Podcast Not Showing Up on Spotify? Simple ways to Fix It

You’ve just published your latest episode or maybe even launched your brand-new podcast and yet, your podcast is not showing up on Spotify. Frustrating, right? You’ve done all the hard work, hit “publish”, and now you’re left wondering if something went wrong 😬

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In this article, we’ll walk you through the possible reasons why your podcast isn’t visible on Spotify, how to check what’s going on, and most importantly what to do to finally show up 🎯

Why It’s Crucial to Publish Your Podcast on Spotify Today

Spotify is not the leading podcast platform in the US that title still belongs to Apple Podcasts, which holds 37.4% of downloads and views among the top 250 US podcasts. But Spotify still accounts for a significant 15.2%, making it the third-largest platform behind YouTube (23.2%) ⚡️

With hundreds of millions of monthly users globally and a strong presence in the podcast space, Spotify remains a major player in how people discover and listen to shows. Its integration into everyday listening habits, from playlists to recommendations, makes it a platform podcasters can’t ignore 🔎

Being listed on Spotify doesn’t guarantee success but not being listed almost certainly limits your reach. Today, ensuring your podcast is available on all major platforms, including Spotify, is essential if you want to maximize discoverability and grow your audience 🎧

Why does my podcast not showing up on Spotify ?

Step 1: Your podcast must be properly distributed to appear on Spotify

Let’s start with the basics: if your podcast is not showing up on Spotify, it might simply not be there yet. And that’s usually due to one thing: distribution. 🎯

To be visible on Spotify, you can’t upload episodes directly. Podcasts on Spotify are delivered through an RSS feed, which is generated and managed by your podcast hosting platform. This feed contains all your show’s content: episodes, titles, descriptions, cover art, etc 🧩

👉 So if you haven’t properly distributed your podcast to Spotify, your show won’t appear there. Full stop.

✅ The easiest way? Use a hosting platform like Ausha

If you’re using Ausha, distributing your podcast to Spotify is incredibly simple. Just head to your Settings > Distribution tab, find the Spotify box and click Distribute. 🎯

A quick dialog will guide you through the process:

If your podcast has never been on Spotify before, just select No.
Then click Distribute to Spotify, and you’re done 🙌

Within seconds, you’ll receive a Spotify link to your show’s public page. That means your podcast is officially on its way to Spotify listeners 🚀

💡 From now on, every new episode you publish on Ausha will be automatically sent to Spotify no extra action required.

Step 2: How to check if your podcast is really on Spotify

You’ve activated the distribution to Spotify… but your podcast isn’t showing up? Don’t panic. Before assuming there’s a problem, here’s how to check that everything is working properly step by step.

First, wait a few hours

If you’ve just activated the distribution, it’s completely normal for your podcast not to show up right away. Spotify needs time to process and index new content. It usually takes a few hours, but sometimes up to 24–48 hours, especially for a brand-new show. So before doing anything else, give it a bit of time ⏳

Use your Spotify link

The most reliable way to check if your podcast is live is to use your direct Spotify link. If the page opens and shows your podcast, then your show is live even if it doesn’t appear in search yet.

If you’re using Ausha, you’ll find this link in your dashboard under Settings > Distribution > Spotify 🔗

Search manually on Spotify

If you don’t have the link, try searching your podcast directly in the Spotify app or on the website. Use the exact name of your show. If your title is very general, like “My Podcast” or “Conversations”, it may be harder to find. You can also try searching using your author name or the title of a recent episode 🕵️

Try from another device or account

Sometimes, Spotify search results can vary depending on your device, location, or account. Try opening the app on another phone or computer, or search while logged out or in a private browser window. This helps rule out display issues or local cache problems 📱

Step 3: Why your podcast isn’t showing up and how to fix it

If your podcast still isn’t visible after several hours, and your link doesn’t lead anywhere, there might be something blocking it. Here are the most common causes and how to solve them.

