Podcast Directories: The Best Places to Submit Your Show

At a Glance

• The best podcast directories to submit your show to are Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for maximum reach. Submitting to them costs nothing.

• Apple Podcasts approval cascades automatically into a dozen-plus other listening apps.

• YouTube now leads weekly podcast consumption ahead of Spotify and Apple.

• Niche social apps like Podyssey and PodRoom build audiences through community engagement rather than traditional submission.

Every podcast host claims to push your episodes everywhere, but relying solely on automated syndication leaves massive listener growth on the table.

While platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts capture the lion's share of downloads, a high-growth distribution strategy requires getting your show indexed across specialized search engines, smart home ecosystems, and niche app directories where dedicated audio fans hang out.

Submitting your podcast feed to directories is completely free, yet the submission requirements, cover art specs, and approval timelines vary wildly across platforms.

Whether you are launching a brand-new show or optimizing distribution for an established feed, this guide breaks down the top podcast directories, how to navigate their submission processes, and where to list your show to maximize reach.

Our Top Recommendations

New podcast directories launch constantly, and there are hundreds to choose from. Submitting to all of them isn't realistic, so the ten below are the ones worth prioritizing: real listener numbers, plus a few, like YouTube and Amazon Music, that work differently enough to earn their own spot.

Each entry covers what actually sets that platform apart, along with the specific steps to get your show listed, so you can move through submission mechanics platform by platform instead of guessing.

Spotify

Spotify is the app most listeners already have open for music, which makes it one of the more natural on-ramps for turning an existing audience into podcast listeners.

It holds around 27% of listening share by downloads, second behind Apple Podcasts, and its podcast catalog has grown past 7 million titles. What separates Spotify from a plain listening directory is video.

You can publish a video version of an episode alongside the audio feed, and Spotify shows both formats inside the same player, something most of the other directories on this list don't offer.

To get listed, connect through Spotify for Creators, the platform's rebrand of Spotify for Podcasters. Paste in your RSS feed and Spotify pulls your existing episodes in automatically, with new ones added each time you publish.

If you're just launching, know that Spotify typically wants at least one published episode already live before it will accept a new feed, so it's rarely the first submission on a launch checklist.

Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)

Apple Podcasts is the one directory worth prioritizing above the rest, mainly because of what happens after you're accepted.

Once your feed is approved, it cascades into a long list of other podcast apps that pull from Apple's directory by default, including Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Castbox, and Podcast Republic, among others. A single approval here effectively gets you listed on a dozen-plus apps at once, which is why most hosting guides tell you to submit here first.

It currently holds around 36.5% of listening share by downloads, just ahead of Spotify, with a catalog of over 2.6 million shows.

To submit, you'll need an Apple ID and access to Apple Podcasts Connect. Add your RSS feed, fill in your show details, and submit for review. Approval timelines vary. Some shows clear in a few hours, others take a couple of days, so it's worth getting this one in early and letting it process while you work through the rest of the list.

YouTube

YouTube has become the platform where most podcast listeners actually spend their time. According to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026, it now leads US weekly podcast consumption at around 39%, ahead of both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

This matters for where you prioritize your submission time. If your show only exists as audio, you're still competing for attention on a platform whose biggest advantage is video.

Getting listed doesn't require a video version, though. Through YouTube Studio, you can submit your existing RSS feed directly, and YouTube will publish new episodes automatically using your show's cover art as a static image.

If you do have video, you can instead set an existing playlist as your podcast, or build episodes natively inside Studio. For more on how to think through that decision, we've covered the full process here.

Amazon Music

Amazon Music's strength is the audience it already has for long-form audio. Since folding a monthly Audible audiobook allowance into Music Unlimited, Amazon has reported podcast listenership growing by 42% on the platform, largely from listeners who came for audiobooks and stayed for podcasts.

It's also the default podcast experience on Alexa devices, which puts your show in front of listeners who mostly tune in through smart speakers instead of a phone app.

Listening doesn't require an Amazon Prime or Audible subscription, which keeps the audience broader than the audiobook branding suggests. If your show has been publishing for a while, there's a good chance it's already indexed automatically.

To confirm or claim it, go to podcasters.amazon.com and select "Add or Claim Your Podcast." Sign in with your Amazon account, add your RSS feed, and Amazon takes it from there.

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts stands out for two things most directories on this list don't offer: real curation and support for non-public feeds.

