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Substack podcast hosting (2026): is it free, private paid feeds, RSS, Spotify, Apple, video and transcripts

Last verified 20 Oct 2026 against official pricing pages · published 31 Oct 2026

Prices change often. Each price was checked on the platform's official pricing page on the date shown; plans, promos and taxes vary. Confirm on the official site before you buy. Not financial advice.

Short answer: yes, Substack is a podcast host, and hosting is free: Substack lists no hosting fee at any audience size. It stores your audio, gives you an RSS feed for Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps, gives every subscriber a private feed so paid episodes reach paying listeners, and adds an automatic AI transcript. The cost comes only if you charge: Substack keeps 10% of subscription payments, plus Stripe's fees. Substack does not state a maximum audio file size, nor how to move a hosted podcast's feed off Substack.

Every rule on this page is from Substack's own help center (listed under Sources, checked 2026-10-31). Where Substack publishes nothing, we say "not stated by Substack" instead of guessing. No platform pays us for this page; some buttons elsewhere on the site are paid links.

Substack podcast hosting at a glance

Is Substack podcast hosting free?

Yes. Substack's cost article says publishing is free "no matter how many subscribers you have", and its podcast articles open with "Host for free, distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube" (Substack: create a podcast). There's no per-download, storage or per-show price listed. You can run several podcasts in one publication by attaching each to a section (Substack: multiple podcasts).

If you sell paid episodes, they're unlocked by a normal paid subscription to your publication, so the same fees apply as for a paid newsletter: Substack's 10% of each payment, Stripe's card fee, and Stripe's Billing fee on recurring payments. See Substack fees for what you keep per payment, and Substack subscription price for the $5/month minimum.

How to start a podcast on Substack

1. In your dashboard click Podcast → Create podcast, pick the audience (whole publication or a new section) and choose start a new podcast.
2. Add a title, description, categories and square artwork at least 1400px wide.
3. Create an episode: Create → Podcast, then upload an MP3, WAV and AAC file or record in the browser.
4. Add show notes (they become the description in Apple Podcasts and Spotify), check the transcript, and choose the audience: everyone or paid subscribers only.
5. Publish. You can send it as an email and to the Substack app, or post it on the web only (Substack).
6. Copy your RSS feed from podcast settings and submit it to the apps (next section). The feed is only accepted after your first episode is published (Substack).

File limits: Substack lists the audio formats but no maximum audio file size or episode length. It re-encodes episodes to MP3 at 96–192 kbps based on length and stereo separation (Substack). For video it recommends files of at most 20 GB, 1080p/1440p or smaller, H.264 at 8 Mbps or below (Substack).

Free vs paid episodes: private RSS feeds

• Every subscriber gets a private RSS feed that's unique to them. Free subscribers' feeds show public episodes; paying subscribers' feeds also include paid episodes (Substack). Listeners add it from their Manage subscription page to Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts and similar apps (Substack).
• Cancelled subscribers become free subscribers and their feed goes back to the free version.
• Free previews: upload a separate free version or pick part of the audio as a preview; free listeners hit a paywall for the rest. Or send paid subscribers an ad-free episode and everyone else a sponsored version ("Free version is sponsored") (Substack).
• Paid episodes can have their own artwork, so listeners can tell the paid feed apart.

Substack podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube

• Apple Podcasts: copy the URL from podcast settings, add the show in Apple Podcasts Connect with "Add a show with an RSS feed", then paste the Apple URL back into Substack (Substack). Video episodes can go to Apple Podcasts too, but Substack says that's "available to select creators" on request, using an Apple Podcasts Connect API key (Substack).
• Spotify: click Connect to Spotify (Spotify Open Access). Free and paid episodes sync, with paid ones locked until a subscriber links their Substack account; the show appears in about an hour. Turn off Private Mode first. Founding-member episodes aren't sent, free previews aren't supported (Spotify shows the full locked episode), and you can't choose which episodes sync. Don't also submit the feed in Spotify for Podcasters, or you'll get a duplicate show (Substack).
• Video on Spotify: only the audio syncs. Upload the video per episode in Spotify for Creators; it replaces the audio on Spotify (Substack).
• YouTube: connect your channel and video posts upload automatically; verify the channel for videos over 15 minutes (Substack).
• Delays: apps read your feed on their own schedules, so new episodes and setting changes can take up to 24 hours (Substack).
• Spotify verification email goes to the RSS feed's email address; set "Who can reply to your emails" to Everyone if it doesn't arrive (Substack).

Video podcasts, Recording Studio and transcripts

• Video podcast: create a Video post and toggle Add audio to podcast RSS feed; Substack viewers watch the video, podcast apps get the audio, and you can replace it with a better audio file (Substack).
• Substack Recording Studio: record in the browser or the iOS/Android app with up to 3 people (you plus two guests), screen sharing and your logo on the video. It shows up for creators with at least 10 free subscribers (Substack).
• Transcripts: every episode gets an AI-generated transcript on the web post (not in the app or email). Listeners can click a line to jump there. You can edit it, assign speakers, upload your own .txt, .srt or .vtt, or hide it. On a paid episode, only paying subscribers see the transcript; on free posts it can't be paywalled (Substack).

