Podcast not showing up on Spotify? Check these 5 things in order

You hit publish, opened Spotify, and the episode isn’t there. To find out why your podcast is not showing up on Spotify, run these 5 checks in order. Each one comes from Spotify’s own help pages or your host’s.

Why your podcast isn’t showing up on Spotify

Spotify shows an episode only after 3 things happen:

1. The episode is published at your host.
2. Your show has been sent to Spotify.
3. Spotify has picked up the change.

Checks 1 to 3 cover those. Checks 4 and 5 cover a new show that search can’t find, and art or audio that won’t update.

Terms to know:

• Podcast host: the service that stores your audio files and makes your RSS feed. Spotify’s own host is Spotify for Creators (opens in a new tab), which is separate from the Spotify app where people listen.
• RSS feed: a web address your host creates that lists all your episodes. Spotify reads it to get new ones. See what is a podcast RSS feed.

How long does it take for a podcast to show up on Spotify?

Usually not long. Spotify’s page on new episodes and updates says changes “can take up to 24 hours” to reach all listening platforms. Its page on search results says new shows “usually appear after a few hours”.

As of October 2026, the help pages give these times:

The 5 checks, in order

Stop at the first check that fails. Fix it, then wait up to 24 hours before you change anything else.

Still missing a day after all 5 checks pass? Contact your host’s support with the episode title and your RSS feed address.

Check 1: Is the episode published at your host?

A draft or scheduled episode isn’t public, so Spotify can’t show it.

• On Spotify for Creators, open Episodes. Look for a draft, or for an episode scheduled for later.
• On another host, paste your RSS feed address into a browser tab. Search the page for the episode title. If it isn’t there, Spotify can’t see the episode either.

New to Spotify for Creators? Spotify says you can’t publish your first episode until you verify your account. If the email never came, check your spam or junk folder.

Check 2: Has your show been sent to Spotify?

Publishing at your host doesn’t always put your show on Spotify. Spotify’s page Getting your show on Spotify sorts hosts into 3 groups (checked October 8, 2026):

On Transistor, for example, you need at least 1 published episode first. Then you open Distribution and click Yes! Send my show to Spotify.

On Acast, you open your show’s Distribution tab and click Activate next to Spotify.

Check 3: Has it been 24 hours since you published or changed it?

Spotify says most platforms post new episodes soon after you publish. The same goes for edits to audio, artwork, titles and descriptions. In some cases, it takes up to 24 hours.

A made-up example on a partner host.

Before: at noon you delete the episode, upload it again and change the title. It shows up at 3 p.m. You can’t tell which change fixed it, or if waiting did.

After: at noon you open your RSS feed and find the episode in it, so Check 1 passes. You write down “published 9 a.m.” and change nothing until 9 a.m. tomorrow, the full 24 hours.

Check 4: Is your show brand new?

Spotify says search results are “often impacted by a show’s play count”. So a new show can be on Spotify and still sit low in results while it builds an audience.

If you can’t find your podcast on Spotify by searching, test its link instead. In Spotify for Creators, go to Home and click Share to get your show’s link. If the link opens your show, you’re on Spotify.

Host somewhere else? Claim your show in Spotify for Creators first. You become its admin there, so you can use Share too:

1. Go to creators.spotify.com and log in with any Spotify account.
2. Choose Find an existing show, then Somewhere else.
3. Enter your RSS feed address.
4. Paste in the 8-digit code that Spotify emails to the address in your feed.

Say you launched a gardening show with 2 episodes and almost no plays.

Before: you search “gardening podcast” in Spotify, see only older shows, and decide yours is missing.

After: you search the show’s exact title. Then you click Share on the Home page of Spotify for Creators and open the link. It opens your show, so you send that link to your first listeners.

Check 5: Did you change the artwork or audio file?

If new cover art or a fixed audio file won’t show up, check the file’s web address. Spotify’s suggested fix is to save the new file under a slightly different URL. Then apps notice the change in your RSS feed and download the new file.

A made-up example.

Before: you save the new cover over the old one. Your feed still points to https://example.com/show/cover.jpg, so apps may not notice anything changed.

After: you rename the file cover-v2.jpg before you upload it. Your feed now points to https://example.com/show/cover-v2.jpg. You open the feed to confirm the new address, then wait up to 24 hours.

Common mistakes

• Changing things before 24 hours pass. Each change can lag a day, so you can’t tell what worked. Make one change and wait.
• Saving new art over the old file. The address stays the same, so apps may not notice. Use a new file name.
• Assuming your host sends the show for you. Spotify’s page describes automatic publishing only for Spotify for Creators. On any other host, submit through your host’s guide or ask the host.
• Searching for a new show by topic. Search the exact title, or open your show’s link.

What to do next

• Open your RSS feed in a browser tab today and check that your newest episode is in it.
• Retrace your setup with how to start a podcast with just your phone.
• Compare your first numbers with how many downloads is good for a new podcast.
• Read whether it’s too late to start a podcast if a slow start has you doubting your show.