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 Creators (formerly Spotify for Podcasters), follow all the steps in this guide, in the order they are listed, to seamlessly move your show to Zencastr.
Before you start
Before you start, make sure you:
Have access to the email address associated with your podcast.
Export your podcast analytics from Spotify for Creators. The industry doesn't support transferring analytics between hosting providers to IAB standards yet. Zencastr only shows analytics from when you start hosting with us, so export your historical data first.
Open your Zencastr account on one tab/window and your Spotify for Creators account on another.
Connect your podcast to Zencastr
Connecting your show makes an exact copy of your podcast's current RSS feed, including your media files, artwork, titles, descriptions, season and episode numbers, and settings, so you don't have to re-enter any of it. After your podcast is connected, new episodes you publish and other changes you make are synced to Zencastr.
Connecting your podcast doesn't change your existing RSS feed, so listeners won’t be affected during the process. It also doesn't make Zencastr your hosting provider on its own, that happens when you redirect your RSS feed.
Follow the instructions below to connect your podcast to Zencastr.
Click Shows from the left navigation menu.
Click +Add New Show.
Click Copy my show.
Click Next.
In the the pop-up that appears, click Start.
Enter your podcast's name or your RSS feed.
In the list of podcasts, click on your podcast name.
Click Claim.
Zencastr will send an email to the email address associated with the podcast.
In the ‘Confirm your podcast to continue importing’ email, click the Confirm Show button.
In the Monetize your Podcast modal, click Not Now to finish connecting your show or click Apply to continue to the Monetize process.
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:
Click Episodes from the left navigation menu.
Scroll down the page and make sure all your episodes are appearing.
Redirect your RSS feed
A 301 redirect tells the podcast directories that 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 are automatically taken to your new feed, so you won’t lose your audience.
Setting up a 301 Redirect from Spotify for Creators 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'll put your new Zencastr RSS Feed into Spotify for Creators.
First, in Zencastr:
Click Episodes from the left navigation menu.
Click the Redirect button on the show’s image.
In the Copy Your Zencastr RSS link field, click Copy.
Then, follow Spotify for Creators’ instructions for moving your podcast away from Spotify for Creators. When you reach the RSS Customization step, paste your Zencastr RSS feed into the Your New Feed URL field.
Checking the redirect
To check that the redirect was set up correctly:
Click Episodes from the left navigation menu.
Click Redirect on the show’s image.
Click Confirm Redirect.
A success message will display.
Maintain your Spotify for Creators account
After you’ve set up the 301 redirect and checked it, it's recommended to keep your Spotify for Creators account open as its the same platform where you distribute your podcast to Spotify.
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, 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.