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Create · Guided lesson

Host and distribute

About 30 minutes
Work at your own pace. Optional videos take extra time.
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Before you begin

The idea in everyday life

A hosting provider stores episodes and creates the RSS feed; directories read the feed. Complete owner contact, show category, language, explicit setting, artwork, author, copyright, and episode metadata accurately. Submit using accounts you control and protect.

The idea

The hosting service stores your episodes and creates the main RSS feed, a file with your show details. Podcast directories read that feed to list your episodes.

Try it

One step at a time.

Use the sample or information you have permission to use. Keep your work as you go. You can pause between steps.

  1. 1

    Choose a host by current pricing, storage, analytics, feed control, support, team access, and migration terms.

  2. 2

    Complete show metadata, ownership email, category, language, content rating, artwork specifications, and author information.

  3. 3

    Publish a trailer, validate the feed, then submit or claim the show in major directories using official creator portals.

  4. 4

    Secure the host and directory accounts with strong authentication and document ownership and recovery.

Example

See how it works.

Rae uploads a trailer and schedules three episodes. Rae checks the RSS feed, claims the show pages in major podcast directories, and tests artwork, episode order, playback, and links. The hosting account uses unique sign-in details and multifactor authentication, which adds another check at sign-in.

Check your work

Did you cover these?

  • You control the host, feed, email, domain, and directory accounts.
  • Feed validation and directory previews show correct metadata and artwork.
  • Current platform requirements are confirmed from official help pages.
Your work

What to finish

A valid live feed, claimed show pages, published trailer, and secure access record.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Letting an individual contractor own the host account or feed credentials without transfer terms.

How can I tell I understand it?

You can identify the main feed, explain who controls it, and show how an episode reaches each podcast directory.

Try 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.

Not yet passed

You’ll get an explanation for each answer. Signed in? Your results save to your account.

1Which step is part of “Host and distribute”?
2What should you have made by the end of this lesson?
3Which mistake should you watch for in this lesson?
0 of 3 answeredApply the lesson to a short question, then review the explanation.
5
Finish this lesson

Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.

Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.

Go to the knowledge check
Optional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
RiversideHow to Start a PodcastYouTube
Optional course overview

How to Start a Podcast

From Riverside. Watch here or open it on YouTube .

Use the video's hosting explanation to distinguish uploading one media file from distributing an RSS feed and maintaining ownership of the show identity.
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Sources and further reading

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