Module 5: Publishing and distribution

Choosing a podcast host

You don't upload MP3s directly to Apple or Spotify — you upload to a podcast host, which generates your RSS feed, and the directories pull from that feed. The host is the permanent home of your show. Free-or-cheap options: Spotify for Creators (free, unlimited — the simplest start), Buzzsprout (free tier with limits, paid from ~$12/month), Podbean (free tier available). All generate the RSS feed automatically and one-click-submit to the major directories.

Upload your first three episodes before submitting to directories. Directories review submissions — Apple Podcasts review takes 1–5 days — and having three episodes live means new listeners who discover you during launch week find a real show, not a single episode and a promise.

When you're ready to grow beyond free tiers, the paid features worth paying for are dynamic ad insertion (lets you add or swap promos in old episodes — useful once you have a back catalog) and better analytics (geographic data, device breakdowns). Until then, free is genuinely fine. The host decision that actually matters long-term is your RSS feed URL — keep it on a custom domain you control if possible, so you're never locked to one company's platform.

Writing titles and descriptions that get clicked

Show notes (the description) do three jobs: convince the browser to press play (first two sentences — this is what shows in listings), help search engines find the episode (a 100–200 word summary with natural keywords), and capture the listener (links: your website, the guest's links, resources mentioned, your email signup). Write them per episode, not as an afterthought — they're the hardest-working text in podcasting.

Your show-level description follows the same formula: who it's for, what they'll get, how often, who you are (one credibility line). Under 500 characters, plain language. This description appears in every directory next to your cover art — it's your show's storefront window.

Update old episode titles and descriptions quarterly. As your show finds its voice, early episodes often have weak titles that undersell great content — a 20-minute rewrite can double an old episode's discovery. Also add timestamps to show notes for episodes over 25 minutes; listeners use them to navigate, and directories are starting to surface them in search. Small maintenance, compounding returns.

Launch week, done right

Launch week goal: as many listens and ratings in week one as possible, because directories notice velocity. The checklist: (1) email your list — "my podcast is live, here are the first three episodes"; (2) post everywhere you're present, personally, not just a link drop — tell the story of why you started it; (3) ask directly for ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts in the first 48 hours — message 20 friends individually, not a mass blast; (4) if you did interviews, every guest promotes their episode to their audience — this is why Module 1's hybrid format pays off.

Plan your second month during launch week, not after it. The post-launch dip is real — adrenaline fades, and the temptation to "take a week off" is strongest right when consistency matters most. Have episodes 4, 5, and 6 already recorded before launch day. Launch week is a sprint; month two is where shows are actually built. The shows that survive year one treat launch as the starting line, not the finish line.