Podcasting FAQs

What is Google Podcasts?

Google Podcasts is a catalog of all podcast feeds that Google is able to find and process on the public web, with a nice UI that enables you to search for and play episodes, or subscribe to shows. It's sort of like Google Search, but limited to podcasts.

Google Podcasts provides the podcast catalog for many other apps and services that support podcast playback. For example, the Google Podcasts app, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay all use Google Podcasts as their database for finding and subscribing to podcast shows and episodes. You can also visit Google Podcasts right in your browser to find, play, or subscribe to shows and episodes from anywhere on the web.

What is Google Podcasts Manager?

Google Podcasts Manager is a tool for podcasters to see their show's usage statistics on Google Podcasts. Google Podcasts Manager shows play counts, episode retention graphs, discoverability, and more. You can learn more about Google Podcasts Manager here.

How does Google Podcasts work?

Google searches (crawls) the web for podcast RSS feeds. When it finds a podcast feed that it can read, it checks the feed. If the feed passes the checks, Google will include the podcast on Google Podcasts, where users can find and listen to the show on Google Search, the Google Podcasts app, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and more.

Some of the things that Google checks before making a podcast available:

• Does Google already have a feed that describes the same show?
• Can Google find and play the episodes?

Google doesn't host any podcast RSS feeds or episode files, it simply enables users to find and play them on Google, similar to how Google Search works. (In technical terms, this means that Google Podcasts is a podcasting directory, not a podcasting host.)

Learn more about how Google Podcasts works.

Where are my episodes stored?

Google doesn't store podcast episodes. Google finds and verifies the RSS feed that describes your show and episodes, wherever the episodes are stored. Google doesn't host any podcast files.

If my podcast is on YouTube, can people play it on Google Podcasts?

No, there is no connection between YouTube and Google Podcasts. If you want your podcast to be available on Google Podcasts, you will need to follow the procedure here.

If my podcast is on Google Podcasts, can people play it on YouTube?

No, YouTube has a separate upload process for content. All content on YouTube must be uploaded directly to YouTube.

I didn't get my Google Podcasts Manager verification code

If you are trying to verify ownership of a podcast in Google Podcasts Manager, and you asked Google to email you a verification code, but you never got the code, here are a few suggestions:

• Make sure that you're looking at the right email address. During the verification process, Podcasts Manager will show you which email address the code will be sent to. Go through the process again if you need to, and look for that email address. Then make sure that you're checking the right email account. If you don't have access to the email account shown, or if you want to use a different email, you'll need to change the feed owner's email address provided in the RSS feed.
• Make sure that the email wasn't filtered or marked as spam. Search your spam folder, or search for all messages from [email protected].

How do I provide my email address to Google Podcasts Manager?

Google Podcasts Manager uses the owner email address listed in the podcast's RSS feed. Learn how to find and update that value.

How do I get my podcast on Google Podcasts?

You must post an RSS file that describes your show and the episodes, and Google must be able to find and read this RSS file. If you're using a podcast hosting service such as PodBean or Buzzsprout, your hosting service will probably create this RSS file for you and help Google find it.

Additionally, it helps if you have a homepage on the web for your podcast, and you link it to your feed using a special syntax described here.

If you've already published a podcast, search Google Podcasts to see whether your podcast is already there. If it is, you don't need to do anything else. If not, be aware that it can take up to six days after Google finds and processes a valid podcast RSS before that show will appear in Google Podcasts.

You can find the full details about publishing content on Google Podcasts here.

Why isn't my podcast on Google?

Be sure to follow all the steps in How do I get my podcast on Google Podcasts. Be aware that it can take up to six days after Google finds and processes a valid podcast RSS before that show will appear in Google Podcasts. If you've waited and your show still isn't appearing, follow these troubleshooting steps.

How long will it take my podcast to appear on Google?

If you have just successfully verified ownership with Podcasts Manager, it can take up to six days for the podcast to appear in Google Podcasts. If Google has problems reading the RSS file or other issues, it will not appear, but you will see a notification for your show in Podcasts Manager.

If you do not use Podcasts Manager, remember that Google first needs to find your show's RSS feed, and then, if the feed is usable, it can take up to six days for the podcast to appear in Google Podcasts. You can tell Google about your podcast to help us find it the first time (after that, we'll remember where it is). If you are using a podcasting service, your service will probably tell Google about your podcast when you publish it. Search your podcast service's documentation for information about publishing your podcast.

How long will it take Google to find my new episode?

Google checks known feeds for changes several times a day. In most cases, this is frequent enough that you don't need to do anything else. However, you can explicitly request a recrawl of your feed if you need an update within 30 minutes.

How do I upload an episode to Google Podcasts?

Google Podcasts is a podcast directory, not a podcast hosting service. This means that we find shows and episodes that are hosted elsewhere, and make them available to listeners. Google doesn't store any podcast files.

Learn more about how to get your podcast on Google Podcasts.

How do I record a podcast? How do I learn about making podcasts?

We've got some great learning resources here.

How do I listen to a podcast on Google?

You can learn more about listening to podcasts here.

I'm having problems playing a podcast

You can find more information about podcast listening in this help center.

How do I download an episode?

If you want to download an episode for offline playing, the steps depend on what app or device you're using. For instance, in the Google Podcasts app on Android, there's a small download button that looks something like this . Search for instructions for the specific app that you're using.

How do I remove an episode from Google Podcasts?

If you are not in any hurry, simply remove the episode from your show's RSS feed. If you want an episode to be removed faster, see here. Note that any episodes downloaded by a user won't be removed from the user's device.

How do I remove a podcast from Google Podcasts?

See here about removing a podcast for listeners on Google Podcasts.

If this is a content or policy issue about someone else's podcast, you can read the Google Podcasts policies here, and report a problematic podcast as described on that page.

How do I remove a show from Google Podcasts Manager?

If you want to remove a show from Google Podcasts Manager (the podcast owner's monitoring platform) see here. This action won't remove a show for listeners on Google Podcasts.

What is my RSS feed URL?

If you have validated your podcast ownership in Podcasts Manager, you can see the URL of the currently served feed in Google as described here.

If you aren't using Podcasts Manager, and are using a podcast hosting service, here are some tips for finding out the URL of your feed.

What does "episode must be available to Google" or "podcast must be available to Google" mean?

Google must be able to find and read ("crawl" and "index") both the RSS feed that defines your podcast, and the audio files for each episode (which are linked to by your RSS feed). If a feed or episode requires a login, or has a configuration setting that prevents search engines like Google from visiting the files, then your episode or show can't appear on Google Podcasts. We don't have a tester that lets you confirm whether a file is available to Google, but you can do a search for a robots.txt test tool, and enter your RSS feed URL and episode URLs if you need to check.