Best Podcast Directories in 2023 (Where to Publish to Get the Best Visibility)

Last Updated: 

February 2, 2025

Are you planning on starting your own podcast? If you are then posting your podcast episodes to the different podcast directories is key to promoting your podcast. You will have quite a few options available, so we are giving you a comprehensive list of the best podcast directories.

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It is really easy to know which podcast directories are the best because we list the 3 below.

  1. Apple Podcasts: This is the site you need to get approval to start. They feed many of the other directories which include Castro, Castbox, iCatcher, Blubrry, BeyondPod, PodCruncher, Overcast, PocketCasts, AntennaPod, and Downcast.
    • Apple Podcast has over 28 million listeners.
    • 34.9% of all podcast listeners use Apple Podcasts
  2. Spotify: Joe Rogan the largest podcaster uses Spotify.
    • Spotify accounts for 29.4% of the podcast downloads that happen every day.
    • Spotify as of 2021 around 28.2 million listeners so the race is on between Apple and Spotify.
  3. Google Podcasts: The key to Google Podcasts is it helps with search engine placement It also helps to list on Google to reach Android listeners.
    • Google Podcasts accounts for only 2.4% of listeners

Podcasting offers you a chance to discuss any topic. You are sharing your expertise, knowledge, opinion, or stories with listeners all around the world. However, to get audiences, you need to make sure they can find you. After all, if they cannot find you, they cannot hear you.

The most popular topics are:

  • Comedy
  • News
  • True Crime
  • Health and Fitness
  • Religion
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Self-Help

Determining which podcast directories to use is what we want to help you with this article. Keep in mind that the best podcast distribution sites will help you reach your target audience. Your podcast hosting provider can also help with your marketing efforts.

To really get your podcast out there you have to get your podcasts listed on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

1. Apple Podcasts

There’s no doubt that Apple Podcasts is the largest podcast directory in the market, with a forty-three percent market share of unique podcast listeners. It’s a widely utilized platform due to the increasing number of iPhone users.

It’s also one of the podcast directories you can have all your podcast listed. For others, it’s what marks the height of podcast distribution.

2. Spotify

Spotify is a huge name in the music industry, providing its music library for free to listen to. We are not simply talking about new and random artist music. We’re talking about pop music irrespective of age and genre.

Nonetheless, Spotify is a fast-growing platform with a twenty percent market share of podcast listeners. Equipped with huge library content, it has become an option for many to publish podcast content as the application can be easily installed on various devices such as Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac OS.

3. Google Podcasts

Launched in 2019, Google Podcasts became the only way listeners get to listen to different podcast shows on the Google platform after Google Play Music permanently vanished.

This podcast directory makes the jobs of podcasters comfortable, as it moves through the web systematically to collect podcast content.

Further, podcast episodes now show on Google search results, meaning the chance of your show being discovered has increased. Users can also stream podcast episodes directly from the search results, much like you can see images related to your searches.

4. Stitcher

Before Google Podcast entered the world of the podcast, Stitcher was the go-to platform for most Android users as Apple users enjoyed Apple Podcasts. This podcast directory has a decent amount of people that use it to date. A big number is from when it used to be the alternative to Apple Podcasts.

Stitcher has a distinct feature helping you learn how well your podcast channel performs. On top of that, you will find the app in more than fifty car models.

How amazing is that?

It works in vehicles with Apple’s CarPlay or Android Auto. Thus, if your podcast show is the kind people listen to while driving, then you might want to use Stitcher.

5. Audible

Audible is an audiobook and podcast platform that features a huge catalog of over 500,000 titles, such as exclusive releases. You can purchase audiobooks through Audible and listen with a free account.

You can also subscribe to Audible Premium or Audible Plus to get access to thousands of Audible original series and titles.

The app provides downloads, streaming playback, and the ability to monitor your listening progress across various devices. As a subsidiary of Amazon with one of the biggest available libraries, Audible sets the standard for audiobook and podcast apps. 

6. iHeartRadio

iHeartRadio is a popular podcast and radio streaming platform. It’s trendy among the older generation, having a weekly chart for leading podcasts, and they suggest podcast shows for listeners.

In 2019, the program demonstrated most of its users stream audio content through Alexa. With voice assistant usage still growing, submitting a podcast to iHeartRadio provides your audience with even more ways to tune in.

Remember that the submission requirements of iHeartRadio follow the industry standards as well.

7. Listen Notes

Listen Notes is very much the same as Google Podcasts. It has a search engine that listeners could utilize to find particular topics or podcast show titles. A few of the results in this platform do not show in an Apple Podcast search. Thus, it is another excellent option to get your podcast shows accessible to listeners.

With nearly a million podcasts registered on the platform, your podcast will be on the platform made to help listeners find podcasts about a certain topic.

8. Podcast Index

Podcast Index strives to extend and safeguard the independent podcasting system. Their categorized index is widely accessible for free, and make sure you add your podcast to this directory too.

They are an independent podcast repository for podcasts, which can be utilized by developers of apps as a substitute to the established podcast directories out there.

They also strive to restore podcasting as a platform for free speech and re-tool it to a platform of value exchange, including developers with listeners and podcasters.

9. TuneIn

TuneIn is yet another famous podcast directory and app available on virtually all devices and platforms. It resembles a radio station, and it’s not because you need to get a radio frequency technology. Instead, it’s what you can call internet radio.

The company has managed to incorporate radio stations, enabling listeners to still consume radio talks on news, music, sports, and other live events. Listeners can also select to listen to more relatable local information.

