We're podcasters just like you. That's why we crafted the Captivate experience to make things nice and easy for you, starting with how to create and publish your podcast episodes.
Are you new to Captivate? Every podcaster gets a 7 day free trial when they sign up with us, alternatively check out our features to see that we offer (hint: so much more than just hosting)
How to publish your podcast episode with Captivate
Head to the top right of your Captivate dashboard and click Publish New Episode. You will then be taken to the publish new episode view to start to craft your episode:
Upload Your File
When it comes to uploading your podcast episode audio file, you have a few options:
When it comes to uploading your podcast episode audio file, you have a few options:
the usual drag-and-drop upload box/browse files link
add media from the Last Upload (for the most recent file uploaded)
add media from your Content Library
Or, if your audio isn't quite ready yet skip this step and upload the file later 😊
Episode Details
Episode title: your episode title will be displayed in all podcast directories and players. Try and make your episode title catchy and something that grabs your audiences attention.
Episode show notes: show notes are a great way to let your listener know what to expect from your episode, as well as offer takeaways, links to connect with you, download resources and more. Check out our top tips to create great show notes for your podcast!
Display a different episode title on Apple Podcasts? use this if you would like to display a different episode title in Apple Podcasts, for example, a title without an episode number in.
Optional episode summary: perfect for adding a short, punchy preview for apps that support this, that can really help attract potential listeners.
Episode number: this lets you choose which episode number you are publishing. This helps both listeners catch up on shows they've missed, and podcast apps differentiate in what order an episode should be displayed.
Season number: Podcasts usually fall within two categories - episodic or serial/season. Episodic are standalone shows that can be listened to in any order. Serial, however, are part of an ongoing series, and can be broken down into seasons (much like your favourite TV shows!). This option lets you display what season the episode is part of.
Episode type: Most episodes will be normal episodes, but sometimes you'll create podcast show trailers or bonus content that displays differently depending on the listener's podcast player.
Mark as explicit: this is an important option to make sure you get right! If your episode has any profanity in it, you need to set it as explicit. This will ensure only an age-appropriate audience will see it. Note: Apple Podcasts can remove your episode from Apple Podcasts if your show is not properly age-gated!
Transcriptions: manually create and manage your own transcriptions or upload your SRT file to add transcriptions to your podcast episode. Note: If you have uploaded your audio file from Descript and have a transcription file attached to it, the transcription file will be automatically added here.
Guest Bookings
If you use the guest booking feature, you can assign that guest to your episode here, and then use the short code feature on your episode editing screen to add the guest details.
Research Links
If you’ve created a research link, you can add to the episode here (or create a new one) by choosing which research link(s) to assign, then add via the short code feature.
Episode Artwork (optional)
As a default, Captivate will automatically add your podcast show level artwork. If you wish to add unique episode artwork for each episode (perhaps to highlight a guest), simply click the artwork displayed and choose the artwork that you wish to use.
Note: When creating your podcast artwork we recommend using these podcast artwork specifications: A square image, max. 3000 x 3000 pixels in size (min. 1400 x 1400 pixels), under 512kb in file size, and a JPG or PNG file.
Need podcast artwork ideas? Check out our top do's and don'ts for creating kick ass cover art!
Episode SEO (only if using Captivate Sites or Captivate Sync)
This is where you can really optimize your show for maximum visibility on search engines. Think of your listeners, what they'd be searching for, and how your episode answers that.
SEO Title: the title shown in search engine results and social shares (defaults to your episode title if empty). Try using an informative and authoritative title.
SEO Description: this is the little box that shows up on search results, and enables you to expand on your title to offer more information on your episode, while including the type of keywords people search for on Google.
Episode URL: this is the URL for your episode if you use a Captivate-powered website for your show. This will auto-complete with your SEO Title, but you can change it to your own preference.
If you don’t use Captivate Sites or Sync, then you can add your own website’s episode URL instead.
Dynamic Ad Insertion with AMIE
Do you have a pre-roll, post-roll, or in-content ad you want to include in your podcast? No problem, we've got you covered with Captivate's dynamic ad insertion tool, AMIE.
Publish Details
Select the date and time you want your podcast episode to be published. Click on the little calendar icon next to the current date, and choose your preferred publish date and time.
Advanced options
Exclude this episode from feed: if you have an episode that you wish to only share with a certain audience - newsletter subscribers, membership course, etc - you can use this option to stop a specific episode from appearing on public platform apps.
Set episode expiration date: there may come a time when you only want an episode to appear for a certain amount of time (a limited time offer, an excitement builder for a new show, or even a Christmas message). Check this box to choose a day and time you want this episode to be removed from your RSS feed.
That's it! You're ready to publish your episode, safe in the knowledge that your show notes are on point, your SEO is ready to drive listeners to your show, and your new episode is looking and sounding the best it can!
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