Zencastr is a high-quality audio and video hosting solution for creators of all sizes. If you already have a podcast hosted elsewhere, follow this guide to move your podcast to Zencastr while keeping your existing listeners.
Using one of these providers? Follow the provider-specific guide instead for more detailed steps.
Spotify for Creators (formerly Spotify for Podcasters)
Before you start
Before you start, make sure you:
Have access to the email address associated with your podcast
Export your podcast analytics from your current hosting provider. 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.
If your current provider has DAI (dynamic ad insertion) running, turn it off, or use the ad-free RSS feed if available, before connecting your podcast. If DAI is on when you connect, those ads get baked into your episodes.
Connecting 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 doesn't change your existing RSS feed, so your listeners aren't affected. 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 pop up that appears, click Start.
Enter your podcast’s name or your RSS feed.
In the list of podcasts, click on your podcast.
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 to confirm all your episodes are appearing.
Redirect your RSS feed
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 are automatically 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 redirect process varies by provider. Some let you set it up yourself; others require contacting their support team.
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:
Click Episodes from the left navigation menu.
Click Redirect on the show’s image.
Click Confirm Redirect.
A success message will display.
Maintain your account for a few weeks
After you’ve set up the 301 redirect and checked it, it's 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 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.