The platform brings together everything from music to live sports to podcasts and news. Further, it’s up to the listeners to listen to what interests them the most. Also, the platform is at the crossroads between a design product and a basic podcast directory without extra features.

10. RadioPublic

Did you know that RadioPublic has been around for more than fifteen years in the market? It’s the go-to platform for those independent podcast creators who wish to become part of the platform’s curated playlists and showcase their content.

The app has a plethora of features, which make it simpler for podcasters to list their shows.

It’s a good podcast app accessible on both Android and iOS. It is also free and does not need an account or log in, allowing your listeners to start listening immediately.

Listeners can also download or stream episodes for listening offline, add private RSS feeds, export and import using OPML, among other features.

11. CastBox

When CastBox was founded in 2016, it intended to streamline the process of looking for new podcasts. It features amazing tools such as an AI search engine, enabling listeners to easily look through the more than 95 million podcast episodes listed in their database.

Keep in mind that CastBox is a podcast directory that is highly focused on optimizing SEO. Looking for a podcast show on the platform is relatively simple and hassle-free because of its AI assistance feature.

On top of that, CastBox has many social media features, making the entire podcasting experience a little fun. Listeners could also leave comments on episodes, helping you acquire more people and listeners to notice your podcast show.

12. Pocket Casts

In case you didn’t know yet, Pocket Casts is a platform owned partly by NPR. Streaming on the platform is free for both Android and iOS users. They also have a hand-curated list of the best podcast shows in their directory.

Pocket Casts is a good platform for podcast listeners as it comes with the best podcast app’s best features. Features of the app include an automatic download of new podcast episodes and the simple discovery of the best podcast shows.

This podcast directory stands out of the crowd, especially when we talk about submitting your podcasts. The platform sends different recommendations to its listeners, allowing them to discover and listen to new podcast shows.

Further, you surely wish to list your show next to the 300,000 podcasts they have. It’s also worth mentioning that their curation system is one of the best in the market, and your podcast would surely find its perfect audience.

13. Samsung Podcasts

With the launch of the new Samsung Podcasts listening platform, many podcasts can reach a vastly increasing audience. The Samsung Podcasts are available exclusively on Samsung devices, allowing creators to reach their engaged listeners.

The Listen Tab offers listeners access to a wide array selection of local and global podcasts, all for free and with a single swipe. This feature also enables customers to have excellent podcasts right at their fingertips without even downloading the app.

Further, the Listen Tab is made to provide easy and fast access to Samsung Galaxy customers, enabling them to subscribe to their favorite shoes. You will also find a curation section, helping Samsung Galaxy owners to check what’s next on the platform as well as trending podcasts that might appeal to them.

14. Pandora

Pandora is a famous online podcast streaming platform and has a powerful recommendation algorithm for its users. In August 2019, the platform launched a project called Podcast Genome Project, offering unique podcast recommendations per user.

They also suggest episodes and shows for every user using insights obtained from what they like and don’t like, as well as the listening history of the user.

They recently improved its systems, allowing it to accept more podcasts. On top of that, it has a rating system helping podcasters and listeners understand what is good and not among the thousands of episodes available on the podcast directory.

15. Deezer

Based in Europe, Deezer is the country’s version of Spotify. It boasts more than sixteen million users already. If you want to get your podcasts on this platform, you are certain to reach a bigger audience. Remember that the podcast directory recently added the podcast category to their streaming platform.

The offerings are excellent, with hundreds and collaborative and original podcasts, across a wide array of topics from lifestyle comedy to politics and true crime.

Deezer is a French online music streaming platform that is available in nearly two hundred nations and has a million users, making it a podcast directory you wish to be on.

16. Overcast

Overcast is an ad-supported podcast directory and a free appl available for iOS devices. You can ignore the SEO optimization or the complex algorithms for their platform. Just keep in mind that Overcast users “star” the shows they love the most to add them in their Featured Podcast section.

One of the best about this app is that it has exciting features that your listeners can take advantage of, such as the Smart Speed feature, getting rid of the silent moments throughout the episodes, or the Voice Boost, helping them normalize the sound level of a particular episode.

17. PlayerFM

PlayerFM is a widely utilized podcast directory as well as a podcast player with more than twenty million listed episodes and over ninety million users.

It is essential to get listed in major podcast directories such as Spotify or Apple, but platforms like PlayerFM are equally necessary. That’s because they draw podcast lovers and are more search-friendly to those independent creators and podcasters.

The platform is available in an Android app, iOS, web app, and all other major operating systems and devices. The player is also totally free wherever you use it, along with the option to upgrade to premium for bonus features.

18. Acast

Like many podcast hosting services out there, Acast has a simple-to-use minimalist interface. You will receive audio-video features as well as audio campaigns apart from basic podcaster tools such as RSS feeds, audio players, and hosting to create an engaging listening experience for your listeners.

You can also get AI-powered analytics so you can get the most detailed audience information and insight to increase and grow your monetization within your podcasts.

With more established podcasters and brands, the Acast pro plan provides even more marketing and monetization support, helping you to gain audience engagement to boost the chances of funding your podcast show.

Conclusion

Like blogging, podcasting is an excellent way to reach a wider targeted audience. You can utilize a podcast as a way of extending your current business, or you could utilize the podcast itself as your own business. Either way, you will find many opportunities to reach listeners and earn money.

If you have a podcast show, we don’t think you should blast the market. Instead, you can simply submit your show to the more popular directories listed above. If you have a newer podcast, it will help your channel to get on the bigger directories. Doing this will get your podcast out there to help find new listeners.

The best podcasting directories covered in this post will help you build your podcast. We hope you find this article informative and helpful at the same time. We wish you the best of luck in your podcasting journey!

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