How Do I Get My Podcast on Amazon, Audible, & Alexa?

As the plutocratic trio rolls hand-in-hand across the Internet, gathering up everything in their path, you may have looked at those welcoming golden curves in their logos and said to yourself, “Self, how do I get my podcast on Amazon, Audible and Alexa?”

This used to be difficult, but the process has become easier as technology has changed. Join me on this tour through the land of putting your podcast on Amazon and Audible, along with their chatty friend Alexa. I promise there won’t be any bad puns like Disney’s Jungle Cruise. 

Are Amazon Music and Audible the Same Thing?

On the user end, no. They’re two different storefronts with different target markets. On the back end, sort of. Audible was the leader in digital audiobooks. Amazon bought it in 2008, keeping the name and brand to keep its loyal customer base. Audible subscribers can listen to podcasts (from Amazon Music’s directory) without paying an additional fee or using their monthly credits.

For podcasters, this simply means that people who only consume audio content via their Audible or Amazon music apps will be able to hear your podcast. For Amazon and Audible, their customer base is less likely to search elsewhere for content.

What About Alexa?

Alexa is, of course, the voice assistant for Amazon. In my past experience,  I have found that when I submit a new podcast to the TuneIn directory, that podcast eventually shows up on Alexa, Amazon and Audible. Now, it appears the correct path is to submit your podcast to TuneIn so that Alexa can play it, and Amazon Music and/or Audible via their own portal. 

TuneIn is an audio streaming service that provides radio, podcasts, audiobooks, concerts, and sports broadcasts to smart things that are not phones. All Alexa devices come pre-loaded with TuneIn. Sonos and Bose speakers, Roku and  Google Home devices, Samsung smart televisions, and Tesla vehicles also have TuneIn pre-loaded. TuneIn has varying levels of membership with different benefits. For podcasters, TuneIn gets your podcast in more places where voice optimization matters. Alexa is important, and so are other smart devices. 

Do Amazon Music, Audible and Alexa Really Matter?

Buzzsprout compiles reports on the number of downloads of its podcasts and the directories they pass through. In June 2024, Amazon Music made up 0.9% of the total, and Audible made up 0.5%. This might not sound like a lot, but it’s still well over 1.3 million listens. And, that’s just Buzzsprout. Other hosting services might report different stats. Considering that this is a task you only do once, then let it run, it’s effort well worth your time.

How to Get Your Podcast on TuneIn and Alexa

Your media hosting service may have its own portal or set of instructions for submitting to TuneIn and Alexa. What I’m about to tell you may seem counterintuitive, but trust me, this really is how TuneIn submission works. 

First, make sure that your email address is in your RSS feed. Check with your media hosting service’s knowledge base, because they all have different user interfaces. Most people add this temporarily and then remove it, to avoid spam. Some hosting services, such as Buzzsprout, can add an email address temporarily and then remove it after 48 hours. 

Copy and paste your RSS feed into a note, so you have it available when you need it. 

Most media hosts provide a link to TuneIn’s submission form. This is a generic form to submit a problem ticket to TuneIn’s tech support. Remember how I said that the process is counterintuitive? I didn’t believe it either. 

Put your name in as the “requester.” For the subject, clearly and briefly tell them you’re submitting your podcast’s RSS feed to the TuneIn directory. 

Give them the name of the podcast and the RSS feed. This is being read by a human, so keep it short and sweet. TuneIn will verify ownership of the RSS feed by sending an email to the address listed in the RSS feed. When you get the email, write back saying, “Yes, that’s me, thank you.”

TuneIn says approval can take anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks. And you thought Apple Podcast Connect’s process was slow. 

Once you’re in the directory, TuneIn will send you a link to your show. Return to your media host and enter a link to your show in TuneIn using the media host’s directory interface. 

Voilá: audiences can ask to hear your show on Alexa and many other voice-activated smart things worldwide. If you’ve ever wanted to have your podcast in someone’s refrigerator, that may not be too far-fetched. 

How to Get Your Podcast On Amazon Music and Audible

The process is similar, but Amazon Music’s interface is more descriptive. 

First, go to Amazon Music for Podcasters. 

Click on the button that reads “Add or Claim your podcast.” Amazon will ask you to sign in with your login info for any Amazon service or product. This will take you to a screen where they ask for your podcast’s RSS feed.

Copy and paste your podcast’s RSS feed URL in the space available.

If your podcast isn’t already in their directory, they will verify ownership by sending an email to the address connected to your RSS feed. In the email, click on the link to verify that yes, this is your podcast.

Amazon takes you to the Amazon for Podcasters dashboard. Your podcast’s status is “pending.” Wait a day or two. In my case, my podcast was verified and available for public listening in less than an hour. Your mileage may vary. Amazon Music sends you a link to your podcast in their directory.

Will Adding My Podcast To Amazon Music Also Add My Podcast To Audible?

Audible has changed its knowledge base and customer support interface. Neither has official documentation on submitting your podcast to Audible; in fact, they avoid the question completely. The bot wouldn’t even let me type a question. But I can tell you that whenever I used the Amazon Music portal to submit my podcast to Amazon, the podcast appeared on Audible soon afterwards.

Should I Put My Podcast On Amazon Music and Audible?

Your audience is, potentially, everywhere and anywhere. So, yes, having your podcast on Amazon and Audible makes good sense. You should also submit your podcast to as many directories as possible.

Caveat emptor: Neither Amazon nor Audible will pay you for the privilege of having your podcast in their directory. While some independent podcast companies break through the glass ceiling to become paid content on Audible, most podcasts are free offerings for Audible subscribers, like croutons at a salad bar.

If you have strong feelings about monopoly-style business tactics, you might want your podcast to be something other than a perk that a corporation gives away for free to entice people to buy premium memberships. You could also say the same thing about Spotify or Apple.

When starting out, yes, definitely, get your podcast on Amazon and Audible, and every directory on the planet. You want your work to be easy to find anywhere.

Then, when your podcast has a big audience and a loyal following, you can afford to be more selective about where you make it available. You don’t have to help any billionaires launch a space rocket again.