The Migration Show

Episode Summary: A breakdown of how to move a podcast from one hosting company to another without losing subscribers — covering podcast hosts, directories, RSS feeds, and 301 redirects.

What You’ll Learn

• What a podcast host actually does: audio storage, RSS feed generation, and directory syndication
• What a podcast directory is and why you only submit your RSS feed once
• What an RSS feed is and why it’s the single source of truth for your show
• What a 301 redirect is and how it lets you move hosts without losing subscribers
• The full step-by-step process for migrating a podcast to a new host

This episode covers: what a podcast host is, what a podcast directory is, what an RSS feed is, what a 301 redirect is, and how to move your show without losing subscribers.

What Is a Podcast Host?

Choosing where to host your show is one of the biggest early decisions in podcasting. At the time of recording, Mike worked full-time on the product support and content team at Simplecast. Other popular hosts included Libsyn, Blubrry, Podbean, Buzzsprout, Spreaker, SoundCloud, and Anchor.

What Podcast Hosting Platforms Do

1. Audio file storage and delivery — storing audio files and serving them to listener devices whenever someone clicks play or download, whether through an app or an embed player.
2. Generating your RSS feed — the link connecting your show to subscribers and every podcast app and directory. Every podcast has one unique RSS feed, and it typically only changes when you change hosts. Note: your RSS feed isn’t always generated at the same location as your audio files — when moving a show, you migrate wherever your RSS feed lives, not necessarily where the audio is stored.
3. Publishing and syndication to directories — publishing or editing an episode automatically pushes updates out to directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Pandora through the RSS feed. This automatic update process is called syndication.
4. Everything else — analytics, websites, sharing tools, embed players, and (for some hosts) excellent support.

What Is a Podcast Directory?

A podcast directory is a library or catalog where listeners browse, listen, and subscribe to shows. Major directories at the time included Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Google Play, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Stitcher.

You only submit your show to each directory once — new episodes update automatically everywhere through your RSS feed. Tip: keep a note with the URL for each of your directory listings for easy reference.

What Is an RSS Feed?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication (Wikipedia). A few things worth knowing:

• Every podcast gets a unique RSS feed, usually generated by the podcast host (or by a plugin like Powerpress if self-hosting on WordPress, or through Squarespace).
• An RSS feed looks like a normal link, but it’s actually a text document full of code and metadata that podcast apps read — clicking it directly just shows you code, not your show.
• The RSS feed is what you submit to directories, not what you share on websites or social media.
• Directories mirror whatever’s in your RSS feed. Change something at your host, and the feed updates immediately; directories catch up the next time they refresh.
• Your RSS feed generally only changes if you move your show to a new hosting company.

What Is a 301 Redirect?

A 301 redirect permanently sends users and devices to a different URL than the one they originally requested. For podcasts, a 301 redirect on your RSS feed tells listener apps “your old feed now lives here” — permanently — which is how you move a show without losing subscribers.

Warning: a 301 redirect is also how you can lose all your subscribers if you don’t do it correctly. Take your time, and ask for help if you’re not sure.

How to Move Your Show, Step by Step

Before you start: subscribe to your own show in Apple Podcasts and other apps so you can monitor exactly what subscribers experience, and export your analytics data from your old host — it won’t transfer to the new one.

1. Import your RSS feed to the new host — set up a trial account and paste in your original RSS feed. This only creates a copy; it doesn’t affect your live podcast or link to your original host yet.
2. Enter billing information and select your subscription plan for after the trial.
3. Get your new RSS feed once your show is imported and billing is set up.
4. Set the 301 redirect — once you’ve tested the new host and are ready to officially migrate, set up the 301 redirect at the source of your old RSS feed, pointing to your new one. This is the final, permanent step — you’ll no longer publish on the old host afterward. Keep the old account open for a few weeks as a safety net, though the redirect takes effect immediately. You can verify it’s working by pasting your old RSS feed URL into a browser — it should resolve to the new feed.
5. Update the directories — most should update automatically once they look for your old feed, but manually updating each directory (especially Apple Podcasts, since many smaller directories pull from it) speeds things up. In Apple Podcasts Connect, you can also just click “Refresh Feed” and it should pick up the new feed within 20-30 minutes.
6. Update embed players if needed — swap old embed codes for your new host’s player embed codes.
7. Publish new episodes — once the redirect is set and directories are updated, you’ve officially moved your show without losing subscribers. Keep an eye on the directories for the first few episodes to confirm everything’s showing up correctly.

Tip: if you’re not seeing updates in your own podcast app after some time, try force-quitting and reopening it.

Show Notes & Links

• Libsyn
• Blubrry
• Podbean
• Buzzsprout
• Spreaker
• SoundCloud
• Apple Podcasts Connect
• Spotify for Podcasters
• What is RSS? (Wikipedia)