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Moving Your Podcast From Spotify For Podcasters to Zencastr
Moving Your Podcast From Spotify For Podcasters to Zencastr

How to move your podcast & change your hosting provider from Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) to Zencastr while retaining listeners.

Updated over a week ago

Zencastr Hosting is a high-quality audio and video hosting solution for creators of all sizes.

If you already have a podcast hosted on Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor), follow all the steps in this guide, in the order they are listed, to seamlessly move your show to Zencastr.

In this article:

Before You Start - Preparing

Before starting this process, make sure you:

  • Have access to the email address associated with your podcast

  • Export your podcast analytics from Spotify for Podcasters
    Why: At this time, the industry has not developed a way to transfer podcast analytics among hosting providers that meets standards set by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Zencastr will display analytics from the time you start hosting with us and forward. Exporting from Spotify for Podcasters ensures you have access to your historical data.

  • Open your Zencastr account on one tab/window and your Spotify for Podcasters account on another

1. Connect Your Podcast To Zencastr

What Does Connecting Do?

Connecting your show to Zencastr makes an exact copy of your podcast’s current RSS feed. It brings in all your media/audio files, artwork/images, show and episode titles and descriptions, season and episode numbers, and settings without you having to manually upload and define these again. After your podcast is connected, new episodes you publish and other changes you make are synced to Zencastr.

Connecting your podcast does not change your existing RSS feed, so listeners won’t be affected during the process at all. Additionally, connecting alone does not make Zencastr your hosting provider (redirecting your RSS feed, described below, changes your hosting provider).

Connecting Your Podcast To Zencastr

To connect your podcast:

  1. Log into your Zencastr Creator Network account.

  2. Click New in the top right corner of the Dashboard.

  3. Select Show from the dropdown.

  4. Click the Connect Your Show link.

  5. Enter the name of your podcast.

  6. Select your podcast from the dropdown.

  7. Click I Own This Podcast.

  8. Open your email inbox (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, etc.).

  9. Click the Confirm show button in the ‘You’ve been invited to join our Creator Network’ email.

  10. Click Return to Dashboard in the confirmation pop-up.

Result: Your podcast episodes start syncing to your dashboard.

Checking That Your Podcast Has Connected Correctly

Once your podcast has finished syncing to Zencastr, the ‘Syncing’ progress indicator will disappear from your show’s cover art. Make sure all your show’s episodes have been copied over correctly:

  1. From your Dashboard, click the Episodes tab.

  2. Scroll down the page, scanning to make sure all episodes are appearing.

2. Redirect Your RSS Feed

What Does A 301 Redirect Do?

A 301 redirect tells the podcast directories that the location of your podcast has moved from your old hosting provider to Zencastr. With a 301 redirect set up, the podcast directories will pull your podcast information from the new Zencastr RSS feed URL. Your existing subscribers/followers will automatically get taken to your new feed, so you won’t lose your audience.

Setting Up A 301 Redirect From Spotify for Podcasters to Zencastr

❗️Make sure your podcast sync to Zencastr has completed and all episodes have been copied over before setting up the 301 redirect.

To set up the 301 redirect, you will put your new Zencastr RSS Feed into Spotify for Podcasters.

First, in Zencastr:

  1. From your Dashboard, click the Shows tab.

  2. Click the Redirect button on the show’s image.

  3. In the ‘Copy Your Zencastr RSS link’ field, click the copy icon.

Next, in Spotify for Podcasters:

  1. In the top right corner, click Settings.

  2. Select Podcast Settings.

  3. Scroll down to the More Actions section.

  4. In the Redirect Your Podcast section, paste your Zencastr RSS feed in the ‘Redirect URL’ field.

  5. Click Redirect.

If needed, see this Spotify for Podcasters support article for additional details.

Checking the Redirect

To check that the redirect was set up correctly:

  1. In Zencastr, on your Dashboard, click Shows.

  2. Click Redirect on the show’s image.

  3. Click Confirm Redirect.

Result: A success message will display.

3. Maintain Your Spotify for Podcasters Account For A Few Weeks

After you’ve set up the 301 redirect and checked it, it is recommended to keep your Spotify for Podcasters account open for 2 to 4 weeks to ensure that all apps and subscribers have time to update. After this time, you cancel your Spotify for Podcasters subscription or close your account.

Optional - Update Select Podcast Directories

Most podcast directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, automatically update the RSS feed URL once the 301 redirect is set up.

A few directories, however, require you to manually add your new RSS feed URL in their portals in order to update. If your podcast is distributed on iHeartRadio, Pandora, or TuneIn, contact their Support teams to help you update their portal with your new Zencastr RSS feed URL.

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