Zencastr Hosting is a high-quality audio and video hosting solution for creators of all sizes.
If you already have a podcast hosted elsewhere, 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 your current hosting provider
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 your current hosting provider ensures you have access to your historical data.If you have DAI running on your podcast in your current hosting provider, make sure to turn it off (or use the ad-free RSS Feed, if provided) before connecting your podcast
Why: If DAI is turned on when you connect your podcast, then the ads you have running will be baked into your episodes.
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:
On your Dashboard, click the Show Selector at the top of the left sidebar menu.
Click the +Add New Show button.
Select Copy my show.
Click the Next button.
In the Connect Your Show modal, click the Start button.
In the ‘Find Your Podcast’ field, enter the name of your podcast or your RSS feed.
In the list of podcasts, locate and click on your podcast name and cover art.
Click the Claim button.
Open your email inbox (e.g. Gmail, Outlook, etc.) and locate the ‘Confirm your podcast to continue importing’ email.
Click the Confirm Show button in the email.
In the Monetize your Podcast modal, click Not Now to end the ‘Connect Your Show’ process or ‘Apply’ to continue to the Monetize process.
Result: Your podcast is connected to your Zencastr account and its 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:
From your Dashboard, click the Episodes tab on the left sidebar menu.
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 Your Current Hosting Provider to Zencastr
❗️Make sure your podcast sync to Zencastr has completed and all episodes have been copied over before setting up the 301 redirect.
The process for setting up your 301 redirect varies by hosting provider. Some allow you to set up the redirect in your account yourself while others require you to contact their support teams.
See specific steps for:
Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor)
For hosting providers that require you to contact their support team you can use the following template.
--- Template Starts---
Hi Support,
I'm moving my podcast to a new host provider. Kindly apply a redirect for the following show [Insert Show Link] ASAP.
Please apply a 301 permanent redirect from [INSERT CURRENT HOSTING RSS FEEL URL] to [INSERT NEW ZENCASTR RSS URL]
Please keep this redirect in place for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Let me know if you need any more information. I’d appreciate an update as to when this can be done. Thanks!
--- Template Ends---
Checking the Redirect
To check that the redirect was set up correctly:
In Zencastr, on your Dashboard, click the Episodes tab on the left sidebar menu.
Click Redirect on the show’s image.
Click Confirm Redirect.
Result: A success message will display.
3. Maintain Your Account For A Few Weeks
After you’ve set up the 301 redirect and checked it, it is recommended to keep your previous hosing provider account open for 2 to 4 weeks to ensure that all apps and subscribers have time to update. After this time, you cancel your 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.