How to Launch a New Podcast: A First Week Checklist

A launch is not one big moment. It is a few days of small, specific jobs that make it easy for the right people to find your show and keep listening. Here is a plan you can follow, whether your show is about business, books or beekeeping.

Before launch day

Record at least three episodes

A new listener who likes the first episode will want a second one right away. If there is nothing else, they drift off. Having three ready to go gives them something to keep playing, and it gives you a head start on a schedule.

Make a trailer

A trailer is a short episode, usually one to two minutes, that tells a stranger what the show is about and why to listen. Mark it as a trailer episode type so apps handle it correctly. It is also the easiest thing to share on social media.

Finish the basics

• A clear title and a description that says who the show is for.
• Cover art at the right size, as covered in our guide to cover art.
• A category, a language and the correct explicit setting.
• An owner email you can open.

Check your feed

Open your feed address in a browser and read it. Check the title, artwork and each episode. OnlyCasts runs a feed check on the Distribution page that lists anything to fix before you send the show anywhere.

Day 1: Submit to the directories

Submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the other directories. Our guide to submitting your podcast covers each one. Directories can take a few hours to a few days to approve a show, so start early, and do not announce anything until the show is actually live.

Day 2 and 3: Wait and prepare

• Write the post or message you will use to announce the show, and two or three shorter versions for different places.
• Pick two or three quotes or moments from the episodes that stand on their own.
• Tell a handful of people who will listen and care. Ask each of them to press play on launch day.

Launch day

1. Confirm the show is live in the apps you care about.
2. Send your announcement everywhere you have an audience. Link to your show's public listener page, which works in any browser and lists links to the apps.
3. Ask people directly. Personal messages bring far more listeners than a post to everyone.
4. Publish the first episodes on the same day, so there is something to keep playing.

Day 4 to 6: Keep the momentum

• Share a short clip or quote from an episode each day.
• Reply to everyone who tells you they listened.
• Ask a few early listeners to leave an honest rating or review. Never offer a reward for one.
• Mention your guests and tag them. Guests often share the episode with their own audience.

Day 7: Look at the first numbers

Check your downloads for the week. A small number is normal for a new show, and it is a starting point to compare against, not a verdict. Write the figure down. Our guide to reading podcast statistics explains what the numbers do and do not tell you.

What not to do

• Do not buy downloads or reviews. They do not bring listeners, and they can get a show removed.
• Do not launch with one episode and a gap of a month before the next.
• Do not wait for a perfect cover or perfect audio. Good enough, published, beats perfect and late.

The checklist in one place

• Three episodes and a trailer recorded.
• Title, description, cover art, category and owner email done.
• Feed checked.
• Submitted to the directories.
• Announcement written, and a few listeners lined up.
• Launch day announcement sent.
• A schedule for the next four weeks.