Your podcast wasn’t distributed to Spotify

This is the most frequent issue: the distribution simply wasn’t activated. Just publishing episodes on your hosting platform isn’t enough you need to explicitly activate Spotify distribution ❌

If you’re on Ausha, go to Settings > Distribution, and make sure Spotify is active. If not, click Distribute and follow the guided steps. Without this, Spotify doesn’t receive your show.

There’s an error in your RSS feed (rare)

Sometimes, technical issues in your RSS feed can prevent Spotify from accepting your podcast. This includes missing fields like the title, author, or language, or a cover image that doesn’t meet Spotify’s size or format guidelines 🧼

This is very rare if you use a certified hosting platform like Ausha, since all these elements are checked and formatted for you. But if you modified your feed manually or left key information blank, it’s worth checking.

You can test your RSS feed using CastFeedValidator.com to make sure everything’s in order.

Your content goes against Spotify’s rules

Spotify applies content guidelines. If your podcast includes prohibited or sensitive content, misleading titles, or violates their policies, it might be blocked or delayed without warning 🚫

Also check that your episodes are actually marked as published in your hosting platform. If they’re still in draft or private mode, they won’t be sent to Spotify at all.

Step 4: How to optimize your podcast for better visibility on Spotify

Once your podcast is published on Spotify, the work isn’t over now it’s time to help people actually find it. Spotify’s algorithm and editorial teams decide what gets featured or ranked in search, so making your show more visible requires a bit of strategy. Here’s how to do it.

Choose the right category and sub-category

When setting up your podcast, always choose the most accurate category and if your hosting platform allows it, pick a sub-category too. This helps Spotify understand what your podcast is about, and improves your chances of being shown to the right listeners 🧠

For example, don’t just select “Education” go one step further with “Education > Self-Improvement” or “Education > Language Learning” if that fits 🎯

Work on your metadata

Spotify relies heavily on your metadata to decide how and where to display your podcast especially in search results. That includes your show title, description, episode titles, and more. If you don’t optimize them, your podcast will be harder to find even if your content is great.

And here’s why it matters:
💥 67% of podcasts in the Spotify Top 100 include a keyword in their show name.
💥 Even more striking: 74% of podcasts in the Top 10 do the same.*
That’s not a coincidence, keywords help your podcast get discovered.

To improve your visibility:

Add relevant keywords to your podcast name, without making it too long or spammy
Use keywords in your podcast description
Make sure each episode title is descriptive and searchable
Fill out your episode descriptions with useful context, key topics, and guests

Think like your audience: what would they type in Spotify to find a podcast like yours? Then make sure those words are present where it counts 🧠

Drive early engagement with each new episode

Spotify pays attention to how listeners interact with your show right after a new episode is published. Try to generate activity quickly: shares, listens, saves. This signals to Spotify that your content is relevant and engaging 🔄

You can do this by announcing your episodes on social media, email, or in a newsletter and always link directly to the Spotify page 📲

Pitch your podcast to Spotify’s editorial team

Spotify regularly promotes selected shows through editorial playlists and collections. Being featured can give your podcast a big visibility boost but you need to pitch it proactively.

To do this, Spotify offers a dedicated submission form (US only):
👉 Submit your podcast to Spotify’s editorial team

Fill in your podcast details and explain why your show or a specific episode should be featured. Make sure to submit at least one week in advance of the episode’s release. This increases your chances of being considered for playlists or homepage placements.

Conclusion

If your podcast is not showing up on Spotify, it’s usually due to one of three reasons: your show hasn’t been properly distributed, Spotify is still processing it, or there’s a metadata issue blocking visibility 👀

To fix it, make sure your podcast is distributed through a hosting platform like Ausha, double-check your Spotify link, and give the platform a few hours to update. Then, optimize your metadata and listener engagement to improve your visibility long-term 😎

With the right tools and a few best practices, your podcast will have every chance to reach the audience it deserves. Ready to make distribution easier? Try Ausha now and get your podcast on Spotify in just one click 🚀