How to Start a Spotify Podcast in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a podcast on Spotify is free and takes less than an hour. You can either host your show directly through Spotify for Creators or submit an existing podcast using your RSS feed URL. Here is exactly how to do both.

Quick Answer: How to Start a Spotify Podcast

There are three practical paths to get your podcast on Spotify. Which one you choose depends on where you are in the process.

Quick note on naming confusion: Spotify for Creators has gone through two name changes.

It was called Anchor until 2023, then Spotify for Podcasters, and is now Spotify for Creators. All three names refer to the same platform. If you see older guides referencing Anchor or Spotify for Podcasters, they are describing the same tool you will use today.

What You Need Before You Start a Spotify Podcast

Getting set up before you record saves a lot of backtracking. Most first-time podcasters underestimate how much the planning stage shapes everything that follows.

Equipment and Software

You do not need a professional studio. What you do need is a microphone that captures clean audio, headphones to monitor your recording, and a quiet space. Background noise is one of the most common reasons listeners drop off in the first two minutes.

For microphones, USB options like the Blue Yeti work well for beginners and plug directly into your computer. XLR microphones like the Shure SM7B offer better audio quality but require an audio interface, which adds cost and complexity early on.

For editing software, Audacity is free and handles most basic editing tasks. Adobe Audition and Descript are paid options with more features, including noise reduction and transcript-based editing.

In practice, most new podcasters start with a USB mic and Audacity, then upgrade once they know the show is going to stick.

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Podcast Planning Decisions

These decisions directly affect how discoverable and sustainable your podcast will be. Work through them before you record a single episode.

On show names specifically: a name that describes what the podcast is about tends to perform better in search than something abstract. "The Small Business Tax Podcast" will surface in more relevant searches than "Money Thoughts with Marcus."

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Should You Use Spotify for Creators or a Third-Party Host?

This is the first real decision point, and it trips up a lot of beginners because the answer is not obvious.

Spotify for Creators is Spotify's own free hosting platform. It is straightforward, costs nothing, and gets your podcast live on Spotify quickly. The limitation is that it is primarily built around Spotify's ecosystem. If you want your podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other directories at the same time, you will need to either use the RSS feed Spotify for Creators generates or consider a third-party host that distributes to multiple platforms by default.

According to TechCrunch, Spotify reached 777 million monthly active users in Q2 2026, making it one of the largest audio platforms in the world. For most new podcasters, that audience size makes Spotify a natural first choice.

If Spotify is your main or only target platform, Spotify for Creators is a reasonable starting point. If broader distribution matters from day one, a third-party host gives you more flexibility without locking you into one ecosystem.

How to Start a Spotify Podcast Using Spotify for Creators

This method is for anyone starting from scratch with no existing podcast host.

Step 1: How to Start a Spotify Podcast — Create Your Spotify for Creators Account

Go to creators.spotify.com and click "Get started." Log in with an existing Spotify account or create a new one. Once logged in, select "Create a new show."

Step 2: Set Up Your Show Details

Fill in your podcast name, a description, your creator name, category, and language. Your description should include terms your target audience would search for. Spotify uses this metadata to surface your show in relevant searches.

Step 3: Upload Your Cover Art

Upload a square image between 640 and 10,000 pixels wide. The recommended size is 3,000 x 3,000 pixels. Accepted formats are JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. Cover art that is blurry or incorrectly sized will be rejected at this stage, so check your file before uploading.

Step 4: Verify Your Email Address

Spotify will send a confirmation email to the address linked to your account. Click the confirmation link. This step is required before you can publish any episodes.

Step 5: Upload and Publish Your First Episode

Click "Publish an episode" and upload your recorded audio or video file. Supported audio formats are MP3, M4A, and WAV. Supported video formats are MP4 and MOV.

Fill in the episode title, a description, the episode type (full, trailer, or bonus), and any content guidance if the episode includes explicit material. Then choose to publish immediately or schedule for a later date.

Step 6: Optimize Your Episode for Discovery on Spotify

This step is easy to skip and worth not skipping. Your episode title should include your primary topic keyword within the first 60 characters. Your description should open with a direct summary of what the episode covers, include relevant keywords, and ideally include timestamps for longer episodes.

Spotify for Creators also lets you enable auto-generated transcripts and chapter markers. Both improve accessibility and give Spotify more content to index when surfacing your show.

How to Add an Existing Podcast to Spotify via RSS Feed

If your podcast is already hosted elsewhere, you do not need to re-upload everything. You submit your RSS feed URL and Spotify pulls your episodes automatically.

What Is an RSS Feed?

An RSS feed is a web link that your hosting platform generates and updates automatically every time you publish a new episode.

As noted in Wikipedia's overview of RSS, an RSS feed contains structured data about a publication's content, including titles, descriptions, and file links, that other platforms can read and display. When you submit this link to Spotify, it reads the feed and lists your show. Every new episode you publish to your host appears on Spotify without any additional action from you.

Step 1: Find Your RSS Feed URL

Log in to your podcast hosting platform and locate your RSS feed URL. Most hosts display it in your show settings or distribution dashboard. Copy the exact URL.

Step 2: Submit the RSS Feed to Spotify for Creators

Go to creators.spotify.com and click "Get started." Log in, then select "Find an existing show." On the hosting screen, choose "Somewhere else." Paste your RSS feed URL into the link field and click "Next."

