You can post a new podcast episode by adding a blog post containing an audio block.

Tip: iTunes Podcasts rebranded as Apple Podcasts.

Before you begin

• If you're new to podcasting, visit Podcasting with Squarespace and set up a blog to host your podcast.
• For more help posting blog posts, visit Blogging with Squarespace.
• Squarespace formats RSS feeds using the podcasting standards set by Apple Podcasts, but you can share your feed with other podcast services. This guide refers to Apple Podcasts as the default podcast service.
• You can include regular blog content alongside podcast episodes. Any posts without audio blocks won't display in podcast clients like Apple Podcasts.
• Only use one audio block per post. If a post has more than one audio block, only the first audio block will appear in Apple Podcasts.
• The audio block only supports .mp3 and .m4a files.
• The size limit for a file upload to the audio block is 160 MB. For larger files, we recommend hosting your file with a different source and using the External File option to add the audio block. Squarespace will automatically detect the size (in bytes) and MIME type of uploaded files.

Step 1 - Add a blog post

Click your podcasting blog page in your navigation menu, then click the + icon in the Blog panel to add a new post.

Step 2 - Add an audio block

In the post editor, click an insert point and select Audio from the menu.

In the Embed tab, click Upload File or drag your audio file into the uploader.

After adding an audio file, the file name and file size will appear in the uploader. You can edit the episode title and author/artist (host).

Tip: For more help with setup, visit Using the audio block. Click here for help using an external file.

Step 3 - Add Apple Podcasts metadata tags

In the audio block editor, click the Podcasting tab and complete all fields. These fields become metadata tags and appear in your podcast's RSS feed. Add this information:

As you add information, note the following:

• The Apple Podcasts mobile app doesn't display text formatting, such as bold, italics, or hyperlinks, for text entered in the Episode Note field.
• If your site is on version 7.1, upload episode-specific images by adding a featured image to each blog post. On version 7.0, it's not possible to add episode-specific featured images to the audio block or blog post. Podcasts use the artwork uploaded to your podcast settings.

After you set all options for the block, click Apply to add the audio block to your post.

Podcast Summary

Apple Podcasts pulls the episode summary from the first available text on this list:

1. Episode Note (for blog pages with the Standard (default) feed size only)
2. Summary field
3. Blog post excerpt
4. Blog post body text

Step 4 - Track episode analytics with a third party (optional)

To monitor your episode’s analytics with a third-party service, add a tracking URL, sometimes called an analytics prefix or a prefix URL.

In the Podcasting tab, scroll to the bottom and add the unique URL in the Podcast Analytics URL field. Contact the analytics service for help finding the correct URL.

You can also view metrics for your podcast in your RSS subscribers analytics.

Step 5 - Publish the episode

You can add more blocks to the post if you want, but only the first audio block will appear in Apple Podcasts.

When your post is ready, you can publish it, or set the episode to post later by scheduling the blog post.

Tip: Apple Podcasts refreshes podcasts about once every 24 hours, so this is normally how long new episodes will take to appear.

Using external audio

If your audio file is larger than 160 MB, or you prefer hosting your files with another service, you can link the file to an audio block using the External File option. This lets you host the file elsewhere while still syndicating it through your Squarespace RSS feed.

Use these steps to add an external file:

1. Open the audio block editor.
2. In the Embed tab, click External.
3. Add the Audio File URL.
4. Enter the following information: File Size (in Bytes), Audio File Mime Type, Title, and Author / Artist.
5. Click Apply.

Note: If the external service hosting the file is down, the audio block may appear unresponsive.