You have recorded your podcast, edited the first few episodes, found a hosting company, and finally published your show.
Now comes another job: getting people to actually find it.
Apple Podcasts and Spotify are usually the first platforms podcasters think about, but they aren’t the only places where people listen. TuneIn is another directory worth considering, especially if you want your podcast available across more listening platforms and devices.
The good news is that submitting a podcast to TuneIn isn’t particularly complicated. You don’t need to upload every episode individually, either. Like many podcast directories, TuneIn can use your podcast’s RSS feed to get the information it needs.
Once everything is working, you can continue publishing through your normal podcast host.
Here’s how to get your show onto TuneIn.
What Is TuneIn?
TuneIn is an audio streaming service that brings together radio, podcasts, news, sports, music, and other audio content.
For podcasters, the interesting part is its podcast directory.
Getting listed gives people another place to discover and listen to your show. TuneIn also promotes listening across different devices and platforms, so being available there can help make your podcast easier to access.
You don’t have to leave your current podcast hosting company or move your audio files to TuneIn.
You’re basically adding another distribution destination.
Before You Submit Anything, Find Your RSS Feed
The most important thing you’ll need is your podcast RSS feed.
If the phrase “RSS feed” sounds technical, don’t worry. Your podcast hosting company probably created one automatically when you set up your show.
Think of the RSS feed as the connection between your podcast host and podcast directories.
It contains information about your show and episodes. When you publish something new through your host, the feed gets updated.
Your RSS address will usually look something like:
The actual format depends on your podcast hosting company. Look around your hosting dashboard for something labeled RSS Feed, Podcast Feed, RSS URL, or Distribution.
Copy the URL when you find it.
Don’t copy the address of your podcast’s normal website page. TuneIn needs the RSS feed itself.
Make Sure Your Podcast Is Ready
I’d resist the temptation to submit your podcast five minutes after creating the hosting account.
Check everything first.
Open your podcast page through your host and look at it as if you’d never seen the show before.
- Is the podcast name spelled correctly?
- Does the description actually explain what the show is about?
- Is your cover artwork displaying properly?
- Have you published at least one real episode?
- Are your episode titles understandable?
Try playing an episode too.
A submission form can be completed quickly. Fixing a messy first impression afterward is less fun.
Submit Your Podcast Through TuneIn’s Broadcaster Portal
TuneIn currently directs podcasters to its self-service Broadcaster Portal for requests to join the directory.
The submission form asks for your RSS feed, information about any geographic restrictions, and your partner type. If you’re an ordinary independent podcaster without a TuneIn partnership agreement, you’ll generally be using the standard submission route rather than the forms intended for signed or prospective partners.
You’ll also need to agree to TuneIn’s terms before submitting the request.
The current submission page is available through the TuneIn Broadcaster Portal.
Paste your RSS feed carefully.
This is the part that connects TuneIn with your podcast, so a typo can cause problems.
What Happens After You Submit?
Once you’ve sent the request, you don’t need to start uploading your episodes to TuneIn manually.
TuneIn uses your podcast feed to obtain the information it needs about your show.
That means your normal publishing routine doesn’t have to change.
Let’s say you use a podcast hosting company and publish every Thursday morning.
- You record your episode.
- You edit it.
- You upload the finished file to your podcast host.
- You add the episode title and description.
- Then you hit publish.
Your RSS feed updates, allowing podcast directories using that feed to see the new episode. That’s one of the great things about podcast RSS.
You don’t have to upload the same MP3 manually to every directory each week.
How Long Does TuneIn Approval Take?
Don’t expect your podcast to appear the second you press Submit.
Your request needs to be processed.
Processing times can vary, so avoid planning a launch around the assumption that your TuneIn listing will appear immediately.
Instead, submit your podcast ahead of time when possible. Then search TuneIn periodically for your podcast name.
Once the listing appears, open it and make sure everything looks right.
Check your artwork, description, and episodes.
Play an episode too. It’s better to catch a problem yourself than have a listener discover it first.
What If Your Podcast Doesn’t Appear?
Start with the obvious things.
Check your RSS feed.
Open the feed URL in a browser and make sure it actually works. If the address is broken, TuneIn won’t have much to work with.
Then check your podcast host.
Make sure your episode is published rather than sitting as a draft or scheduled for a future date.
You should also check that important information such as your title and artwork is available through your feed.
If everything looks correct and you’re still having trouble, TuneIn’s current podcast support documentation provides a support route for questions about adding a show.
Don’t repeatedly submit the same podcast every few hours hoping that one of the requests will magically work faster.
Investigate the problem first.
What If You Need to Update Your Podcast?
Podcasts change. You might redesign your cover art, update your branding, change your website, or notice that something on your TuneIn listing isn’t correct.
TuneIn currently provides a podcast submission/update process for making changes to existing programs.
One useful piece of information to keep is your TuneIn Program ID.
TuneIn says the Program ID can be found at the end of your show’s TuneIn URL and begins with the letter “p”, followed by numbers.
For example, it might look something like:
p123456
Having that ID makes it easier to identify the exact podcast when requesting an update.
That’s the harder part.
Don’t Forget About Your Own Website
Podcast directories can change. Features disappear. Companies change their strategies. Platforms come and go.
Your website is something you have much more control over.
Consider creating a simple page for your podcast where listeners can find the latest episodes and links to their preferred listening platforms.
You can also use the website for show notes, transcripts, guest information, email signup forms, and other resources.
Then, instead of promoting a different platform every week, you can send people to one central page and let them choose where they want to listen.
Final Thoughts
Submitting your podcast to TuneIn is one of those small jobs that’s worth doing once your show is ready for distribution. You don’t need to move away from your existing podcast host.
You don’t need to manually upload every episode. You mainly need a working RSS feed and a properly prepared podcast.
Use TuneIn’s current Broadcaster Portal to submit your feed, provide the requested information, and send your request.
After your podcast appears, check the listing yourself.
Make sure the artwork looks right. Read the description. Check your episode titles. Play an episode.
Then go back to the part that matters most: making the next episode.
Being available on TuneIn gives listeners another way to find you, but no directory can replace good content.