Starting a podcast used to sound like a fairly serious technical project. You needed recording equipment, editing software, a podcast hosting company, an RSS feed, and some understanding of how podcast directories worked.
Thankfully, things have become much easier.
Today, you can create and manage a podcast using Spotify for Creators, and you don’t need an expensive studio to get started. You can begin with equipment you already own, publish audio or video episodes, see how your show is performing, and eventually explore ways to make money from it.
That doesn’t mean starting a successful podcast is effortless. The technical part is relatively easy. Creating something people actually want to hear every week is the bigger challenge.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast on Spotify but don’t know where to begin, here’s the process.
Decide What Your Podcast Will Be About
Don’t buy a microphone yet. First, figure out what you’re going to talk about. The easiest place to start is with something you already know, enjoy, or genuinely want to learn more about.
Maybe you’re interested in personal finance. Perhaps you want to interview local business owners.
You might love football, movies, technology, true crime, gaming, or entrepreneurship.
The subject should give you enough room to create more than three episodes.
Try writing down 20 possible episode ideas.
If you struggle to get past number four, the topic may be too narrow—or you might need to approach it from a different angle.
You should also think about who you’re talking to.
A personal finance podcast for college students will probably sound very different from one aimed at people approaching retirement.
Knowing the audience makes almost every other decision easier.
Choose a Podcast Format
Next, decide how the show will work. You could host it alone. You could bring in a co-host. You could interview a different guest every week. Or you could combine several formats.
There’s no correct answer here.
Solo podcasts are simple because you don’t need to coordinate schedules with anyone. Interviews can bring new personalities and ideas into the show. Co-hosted podcasts often create entertaining conversations because listeners get to know the relationship between the hosts.
Choose something you’ll actually enjoy producing. If you hate interviewing people, don’t create an interview podcast just because you’ve seen other interview shows become successful.
Give Your Podcast a Name
Now comes the part that can unexpectedly consume an entire weekend.
Naming the podcast. Try to find something easy to say, spell, and remember. You don’t necessarily need the cleverest name anyone has ever heard. A clear name that fits the subject can be much more useful than a clever name nobody understands.
Say your ideas out loud. Imagine introducing the show:
“Welcome back to…” Does the name sound natural? Search Spotify and other podcast platforms before making your final decision. You don’t want to spend hours designing artwork only to discover another established podcast already uses the exact same name.
It’s also worth checking domain names and social media usernames if you plan to build a larger brand around the show.
Create Your Podcast Artwork
People will often see your artwork before they hear your voice. Keep it simple. Podcast artwork is frequently displayed at a very small size, particularly on phones. Tiny text and complicated designs can become impossible to understand.
Your podcast name should be readable. Use a clean image and avoid trying to fit your entire podcast description onto the cover.
You don’t necessarily need to hire a designer either. If your budget is small, a simple design made with a template can work perfectly well when you’re starting.
You can always redesign it later.
Create a Spotify for Creators Account
Spotify’s current podcast management platform is called Spotify for Creators. If you’ve seen older articles referring to “Spotify for Podcasters,” be aware that Spotify changed the name as it expanded the platform to cover both audio and video creators.
Spotify for Creators provides podcast hosting along with tools for publishing, audience interaction, analytics, and eligible monetization options.
If you’re starting a completely new podcast, create or sign into your account and choose the option to set up a new show.
Spotify currently offers podcast hosting without a hosting fee, so you don’t have to buy separate hosting simply to get your first podcast online.
Record Your First Episode
You don’t need a $2,000 studio. Start simple. A decent microphone and a quiet room can produce surprisingly good results.
If you’re recording at home, pay attention to the room itself. Large empty rooms tend to create echo. Bedrooms, offices, and smaller furnished spaces often work better because curtains, carpets, furniture, and other soft materials help absorb sound.
Turn off unnecessary fans if you safely can. Close the window if traffic is loud. Put your phone on silent.
Then get reasonably close to your microphone and record a short test. Listen to it before recording 45 minutes of content.
It takes less than a minute and could save your entire episode.
Should You Make an Audio or Video Podcast?
Spotify supports both. Audio is usually easier and cheaper. You need a microphone and recording software, but you don’t have to worry about cameras, lighting, backgrounds, or how you look during a two-hour interview.
Video requires more work, but it can also give people another way to experience your podcast.
You don’t need to choose one format forever. You could begin with audio and introduce video later once you’re comfortable recording.
If you already make YouTube videos or have suitable camera equipment, starting with video might make more sense.
Either way, don’t allow video production to become the reason you never publish your first episode.
Edit the Recording
Your raw recording doesn’t have to become the final episode. This is where editing helps. Remove obvious mistakes. Cut sections that go nowhere.
Shorten unnecessarily long pauses. Balance the volume between different speakers. You can also add your intro, outro, advertisements, or music if you use them.
Be careful with music, though.
You can’t simply grab a popular song and put it into your podcast because you like it. Make sure you have the necessary rights to anything you include.
And don’t overedit your voice.
People breathe.
They pause.
They occasionally say “um.”
Your podcast should still sound like a person talking, not individual words that have been digitally glued together.
Upload Your Episode to Spotify
Once the finished episode is ready, you can upload it through Spotify for Creators. Add an episode title and description.
Spend some time on the title.
Compare these:
Episode 7 With Michael
and:
How Michael Turned a Weekend Project Into a Full-Time Business
The second gives a new listener a reason to care.
Your description should briefly explain what happens in the episode without turning into a 1,000-word essay.
Tell people what they’ll learn, who the guest is, and why the conversation is worth their time. Then publish the episode or schedule it for later.
If your podcast is hosted with Spotify for Creators, Spotify says episodes are automatically made available on Spotify when published.
Get Your RSS Feed
If Spotify hosts your podcast, an RSS feed is created after you publish your first episode.
Your RSS feed contains information about your podcast, including its title, description, artwork, and episode audio.
You can find it inside Spotify for Creators under Settings > Availability.
Why does this matter?
Because your podcast doesn’t have to live only on Spotify. You can use your RSS feed to submit the show to other podcast directories.
One important detail: when you enable the RSS feed, the email address associated with it can become publicly visible. Keep that in mind when deciding which email address to use.
Distribute Your Podcast Beyond Spotify
If Spotify is hosting your show, publishing there doesn’t automatically mean your podcast appears on every other listening platform.
Spotify currently tells creators to submit their RSS feed separately to other platforms they want to reach.
That might include Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and other podcast directories.
Usually, you only need to set this up once.
After a directory accepts your RSS feed, future audio episodes can be delivered through that feed when you publish them.
Video works differently. Spotify’s current distribution system makes Spotify video episodes available as video on Spotify, while other RSS-based listening platforms generally receive the audio version.
Final Thoughts
Starting a podcast on Spotify in 2026 is technically easier than ever. Choose a subject you can talk about for more than a few episodes. Decide on a format and name. Create simple artwork, record your first episode, edit it, and set up your show through Spotify for Creators.
Once your first episode is published, you can enable your RSS feed and submit the podcast to other listening platforms if you want wider distribution.
Then stop worrying so much about the setup. Your microphone matters. Your artwork matters. Your hosting platform matters.
But none of those things can make an uninteresting podcast interesting.
The part people come back for is the conversation, story, information, or entertainment you’re giving them.