Creating a podcast on beehiiv

Native podcast hosting is built directly into your beehiiv dashboard, giving you everything you need to launch and grow your podcast in one place. You can create shows, upload episodes, generate an RSS feed, and distribute your content to major listening platforms, all on beehiiv.

This article walks you through creating your first show, publishing your first episode, and submitting your podcast to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other listening platforms. For information on importing an existing podcast to beehiiv, see Importing your podcast to beehiiv.

The number of shows and episodes available to you depends on your beehiiv plan.

A show is the top-level container for your podcast. Each show has its own RSS feed, artwork, description, and episode library. You can have multiple shows under a single publication, depending on your plan.

1. From the left panel, go to Podcasts.
2. If this is your first show, click Create new podcast. If you already have an existing show, click Create show.
   
   
   
3. The podcast details will open for you to fill in. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
   
   
   
   
   To create a show, add the basic details:
   • Show title: Enter a title for your show. This is the name listeners will see in podcast apps.
   • Show URL: Enter the URL for your show using lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores. This must be unique and can be edited later.
   • Description: Enter a short summary of what your podcast is about.

   • Cover art: Upload a square image in JPEG or PNG format, ideally between 1400 x 1400 px and 3000 x 3000 px.

     Tech Note: beehiiv has the ability to read and write artwork from ID3 embedded metadata tags from uploaded audio files. If a podcast episode comes with a piece of cover art embedded in it, beehiiv can extract the art and set it as the artwork in all places that the episode is distributed.
     
     When you manually add a podcast episode artwork in the beehiiv UI, beehiiv writes the artwork into the MP3 file so that it renders properly on Apple Podcasts’ website and for other relevant players.
   • Author: Your publication name loads here automatically. You can replace it with something else if needed.
   • Copyright: Your publication name loads here automatically. You can replace it with something else if needed.
   • Language: Select the language your podcast is in.
   • Show type: Select Episodic for standalone episodes or Serial for episodes meant to be listened to in order.
   • Explicit content warning: Toggle this on if your show contains explicit content. This will mark your show as explicit on your beehiiv website and across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
      
4. In the Categories section, start with the Primary category and select the category that best fits your show. You can optionally add a Secondary and Tertiary category to improve discoverability.
   
   
   
5. Review your podcast show selections and click Save show in the top right corner.
   
   
   
6. You'll return to your Podcasts dashboard where your new show will be listed. Click the arrow next to Edit details to access additional options: Edit details, Archive, and Delete show.
   
   
   

Episodes are the individual audio files within a show. Once you have a show, you can create, schedule, and manage all of your episodes from within it.

1. From the left panel, go to Podcast and open your show.
2. Click New episode.
   
   
   
3. You’ll be prompted to upload an audio file in MP3 or WAV format (500 MB max file size).
   
   
   
4. After your file upload is successful, click the Next button in the top right corner. 
   
   
   
5. The episode details will appear alongside a preview of how the page will look. 
   
   
   
   
   Fill in the episode details:
   • Episode title: Enter the title for your episode. This is shown in podcast apps and on your website. 
   • Show notes: Enter a description for your episode. Rich text formatting is supported, including bold, italic, and links. However, headers are not currently supported in show notes.

   • Cover art (optional): Upload a square image for this episode. If none is uploaded, your show artwork is used by default.

     Reminder: beehiiv has the ability to read and write artwork from ID3 embedded metadata tags from uploaded audio files. If a podcast episode comes with a piece of cover art embedded in it, beehiiv can extract the art and set it as the artwork in all places that the episode is distributed.
     
     When you manually add a podcast episode artwork in the beehiiv UI, beehiiv writes the artwork into the MP3 file so that it renders properly on Apple Podcasts’ website and for other relevant players.
   • Episode type: Select Full, Trailer, or Bonus. Only one trailer episode is allowed per show.
   • Explicit content warning (optional): Toggle this on if your episode contains explicit content.

   • Show transcript and captions (optional): Toggle this on to allow subscribers to view an auto-generated transcript and closed captions on the episode page. Transcripts are generated automatically after upload and include interactive timestamps that let listeners skim, search, and jump to specific moments.

     Tech Note: Transcripts are processed after the episode is published and typically appear within a few minutes. At this time, transcripts cannot be manually edited after generation. If you need to provide a custom transcript, you can include it in the Show notes field using rich text formatting.
   • Season number and Episode number (optional): Used by podcast apps that support seasons.
   • Custom display date (optional): Shows a different date on your website and in podcast directories without changing the actual publish time.
6. When your episode is ready, click Schedule in the top right corner.  
   
   
   
7. Choose how to publish it: either Publish now or Schedule for later. 
   
   After publishing enough episodes, a helpful chart will recommend the best time based on your past download history.
   
   
   
   
   Select a publishing option: 
   • Publish now: The episode goes live immediately. Your RSS feed updates and podcast apps will pick it up on their next sync.

   • Schedule for later: Click the calendar icon and select a future date and time for the episode to publish automatically, then click Schedule.

     Note: Podcast episodes and newsletter posts are published independently — publishing an episode does not send a newsletter, or vice versa. To reference a podcast episode in a newsletter, create a post and include a link to the published episode page.
8. After publishing or scheduling, you'll return to your Podcasts dashboard, where your episode will be listed under the Episodes tab. Click the 3 dots icon to access options to edit or delete the episode.
   
   
   

Once you've published your show, you can connect it to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and other listening platforms.

Read How to submit your podcast to listening platforms for step-by-step instructions.

Can I change my RSS feed URL after setting up distribution?

The RSS feed URL for a show can only be changed if you are moving your podcast hosting from beehiiv to another podcasting solution.

If you move your podcast to another host, you can enter your new RSS feed URL by clicking the gear icon in the RSS feed section of the Distribution tab.

You'll be able to set up a 301 redirect for your existing subscribers from here. Enter the redirect URL and click Save.