Step 3: Verify Your Email Address

Spotify will send a verification code to the email address listed in your RSS feed. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours. Enter the code when it arrives.

Step 4: Complete Your Podcast Details and Submit

Fill in your podcast's country, language, hosting provider, and primary category. Review all details carefully before submitting, as some fields cannot be edited after submission. Click "Submit" to complete the process.

Spotify Podcast Technical Requirements in 2026

Getting your file specs right before upload saves time. Spotify rejects files that fall outside these requirements, and the error messages are not always clear about what went wrong.

What's often overlooked is the loudness target. Spotify normalizes audio playback, so if your episode is mastered significantly above or below -14 dB LUFS, Spotify adjusts it during playback. This can make your audio sound different from how you intended. Mastering to -14 dB LUFS from the start avoids that.

How Long Does It Take for a Podcast to Appear on Spotify?

If your podcast has not appeared after 24 hours following an RSS submission, check that your feed contains all required metadata and that your email was verified successfully.

Common Upload Issues and How to Fix Them

Most upload problems come down to a handful of recurring causes. Here is what to check first.

Episode Stuck During Upload

Check that your file is in a supported format (MP3, M4A, or WAV for audio; MP4 or MOV for video) and that the file plays correctly on your device before uploading. If the file is valid, try a different browser or clear your cache and attempt the upload again.

RSS Feed Submission Error

Your RSS feed must contain your podcast title, cover art, and at least one episode with a URL and description. If any of these are missing, Spotify will reject the feed. Check your hosting platform's feed validator tool if one is available.

Incorrect Cover Art Size

Spotify accepts cover art between 640 and 10,000 pixels wide and tall. If your image falls outside this range or is not square, resize it before re-uploading. A 3,000 x 3,000 pixel image works across all podcast directories.

Locked Feed Error

Some hosting platforms lock RSS feeds to prevent unauthorized transfers. If you see a locked feed error, log in to your host and disable the feed lock in your settings. Contact your host's support team if you cannot find the option.

Duplicate Podcast Listings

This usually happens during a host migration. Do not delete the old listing yourself, as you may lose subscribers attached to it. Set up a 301 redirect from your old RSS feed to the new one, then contact Spotify support to merge or remove the duplicate.

Verification Email Not Received

The verification email can take up to 24 hours. Check your spam folder first. If it has not arrived after 24 hours, confirm that the email address in your RSS feed or Spotify account is correct, then request a resend through Spotify for Creators.

How to Monetize Your Spotify Podcast

Monetization on Spotify is tied to specific eligibility thresholds. Publishing your podcast does not automatically generate income. You need to meet the minimum criteria for whichever program you want to join.

Spotify's eligibility thresholds have changed before and may change again. Check the current requirements directly in your Spotify for Creators dashboard before applying to any program.

What's realistic for most new podcasters: the Spotify Partner Program threshold of 10,000 consumption hours in 30 days is substantial. Most podcasters reach monetization eligibility after several months of consistent publishing and promotion, not immediately after launch.

Podcast monetization on Spotify rewards volume and consistency above everything else.

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How to Grow and Promote Your Podcast on Spotify

Getting your podcast live is the straightforward part. Growing an audience takes longer and requires consistency more than any single tactic.

A few approaches that tend to work:

Use relevant keywords in your podcast title and episode descriptions. Spotify's search function indexes both, so descriptive language helps new listeners find your show.

Share your Spotify podcast link directly with your existing audience through email, social media, or a website. Early listeners who subscribe and rate your show help signal quality to the platform.

Clip short segments from episodes and post them on social media. A 60-second clip that captures a useful or interesting moment tends to perform better than a general "new episode out" post.

End each episode by asking listeners to subscribe and leave a rating. It sounds basic. It still works.

Respond to listener comments and run polls in Spotify for Creators. Engagement signals matter for discoverability, and listeners who feel heard tend to stay subscribed longer.

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Conclusion

To start a Spotify podcast, create a free Spotify for Creators account, set up your show details, and publish your first episode. If you already have a podcast elsewhere, submit your RSS feed URL instead. Both routes are free and take less than an hour to complete.

Questions fréquemment posées

How to Start a Spotify Podcast for Free: Is It Possible?

Yes. Spotify for Creators is free to use for hosting and distributing episodes. Optional costs like microphone equipment or editing software are separate from Spotify's platform and depend on what you already have.

What is the difference between Anchor, Spotify for Podcasters, and Spotify for Creators?

They are the same platform. Anchor was rebranded to Spotify for Podcasters in 2023 and later renamed Spotify for Creators. Any guide referencing the older names is describing the same tool.

Do I need a separate podcast host to publish on Spotify?

No. Spotify for Creators handles hosting at no cost. A third-party host is useful if you want to distribute your podcast to multiple directories simultaneously from one place.

Can I upload a video podcast to Spotify?

Yes. Spotify accepts MP4 and MOV video files up to 60 GB per episode. The recommended resolution is 1080p with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Does Spotify pay podcasters?

Yes, through the Subscriptions program and the Spotify Partner Program, but both have eligibility thresholds. Income is not automatic and depends on listener volume and which program you qualify for.