How to start a podcast on YouTube

A podcast is a playlist, and each episode is a video in it. YouTube asks you to include only full-length episodes, in the order they should be watched; several seasons can sit in the same podcast. Eligible podcasts may get:

• A place in YouTube Music, where people can listen in the background and download without YouTube Music Premium.
• Podcast badges and a spotlight on youtube.com/podcasts.
• Easier discovery from the watch page, recommendations to listeners with similar interests, and better search.
• Audio-only playback. To turn it off for one video, remove that video from all podcasts in its settings.
• MP3 files can't be turned into podcasts, and Shorts made to support a podcast won't appear in YouTube Music.

Source: YouTube Help: Create a podcast in YouTube Studio, checked 15 October 2026

On a computer:

1. In YouTube Studio, click Create, then New podcast. You may need to verify your account.
2. Select Create a new podcast.
3. Enter the title, description and visibility (Public or Private), and add a square podcast thumbnail.
4. Click Create.
5. To add episodes, go to Content, then Podcasts, select the podcast and click Add videos. Choose Upload videos for new files or Add your existing videos for ones already on your channel.

• Use a descriptive title. Don't add the word podcast unless it's part of the show's name.
• Avoid generic titles such as Full Episodes, New Uploads or Podcast. If the title is too vague, YouTube may show your channel name instead in YouTube Music.
• To see how it's doing, go to Analytics, then Overview, and pick the podcast in the Your Podcast(s) card, or select See Podcast Analytics for traffic sources, demographics, retention and revenue.

Source: YouTube Help: Create a podcast in YouTube Studio, checked 15 October 2026

Only do this for a playlist of full episodes, not one of clips or a single season.

1. In YouTube Studio, go to Content, then Playlists.
2. Hover over the playlist, click Options, then Add podcast features.
3. Review the title, description and who can view it.
4. Add a square podcast thumbnail.
5. Click Done.

• To change the episode order later, open the podcast from Content, then Podcasts, click the edit icon and choose a Default Video Order.
• YouTube suggests newest to oldest for episodic shows and oldest to newest for serial shows.

Source: YouTube Help: Create a podcast in YouTube Studio, checked 15 October 2026

RSS delivery is for audio-first shows and is only available in some countries and regions. YouTube turns each episode you choose into a video using your show art as a still image. You need advanced feature access, or identity verification if you don't have it.

1. In YouTube Studio, click Create, then New podcast, and select Submit RSS feed.
2. Accept the RSS Ingestion Tool Terms of Service and read the on-screen instructions.
3. Enter your RSS feed URL.
4. Request a verification code and enter the code sent to the email address listed in your feed. If you don't know it, ask your hosting provider.
5. Choose which episodes to upload: all existing episodes, those since a date, or only future ones. Tick the branded content option if episodes include sponsorships.
6. Review the visibility settings and save.
7. When you get the email saying it's ready, go to Podcasts and click Publish under Video count.

• Episodes can take a few days to upload and arrive as private, so wait until they've all finished before going public.
• New episodes then upload on their own and eligible subscribers are notified. Back-catalogue episodes don't trigger notifications.
• YouTube's RSS guidance says podcast content delivered this way can't contain ads, and host-read promotions must be disclosed as branded content.
• Audio can't be changed after publishing. Use Re-upload from RSS feed on the video's menu; that creates a new video and makes the old one private.

Sources: YouTube Help: Publish or disconnect episodes from an RSS feed on YouTube, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Deliver podcasts using an RSS feed, checked 15 October 2026

Match what you see to the cause:

Sources: YouTube Help: Create a podcast in YouTube Studio, checked 15 October 2026; YouTube Help: Deliver podcasts using an RSS feed, checked 15 October 2026

A video podcast gives you a steady stream of clips for Shorts and other networks. Zolyp, which publishes this guide, publishes to YouTube as one of 9 platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads). It creates video uploads and Shorts with titles and descriptions written for search, can set a custom thumbnail on a standard video, and schedules them with the posts on your other networks. You approve the week before anything goes live.