In Wistia, podcasts are hosted in Channels. In this article, we’ll focus on getting started with podcasting. If you're interested in learning more about Wistia Channels in general, check out this overview.
Create your podcast
On the Podcasts page in your account, click "Create" at the top right to get started.
Tip
You can enable podcasting for an existing Channel from the Podcasting tab on the Channel's overview page.
A pop-up will appear where you can add a title and description, start a new podcast, or import an existing podcast.
Tip
Your podcast's title and description will help viewers find and learn about your podcast. It’s worth ensuring they're engaging and descriptive before submitting your podcast to directories.
Podcast checklist
After you've created your podcast, you'll land on the Podcasting checklist page. Here, you'll find a checklist of steps to complete your podcast setup:
Set up your podcast feed in the "Feed details" tab.
Note
To access this list from an existing channel or podcast, open the "Podcasting" tab on the overview page.
A blue checkmark will denote a completed step.
Once you’ve completed all of the steps for the podcast checklist, we’ll let you know your podcast is ready, and you’ll be good to go!
Podcast feed details
Your podcast feed can be found in the Feed details tab of the podcast settings page. Feed details include:
Show art: This will be the primary image that your subscribers use to identify your podcast. It's separate from your episode artwork, which is set at the episode level. Upload a square JPG or PNG between 1400 x 1400 and 3000 x 3000 pixels, or refer to your podcasting platform for their specific requirements.
Format: If it is important for your customers to start at your very first episode and listen through to the end, then choose "Serial" - your episodes will be ordered from oldest to newest. Otherwise, choose "Episodic" (if your podcast is split up by seasons, choose "Episodic with seasons").
Categorization: Choose up to 3 categories for your podcast to appear in directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
Author information: Add the author name and copyright year for your podcast.
Contact Information: Add the podcast owner’s name and email, choose your language, and confirm if your podcast includes explicit content.
Once you’re satisfied with the details for your podcast feed, click "Save." You can also disable podcasting from this page. If you’d like to make updates down the road, select "Podcasting" on your Channel page.
Troubleshooting
Spotify won't accept my RSS feed
Ensure the following is true before trying again:
Your podcast has a description on its overview page.
The owner email in Feed details matches the email on your Spotify account.
If you have any video episodes, they are hidden from the feed.
Read more about distributing to Spotify here and let us know if you have any questions!
My video episodes aren't showing as video
Spotify doesn't accept RSS feeds that include video episodes. Before you submit your feed to Spotify, hide video episodes from the feed in each episode's "Edit details."
YouTube publishes podcast episodes as audio with a static image. To share a video podcast on YouTube, upload it there directly.
Next steps for your podcast
Once you've completed your podcast details, you’re ready to add episodes if you haven’t already. Head over to our page on Add and Publish Channel Episodes to learn more.
If you’ve already added episodes and are ready to start submitting your podcast to directories, head here to learn all about podcast distribution.