Moving a podcast to Substack (or just syncing it)

• Import an existing podcast: paste your current RSS feed, import all episodes, and Substack becomes your host. Then submit the new Substack feed to directories and ask your old host for a 301 redirect to it. New episodes you keep posting on the old host won't appear on Substack (Substack).
• Distribute to Substack (keep your host): choose "I have a podcast hosted elsewhere" and paste your feed. Substack doesn't store your audio or create a new feed: your audio, dynamic ads and analytics stay on your current host, and new episodes sync in, auto-published or as drafts (Substack).

Leaving Substack with a podcast

• Not stated by Substack: how to redirect a Substack-hosted podcast feed to a new host. Its help center documents redirects into Substack, not out of it. Ask support before switching so your Apple/Spotify subscribers follow you.
• Exports: Settings → Exports creates a zip of your "posts, subscriber list, and related statistics" (Substack). Whether that zip includes the podcast audio files is not stated, so keep your own copies of every episode file.
• Spotify: if you disconnect, the show is hidden and stops syncing, but Spotify keeps its followers and ratings if you reconnect. For a manual setup, put your new host's feed URL in Spotify for Podcasters (Substack).
• Delete: Settings → Podcasts → Edit → Danger zone → Delete podcast; a podcast attached to a section is removed by deleting the section, which moves its posts to the main publication (Substack).

Is it the right home for a paid show? Substack is free until you charge, then costs 10% plus Stripe. Compare that cut with flat-fee platforms in Is Substack worth it? and Substack vs Patreon.

Related: Substack fees · Substack subscription price · Substack paid subscribers · Substack custom domain · Is Substack worth it? · Substack vs Patreon · Substack pricing

Sources

• Substack help, podcasts (checked 2026-10-31): Create and publish a podcast, Distribute to apps, Paid podcast on Spotify, Video episodes on Spotify, Listening to paid episodes on Spotify, Spotify verification email, Video to Apple Podcasts, Private RSS feeds, Free version of a paid episode, Listening in a podcast app, Update your RSS feed, Encoding quality, Multiple podcasts, Podcast dashboard, IAB certification, Delete a podcast
• Substack help, moving and video (checked 2026-10-31): Move your podcast to Substack, Distribute a podcast hosted elsewhere, Export your posts, Video posts, Recording Studio, Transcripts, Connect YouTube
• Substack help: How much does Substack cost? (fees checked 2026-10-27; podcast/fee wording re-read 2026-10-31)

FAQ

Is Substack a podcast hosting platform?

Yes. Substack hosts the audio files and generates the podcast RSS feed you submit to Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other apps. Its help center describes it as "Host for free, distribute to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube". You can also keep your current host and only sync your feed into Substack.

Is Substack podcast hosting free?

Yes. Publishing on Substack is free at any audience size and Substack lists no podcast hosting fee. If you turn on paid subscriptions, Substack keeps 10% of each subscription payment and Stripe charges its card and Billing fees, the same as for paid newsletters.

Does Substack have a podcast RSS feed?

Yes. Your podcast settings page shows the Substack RSS feed URL to submit to podcast apps; it is only accepted after you publish your first episode. Each subscriber also gets a private RSS feed unique to them, which includes paid episodes if they pay.

Can I put a paid Substack podcast on Spotify?

Yes. Click Connect to Spotify in your podcast settings (Spotify Open Access). Paid episodes show a lock; paid subscribers unlock them by linking their Substack account. Founding-member episodes are not published to Spotify and free previews are not supported there.

Is there a limit on podcast file size or length on Substack?

Not stated by Substack for audio. It lists the audio formats (MP3, WAV and AAC) and a recommended maximum of 20 GB for video uploads.

Does Substack make podcast transcripts?

Yes. Every episode automatically gets an AI-generated transcript shown on the web post (not in the app or email). You can edit it, upload your own .txt, .srt or .vtt file, or hide it. On paid episodes only paying subscribers see it.

Can I move my podcast to Substack, or keep my current host?

Both. "Import an existing podcast" copies your episodes from your RSS feed and makes Substack your host (then redirect the old feed with a 301). "Distribute to Substack" keeps your current host, audio, ads and analytics, and syncs new episodes in.

How do I move my podcast off Substack?

Substack's help center does not describe redirecting a Substack-hosted podcast feed to another host, and its Exports article does not say whether audio files are included. Ask Substack support before you switch, and keep your own copies of every episode file.

Related guides: Substack vs beehiiv vs Ghost · Substack to beehiiv migration · Substack fees (2026) · Substack to Ghost migration · beehiiv to Substack migration · Is Substack worth it for writers in 2026? The 10% cut vs flat-fee platforms, and how to leave · Substack vs Medium for writers (2026) · Substack vs Patreon fees (2026) · all guides

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