Ways to migrate audio and video posts from Substack to beehiiv

If you're migrating from Substack, it's important to know that the Content Import tool does not support importing audio or video posts. However, you can still move this content into beehiiv by manually recreating those posts.

This article outlines a few ways to do that, starting with how to upload an audio file using beehiiv’s native Audio block, followed by options for embedding YouTube videos or podcast players.

The Post Builder includes a native Audio block that lets you upload audio files directly into a post. This player supports common formats including: .mp3, .wav, .ogg, .flac, .aac, and .webm. Once added, it will display in the web version of your post and can be styled to match your podcast or brand.

1. Download the audio file from Substack. Open the audio post in Substack. In the embedded player, click the 3 dots icon and select Download to save the audio file to your device.
   
   
   
2. Create a new post in beehiiv. In a new tab, open your beehiiv account. From the left panel, click Start writing or go to Posts and click Start writing in the top right corner.
   
   
   
3. Add an Audio block. The Post Builder will open on the Compose page. Type /audio on the canvas to insert an Audio block. 
   
   
   
4. Customize the audio player. Click on the Audio block to access the black formatting toolbar.
   
   Choose Upload audio file from the toolbar and select the downloaded file from Substack. Then customize the appearance to match your brand or podcast style.
   
   
   
   
   Customization options include:

• Upload or pick a new image.
• Edit the title.
• Change the background color.
• Download the audio.
• Upload a new audio file.
• Delete the Audio block.
   

5. Add the remaining content (section by section). Below the Audio block, copy and paste in the rest of the post from Substack as needed (text, show notes, links, etc.) It’s best to paste in chunks, especially around interactive elements like Polls, Buttons, or Embeds, which may not carry over. Recreate them using the editor’s built-in blocks.
   
   Simply type / on the canvas to browse the post editor options. You’ll also need to add authors, content tags, or a thumbnail for the post manually. 
    
6. Unselect the email audience. When done recreating the post content, move over to the Audience page of the Post Builder (up top). Under Email Audience, uncheck all options. This ensures the post will only publish to the web and no email will be sent. 
   
   Under Web Audience, make sure one or more options is checked.
   
   
   
7. Backdate the post. Move over to the Web page of the Post Builder (up top). Scroll down to Advanced settings and click the calendar icon. Select the publish date that matches the original post publication date.
   
   
   
8. Publish the post. Move over to the Review page of the Post Builder (up top). Select to Publish now instead of scheduling the post. Click the Publish Now button to confirm. 
   
   For additional details on adding an audio file to a post, please refer to our guide: How to include audio files in a post.

If you have content hosted on YouTube, you can embed a video directly into your beehiiv post using the YouTube block. This lets visitors watch your video without ever leaving your site.

1. Copy the YouTube video link. Go to the video on YouTube and copy its URL.
    
2. Create a new post in beehiiv. In your beehiiv account, go to Posts and click Start writing, or use the shortcut in the left panel.
   
   
   
3. Add a YouTube block. The Post Builder will open on the Compose page. Type /youtube on the canvas to insert a YouTube block. 
   
   
   
4. Paste the video link. Paste the copied YouTube URL into the block and press Enter on your keyboard. The embedded player will appear on the canvas.
   
   
   
5. Add the remaining content (section by section). Below the YouTube block, paste in the rest of the post from Substack as needed, such as your episode description, show notes, or related links. It’s best to paste in chunks, especially around interactive elements like Polls, Buttons, or Embeds, which may not carry over. Recreate them using the editor’s built-in blocks.
   
   Simply type / on the canvas to browse the post editor options. You’ll also need to add authors, content tags, or a thumbnail for the post manually. 
   
   
   
6. Unselect the email audience. When done recreating the post content, move over to the Audience page of the Post Builder (up top). Under Email Audience, uncheck all options. This ensures the post will only publish to the web and no email will be sent. 
   
   Under Web Audience, make sure one or more options is checked.
   
   
   
7. Backdate the post. Move over to the Web page of the Post Builder (up top). Scroll down to Advanced settings and click the calendar icon. Select the publish date that matches the original post publication date.
   
   
   
8. Publish the post. Move over to the Review page of the Post Builder (up top). Select to Publish now instead of scheduling the post. Click the Publish Now button to confirm. 
   
   For additional details on featuring a YouTube video on your web posts, please refer to our guide: How to embed YouTube videos on your website.

If your audio or video content is hosted on a third-party platform like Spotify, Vimeo, Apple Podcasts, or Transistor, you can embed it into your beehiiv post using an HTML Snippet block and the iframe HTML embed code the hosting platform provides. 

