How to Submit a Podcast to Google Play (Google Podcasts)?

According to statistics, Android is the leading mobile operating system in the world. This means that if you don't list your podcast on Google, you might be losing your potential audience from Android users. We've created this step-by-step guide to help you submit a podcast to Google Play (Google Podcasts).

What Is "Google Podcasts"?

Initially developed for Android devices, Google Podcasts is a multifunctional podcast application. Today, the app supports not only Android but also iOS, macOS, Windows and Chrome OS.

The Benefits of Google Podcasts

Google Podcasts Manager enables the creators to discover their audience's listening habits. What does this mean? The detailed statistics upon each episode let the authors learn about the parts of their podcast their listeners tend to drop off.

Moreover, the built-in automated tools will help to find out whether a podcast is well-recognized by Google Search or not. When looking for a specific podcast via Google Search Engine, it is possible to play the latest episodes directly in the browser.

Once a podcast is added to Google Play, it becomes accessible via Google Home and Google Assistant.

How Does Google Podcasts Operate?

Google crawlers are in constant search for new material. Thus, even if podcasters don't tell Google about their new show, the search engine can quickly discover when a new one appears on the web. If a podcaster chooses not to add their podcast manually, it may take more time until the crawlers can finally detect it. When a new podcast is finally found, the algorithm creates an entry for it in Google Podcasts. As a result, the show becomes available to millions of users.

If all the benefits sound appealing to you, then don't hesitate to check the following easy-peasy steps for adding a podcast to Google Play.

How to Submit a Podcast to Google Play?

Google Podcasts differs from other podcast listening platforms. That is why before continuing with the submission, it is necessary to get acquainted with the platform's policies.

First Step: Submit Your RSS

Go to Google Podcasts Manager.

Submitting your podcast's publicly accessible RSS feed URL will boost the indexing process. As a rule, the indexing can take from a few hours to a few days.

Note: To avoid possible rejections, make sure your show has at least one episode and the following tags:

<title>

<itunes:author>

<itunes:email>

Second Step: Confirm Your Selection

When the search engine finds a podcast, you'll need to confirm whether it is yours or not. You'll get a note with instructions if anything is missing from your RSS feed. Briefly review your episodes and proceed to the next stage if everything is OK.

Third Step: Ownership Verification

Check the email address of your RSS feed. Here you will find a verification code sent by Google. You'll need to copy and paste it to confirm ownership.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? Once you're done, make sure your podcast appears in Google's podcast indexing. The process may take from 24 hours to a few days, so don't worry.

How to Listen to a Podcast via Google Home?

Now that you’ve successfully submitted a podcast to Google Play, you may wonder how to listen to the podcast on your Google Home speakers. There are two ways to play a podcast on a speaker. The first option is to simply ask your device.

Hey, Google!

Your Google Home speaker can only put on your favorite podcast when you ask in English. For example, you'll need to say, "Hey, Google, play 'Love, Happiness and Success,'" and your device will start playing the most recent episode of the show. Remember that you can only put on a podcast by telling the name. The Google Assistant won't understand you if you say, "Hey, Google play episode number 339". Moreover, the device cannot understand when you ask for your Spotify, Apple or Deezer podcasts.

There are a few commands to help you control the playback:

-- Asking your device to "play the next episode" or "play the previous episode" will result in the corresponding actions;

-- Commands "stop" or "pause" will stop the playing;

-- Ask your speaker to "continue playing the podcast" to go on with listening to your favorite podcast.

Use Your Android Device

The second option implies using your Android device. First of all, open the app you use for listening to podcasts on your smartphone. Find the "CAST" icon (as a rule, it appears on the top-right corner of the screen). Choose the Google Home speaker and enjoy podcasting to the fullest. Once the podcast is playing, you are free to control the speaker through your phone or using the above-mentioned commands.

Final Thoughts

Podcasting is a new form of mass communication. Building your audience and having your voice heard is crucial for your brand's success. Keep in mind that the more consistent you are the more likely you’ll become an authority in the field.

Create the image you’ve always dreamt of having. Check the following simple step-by-step guides to submit your podcasts to the other major directories:

Submit Your Podcast to Spotify
Submit Your Podcast to Amazon Podcasts
Submit Your Podcast to Deezer
Start Podcasting on YouTube

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