Create a podcast in YouTube Studio

Learn how to create a podcast using YouTube Studio and add your podcast to YouTube Music.

Create a Podcast in YouTube Studio

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On YouTube, a podcast show is a playlist, and podcast episodes are videos in that playlist. Your podcast should only contain full-length episodes, organized in the order that they should be consumed. If your podcast has multiple seasons, include them in the same podcast.

Podcast content may be eligible for the following features:

  • Inclusion in YouTube Music , where users can background and download most podcast content without a YouTube Music Premium membership
  • Podcast badges on Watch and Playlist pages
  • A spotlight on youtube.com/podcasts to attract new listeners
  • Easy discovery from the Watch page to help listeners find your episodes
  • Recommendations to new listeners with similar interests
  • Improved search features to help your audience find your podcast
Note:
  • Some playlists aren’t eligible for podcast features, even if you designate them as podcasts. Ineligible content includes, but isn’t limited to, content that isn’t owned by the creator.
  • Shorts created to support your podcast will not appear in YouTube Music .

Manage your podcasts on YouTube

You can create a new podcast or set a playlist as a podcast in YouTube Studio. Sometimes, YouTube may automatically classify a playlist as a podcast. If this is incorrect or if you don’t want the playlist to be set as a podcast, use the steps below to remove podcast settings.

Check out our best practices for podcast creators for more tips to optimize your channel, or learn how to create a podcast in YouTube Studio using the info below. If you’re new to YouTube, learn how to upload videos as episodes of your podcast.

Create a new podcast in YouTube Studio

To create a new podcast:

  1. Within YouTube Studio, click Create and then New podcast.
    • You may be asked to verify your account before creating a new podcast.
  2. From the pop-up, select Create a new podcast.
    • Select Set an existing playlist as a podcast if you’d like to turn an existing playlist into a podcast. Learn how to optimize existing playlists in the next section.
  3. Enter your podcast details, including:
  4. Click Create to save.

Once you’ve created your podcast, add episodes by uploading new or existing videos to your podcast. Learn how to add videos to your podcast in the next section.

Keep in mind:

  • On YouTube, each podcast episode is represented by a video. MP3s can’t be turned into podcasts on YouTube. To create a podcast, upload or add videos to your podcast’s playlist.
  • If an episode of your podcast violates our copyright policies, your content may not be eligible for podcast features. Learn more about fair use and copyrighted content on YouTube.
  • Podcast videos are available for audio-only playback. To turn off audio-only playback for a video, you must remove it from all podcasts within your video settings.
To learn more about optimizing your show for YouTube, check out our best practices within Creator Tips.
Add videos to a podcast

To upload new videos to a podcast:

  1. Within YouTube Studio, go to Content and then Podcasts.
  2. Select your podcast.
  3. Click Add videos and then Upload videos.
  4. Upload the videos you’d like to add to your podcast and enter video details.
  5. Click Create to save changes.

To add existing videos to a podcast:

  1. Within YouTube Studio, go to Content and then Podcasts.
  2. Select your podcast.
  3. Click Add videos and then Add your existing videos.
  4. Select the videos you want to add to your podcast.
  5. Click Add to playlist and select your podcast from the list.
  6. Click Save to add videos to your podcast.

Set an existing playlist as a podcast

  1. Within YouTube Studio, go to Content and then Playlists.
  2. Hover over the playlist you want to designate as a podcast.
  3. Click Menu and then Set as podcast.
  4. Review your podcast’s details and add a square podcast thumbnail. Podcast details include title, description, and who can view your podcast on YouTube.
  5. Click Done to confirm your changes.

Keep in mind:

  • If an episode of your podcast violates our copyright policies, your content may not be eligible for podcast features. Learn more about fair use and copyrighted content on YouTube.
  • Only set a playlist as a podcast if it contains full podcast episodes. If you have an additional set of playlists for seasons or clips, do not set these playlists as a podcast.
Make sure that your existing playlists are optimized for podcasting on YouTube. To learn more, check out our best practices within Creator Tips.

Name your podcast

During set up, give your podcast a descriptive title. Don’t add extra words to your podcast title (including ‘podcast,’ unless that is part of your show’s name).

Avoid generic podcast titles, such as “Full Episodes,” “New Uploads,” “Podcast,” etc. If your playlist title is too vague, YouTube will replace your podcast’s title with your channel name in the YouTube Music app.

Note:
  • Some playlists aren’t eligible for podcast features, even if you designate them as podcasts. Ineligible content includes, but isn’t limited to, content that isn’t owned by the creator.
  • Shorts created to support your podcast will not appear in YouTube Music .

Edit your podcast details

To edit your podcast details:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Go to Content and then Podcasts.
  3. Hover over the podcast you’d like to edit and click .
  4. From the Details page, edit the title, description, square podcast thumbnail, visibility, or video order of your podcast.
  5. Click Save.

If you want to edit your podcast details, you'll need to add a square podcast thumbnail.
We recommend 1280x1280 pixels for your square podcast thumbnail. To add a thumbnail, go to your podcast Details page and upload an image.

If you don’t want to add a square podcast thumbnail, you can remove podcast features in the Podcasts menu.

Remove podcast settings from a playlist

  1. Within YouTube Studio, go to Content and then Podcasts.
  2. Hover over the playlist you want to unset as a podcast.
  3. Click on the Menu next to the podcast you want to remove features from.
  4. Select Set as playlist.
  5. Click Yes to confirm.
Sometimes, YouTube will automatically classify a playlist as a podcast. If this is incorrect or if you don’t want the playlist to be set as a podcast, use the steps above to remove podcast settings.

Re-order episodes within your podcast

To edit the order that your episodes are consumed, you’ll need to re-order them within your podcast playlist.

  1. Within YouTube Studio, go to Content and then Podcasts.
  2. Click Edit on the podcast you’d like to update.
  3. From the podcast details page, click on the Default Video Order menu and choose how you want your videos to be sorted.
  4. Click Save in the upper right corner to confirm the changes.
  • If your show is episodic, order your videos from newest to oldest.
  • If your show is serial, order your playlist from oldest to newest.
Measure your podcast’s performance on YouTube

To understand your podcast’s general performance:

  1. Open YouTube Studio.
  2. From the Analytics tab, click Overview.
  3. Select the relevant podcast from Your Podcast(s) card on the lower right side of the page.

Note: If you only have one podcast on YouTube, this will be the only option.

Within this snapshot, you can find views and watchtime and data for your podcast. If you have multiple podcast shows, your playlists will appear in a carousel.

For a deep dive into your podcast’s performance:

  1. Open YouTube Studio.
  2. From the Analytics tab, click Overview.
  3. Select See Podcast Analytics.

From this view, you’ll find:

  • Overview of your podcast performance
  • Traffic sources
  • Audience demographics
  • Audience retention metrics
  • Revenue data
  • And more

If you have multiple podcast shows, click the title of the podcast you’d like to analyze.

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