Before you start, you'll need to:

• Host/publish your audio or video on your preferred platform.
• Get the embed code (usually an iframe) provided by that platform.

Audio: 

• Spotify: Creating an embed

• Apple Podcasts embed player
• Transistor: How do I embed my podcast?
• RSS.com: How to use the embedded player?

Video: 

• Vimeo: How to embed my video
• YouTube: Embed videos & playlists

1. Create a new post. From your beehiiv account, go to Posts and click Start writing, or use the shortcut in the left panel.
   
   
   
2. Add the HTML Snippet block. The Post Builder will open on the Compose page. Type /html on the canvas to insert a HTML Snippet block.
   
   
   
3. Add the embed code: Copy and paste the <iframe> embed code from your hosting platform directly into the HTML Snippet block.
   
   
   
4. Add the rest of your content. Below the embed, copy and paste any additional content from your original Substack post, like descriptions, links, or show notes. It’s best to paste in chunks, especially around interactive elements like Polls, Buttons, or Embeds, which may not carry over. Recreate them using the editor’s built-in blocks.
   
   Simply type / on the canvas to browse the post editor options. You’ll also need to add authors, content tags, or a thumbnail for the post manually.
   
   
   
5. Unselect the email audience. When done recreating the post content, move over to the Audience page of the Post Builder (up top). Under Email Audience, uncheck all options. This ensures the post will only publish to the web and no email will be sent. 
   
   Under Web Audience, make sure one or more options is checked.
   
   
   
6. Backdate the post. Move over to the Web page of the Post Builder (up top). Scroll down to Advanced settings and click the calendar icon. Select the publish date that matches the original post publication date.
   
   
   
7. Publish the post. Move over to the Review page of the Post Builder (up top). Select to Publish now instead of scheduling the post. Click the Publish Now button to confirm. 

<iframe> embeds (used by most third-party audio/video players) won’t display in email clients. If you're planning to send your post via email, we recommend one of these workarounds:

• Use Visibility settings: To guide email readers to view your content on the web, add a content block or image to your post, then click the 6 dots menu to the left of the block. In the Visibility settings, toggle off Web so the block appears in email only. Use this to link subscribers to the full post on your site.
• Use YouTube or Spotify embeds: beehiiv supports YouTube and Spotify embeds in email. Simply insert an Embed Link block into your post, then paste in a YouTube or Spotify episode URL. The embed will render in your email and open the content in YouTube or Spotify when clicked, whether from email or web. This is a great alternative to <iframe> embeds, which don’t display in email clients.

Can beehiiv host my podcast like Substack did?
Not currently. beehiiv doesn’t offer full podcast hosting outside of our AI generated podcast feature. If you are recording a podcast, there are alternative solutions available like Transistor or RSS.com that can both host your podcast and distribute it to various platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Here are a few podcast host resources:
• Transistor: Importing your podcast from a different provider
• Transistor: How to forward your Substack podcast RSS feed - 301 redirect
• RSS.com: How do I import my podcast from a different hosting provider?
Can I create a private RSS feed for my paid podcast subscribers?
Yes, you can set up a private podcast using a hosting service like Transistor. 

Transistor enables creators and businesses to easily offer private podcasts with secure, subscriber-only access, detailed analytics, and flexible distribution options for exclusive or internal audio content. Check out this video for more info on setting up a private podcast with Transistor. 
Access to a private podcast can be granted and removed according to paid tier status of your publication  subscribers by connecting your beehiiv account with Transistor via API. No code automation platforms like Zapier and Make can be used to facilitate this kind of connection as well. 
Templates for adding and removing subscribers from your paid podcast in Transistor when there are paid subscriber upgrade/downgrade events in beehiiv are included below for both Zapier and Make. 
Zapier:
• Add paid subscribers from beehiiv to a Transistor private podcast
• Remove subscribers from a Transistor private podcast when they downgrade to a free subscription in beehiiv
Make: 
• Add paid subscribers from beehiiv to a Transistor private podcast
• Remove subscribers from a Transistor private podcast when they downgrade to a free subscription in beehiiv
Note: Spotify does not support private RSS feeds. If you want your private podcast available on Spotify, you'll need to host it with a platform listed in Spotify’s preferred partners list.
How can I link out to other podcast platforms that my listeners use like Spotify or Apple Podcasts?

You can add buttons or text links in your post to direct listeners to your show on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

If you want to give listeners multiple options in one link, use a service like pod.link (ex: Creator Spotlight). It lets you share one link that opens a landing page with links to all major podcast players.