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Transferring a Podcast from Another Host Checklist
Transferring a Podcast from Another Host Checklist

Transfer an existing podcast to begin using Megaphone!

Alexander Brewington avatar
Written by Alexander Brewington
Updated over 6 months ago

This is a comprehensive checklist for how to transfer an existing podcast to Megaphone from another host (such as Art19, Libsyn, Spreaker, etc). For any questions on this process, please reach out to our team via Live Chat and we are happy to assist!

Import Your Podcast

  1. Obtain your current RSS feed: Your current hosting provider will have a URL to your RSS feed that should contain all your published episodes. Ensure that all episodes are included in the feed and that episodes are in mp3 formats. Note that if you are bringing over a show that used dynamic ad insertion, please use an ad-free version of your feed. Reach out to your current host's support team if you need assistance getting that. 

  2. Import your current RSS feed: Using the Import button on the Podcasts tab, copy and paste your current RSS feed to begin importing all of the episodes and metadata. This article details how to import your show.  

  3. Confirm that all episodes are in Megaphone: After your show has finished importing (episodes will no longer display a yellow "audio processing" icon), make sure all audio and episodes have been ingested properly. If not, reach out to our support team for assistance.

  4. Optional - Set up podcast RSS feed customizations: Megaphone supports additional customizations to your feed such as feed limits (only X episodes live in feed) and third party measurement prefixes (Spotify Ad Analytics, Podtrac, Chartable/Custom). Set these up prior to redirecting your podcast. 

Redirect Your Podcast to Megaphone

To ensure that you don’t lose any subscribers or listeners as you switch to Megaphone, you’ll need to tell your previous host to transfer listeners to the new Megaphone feed when they want to download a file. This process is called a "301 redirect" which tells applications such as Apple Podcast or Stitcher that your podcast has permanently moved to Megaphone. This will seamlessly transfer listeners to Megaphone without losing subscribers. 

  1. Find your hosting provider's 301 redirect instructions: Each podcast hosting service handles this process slightly differently, so start by finding your hosting provider's instructions here: http://support.megaphone.fm/redirecting-to-megaphone. If your host is not listed, reach out to their support for more information.

  2. Setup a 301 redirect: After finding your hosting provider's article, follow the instructions to setup a 301 redirect. 

  3. Confirm the redirect with Megaphone support: Once you've setup your 301 redirect, confirm that the redirect processed successfully. You can confirm on your end by clicking on your host's original RSS, and seeing if the domain name in the URL redirects to Megaphone. If you see that the address bar changes to a Megaphone URL when you access the RSS feed, this means that the 301 redirect was successful.

  4. Optional - Set up an iTunes "New" tag: Our support team can include an iTunes New tag in your RSS feed that tells Apple Podcasts that a 301 redirect has occurred. It is not required but is a best practice except in cases where a tool like Feedburner is used. For more information, reach out to our Live Chat team.

  5. Keep your old host for 30 days: In order to ensure all apps index (permanently save) your Megaphone feed, it is best practice to keep your original/old host active for 30 days after redirect. After, you can discontinue service.

  6. Export your metrics: Metrics in Megaphone will begin populating from the time of redirect moving forward. Therefore, you should always export any metrics from your original host and save them for continuity.

Confirm Your Podcast Transfer in Apps

Most apps, including Apple Podcasts and Stitcher, follow a 301 redirect almost seamlessly. There are two exceptions that are important to note:

  • Spotify: Because Spotify has an ever evolving process, it is important to claim Megaphone as your hosting platform. Moreover you'll need to claim your new Megaphone RSS Feed after redirecting to ensure metrics populate accurately. To do this, log into your Spotify for Podcasters account and navigate to the dashboard. Click the "Add or claim podcast" link in the bottom right corner, and follow the instructions to submit your new Megaphone RSS feed:

  • Google Play: Google Play (different from Google Podcasts) caches feeds, meaning it saves an original feed and does not honor updates including dynamically inserted ads or 301 redirects.

  • For any other apps that have issues (which is rare!) you can contact their support teams using the emails or portals listed in this article.

Optional: Submit to The Spotify Audience Network

The Spotify Audience Network is an optional source of additional revenue for publishers who use the Megaphone platform. Using behavioral and demographic targeting, the Spotify Audience Network sells unsold inventory for publishers who have been opted in without competing with any house sold campaigns. For every impression delivered on your show, you garner additional revenue to support your podcasting business.

We accept submissions to the Spotify Audience Network on a rolling basis following the process laid out here. Note that acceptance into the Spotify Audience Network is contingent on Megaphone approval and adherence to our Community Guidelines. We then accept and opt in according to our submission calendar.

Optional: Setup and Use the Megaphone Embeddable Player

In addition to distributing through apps such as Apple Podcast or Spotify, publishers can take advantage of the Megaphone Embeddable Player on websites and through social sharing. A few of it's features include:

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