How do I get my podcast noticed by Spotify?

If you have your own podcast and you want to increase your downloads, chances are you’ve asked yourself these questions:

How do I get my podcast noticed by Spotify?

Why do some podcasts land prime real estate, yet others don’t?

How does the selection process work?

 In a recent Spotify for Podcasters editorial piece, members of the Spotify team discussed how they choose the podcasts they feature, and what creators can do in order to be considered.

It’s not a random thing. Plenty of thought goes into the process.

Podcast Editorial Lead Brianne O’Brien tells Spotify For Podcasters that curated podcasts are about discovery, and connecting the listener with podcasts they’ll love:

“Our goal is to find the best podcasts across all genres and formats and for all identities. We want to help listeners navigate the world through learning, connection, and community, and we do that through various curations with different audience segments in mind.”

Podcast editorial community lead Deontay Morris told Spotify for Podcasters “We know that even though podcasts aren’t new to us, there are still quite a few folks who are looking for their first or second podcast to love. So we try to leverage significant cultural moments and social conversations to bring as many people into the podcast funnel as possible.”

He reveals the curation strategy means the Spotify app always has the ‘human touch’ to keep  listeners coming back.

So how does the selection process work?

O’Brien says the team has different sources and methods for finding podcasts to consider. These include creator pitches, email newsletters, social media, word of mouth, and searching around the Spotify app itself.

It’s all about research, research, research.

Morris estimates that each editor spends about 20 hours a week listening to podcasts.

In general, they’re looking for “creators and storytelling that have the ability to move listeners in both big ways and small.”

Here’s their advice on how to get noticed:

Hook. Educate AND entertain.

Be authentic and inclusive.

Enlighten or challenge through compelling conversation

Aside from compelling content, marketing and promotion will give creators an extra advantage.

The team also takes audio quality into account.

Podcast Programming Lead Isabella Way tells Spotify For Podcasters “It doesn’t have to be a full professional studio, but the production value should not detract from the listening.”

Consistent titles for episodes are recommended, as is spending time on succinct and interesting episode descriptions.

Also in the pipeline is a podcast editorial submission form, giving creators the opportunity to pitch their podcasts directly to the editorial team for consideration.