How to Start a Podcast on Spotify: Upload Guide 2026
Getting a podcast onto Spotify is a distribution task, not a creative one. By the time you’re publishing to Spotify, the episode should already be edited, titled, and packaged. What’s left is a workflow of file preparation, hosting setup, RSS submission, and QA — a process that most people only run once and have to figure out from scratch the first time.
This guide covers the distribution workflow for Spotify specifically and points to what you need to verify from Spotify’s current documentation, since platform requirements change.
Who This Guide Is For
Independent podcasters, freelancers, small teams, and creators who have recorded at least one episode and want to publish it to Spotify. If you’re still at the planning stage, this guide is premature — distribution decisions follow production decisions, not the other way around.
If you’re already on Spotify, this guide is useful if you’re adding a new show, switching podcast hosts, or troubleshooting why episodes aren’t appearing.
Before You Touch Spotify: Prepare Your Assets
Audio File Requirements
Spotify accepts audio through an RSS feed, which means your podcast host delivers the file — Spotify doesn’t host the audio directly. Your hosting platform handles the actual file. That said, quality matters: record and export at a minimum of 128 kbps MP3 or AAC. Higher quality (192 kbps or 256 kbps) is recommended for shows where audio fidelity matters.
Edit your audio before submitting. Basic editing includes removing long silences, reducing background noise, leveling volume, and adding intro/outro if you use them. AI audio editing tools can assist with noise removal and loudness normalization, but human review before export is still necessary.
Artwork
Spotify requires podcast cover art at specific dimensions — check the current requirements at Spotify for Podcasters or Spotify Creators. At the time of writing, the standard requirement is a square image (typically 3000×3000 pixels) in JPEG or PNG format. Artwork that doesn’t meet specs will be rejected during submission.
Show Metadata
Before submitting your RSS feed, prepare: show title, show description (up to several thousand characters), episode title, episode description, category and subcategory, language setting, and explicit content designation. Get these right before submission — fixing metadata after launch requires an RSS feed update and re-verification.
Rights and Clearance
Verify that you have the rights to all music, sound effects, and third-party clips in your episodes before distributing to Spotify. Spotify’s content policies prohibit uploading material you don’t own or have licensed. If you use royalty-free or Creative Commons music, check whether the specific license permits commercial use and attribution requirements.
Choose Your Publishing Route
There are two paths to getting on Spotify:
Route 1 — Podcast hosting platform (recommended): Use a podcast host like Buzzsprout, Transistor, Podbean, Anchor (now Spotify for Podcasters), RSS.com, Captivate, or similar. Your host generates an RSS feed and typically offers a one-click Spotify submission. This is the simplest approach and the one that handles distribution to other platforms simultaneously.
Route 2 — Direct RSS submission: If you’re hosting your own audio and managing your RSS feed (for example, on a WordPress site with a podcast plugin), you can submit the RSS feed URL directly to Spotify for Podcasters. This requires more technical setup but gives you full control over your feed.
Most independent podcasters and small teams use a podcast hosting platform. The monthly cost is typically $5–20 depending on storage and features. Verify current pricing and whether a free tier is available for your volume from each platform directly.
Submitting to Spotify
Go to podcasters.spotify.com (or creators.spotify.com — Spotify has rebranded and merged their creator tools, so verify the current entry point). Sign in with a Spotify account, enter your RSS feed URL, and follow the submission steps.
Spotify reviews new podcast submissions before they go live. Review time has historically been one to seven days, though this varies. Do not submit and immediately announce your Spotify launch — wait for confirmation that the show is live before promoting the link.
Once approved, new episodes published to your RSS feed will appear on Spotify automatically within hours, not days. You don’t resubmit each episode.
After Submission: QA Checklist
- Confirm the show listing appears with the correct title and artwork
- Check that episode titles and descriptions match your RSS feed
- Verify playback works on both mobile and desktop Spotify clients
- Check that the category and language are displayed correctly
- Test the Spotify share link before distributing it publicly
Common Problems
- RSS feed not accepted: Validate your feed at a tool like Cast Feed Validator before submission
- Artwork rejected: Check current Spotify image size and format requirements — they’ve changed historically
- Episodes delayed after submission: Spotify refreshes RSS feeds periodically; new episodes may take several hours to appear
- Show not found on search: New shows may not appear in Spotify search for several days after approval
For show promotion and content repurposing workflows, see our coverage of Spotify Podcast Clips for sharing podcast content across other channels.
Source: Riverside — How to Start a Podcast on Spotify, used as a research reference. Riverside is a video and podcast recording tool vendor. Verify current submission requirements, artwork specifications, RSS feed requirements, and review timelines directly at Spotify for Podcasters and Spotify Support before submitting — platform requirements change.