The goal of any podcaster is to get their series published on as many different platforms as possible, with Audible being one of the best.
This Amazon-owned subscription audiobook service is also home to some amazing original podcasts and if you’re able to get yours listed there, it should be considered a win.
Amazon takes requests for podcasters to list their original series on Audible with a simple form on their website. As long as they can verify that you have an original podcast, you should have no issues being accepted and getting your podcast published there.
With some insider information on how to get your podcast on Audible and an insight into what this subscription service offers, you’ll have a better chance of being published there.
This guide walks you through the steps that are needed to publish your podcast on Audible and the pros and cons that come along with it.
What is Audible?
Audible is an audiobook and podcast subscription service owned by Amazon Music, with a massive 55 million global customers.
This platform is dedicated to audio content and it’s one of the most sought-after places for content creators to have their works published, thanks to the huge name and reputation of Amazon.
Amazon Music has developed a reputation for being the biggest audiobook service in the world, and although these books had been their primary focus, its directory of original podcasts is growing as well.
They aim to make it easy for podcasters to have their series listed and accessible to their millions of customers.
If you’re a content creator, having your podcast listed with Amazon Music and Audible can help you to grow your audience exponentially, and at no extra cost.
Their audience covers all demographics, including those who are listening to podcasts for the very first time and those who have been tuning into them for years.
Amazon Music vs Audible
As a subsidiary of Amazon, you might assume that having a subscription with Amazon or Amazon Music is the same as having Audible, but it’s not.
The Amazon, Amazon Music, and Audible membership options are different, each having a unique selection of content for its subscribers.
A membership with Audible gives listeners a number of ways to access digital audio content and there are various paid plans that they can sign up to.
At the most basic level, with the Audible Plus Membership, they’ll get access to your series and the rest of the audio content in the Plus Catalog, including audiobooks and podcasts.
There are higher levels of membership available with Audible that offer perks like credits to purchase premium content, access to exclusive sales, and discounts on other titles.
Those wanting to sign up to Amazon Music will also get access to the podcasts listed on Audible and a large library of music, but they won’t be able to listen to audiobooks.
Depending on their preferences, there is a free limited plan and a paid unlimited one, both allow the user to hear the latest podcasts.
Amazon makes it easy to combine your Audible account with your Amazon account as well, so you get a more streamlined shopping, watching, and listening experience.
To do this, simply head to your Audible account and go to settings to select Merge, then enter your Amazon sign-in details.
From there, listeners can enjoy benefits like shared household content, single payments, and single sign-on, giving people more reason to use Audible to hear your podcast.
Audible and Alexa
The smart speaker, Alexa, has become one of the staples of the modern smart home and if you list your podcast with Audible, you’ll benefit from an audience who listens with Alexa as well.
Audible recommends optimizing your podcast so that it can be easily found and played using Alexa, with some podcast-specific features including:
- searching for a podcast using keywords or titles;
- playing next or previous podcast episodes;
- continuing with a podcast or resuming an episode;
- playing the latest episode of a podcast.
Amazon has listed a guide for podcast creators to help them to optimize their podcasts for Alexa and to make them easier to listen to for the audience.
If you plan on publishing your series there, it’s worth looking at this guide to make the most of the Amazon platform, as this is a major drawcard that can entice people to listen to your podcast using this service.
How to Get Your Podcast on Audible
Amazon makes it easy for podcasters and audiobook creators to get their works listed on the Audible platform.
For a first-time podcaster who’s still trying to figure out how to get your podcast on Audible, it’s as simple as the following:
- Heading to the Podcasters’ page of the Amazon site at https://podcasters.amazon.com/
- Filling in the relevant information, including series name, series description, first episode release date, and social media accounts that are used to promote the shows.
- Submitting the RSS feed of your podcast on the form found on the Podcasters’ page, including selecting to opt-in to marketing materials.
Audible only allows for one RSS feed URL per podcast series, so if you have more than one to upload, you’ll need to use a separate submission form. Using this link, Audible will be able to find each episode in your series and have them listed in order once published.
The Podcasters’ page also has other interesting information, like FAQs, promotional tools, and terms and conditions.
We recommend that anyone considering listing their content on Amazon and Audible read through these terms and conditions before sending through their podcast for approval. Once you have, you can agree to the content license agreement and move forward.
Once Amazon has reviewed your podcast and information, they’ll send you a confirmation email to confirm that your series will be listed.
After this, it will be published on both Audible and Amazon Music, opening up a whole world of new listeners that you might not have had access to before.
The Pros
As one of the biggest digital audio subscription services, there are plenty of benefits to having your podcast listed on Audible. These are a few of the reasons why you need to figure out how to get your podcast on Audible and be easily found on this subscription service:
- Audible comes with a free 30-day trial of the digital audio service, so customers get a chance to discover and fall in love with your podcast before having to pay a fee. Once they get addicted, they’ll be more likely to pay to keep hearing more of your show.
- It’s easy for a podcaster to get their show submitted and accepted with Audible, requiring just a few clicks and some basic information. Once it is, it’ll be listenable on both Amazon Music and Audible, which doubles your audience potential with just one step.
- Amazon works hard to make the listening experience as seamless as possible for their customers, which only benefits you further. People can hear your podcast on their smartphone, Alexa speaker, or on their laptop, with multiple devices and ways to tune in for the audience.
- Having the Alexa smart hub speaker integrated with your podcast is another huge benefit of getting it published on Audible. Your listeners will be able to play your series with a simple voice command, so it becomes a part of their everyday lives.
The Cons
Although one of the most popular digital audio platforms in the world, there are still some drawbacks that Amazon Music and Audible come with. Consider these before you apply to have your podcast published with them:
- Some of the plans are expensive and there will be lots of potential customers that can’t justify signing up for them. There is a free Amazon Music app but it comes with a lot of advertising, which can put off some of your potential listeners.
- Having your podcast published on such a sizeable platform as Audible is a good thing but also comes with the downside of potentially having your content lost in the crowd. You’ll need to work extra hard to ensure that your podcast is a standout.
- As a primary audiobook platform, not everyone realizes that you can stream podcasts from Audible as well. People looking to discover new podcasts might not head to Audible first as there are loads of other reputable podcast platforms out there.
Getting Heard on Audible
Audible is just one of the many great places for listeners to find original podcasts these days, and it’s worth putting in the effort to have yours listed there.
This subscription service focuses on both audiobooks and podcasts, so whether you’re a newbie, seasoned, or still planning to start your own podcast, it’s the perfect place to promote your content to lovers of the spoken word.