Its Discover section is hand-picked by an editorial team rather than algorithm-driven, and if you want to be considered for a featured spot, you can pitch your show directly to curation@pocketcasts.com once you have at least one full episode and a trailer live.

It's also one of the few places here built to handle private, paid, or members-only feeds, similar to what shows running ad-free tiers through NPR Plus or Wondery+ use.

Submission is manual and always has been. Pocket Casts stopped pulling new listings from Apple's directory automatically, so getting listed here isn't something an Apple submission takes care of for you.

Head to pocketcasts.com/submit, paste in your RSS feed, mark it public, and submit. It can take a little while to show up in search afterward, so don't worry if it's not immediate.

iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio's edge comes from what's attached to it: it's the largest radio broadcaster in the US, and shows picked up for cross-promotion can get featured directly on-air or worked into iHeartRadio's curated podcast collections, a kind of discovery no purely digital directory on this list can offer.

It also reports over 150 million registered users, though that figure covers the full app across radio, music, and podcasts rather than podcast listeners specifically.

Submission is limited to shows based in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, and the platform won't process submissions from outside those regions. To submit, head to podcasters.iheart.com, create an account, and paste in your RSS feed.

You'll need complete show metadata and square cover art at least 1400×1400 pixels. Many hosting platforms have a direct integration that submits on your behalf, so it's worth checking your distribution settings before doing this manually.

Podchaser

Podchaser works less like a listening app and more like a reference database people in podcasting use to check each other out. Its catalog now covers over 6 million shows, and its Creator Credits feature links hosts, guests, and crew across more than 32 million appearances, similar to how IMDb credits actors across films.

That credit graph is why bookers and PR teams check Podchaser before agreeing to put someone on a show: if a guest or host has a public track record, it shows up here.

Your show is likely already listed, since Podchaser pulls new podcasts in automatically from RSS feeds. What you actually want to do is claim it. Search for your podcast on podchaser.com, and if it's there, select "Claim a Podcast" to verify ownership.

Claiming is free and gives you the ability to respond to reviews, add creator credits for hosts and guests, and link out to your other platforms. Audience demographics, reach estimates, and contact data for pitching sit behind Podchaser Pro, but the free claim covers what most independent shows need.

Castbox

Castbox leans harder into monetization and social listening than most directories on this list. Its Creator Studio includes built-in tools for running ads and offering premium, paid episodes directly through the platform, on top of listener-facing features like comments and sharing on individual episodes, something closer to a social feed than a typical podcast app.

The catalog has grown to more than 259 million volumes of audio content, and it's available across Android, iOS, Alexa, Google Home, CarPlay, and Android Auto, so device reach stays broad even where overall user share is smaller than the top players.

Claiming works the same way it does on Podchaser: check Creator Studio to see if your show is already listed, and if it isn't, claiming it adds it automatically, no separate submission required first.

Shows with at least 1,000 subscribers on Castbox and three published episodes can also apply to be featured in the app's banner or Editors' Picks, though only a portion of applicants get selected for feature spots.

Listen Notes

Listen Notes works the way a search engine does rather than the way a directory does. It crawls the open web continuously to find podcasts, similar to how Google finds websites, on top of manual submissions and direct feeds from partner hosting platforms, which is why its catalog runs deep into niche and long-tail shows most directories miss.

It currently indexes over 3 million podcasts and 180 million episodes, and its API powers search and metadata for thousands of other podcast apps, so getting into its database can mean showing up inside tools you never directly submitted to.

For listeners, the standout feature is Listen Later, a save-for-later playlist built around individual episodes rather than whole shows, closer to Instapaper or Pocket than a typical podcast app. To get your show listed, submit your RSS feed directly at listennotes.com/submit.

Submissions are reviewed manually to filter out fake or AI-generated feeds, but real shows are typically added quickly, since the team processes hundreds of new submissions a day.

Player FM

Player FM's discovery model leans human over algorithmic, organizing its catalog into editorially curated topic guides like best tech podcasts or best true crime shows, built by people rather than generated automatically.

That's a real advantage for a new or niche show trying to get discovered by topic rather than by chart position. The catalog runs past 20 million episodes, and it's especially strong on Android, with deep integration into Android Auto, Wear OS, and Chromecast alongside its iOS and web apps.

To get listed, submit your RSS feed or Apple Podcasts link through Settings > Import OPML/RSS in the app, or add it directly at player.fm/add. You'll need to create a free account first, since Player FM fetches your feed on an ongoing basis and may need to reach you over technical or copyright issues.

