.g., hard drives and SD cards).
  • Audio editing software.

Popular examples of podcast recording software include Adobe Audition, Restream, GarageBand, Audacity, and Logic Pro.

Additional tech that you may wish to use:

  • Mixer or/and audio interface.
  • Shock mount.
  • Microphone stand(s).

It’s also worth preparing three initial podcasts before you begin so that you can release them simultaneously. This approach can encourage more people to check out your podcasts, increase the number of total downloads of your show, and, in turn, increase subscriptions for your podcast.

Launching a Spotify Podcast with ZenCast

You may not be aware, but Spotify does not host podcasts directly. Instead, you need to upload your podcasts to a platform such as ZenCast. A podcast platform or aggregator can let users distribute their podcasts directly to an array of sites, including Spotify.

ZenCast, like other aggregators, can provide Spotify with an RSS feed link, which, in turn, makes your podcast available on Spotify.

How to create your own podcast on Spotify using ZenCast:

  1. Sign up to ZenCast with your email address. It takes just two minutes, and you don’t need a credit card to sign up either!
  2. Make sure your podcast meets the rules and regulations of Spotify.
  3. Upload your podcasts directly to ZenCast. Here, you can fill out the relevant details, such as its title and description.
  4. Go to distribution and choose where you would like to add your podcast. The options include Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and Google Podcasts.

What else does ZenCast offer?

Our service comes with an array of features and benefits related to podcast publication and distribution.

Here are some examples of our features and advantages:

  • Our service has no storage or download limits.
  • We maintain a compliant RSS feed which ensures you won’t lose subscribers due to a malformatted RSS feed.
  • ZenCast features a customizable podcast player that is designed to increase your subscriptions.
  • You can use our service to monitor the ratings and reviews of your podcast. This covers more than 150 regional podcast directories.
  • No ads inserted in or around your podcast.
  • You can publish and distribute to a private audience if you like.

We also provide website hosting for your podcast at no additional cost. If you avail of this option, your website will update automatically with every new episode you publish to ZenCast. Another advantage of creating a website with ZenCast is that we’ll ensure it is SEO-optimized. Beyond that, you can customize both the website and its domain.

Maintaining and growing a Spotify podcast

Once you’ve started, your goal is to maintain and grow your podcast. Obviously, running a website for your podcast (which, as we mentioned, is a service we offer) is one way of increasing your reach. However, there are many other approaches worth considering.

How to grow your podcast:

  • Create social media pages for your Spotify podcast and share links via posts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
  • Consider converting your audio to a video to add to a YouTube channel.
  • Transcribe the audio for each episode.
  • Use giveaway contests once in a while.
  • Leverage the audience of your guests on occasion.

Growing a podcast is just one part of the equation. You also need to ensure you keep your growing audience interested.

Our top tips for audience retention:

  • Ask your listeners to submit their own ideas.
  • Pose questions to the audience.
  • Avoid being overly repetitive.
  • Collaborate with other podcasters.
  • Make sure you spend time getting to know your audience.

Advantages of Spotify

Why is Spotify so popular? There are tons of reasons why millions of podcasters choose Spotify. Let’s explore the key advantages.

Here are some of the benefits of Spotify:

  • Wide Reach - Spotify is a fantastic choice if you want to maximize your potential reach. In fact, there are an estimated 300 million Spotify listeners worldwide, covering more than ninety markets.
  • Suitable for a Whole Host of Devices - Spotify works on many devices (i.e., laptops/PCs, phones, tablets, video gaming consoles, smart TVs, and so forth).
  • Use of Playlists - Listing your content in playlists is a great way of categorizing episodes of your podcast and making it easier for different audiences to reach your show.

Of course, with these advantages stated, it may be worth your while publishing your podcasts on a range of platforms. After all, this may increase your overall audience to a certain degree, even if you choose to primarily focus on Spotify.

If you’d like, you can distribute your podcast on up to twelve podcast platforms using ZenCast.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve explored how you can launch your podcast on Spotify as well as what steps you should take to grow and maintain your podcast.