If your host is Buzzsprout or Libsyn, check your dashboard first. Both offer one-click submission to Player FM without needing to do this manually.

Podcast Addict

Podcast Addict is the most-used podcast app on Android, with over 10 million downloads and a user base that skews more technical and customization-minded than most.

It goes further than most listening apps with power-user tools: timestamped bookmarks for saving specific moments in an episode, alarms that auto-play a show, and built-in live radio streaming running alongside regular episodes.

You likely don't need to submit manually. Podcast Addict indexes automatically from Apple Podcasts, Podcast Index, and other directories, usually within 24 to 48 hours of your Apple Podcasts listing going live.

To check, search for your show inside the app. If it's not there yet, open the app, tap the plus icon, select RSS feed, and paste in your feed URL directly. You can also request indexing through the contact form at podcastaddict.com if the automatic route doesn't pick it up.

Podyssey

Podyssey works like Goodreads for podcasts. People build a public profile, follow other listeners and tastemakers, and see recommendations driven by their own network instead of a chart or an algorithm.

You can browse curated playlists built around themes, like best true crime episodes or great interviews, and see individual episode recommendations from people you follow, often with a note on the specific moment worth hearing.

Getting found here isn't really a submission process in the RSS sense, since your show is generally already searchable once it exists.

The real work is verifying your account through Podyssey's creator form, then showing up inside the community: recommend a handful of your own episodes with context that isn't already in your show notes, encourage listeners to recommend episodes themselves, and consider hosting an AMA or listener Q&A.

Constant self-promotion is discouraged in the community, so the more effective approach is showing up as a genuine listener too, recommending other shows alongside your own.

PodRoom

PodRoom's entire premise is real-time reaction. Every episode gets its own chatroom, where listeners can talk through what they're hearing as it plays or afterward. The platform also supports video podcasts and lets listeners send donations directly to creators, alongside curated snippets that surface new shows to try.

This is a small, independent platform compared to the rest of this list, and that's part of the appeal for creators looking for a more engaged, if smaller, audience. To get started, download the app, search for your show, and claim it from within the app to open a chatroom, respond to listeners, and manage your episodes.

Since the team behind it is a small operation, reaching out directly through support@podroom.live is a reasonable step if your show isn't showing up or you run into trouble claiming it.

FAQs

Submitting to a podcast directory is straightforward once you've done it a few times. However, questions around cost, sequencing, approval timelines, and number of submissions often confuse new creators. 

The answers below cover what many podcasters ask before or during their first submission round.

Do I have to pay to submit my podcast to directories?

No. Submitting a podcast to directories is free everywhere on this list, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Your only real cost is podcast hosting, which generates the RSS feed these platforms pull from.

Some platforms offer optional paid tiers on top of free listing, like Podchaser Pro's analytics or Castbox's premium episode tools, but none of those are required to get discovered. A service asking for payment just to appear in search results is worth treating with suspicion.

Which podcast directory should I submit to first?

Apple Podcasts, submitted before anything else. Getting approved there cascades your show into more than a dozen other apps that pull automatically from Apple's directory, including Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, and Podcast Republic, so one approval covers most of the ecosystem at once.

Submit to Spotify after, since the two together account for most podcast listening by downloads. YouTube is worth prioritizing early, given it now leads weekly consumption. Everything else on this list can follow once those three are live.

How long does it take to get approved on podcast directories?

Timelines vary by platform. Apple Podcasts can approve a show in a few hours or a couple of days, depending on review volume. Spotify usually takes up to five days and wants at least one published episode live before accepting a new feed.

Directories that index automatically, like Podcast Addict or Podchaser, often pick up a new show within 24 to 48 hours of it appearing on Apple Podcasts. Build in a week of buffer before launch.

Do I need to submit my podcast to every directory on this list?

No, and trying to hit every directory isn't the best use of your time. Prioritize Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube first, since together they cover most listening and Apple's approval cascades into many smaller apps automatically. From there, added value depends on your audience.

Amazon Music and iHeartRadio matter more for smart speaker or radio crossover listeners, while Podchaser and Listen Notes matter more for discoverability than raw downloads. Beyond the first three, choose directories based on where your specific audience already spends their time.

Summing Up

When it comes down to it, your idea of the best podcast directories might change depending on your audience. Certain audiences might be prone to using one platform more than another, yet it doesn’t hurt to share your podcast everywhere you can.

Submitting your podcast to these directories will significantly enhance its visibility and help attract a larger audience. Nothing bad can come from it, so we advise getting your podcast onto at least the top directories.